But I’d always been alone. I was good at being alone.
And anything I could encounter out there has to be better than what I’m leaving behind.
I lifted my chin, took a deep breath, and jumped in Clyde’s rusty old truck. It started up right away, instead of sputtering and coughing like it usually did. I took that as a good sign and pointed it in the direction of Ft. Collins, which was about twenty miles down the road.
My heart began pounding as the reality of my situation washed over me. Streams of cars passed by on the main drag out of town full of formally dressed teenagers with teased hair and painted faces. They were on their way to the Highland High Senior Prom.
I swallowed hard as I thought about the one thing I had left behind.
The one possession I hadn’t had time to give away in my rush to leave.
My beautiful prom dress.
It was stunning. All white, with a flowing, breezy sheer skirt and silver trim around the edges of the sweetheart neckline. It was the prettiest thing I’d ever owned. But now, it hung all alone in the closet of my old bedroom - unworn - with the tag still attached. As much as I needed the money, I couldn’t bring myself to return it, even if I’d had the time.
But I had no use for it now. Just like I had no use for this place, or anyone who lived here.
All of that was over now. My life here was over.
My stomach fluttered as I reached the edge of town, the roads and trees and houses and everything else that I’d ever known, quickly disappearing in the rearview mirror.
I wasn’t sure what my future held, but it had to be better than that view.
1
JESSE ‘COLORADO’ COLLINS
TEN YEARS LATER
The faint sound of a camera shutter woke me up. After I realized that it wasn’t a part of my dream, I cracked open an eyelid, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head. A cell phone was inches from my face and I groaned, pushing it away.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I growled, rolling over.
“You’re so adorable when you sleep, Jesse,” she replied. It took me a minute, but the events of last night came rushing back. I clicked through my mental rolodex, trying to remember who I’d been partying with the night before.
Brandy. That’s who that voice, and the phone, belonged to. She was the head cheerleader for the Denver Mustang’s and like every other cheerleader, she had the cookie-cutter body that wouldn’t quit to go along with her perfect face and flowing, blonde hair. The cheerleaders all looked alike. Shit, most of them sounded alike with their singsongy voices and air-head attitudes. They even fucked alike.
“You’d better not Instagram that shit,” I growled.
“Oh, come on,” she pouted. “Why not?”
“Don’t fucking do it, Brandy, I mean it,” I demanded.
“Alright, alright,” she said, putting her phone down on the nightstand and curling up next to me in bed. She ran one expertly manicured red fingernail down the front of my stomach, outlining my abs with her as her hand traveled down below my navel.
“Stop it,” I said, grabbing her hand and pulling it away before she could grip my shaft. I rolled over away from her.
“Jesse!” she said to my back, her words full of admonishment. “Nobody’s ever said no to me!”
“Yeah, well there’s a first time for everything, ain’t there?” I growled. “Look, you’ve already woken me up, goddammit. I’m going for a run.” I jumped out of bed, leaving her alone in the bed, looking a like a perfect, tiny naked blonde doll with wide eyes and a huge pout on her face.
“Can’t you do that later?” she whined.
“Nope. It takes a lot of work to stay this magnificent,” I replied, stretching my arms over my head. She shook her head and rolled her eyes as she watched me get dressed.
“Come on,” she said, sliding her hand down and sinking a finger into her pretty pink pussy. I looked down, watching her, tempted for a moment as I remembered the way she’d tasted last night - like sweet oranges. She was delicious.
But I rarely ate the same meal twice, and certainly not three times in a row. I’d fucked Brandy twice already and I wasn’t about to do it again. I had rules about these things.
The last thing I needed was some chick getting attached and causing drama in my life.
I’d planned my life perfectly and so far it had all played out according to my very detailed, very well-thought out plans. I wasn’t about to let anything in my life upset all of that.
“Gotta go,” I mumbled, as I laced up my custom-made Nike’s. I walked over to her, kissed her forehead, and walked to the door before turning back to her. She really was a perfect specimen of a woman… Outside of the lack of braincells and the fact that she already has a husband…