Page 64 of Right Place, Right Time (Second Chances)
She stops moving. “What? What are you saying? What do you mean?”
“Three years in prison…it’s a long time to be without a woman. I had been thinking about you for a while. I did what I had to do.” It’s a complete and total lie. Yes, I dreamed about the girl with the long blonde hair and beautiful brown eyes, but I never thought to use her in the way I was implying.
She shakes her head. “No. I don’t believe that. You’re lying.”
“It’s the truth. Believe what you want,” I shrug, displaying my indifference. The slap that follows is both painful and freeing. Painful because it was right across my face, freeing because now I know she’s pissed. Now I know she’ll let me go.
“Get out,” she says quietly. Now, I almost don’t want to leave, knowing that this is truly the end, but that’s just me being selfish again. “Get out!”
I take one long last look at her, knowing I’m never going to see her again, and walk out the door.
I pass a wide-eyed Casey and Decker, who I’d forgotten were even in the apartment, and go to pick up my helmet. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Casey take off down the hall, probably for Kate’s room, but Decker is still standing there…watching me.
“That was all bullshit, wasn’t it?” he says. I ignore him as I pull on my leather jacket. “Casey pulled the same shit with me. Tried to push me away for my own good because she was sick and didn’t want me to be miserable. She didn’t give me any credit that I could handle it. You’re doing the same thing. You’re not giving Kate any credit. She’s tougher than she looks.”
Don’t I know it…
“Take care of them,” I tell Decker as I walk out the door for the last time.
***
I should probably be concerned that I don’t remember the ride back to my hole-in-the-wall apartment. But the truth is, I don’t really give a shit about anything right now.
Once inside my apartment I start packing my bag, grateful I’d picked up that pull-behind for mine and Sean’s trip to Sturgis since I’ve accumulated more shit since moving here. I’ll leave most of the household stuff, but I’m taking everything else. Except Kate’s drawer. I’ll bag that up and drop it outside her apartment before I go. She left her little pink duffel bag here a while back.
I get everything set up on my bike and leave my apartment key in an envelope with next month’s rent and a note, and slide it under the super’s door. He’ll probably pocket the cash, but I don’t really care. I’m getting the hell out of here.
I make sure the rigging for the pull-behind is secure and hop on my bike. I ride over to Kate’s place and park around the corner, I don’t want her to hear my bike. If she comes out…if I see her again, even for a second, even from afar, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up the charade. I sneak up the stairs and leave her bag outside the apartment door, pausing for a moment.
“Goodbye, Kate,” I whisper to the closed door.
I head back to my bike and get on the highway heading east…it’s time to go home.
