* * *
I told the driver to take me to Kari’s house and then to the airport. I didn’t want to go back to Maren's to pick up my clothes or things. As long as I kept myself focused on what I had to do, I could get through this. I could even make it through this car ride like a normal passenger and not curl into the fetal position and sob uncontrollably in the backseat.
I would say good-bye to Kari, apologize for the trouble I'd caused with Grant, and give her the sapphire necklace. I felt she should have it, since it was bought for her mother.
My hand went to the chain around my throat, fingering it as I looked outside at the passing cars. I’d worn it so many days that it felt like it belonged to me. But I couldn’t keep it any more than I could keep anything else from Kari’s life. None of it was mine. It was this thought that snapped my willpower. The tears I’d held in since Grant’s house came out.