Roxy Muñoz (sticksandrox) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2021-09-21 08:48:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | #june 2018, caden, mila, mila x roxy, roxy |
Who: Mila and Roxy (and a bit o' Caden)
When: Afternoon, Monday, June 18th
Where: Home, car, the Porch
Status: complete
After speaking with Aaron on the phone that morning, Mila made plans to drive home at lunch to talk to Roxy. The news Aaron had dropped on her had formed a heavy ball of dread in her gut and while she honestly didn’t want to be the one to tell Roxy what Caden had done, she knew it had to come from her rather than Aaron, or worse, Caden himself. Mila had tried to focus on work, wishing for time to speed up while simultaneously wondering why the morning was ticking by so fast.
Full of conflicting emotions made her feel a bit sour in the stomach but it was nothing compared to what Roxy was going to be feeling, so Mila sucked it up and drove home at noon, carrying a bag of Chinese food though she wasn’t very hungry and she doubted Roxy would be either, once Mila told her the news of Caden’s sudden marriage.
Trying not to look apprehensive, Mila let herself in the house and took a breath. “Roxy?” she called, attempting to find a balance between chipper and solemn in her tone. God, what an asshole Caden was. Mila wanted to find him and shove her egg roll right up his ass. “I brought lunch!”
Completely oblivious to the news that was coming for her, Roxy had tried to give herself a good morning. Adrian was gone for a couple of days and Mila and Aaron both had to work, so she had the house to herself. She ran a bath with some bubbles and listened to music while she soaked and shaved -- and cried some more, but she was keeping that to herself. She’d been mourning the end of her relationship with Caden for a few days now, and while the tears still came sometimes, they didn’t last as long. It was going to be a road to get over this, even though she’d been the one to make the break, and Roxy knew she just had to be patient with herself, but it was hard. She wanted to leave it all in the dust, to purge him from her heart, but the memories still came ... along with the unwelcome fantasies about Caden showing up with some grand romantic gesture to win her back. She was such an idiot sometimes.
By the time lunch rolled around, Roxy was out of the bath and in some comfortable clothes. She was in the kitchen looking over what kind of easy food she could make when the front door opened. Surprised, Roxy started in that direction, then smiled faintly at Mila’s voice. “Hey,” she greeted once she spotted her friend. “I didn’t expect you home.” Roxy reached to take the food bag from her.
Mila let Roxy take the food, not entirely sure if she was supposed to smile sympathetically, or scowl or frown, or what. She wanted to kick Caden's ass so badly but she kind of had the feeling once Roxy knew what he had done, she might do it on her own. "I was craving pad thai," she admitted with a sheepish smile that faded rather quickly. "And I wanted to come home and talk to you." She headed into the kitchen to grab a couple of plates, mostly so she had something to keep her hands busy. "You didn't eat yet, did you? I got some beef and broccoli and some lo mein noodles too. I guess I should have called to ask what you wanted but I've been having mushy brain lately."
“No, I was just browsing around the kitchen just now,” Roxy assured her as she set the food bag down on the counter and started to unload it. “I like all of that, so that works.” Her appetite hadn’t been great throughout the weekend, but she knew she had to eat, so she kept doing it, putting one foot in front of the other, so to speak. Roxy glanced over at Mila as she set the food containers out. “Talk to me about what? Everything okay?” Roxy got that flicker of worry that always came with someone saying they needed to talk, but she didn’t think Mila would be kicking her out so quickly, so it had to be something else.
Mila set the plates down on the table and felt the twist of discomfort in her gut again. She didn't rush to assure Roxy that everything was okay, because it wasn't, but she could hope that maybe this would prove to Roxy that she made the right decision leaving Caden. "Let's sit," Mila said, sliding into one of the chairs, though she made no move to reach for the food. When Roxy had joined her, Mila took a breath and met Roxy's gaze. "So apparently Caden went to Atlantic City over the weekend with Max O'Reilly. He, uh, came back with a woman." Mila tried to suppress the wince, but it was impossible. "Apparently... Aaron told me they got married."
That bad feeling in Roxy’s stomach got worse as she joined Mila at the table, and she rubbed her suddenly sweaty palms against her pantlegs. She worried briefly that something had happened to Adrian or the baby, but she was sure that Mila would be much more upset than she seemed, so that couldn’t be it either. For a split second when Mila said Caden’s name, Roxy was sure she was about to say he was dead, and her heart dropped. The words Mila actually said took a few extra seconds to register. Roxy stared at her blankly for a moment, then arched her eyebrows. “I’m sorry, they what now?” she asked, though she barely heard herself over the rising ringing in her ears.
