"What time do you get off?"
"Two."
"I'll be outside."
She looks at me for a long moment, and I see the conflict in her eyes.She wants to tell me to leave.Wants to push me away.
"Fine," she says finally."But I'm not going to change my mind about last night."
"We'll see."
I finish my coffee and leave a fifty on the counter.
“I’m keeping the change,” she says to my back.
I just wave.
Outside, I get back in my truck and wait.
***
AFTER HER SHIFT, CARLAcomes out the front door, pulling her hair out of a ponytail.She looks tired.Worn down.
She's halfway to her car when a dark blue Chevy Tahoe pulls into the lot.
I'm out of my truck before the driver's door opens.Carla sees him.Freezes.Her whole body goes rigid, and I know.This is him.
The driver gets out, and he's looking at Carla like he owns her.
Carla casually slips a hand into her purse. I wonder if the Glock is in there.
"Hey, babe," the guy says.His voice is smooth.Easy.Like they're old friends catching up."Long time."
"What are you doing here, Randall?"Her voice is steady.
Knew it.
"I came to see you," he says."We need to talk."
"We don't have anything to talk about."
"I think we do."He takes a step closer.She takes a step back and point her purse at him.
He checks the movement and puts his hands wide."I've been looking for you for eight months.You can't just disappear like that.Not after everything we had."
"I left.It's over.You need to leave me alone."
"Baby, come on."He holds up his hands like he's harmless.Like he's not six-three and built like a tank.Like he didn't just hunt her across state lines."I messed up.But we can fix this.We can go back to how things were.I've changed.I'm getting help.Anger management and everything."
"I don't want to go back."
"You don't mean that."
"Yes, I do."
"Carla."His voice shifts.Gets harder."You're not thinking straight.You're confused.You always get like this when you're under stress.Just come home with me.We'll talk it out.Figure this out together like we always do."
Gaslighting.I've seen it before.Making her doubt herself.Making her think she's the problem.
