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… I’m supposed to be doing this for me, focusing on law school, my future. I don’t want to lose myself in a relationship again. I’m scared of how he makes me feel. I don’t even know him.”
    “Look, I know Jack did a number on you, but not every guy is like him. Luke is the first guy you’ve met in five years who has you genuinely interested, so why not give it a chance? See where it goes.”
    “Yeah … I guess.” Embry yawned. “Maybe I’ll sleep on it.”
    Morgan got up and headed for the guest room. “Yeah, sleep is good. I’m going to pass out. Love you, Bree Bear,” she said, using Embry’s childhood nickname.
    Embry smiled. “Love you, M.”
     

     
    Embry walked into her bathroom to get ready for bed. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. As she stood looking in the mirror, she replayed her time with Luke. She lifted her fingers to her cheek and remembered the soft feel of his lips on her skin.
    Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Embry went into her closet to change. Stripping off the too-sexy dress, she pulled on a pair of boxers and a tank and climbed into bed with her phone. She read Luke’s text a few times and decided not to text him back just yet. She tossed her phone on the nightstand and rolled over.
    Embry thought about what Morgan had said. Embry’s relationship with Jack had once been so perfect, and then they completely fell apart. He was charming, popular, handsome, and sweet; everything she had ever wanted. They were high school sweethearts who started dating at sixteen. Everyone thought they were the one couple who would stand the test of time, but no one knew the real Jack.
    After a year together, he changed, letting parts of his real personality show through. It started with little fits of jealousy. Jack wasn’t happy about the amount of male friends Embry had, even though they all had girlfriends. Anything that took her attention away from him caused a problem. Jack’s jealousy morphed into possessiveness, and he dealt with his insecurities by putting her down—making her feel worthless and ugly.
    People at school adored Jack. Even Embry’s parents loved him. They referred to him as their future son-in-law, and he played the part well. He was the loving boyfriend who worshipped the ground Embry walked on … until she said or did something he didn’t like. Behind closed doors, Jack’s ugliness escalated. The emotional abuse he put Embry through wore her down. He had a way of manipulating her into believing it was all her fault, and if she would just behave the way he expected, he wouldn’t have to get so angry. He lifted her up so high when he wanted to, but when he put her down, she never felt so low. She lived and breathed by his moods.
    By the last semester of their senior year, Embry knew that in order to save herself and her sanity, she had to get out of the relationship. She never would’ve escaped him if it hadn’t been for Morgan.
    After a particularly bad fight with Jack, Embry broke down and told her best friend everything: how much she loved Jack, how he blamed her for the hurt he caused, how hard she tried to make him happy, all the awful things he said and did to her. She was at her wits’ end. He would never change, never leave her in peace.
    Morgan helped Embry apply to a few schools out of state and away from Jack. She made a point of always being around Embry, claiming that they’d soon be at different schools, so Jack didn’t have much time alone with her. Graduation came and went, and Embry had the opportunity to start school early, taking summer session classes at the university. She packed up without warning and moved over a thousand miles away.
    Leaving Jack, Morgan, and her family hadn’t been easy. Embry moved to Florida without knowing a single person. She was determined to figure out who she was, and she came out on the other side with amazing friends, memories, and a whole new Embry.
    But she never really felt free of Jack.