“Oh, hi.”
Lee sits next to Owen, leaving little space between them. His aftershave smells cheap and blunt. “You’re looking good, man.”
Owen can’t bring himself to speak. He wonders if this is a coincidence or just plain bad luck.
“I said… you’re looking good.”
“Oh, yeah, thanks. You too.” He used to think that Lee was hot, but now he can’t stand the sight of him. As part of rehab, Owen learned not to blame others for his mistakes, but he can’t help but blame Lee for being a part of what happened, for making it so easy for Owen to get drugs. He was always too trusting, and Lee realized that early on.
Lee slides even closer, and Owen tenses even more, feeling like a wound-up wire that’s about to snap.
“I heard you were leaving town.”
Shit.“I don’t have much choice. Need to clean up my act and all.” He tries to smile, but his lips refuse.
“Where you heading?”
Owen clears his throat. “A small town in Arkansas.”
“Which one?”
“Arkadelphia.” It’s a real town, and he’s been spreading around that lie because he doesn’t want anyone looking for him.
“Why all the way in Arkansas?”
“My father has family there.” Owen glances at his watch, only to remember he doesn’t have one. “Listen, I need to go. The bus leaves early.”
He begins to rise, his brain floaty, but Lee grabs his hand and flashes a smile. “I haven’t seen you in ages, Big O. Sit.”
Owen reluctantly does. He hates being called Big O, even though he’s taller than the average person.
“If I remember correctly, there’s still this small debt you need to close. It was three grand back in December. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it’s closer to ten grand by now.”
Owen’s balls tighten, as does his throat. He remembers that debt perfectly, and how Lee refused to accept most of it back in December, claiming he could wait until Owen had it in full. And now it’s fucking ten grand?
“Somebody needs a new accountant,” Owen says, sounding braver than he feels. “I’m not paying you back ten grand. I can probably spare three if—”
Lee slams his fist into the side of Owen’s head. The pain slices through his skull like lightning.
“You were saying?”
Is this the part I beg?But Owen is over this city and the people he allowed to pull him down to the gutter. He realizes that Lee isn’t going to let this slide, so Owen can at least give him a true reason to bitch about. He slams his forehead against Lee’s nice and symmetrical nose, feeling the bone break. He didn’t mean to hit so hard, but now Lee’s nose is bleeding.
Guess I’ll be leaving now.
He jumps to his feet and dashes out of the small park. He’s still high and hurting from that punch, but there’s enough adrenaline in his body to push him forward.His long legs hit the pavement as it dawns on him he should have gone the other way, back to the bar where he knows people. Now he’s running through dark alleys that smell of trash, and the sound of footsteps is getting stronger.He doesn’t dare to slow down, his eyes darting in search of a place to hide or to find people. Lee won’t be so brave with eyewitnesses around.
“Slow down, motherfucker!”
He glances back to see Lee running toward him, a shadowy figure in the narrow alley. Owen turns a corner and realizes too late that it’s a dead end. He should turn around and find another path, but Lee’s footsteps are too damn close.
He looks for something to use as a weapon, but all he sees are trash cans. Lacking any better choice, he grabs a metallic lid and holds it like a shield, watching in fear as Lee turns the corner, smiling with his chin and mouth covered in blood. He spits on the ground and walks forward.
Owen squints at the sight of Lee holding something that glints under the light of a nearby streetlight. It’s a knife, because of course things have to get even worse.
“You were always too stupid for your own good,” Lee says as he slowly walks closer, sounding strange with his broken nose.
Owen walks back until his back presses against a stone wall. Sweat slides down his ribs.