That blank look was about what Mila expected because she had worn the same expression when Aaron had called her and told her what Caden had done. Clearing her throat, Mila slipped her hands into her lap, clutching them together tightly. "Caden married some woman in Atlantic City. Her name is Shan... uh, Aaron met her this morning." That was really all the information Mila had and she sort of wished she had waited until Aaron was home to help her break the news. "I'm sorry, Rox. It's a dick move and... obviously he's completely lost his mind."
Roxy still didn’t feel like she was completely grasping what Mila was saying, but she didn’t ask for clarification again, just sat there silently for a long moment while that sank in. She had left Caden. He had immediately gone on a trip to Atlantic City with Max. He’d met a woman there and married her. Then he’d brought her back to Point Pleasant with him, not ... three days later? The thing she’d begged him to do for five years, he’d done with a complete stranger in three fucking days. Maybe less. Roxy’s heart was picking up speed and her hands felt cold and numb. “What the fuck,” she whispered, though it wasn’t really a question to be answered. “He just ... picked a bitch and married her? What the fuck, Mila? And she’s here, now? Aaron met her -- he brought her to the fucking Porch?”
Mila stayed silent as Roxy worked through the news. She fully expected Roxy to blow up about it and honestly, she deserved to feel every ounce of anger because it was a shitty thing to do. But that was Caden and Mila was silently relieved that Roxy had gotten out of the relationship, even if it had taken five years for her to do it. Licking her lips, Mila nodded. "I don't know what happened exactly. Aaron didn't give me a lot of detail and I don't know if even he knows... but she came in this morning with Caden to see the place. Uh, her name is Shan. That's really all I know, Roxy. I'm really sorry. He's an asshole."
Shan. What kind of a name was that, anyway? Roxy wanted to claw her eyes out already. What kind of a woman actually married a man she didn’t know, and then moved states with him even when she’d had time to come to her senses? Was she a golddigger, just after Caden’s money? She was barking up the wrong tree, in that case. Was she just insane? Or very young and stupid? “This is about me,” she declared to Mila, who probably already knew. “He knew this would happen. He knew Aaron would call you, and you would tell me, and he did this all on fucking purpose, to hurt me.” Judging by the hot tears stinging the back of her eyes and the way she felt punched in the chest, he had succeeded. Again. Roxy shoved her chair back and stood up to pace, needing to do something with that energy before she started bawling. “What a fuckhead, oh my God -- and he better not have given her my ring or I will cut it off her goddamn finger!”
Frowning, Mila watched Roxy pace, but knew she was right. Why else would Caden bring that woman to the bar when they weren't even open? He knew Roxy was staying with Aaron and Mila. And god, was he going to bring that woman to the wedding? It was all so fucked up. But that was the Lucas family, wasn't it? Most of them, anyway. Aaron would have never done something like that. Hell, she didn't think Gavin would either. Caden seemed to have gotten all of the major asshole genes in that family. "Do you want to go burn his trailer down?" Mila asked, only half-joking. "We could... go all Carrie Underwood on his ass and slash his tires or something."
While those ideas were definitely appealing, neither of them felt like enough to Roxy in that moment. Her insides were bubbling with lava and everything felt tight and shaky and pressurized. How could he? It was one thing to not even wait a full weekend before he went out to fuck someone else, Roxy had almost expected that. But to get married? It still almost sounded like a joke, but the horrible feeling in her chest knew it was true. And malicious. “I want to put his dick in a blender is what I want to do,” she said through her teeth, her fists clenching in front of her. “He got married?! I fucking -- I begged him to marry me for years, and he just --!!” Roxy let out a muffled sort of scream and gestured wildly at nothing. Her eyes landed on the clock and she did the quick calculation that Caden was likely still at the bar, if he’d opened. Maybe his new bitch was there too. “I’m going,” Roxy declared abruptly, turning to stride out of the kitchen. “I’m going down there.”
Mila grimaced at Roxy's rage even though she was absolutely entitled to those emotions. Mila could only imagine how she would feel if she had been in Roxy's shoes. There wasn't much Mila could say to make Roxy feel any better and she knew the best thing to do would be to let Roxy get it all out. To get angry or upset or anything else that would help her finally move on. However, Mila wasn't entirely sure going to the bar while she was this angry was the right thing to do and Mila shot up from her chair to hurry after her best friend. "I don't think that's a good idea," Mila breathed. "That's probably what he wants, Roxy, for you to storm in there and cause a scene. Let's take a minute and breathe and figure this out, okay?"
