AJ
It felt really good to hit the open road. Rock music blaring through my truck, a cigarette hanging from my mouth as I shifted lanes—I couldn’t give up all my vices—and the fall breeze wafting through my open window. I was free.
From her.
From booze.
From everything.
I’d been out of rehab for a few months. I’d gone home for a while, done the meetings, made my apologies, got along on my own just fine. Then I needed to get out.
I couldn’t see Bess every day just yet, even if we had made our peace, hugged, and declared ourselvesfriends. The knowledge that she was alone now didn’t make me feel as good as I thought it would.
Bess was a good soul. The best. She forgave me for it all—the attack, the stealing, the stalking. She deserved happiness, and I wanted her to have it, even if it ended up being with that prick, Lane.
I stuck my hand out the window, signaling I was stopping for gas to the head of my crew who was following me down to North Carolina. I’d met a guy in rehab who wanted me to do a job for him. I thought it would be good for me, a change of scenery and all that shit.
Jax, my right-hand man, was coming with me, and we’d pick up a crew down there after speccing the job. It would be a long one, and I was looking forward to lying low for a while.
Yeah, I’d go to meetings. I had the details for local ones in my phone. Jax wouldn’t care; he knew the drill. Dude had been with me a long time.
Made me wonder how Bess was doing it. Her world had crashed down on her so many times since cleaning up, and she seemed to just get stronger. I envied her that, but was happy for her just the same.
Throwing the truck in park, I got out to pump gas at the same time as Jax. “Dude, you ready?” I asked him.
He twisted the gas cap off of his truck and joked, “The question is, are Southern babes ready for me?”
I just gave him a half smile, but said nothing as I ran my credit card at the pump.
Seeing my reaction, Jax shook his head. “Sorry, man. I know it’s a bad subject. Listen, a few weeks of new pussy and you’ll feel on top of the world.”
I let out a loud laugh. That was exactly what I didn’t need right now, but I didn’t want to burst Jax’s bubble.
Twisting the cap back on the tank, I hopped in the cab and pulled out with Jax on my tail, a small smile spread across my face. Checking my reflection in the rearview, I knew I needed to let go of Bess, both for her sake and for mine.
I still loved her, but she was gone to me.
Maybe some new pussywasjust the ticket.
