Leaving is hard.
Leaving everything you've ever known and all the people you've ever loved behind is harder.
I stared at the open trunk of my car. Macy Vanderbilt hadn't given me enough time or space to take much of anything.
So, here I am, the last of my life, crammed into two suitcases and a box of books.
My heart literally breaking but anything was better than walking down the aisle to say I do to a man who cheated on me on the morning of our wedding day while I made his kid from scratch in my belly.
Being kicked out sucks...but being with a guy like Preston Astor would have sucked forever.
I turned around after closing the trunk, ready to drive away and... there was Lark dragging her own glittery duffel bag and a huge suitcase out the door in a hurry.
"Okay, I'm ready!" she announced, chipper than a clown at a kid's party. "Whooh, thirty minutes is not enough time to pack up everything important to me...but if you let me borrow your hair dryer then I think I am good"
I watched her drag it closer to my car. "Pop the trunk, would ya? We are free... finally!" She screamed.
My throat closed up instantly watching her struggle to get her things in order while clutching her childhood favorite elephant.
She's just a baby...My baby. I practically raised her with Dad, her mother was too busy with shopping and girls trips to do it.
I tucked her in at night. I read her bedtime stories. I fucking talked her through what a period is when she was thirteen years old.
This part is definitely gonna hurt.
"Lark, honey" I exhaled. "You're not going with me."
Her smile didn't just fade at once, it went gradually and so did my heart.
"You're not..." She said in disbelief "Emmy, you're not seriously leaving me behind, are you?" Her voice was small, a little girl's. She took a step closer to me to whisper...
"You are not leaving me here all by myself with the Grandwitch and her coven, are you?. You're my big sister, you wouldn't do that to me?" She grabbed my hand. "Take me with you. Emilia"
I fought my own tears, hard. I walked over and pulled her into a tight hug, breathing in the sweet, familiar scent of her shampoo. "I love you" I whispered into her hair.
"Please... Please, don't leave me here. Please. I will be good. I will do whatever you tell me to do, I swear"
I pulled back, cupping her face. "I will come back for you, okay?"
She was crying now. Tears streaming down her face like she was three again and looking for bubba, her favorite elephant.
"I will come back for you. Do you believe me?" I asked her.
She nodded vigorously. More tears rushed down her face.
"You are meant for greatness, Lark. You are going to stay here. You're going to finish high school... Then I'm gonna come get you, okay?"
"Swear it. You will come, won't you?" she asked in this teary voice that broke my heart.
"On my dead mother, sweet girl" I exhaled. "I'm going to get you out "
"I'm going to miss you so much, Emmy" she cried, throwing her arms around my neck again.
"I love you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I love you. Two years, okay? I will be back to get you"
I forced myself to pull away and walk to the driver's door. If I don't drive away, I will start crying and I wouldn't even know how to stop.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Daddy?" she asked me.
I stopped, my hand on the cold handle. "I can't." I looked back at her and smiled. "He's crazier than you. He might just snap and murder Grandwitch. Or worse, he'd take my side, and then Jack and you would lose everything. You know we can't. Jack has his heart problems. Believe it or not, we need the family trust fund to keep him alive."
I got in and started the car. I rolled down the window and gave her my best bravest smile.
"Two years" she nodded.
"Yes, two years and not one day more." I nodded myself. "And Lark, you are the big sister, now. You will look out for Jack, won't you? And Dad? Make sure he doesn't worry too much?"
"I will." More tears fell down her cheek but she smiled through it "It's okay, I got this. I'm Lark Vanderbilt. I'm practically a superhero"
She came closer and gave me her wallet. "Take it. I have some cash in there"
"Come on, I'm not gonna take your money. And don't look so glum. I'm not poor-poor. I have my savings and my book money. I'm actually okay, Lark. I may no longer be an heiress, but I'm not destitute either."
Lark leaned in, kissed my cheek, and toss the wallet inside the car, when she pulled away, her eyes were fixed behind me. I followed her gaze. Grandmother was standing in the doorway, watching us like a stone statue.
"It's okay. Go inside" I told her.
Lark turned and walked right up to her. I saw her say the words, clear as day: "The first thing I'm going to do when you're dead is throw a fucking party."
Marcy Vanderbilt didn't say a word. She just stood there, her cold eyes on me, as I put the car in drive and pulled away from the only home I'd ever known. Exiled.