Unfortunately Roxy couldn’t storm out immediately -- her purse was upstairs in her temporary room, so she headed for the stairs. Mila’s response wasn’t really surprising, because of course this was a terrible idea, but it was the only one in Roxy’s brain at the moment. She had held herself together extremely well when she’d left Caden, but she couldn’t keep her head about this. She’d felt lucky that he hadn’t created a huge drama or injured her over it, but she should’ve known that something like this was coming. He was a vindictive prick and he’d known what would hurt her more than his fists. “Then he’ll get his scene,” she replied with a breathless sort of laugh as she stomped up the stairs. “I’ll make sure he never forgets it either, the low down asshole. This is low Mila, it’s so fucking low. He knew what the fuck he was doing, and I hope this idiot girl doesn’t think he gives any sort of shit about her.”
It was clear that she wasn't going to be able to stop Roxy from going to the bar. And if Roxy was going, Mila was going to. "I'll drive you," Mila called up the stairs after her friend. Pulling out her phone quickly, she thumbed in a text to Aaron that Roxy was on her way there. It wasn't that she wanted to give Caden a head's up, but she wanted to give Aaron one, just so he was prepared and not taken by surprise. Mila knew she would be late getting back to work, but she wasn't going to let Roxy go to the Porch by herself, especially given how upset she was. With any luck, it'll just be Caden there and not his new wife.
That was probably the best plan, even though Roxy was tempted to tell Mila no. Some back part of her mind knew that she shouldn’t be stressing out her pregnant friend like this, but she couldn’t exactly help that she felt like tearing the world apart with her teeth. Roxy shoved her feet into sneakers and grabbed her purse, heading back down the steps in under a minute. She breezed past Mila with a curt “Let’s go.” She had been swallowing down a lot of her anger and frustration with Caden Lucas for years, and now that she didn’t have to think ahead to their future at all anymore, she didn’t want to hold anything back. He could’ve just let her go, but Roxy knew this dumbass decision of his was aimed at her, and she had to give him a piece of her mind.
Mila took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, following Roxy out of the house and locking the door quickly behind her. A part of her hoped that Aaron would tell Caden to leave the bar and go home but she knew Caden well enough to know he would refuse. And even if he left, Roxy would probably just want to go to Seaview to confront him here. Mila would much rather have this happen at the bar where there would be other people around. She didn't trust Caden at all. Unlocking her car, Mila slipped inside and started the engine. Maybe Roxy would calm down a bit during the drive... or she would just get more furious. "What can I do?" Mila murmured, glancing at Roxy as they drove towards the Porch.
Roxy couldn’t sit completely still, one of her legs bouncing and her body re-adjusting in the seat every few seconds. Caden was lucky he wasn’t in arm’s reach of her yet. She had no illusions that she could hurt him more than he could hurt her, but Roxy was feeling up to taking a beating if it meant getting a few good licks in herself. Her hands clenched around her purse strap while a full blown rant ran through her head, and it took a moment for Mila’s question to register. “Help me bury his body,” she seethed. “No. I don’t know. Nothing. Just bail me out if he has me arrested. No, don’t ... fuck.” She rubbed both palms against her face and made a noise of frustration. “How could he do this to me? That motherfucker never wanted to get married, and he -- he didn’t even wait a fucking week, Mila! Not even like four fucking days!”
Mila would have absolutely helped Roxy bury a body if she needed it, but she knew her friend wasn't really serious. Resisting the urge to point out that Aaron said Caden had gotten wasted, she instead nodded silently because being drunk wasn't a valid excuse for a lot of shitty behavior, if you asked her. Whether Caden meant to get married or not, he still brought that woman back home and now what? Roxy and Mila were both entwined in the Lucas family whether Caden liked it or not and now he was making things even harder on everyone. "He's angry and he's hurt so he lashed out the best way he knew how," Mila murmured. "He can't control you anymore, Roxy, so he's just... trying to get to you in another way, you know? This thing isn't going to last."
