Page 116 of Twisted Beauty

Thank god she had enough savings to last a few months. Apparently, being sensible and cautious—and boring—had its perks. So she had a little time to figure out her next steps.

There were so many possibilities too, she almost didn’t know where to start. Like monetizing her travel blog. She’d heard of people making good money off ads and affiliate offers. Or she could open an Etsy shop and sell her photos. Or run photo tours for tourists. Worst-case scenario, if nothing else panned out, she’d give in and do weddings with Katie. But she’d have to be starving to death first, and that was a long way off.

Crap. Katie was still talking in her ear, and she hadn’t caught a word of it.

“I’m finally about to go through security,” Liv said as she lifted her carry-on onto the moving belt. “I have to call you back.”

“Nooooo! Oh my gosh, no. I need to know now. What changed? What happened with your mom?”

Liv shook her head. Getting Katie off the phone was always tricky. Which was why she usually opted for texting. “It’s a long story and I have to hang up before some power-hungry agent decides to taser me for talking on the phone. Or strip-search me because I’m still wearing my sandals.”

“Wait! What time does your plane land? This time I’m picking you up for sure.”

“I’ll text you my flight info. Gotta go.” As she disconnected the call, she heard Katie’s protests on the other end of the line and couldn’t help but laugh. For the second time today. That was a new record for her since she’d last seen Matt.

And that thought wiped the smile off her face instantly. She wasn’t going back to Mexico for Matt. Well, not only for Matt. She had to face the possibility that she’d never be close to him again. Her heart thumped painfully at the image of him walking past her on the street without even acknowledging her.

But whatever. She wasn’t abandoning her life or her dreams for a man, or her mother, or anyone else. Ever again. She’d just have to get over the ache of losing him. Mexico was where she wanted to be. With Katie and Jana and the dogs. And Tito. She loved Tito, and she’d be damned if she was staying away just because Matt thought she was a liar. Fuck him.

Liv gave a slight shake of her head aimed at no one in particular. Of course, she didn’t mean that. Matt’s opinion would always matter to her. She’d probably always love him too. Before him, she had no idea how unbelievable sex could be. Or how good it would feel to have someone who mattered believe in her enough that he actually encouraged her to pursue her dreams. She blinked back tears, and forced her thoughts to a safer topic.

Like how freeing it was to throw caution to the wind and do something completely for herself. Her last impromptu trip to visit Katie had worked out so much better than she’d ever imagined, and she couldn’t wait to get back. To everything she already missed—her friends, the local food, the street art, the warm air. The list was pretty long.

She sure hoped Katie’s offer to stay indefinitely was still good, because she had every intention of taking her up on it. At least until she could afford her own place.

Once she was safely through security, Liv made her way to the gate and sat down to text Katie. She pulled out her phone and she saw two missed calls and several texts. All from Katie.

Call me back!

OMG. Where R U?

Why aren’t you calling me back?!

Liv smiled, but she didn’t want to talk anymore. Instead she texted back her itinerary and put on her noise-canceling headphones to listen to a Mexican band called Porter that Matt had turned her on to. Not her usual type of music, but she loved it. And it was weirdly addictive, so when she got on the plane, she set it on loop and made every possible effort to zone out through the entire flight.

Stepping off the plane in Puerto Vallarta felt so right, she couldn’t keep the grin off her face. The moist air in the jetway hit her like a wall and this time it felt familiar. And amazing. She wove through the crazed crowds in the terminal and waiting area, but instead of feeling overwhelmed like last time, she felt energized. Excited. And as long as she kept her thoughts focused on her new life, maybe her heart would recover.

“Livvy!” She heard Katie’s high-pitched squeal through a thousand other voices. And there was no way to miss that blonde hair in the sea of locals holding those handwritten pickup signs.

Katie rushed forward and threw her arms around Liv, almost knocking her over. She bounced up and down, dragging Liv with her while they both laughed. It was like being greeted by an overzealous puppy.

“Let’s go.” Katie grabbed Liv’s rolling suitcase and pulled it behind her as she rushed through the crowd and out of the airport.

Liv struggled to keep up, but she couldn’t stop smiling. Out in the fresh air, she stopped for a moment in the midst of all the honking taxis and luggage carts and confused tourists to glance up and admire the sky—that cloudless, cornflower blue she hadn’t seen anywhere else.

When she looked back down, Katie was at the far end of the airport, already partway up a steep pedestrian bridge that led over the main street and into the visitor parking lot. Liv had to jog to catch up. “What’s the hurry?”

“No hurry,” Katie said, panting from the exertion. “I just want to get you home before you change your mind.”

Liv giggled. “I’m not changing my mind.”

On the car ride to Katie’s, Liv filled her in. On all of it. The talk with her mother, the way she’d felt about being back in her apartment, her tentative plans for the future. Katie’s grin never faltered as she gripped the steering wheel, navigating the usual PV traffic, even when Liv told her just how much she’d missed Matt.

“I had no idea you’d be quite this happy to see me.” Liv stared at her friend, whose eyes were focused on the road. “Why do I feel like you’re up to something? I only told you I was coming back a few hours ago, but look at you. You’re about to combust.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” But she was practically bubbling over with excitement. She had the worst poker face ever.

“Katie,” Liv said in a low warning. “Please tell me you didn’t plan another welcome barbecue or something. I might have to kill you before we even get back.”