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“Was he kind to you?”
A single tear falls to her cheek. “Yes.”
“He didn’t hurt you?”
“No.”
Relieved that we don’t share all our painful memories, I take one last look around, roll my shoulders back, and silently say goodbye to everything that could have been.
“Can you pass on a message to Mathew?”
“Of course.”
“Tell him to burn everything in here. Rob’s things can rot in hell with him.”
Eight
Itexted Kim to let her know I would be home soon. I’m sure she’s chomping at the bit to find out how everything went down.
She will be the anger to my hurt.
Right now, I need to walk.
I need a couple of minutes to walk among strangers, to get lost in the distraction.
I need to numb.
Despite the angry clouds in the distance, the sun is still shining in the summer heat. But when heavy drops of rain begin to fall again, I raise my umbrella and keep walking.
I’ve always loved the rain.
It feels cleansing.
I walk for twenty minutes, my feet leading the way as my thoughts drift in and out of memories.
Some good.
Some horrifying.
That’s when I see it.
King Tattoo Studio.
I’d say I don’t know why I came here, but I do.
I’ve passed that studio over the years, always hoping for a glimpse of the man inside it, but never brave enough to go in.
Not again.
It’s like walking by a crime scene while hoping I bump into the only witness. The last man to see the old me alive.
I lean against the wall and look over, laughing at myself.
It’s stupid to still think about him. But for some reason, my mind always returned to him throughout the years. It helped me to survive because after only one night, I didn’t know enough, and I could easily create the life I wish he had.
I remember how I laughed that night, a laugh that hasn’t sounded the same since. I smiled until my cheeks hurt. I still remember his hand on the small of my back as he moved me in from the road just to keep me safe from the passing cars.
I took a mental photograph of him so long ago, and I went to it when I needed to escape.
