Devil's Girl(51)

I was leaving. Hitting the road. Going for a long drive. I would miss them both terribly, but I just couldn't stay.

"Sad you're gonna miss Irish's big night?" Bill appeared in the doorway, with Theo behind him in the hall. "Votes have been counted. You being made a full member."

Irish’s eyes went wide. Dawn squealed and jumped on him, giving him a big hug. He sank back down to sit on his bed.

"Thanks, Bill."

"Well. Been a long time coming. We're gonna need a new bartender, Ivy, if you'd consider changing your mind?"

"Hell, no," I said, though I smiled at the offer. I still had mixed feeling about what Bill had done - bringing everyone together by keeping them in the dark. Just because it had worked out didn't mean it was the right thing to do.

Still, I was happy for Irish. He was going to be okay - he had limited use of the hand, and his elbow would always be stiff, but he swore up and down that he'd be able to ride. To him, to any of them, that was what mattered most.

"I'm sorry I'll miss the party," I said. I caught Theo's eye over Bill's shoulder. He nodded. Time to go.

I made our goodbyes fast. Dawn and Irish both squeezed me tight. I promised Dawn that I'd keep in touch. Irish's hug lingered - it was still painful to remember his visit at the club, when he'd delivered the watch. I was so terrified at the time, in such an awful state, and he'd had no choice but to leave me there. "Be okay," he said into my ear. I nodded.

I shook hands with Bill, gave the room one last wave, and fled, gripping Theo's hand.

We were off - his mission complete, he was homebound, all the way back to the east coast where his own chapter of the Dust Bowl Devils waited.

There was no reason to rush, though. No reason not to stall in one place, take the scenic route through another. No reason not to just drive. Walking towards our vehicles, I felt like weights were being lifted, anxieties melting away. A new life called.

Theo pushed me back against one of the concrete pillars and attacked my mouth with a scorching kiss. I melted for him; putty in his hands.

"Can't say I'll be sorry to put this place at my back. Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I am." I leaned in for another kiss, but he dodged, hovering just out of the way and smiling. I slapped his shoulder. "Tease."

"Let me drive." We'd hitched his bike to the truck. He was more willing to ride with me at least part of the time if he wasn't on his way into battle.

I dangled the keys between us and snatched then away when he tried to take them. "Tease," he growled. He kissed me into submission, his tongue claiming my mouth and making my toes curl until finally I dropped them into his hand.

I was breathing heavily when I spoke again. "Let me have the radio?"

"I wouldn't dream of touching it." I hopped into the passenger seat and immediately flipped through all my cassettes. Theo was already in my heart; if he was going to live there, he'd have to learn to love all the tracks the echoed down its corridors.





Britten is an independent young author in NYC. Born with a love of words, the city, and animals, she grew up in an ever-growing pile of books. She’s mastered the art of cell phone typing and has more pets than her landlord needs to know about. When she’s not writing, she’s running. When she’s not running, she’s drinking every new beer she can get her hands on.

She can confirm that stereotypes about Catholic schoolgirls are true. Having been one herself, she’s still in recovery. Don’t tell her mom.