Roxy knew Mila was probably right. And she also knew that she was probably playing right into Caden’s hands by storming down there to scream at him. But she felt like if she didn’t vent off some of the rage inside of her, she would just explode from it. Nothing was going to alleviate it like tearing Caden Lucas a new asshole, whether he wanted her to or not. “He’s not hurt,” she said, almost spitting the words out. “He can’t be hurt. You can’t hurt someone who’s fucking empty inside. He’s soulless and mean and that’s all there is to him.” She clenched her jaw and glared out the window, horrified by how her throat suddenly felt tight and full. She would not cry over him any fucking more, she told herself. She wouldn’t. It was better to be angry.
Mila's brows rose but she didn't dispute what Roxy said. He was mean but at the same time, Roxy must have seen something else in Caden to have stayed with him so long. But Mila had been someone who had constantly tried to get Roxy to see that she could do better and she sure as hell wasn't going to try and humanize Caden now. Looking over at Roxy, Mila could see the way her jaw was tensed and she reached over with one hand to touch her friend's leg. "It's okay to be upset," she murmured. "I mean, not just angry. I think if you have to purge him out by crying, you should. I'm certainly not judging."
She knew what she was saying wasn’t entirely true. Roxy had witnessed Caden’s softer side before, she knew it existed. It was just difficult to remember that in the moment when everything hurt so bad inside, all because of him. Yes, she’d been the one to finally make the break and leave, but she’d tried her best for so many years and gotten nowhere with him. He hadn’t even mourned the end of their relationship for forty-eight hours before he ran off to party and fuck and marry some other woman. Mila’s words were almost like a trigger on the lump in her throat, and Roxy covered her mouth with one hand as tears burst out of her. “What’s wrong with me?” she wailed, the words a little muffled behind her palm. “Why didn’t he want me?”
“Because he’s a moron,” Mila said, trying to focus on the road while still glancing at her friend. It was hard not to pull over to hug Roxy at the moment and she reached for Roxy’s free hand to squeeze it. “He was raised in a shitty household with a shitty dad and he has no idea how to be a man. You tried, Roxy but some people just don’t know how to love someone or accept it in return. You’re too good for him and I know that’s easy to say but it’s the fucking truth.” Aaron could have very easily followed Caden’s path but he chose to try and be better. Gavin had been a miserable bastard for as long as she’d known him but Mila could see letting Charlie into his life was changing him too. Caden just shut everyone out and refused to budge. That wasn’t Roxy’s fault. “Maybe this woman is the biggest bitch that ever was and he’ll suffer for a while.”
Roxy didn’t feel too good for him, she felt not good enough. She’d been raised in a shitty household too, and her father hadn’t been a very loving man. He hadn’t abused them as much as Caden had been abused, Roxy knew that, but she’d still always felt like she understood Caden more because of the similarities in their background. She’d been patient, she’d given him time to open up, connect with her, let his guard down, and while Roxy hadn’t always been a perfect girlfriend, she thought she’d been a pretty good one. But it had never been enough. She hadn’t been enough, for any of the men in her life. Still, stupidly, she didn’t truly want Caden to suffer, stuck with some horrible bitch fake-wife ... and at the same time she wanted to break his face. Roxy wiped furiously at her eyes and nose until the short storm of tears stopped again, then rummaged around in her purse for a tissue. “He’s already the biggest bitch that ever was,” she muttered sourly. “May they suffer together.”
"Amen," Mila murmured with a faint smile. She knew how miserable Roxy had been, off and on, with Caden and she doubted he would suddenly become Prince Charming. They were nearing the bar and Mila took another breath, instinctively slowing the car, like she might be able to stretch this out a bit longer. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked again, looking over at her friend. "I'll stop if you tell me to, but he's not worth it, Roxy. He's just waiting for this to happen. You know he's not going to be sorry about it."
She glanced up when the car slowed and registered where exactly they were, and Roxy’s heart gave a sick twist in her chest. She’d been fairly certain that she would never set foot in the Porch again, and now here she was, ready to storm in and scream at Caden. Roxy suddenly got a very clear vision of it -- herself in a rage, yelling about what a complete dick he was, and Caden just smirking at her in that self-satisfied way, pleased to get under her skin. Mila was probably right. Even if there was a microscopic part of him that was sorry to hurt her, he would never let her know it. She would never get the catharsis out of him that she needed, and that just made her want to throw liquor bottles at his head even more. At the same time, there was a fierce rage inside of her that didn’t want to roll over and take it yet again. Roxy’s hand dipped back into her purse to find the stout folding knife she kept on her all the time. “Take me around back to his truck,” she told Mila, her voice steady and firm again. “I’m not going in, but he’s not getting off with no consequences.”
