I had a plastic bag with the contents of my life. Wallet, a check for what was left in my store account, and two-hundred dollars gate money. I'd filed Lake's unread letters away within my paperwork. Everything else I either left behind for Wills or trashed-except my dad's confession. The paper was worn from the number of times I'd read his letter. I wanted to memorize it. There was no worse thing in my life than what was in those pages-but also no better motivation for me to work toward becoming the opposite of my dad.
Tiffany was late. Maybe she wouldn't show at all. I closed my eyes, rested the back of my head on the brick, and tried to imagine what I'd do, where I'd go, but all I saw was Lake. Waiting for me at the curb. Opening her arms to make it all better. In the back of my mind, I knew there was a small chance she'd show up today. She'd always shown her youth in her persistence to get what she wanted, at least when it came to me.
I heard Tiffany's car before I saw it. I lifted my head as she came speeding around the corner, her BMW thumping as she flew right over a speedbump and then slammed on her brakes.
She parked in a loading zone and hopped out. "Babe, you're free!"
Before I could think, she was running at me, all blonde hair, her skirt flapping up. She jumped, and I caught her with an ooph, my arms locking around her. I moved her hair aside so it wouldn't catch on my cigarette. As soon as I got a whiff of her shampoo, I buried my nose in her neck and surprised myself with a long, fat sigh of relief.
Babe, you're free.
This nightmare was over.
She pulled back to look me in the face. "There must be so many things you want to do."
With her skirt up around her hips, and her pussy pressing warmly on my crotch, the first thing that came to mind was sex, but I couldn't let myself think too hard about it without getting us into trouble. For fuck's sake, she could probably wiggle a little harder and I'd come in my pants. "Yeah." I patted her ass. "Let's get the fuck out of here."
She slid down and led me over to the car.
I held open my hand. "Keys."
"You want to drive?" she asked nervously. "Do you remember how?"
The thought of getting into the passenger's seat made the collar of my starchy, puke-green release-shirt feel tight. I'd had enough of other people having power over me. There was no way in hell I wasn't driving us out of here. "Keys," I repeated, and she handed them over.
The car was already muggy just from sitting idle a few minutes. I had to push the seat all the way back before I got in, and my head still touched the roof. Immediately, I rolled down all the windows, turned on the A/C, and got to adjusting all the mirrors.
Before long, air blew ice cold on my face. I'd showered before leaving the facility, but I was already hot, horny, and sweating. I needed things-a cold beer, a monster burrito, and a good, solid, knock-me-out-cold fuck.
I shifted the rearview mirror again, envisioning Lake in the backseat, pretending she'd come to greet me at the gates. She hadn't, though. Knowing how persistent she could be, maybe that meant she'd accepted the way things were between us. I was glad. She was too fragile, like a little bird. My little bird. I didn't want her anywhere near here. Even so, I couldn't stop thinking it-she hadn't come.
"Manning," Tiffany said gently.
I snapped out of it, looking over at her. "Yeah?"
"Are you sure you're okay to drive? You've been sitting there staring out the windshield for five minutes."
"Yeah." Don't think about Lake. Not like this, when I was feeling a little strung out. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "It's a long drive."
"I know. I've made it lots of times." She wrinkled her nose. "Are you sure you're okay? Should we stop for anything? Are you hungry? I'd want sushi first thing. Have you ever had sushi?" She paused. "Are you listening?"
"Yeah. I don't want sushi. I think-I'm feeling a little zoned out."
"You're probably, like, overwhelmed. Let's just go home. We shouldn't eat anyway. We're going to my parents' for dinner, and we might spoil our appetites."
It took a moment for her words to register. Sleep, food, sex. That was all I wanted. The necessities. I turned my head to Tiffany. "What?"
"My mom's making ribeye for you. She wanted to welcome you home."
If I knew Lake, she'd have a hand in that. My first meal as a free man, and Lake would be the one to make it. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was almost too much to take. "I don't know. I have to meet with my parole officer tomorrow, and I'm exhausted."