Mila glanced at Roxy again, relieved that she had changed her mind on going inside, but also feeling a bit of trepidation about what her friend was going to do. The part of her that was enraged on Roxy's behalf really didn't care what she did, as long as she didn't get caught. She wouldn't put it past Caden to file charges against Roxy if she did something to his truck and he could prove it. Even so, Mila pulled into the back parking lot, spotting both Caden and Aaron's trucks. She drove up behind Caden's truck and took a breath. "Should I keep the getaway car ready?"
“Yeah, I’ll just be a minute,” Roxy muttered as she reached for the door handle. Her heart was beating hard and fast and she half expected Caden to run out the back at any second, but hopefully she could get this done without being noticed. Roxy didn’t really give a shit about any retaliation, this was just a tiny taste of the bullshit he’d put her through. She left the car door open and darted out, the knife in her fist. Grunting with each thrust, Roxy stabbed both tires on one side, and left a nice long scratch in the paint as she went. She hurried around to the other side to do the same, scratching a big “F U” into the driver’s side door. The hissing as Caden’s tires lost air was so satisfying, she wanted to stand there and bask in it, but every second was riskier, so she rushed back to Mila’s car to hop back in so they could get out of there.
Aaron had told Caden that Roxy was on her way to the bar, which was mildly annoying given he wasn't really in the mood for that level of bullshit. He had no doubt she would come barging in looking for a fight, even though she had been the one to walk out on him. Women were like that. Fuck a man over and then scream and cry when he moved on. So yes, he had been keeping an eye out for his ex-girlfriend, mentally preparing himself for the scene she was probably going to cause. Caden was in the back room to open boxes of liquor when he heard the car in the back parking lot. He didn't think much about it, since people used the space for a turn around sometimes, but when it stayed idling, Caden walked away from what he was doing, pushing open the back door in time to see Roxy hurrying back to Mila's car. A quick glance at his truck prompted Caden to sigh even as rage burned beneath the surface. "Are you fucking serious, Roxy?" he yelled. Maybe she and Mila would take off like Bonnie and Clyde but at least she would know he saw what she did.
Roxy heard him just as she was tugging the car door shut, and she immediately rolled down the window to stick her head and shoulder out. She lifted her hand to give him the finger, finding herself glad that he saw her. She would own this. Caden would’ve known it was her in the first place, but this had more bite to it somehow. “Fuck you, Caden!” she yelled back at him. There was nothing else to say, was there? He knew what he’d done and how it would affect her, and she wasn’t going to take his shit lying down anymore. Roxy ducked back into the car and started rolling the window up. “Go, go,” she said breathlessly to Mila.
Caden was torn between wanting to break Roxy's fingers and laughing at the same time. He watched Mila's car take off out of the parking lot and then walked out towards his truck to get a better look at the damage. It looked like his afternoon was going to be taken up by getting new fucking tires on his truck. Since Aaron's fiance was the "getaway driver", he'd give his brother the bill. "Motherfucker," he muttered before storming back into the bar.
Mila had driven off with her heart pounding hard in her chest. "Shit," she murmured, glancing at Roxy as she pulled onto the street, heading back towards the house. She had a feeling Caden was going to be giving Aaron shit for this now, especially since Caden knew Mila had driven Roxy to the bar. "Are you okay?" she asked Roxy. "I mean, do you feel any better?"
The look on Caden’s face before Mila pulled them away was both delightful and scary, and Roxy watched him in the side mirror until he disappeared around the corner. He wasn’t one of those guys who was in love with his truck, but she knew she’d fucked up his day, and that brought great satisfaction with it. Roxy hoped getting it all fixed was a huge pain in the ass. She felt sure he wouldn’t call the cops on her, because he was a Lucas. They never got cops involved in family business, for good reason. Caden knew how much Roxy knew, and she doubted he would risk her talking about secrets to the authorities. That wasn’t to say she wouldn’t find her own tires slashed at some point in the future, but Roxy didn’t care. “I do, actually,” she answered Mila once they were on the road, settling back in her seat. She put the knife away and sighed. “It felt good to stab something.”
Despite what had just happened, Mila laughed. There was a surge of adrenaline coursing through her, which was odd since she had just watched. But if Roxy felt better, she felt better. She just hoped Aaron wasn't too upset since he was sort of being shoved in the middle now. "He deserved it," Mila said finally. "And he knows it too." She didn't think Caden would retaliate but she couldn't say for sure. Caden was volatile at best but maybe his new wife would keep him in line. Ha. "I'm sorry I brought you such shitty news," Mila said after a moment. "I wish I hadn't had to."
Roxy didn’t feel all the way better, of course. One act of revenge wouldn’t fix everything she’d been through and heal her heart, but it certainly felt good for the moment. She hadn’t truly felt good in a while, so it was a nice change for however long it lasted. Roxy didn’t know if Caden knew he deserved anything, honestly, and it wasn’t her job to try and read his mind anymore. He probably just thought she was a crazy, hysterical bitch. Roxy had to learn not to care about that. His thoughts shouldn’t matter in her world, especially now. She may have been the one to make the break, but Caden had stabbed her first with this ridiculous marriage. Roxy looked over at Mila and reached out to give her arm a little squeeze. “It’s not your fault,” she murmured. “I’m sorry you had to bring it ... but I would much rather hear it from you than some other way. Thank you for coming with me.”
Mila knew it would have been worse to hear it from someone else. All things considered, Roxy had handled it as well as she could have. Mila had no idea how she would have handled something like this. "You're welcome. You know I'll always be here if you need a ride to slash some tires." She grinned faintly. Things had definitely become more complicated, but that was life, wasn't it? They would figure it all out. Time would heal the wounds, right? Or at least help dull some of the pain. "I've got to get back to work after I drop you off," Mila said apologetically. "Is there anything you want me to pick up on the way home? Ice cream? Chocolate cookies?"
“That’s my ride or die best bitch,” Roxy murmured affectionately with a little grin of her own. It was probably bad to put this kind of stress on a pregnant woman, so Roxy resolved not to need a getaway driver again anytime soon, if she could help it. The reminder that Mila was actually on her lunch break was an unwelcome one, but that was reality, wasn’t it? Roxy would definitely make sure all the doors were locked up tight just in case Caden decided to pay her a visit while she was alone in the house. “No, that’s okay. Thank you babe,” she said and gave a sigh. “My stomach’s all in knots. You’re taking your pad thai with you though, you need to eat.”
Mila didn't want Caden coming to their house and she planned on texting Aaron to make sure that didn't happen. She had faith in her fiance that he would keep his brother at the bar, no matter how pissed Caden might be. "I'll take my pad thai," Mila promised with a small smile. "I get cranky when I'm hungry and I don't think Anthony or Caius enjoy it much." And she was hungry, now that her nerves had settled the farther away from the bar they got. She nearly suggested that Roxy stay with Spence for a few nights since Caden wasn't likely to look there if he got it in his head to come searching for her... but Mila felt like she was safest at Mila and Aaron's, as backward as that was. "You're going to be okay," she said as she pulled up to the house, her hand reaching out for Roxy's. "In a while, you're going to look back on all of this and just... be amazed at how much happier you are without him."
There was a part of Roxy that did want to run to Spence to throw herself at him, move straight into his bedroom that very night, but she knew better. She was in no shape to see him without ruining everything. As much as he wanted to support her through this breakup, Roxy was still in the deep end of it, and he didn’t deserve to be dragged down with her. She wanted Spence to be more than just an angry rebound. Roxy smiled faintly over at Mila once they stopped and squeezed her hand back. “I really hope you’re right,” she murmured. Roxy pulled her friend’s hand up to her cheek for a moment, then smooched it before she let go. “Sit tight, I’ll bring your food out.” She picked up her purse and reached for the car door.
Mila was confident that she was right. Roxy would be much happier without Caden. The guy was miserable and sometimes it felt like he wanted everyone else around him to be miserable too. Roxy deserved better and Mila could only hope she would realize it too. Mila waited for Roxy to return with her food and took it with an appreciative smile. "Text me if you need anything okay?" she told Roxy. Mila wished she could stay and comfort her friend, or at least give her company, but she couldn't ditch work with how busy the summer was getting. Maybe she could take off a day or two soon and she and Roxy could go to Bangor for some retail therapy.
“I will,” Roxy assured her. She leaned in through the driver’s side window to give Mila another hug. She doubted she would need anything but a long hot bath and a nap, but just in case Caden decided to be an extra special asshole, Roxy would keep her phone handy. And maybe that knife from her purse, too. “Have a good, peaceful rest of the day,” she told her friend as she pulled back and gave her a bemused smile. Roxy stepped back to give her room to leave and waved before she headed back into the house. She was still in the middle of the emotional breakup rollercoaster, but at least she’d gotten an opportunity to get some anger out of her system.