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When he breaks away, his eyes are full of more emotion than I’ve seen since we met. “No promises of a fairy-tale ending, starlight,” he admits, planting a soft kiss on my forehead, “but I can promise you I’ll strive to be a man worthy of you.”
I look at him, my heart pounding as I search his face for any sign of deception. But all I see is sincerity, raw and unmasked. A hope ignites within me, one that I’d been too afraid to kindle before. We can find our version of happiness, however unconventional it might be.
A sudden pang of guilt washes over me, a stark reminder of the other lives intertwined with mine. My parents. They must be worried sick, their imaginations conjuring up the worst possible scenarios. They deserve to know I’m safe, at the very least.
“I need to let my parents know I’m okay,” I whisper.
He nods, an understanding in his eyes. “We’ll find a way to get the message to them without drawing suspicion.”
My throat bobs. “Can’t I use a payphone here?”
Ash’s jaw clenches. “It would alert the police to your location, and they’ll be looking for you.”
“But we’ll be gone before the Chicago police can even get people onto us,” I say, hoping he’ll at least give me this.
He nods. “Fine.” He clears his throat. “We need to get our things and get out of here, but we’re going to have to ditch the truck.”
“Ditch?” I confirm.
Ash nods. “Yeah, I saw an old abandoned truck on the way in. We’ll steal it, load our things in, and then I’ll drive the other into a lake. We can’t have it tying us to the disappearance of the bounty hunter.”
We quickly set to work, gathering our belongings and loading them into the abandoned truck, which wasn’t even locked. The abandoned shops turn out to be a treasure trove of supplies. Ash gathers enough gas in jerry cans to last us a while.
Once we’re ready, he points toward the payphone at the corner of the street. I walk over to it and get inside. My hands tremble as I reach for the receiver. I insert the coins, the metallic clink echoing the pounding of my heart. The dial tone lasts an eternity, and when the second one ends, my mother’s frantic voice echoes through the line. “Hello?” she says.
“Mom, it’s me, Lila,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. There’s a long pause and an audible gasp at the other end of the line.
“Lila? Is that really you? We were so worried...” her voice trails off, filling with relief.
“Yeah, Mom, it’s me. I’m okay,” I say quickly. “I’m really sorry I missed the party. I lost my phone and...” The lie tumbles out easier than I thought it would. I take a deep breath before continuing.
“I had this argument with Brian, and I needed some time to clear my head,” I add, injecting as much normalcy into my tone as possible. I can almost see her nodding, processing my words, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“Where are you?” she asks.
I clear my throat. “I took a drive down south, and I’m taking a vacation. I need some space from Chicago and Brian right now.”
“Okay, I told the police you were missing. I’d better tell them you’re fine.”
“Yeah, I really am. I’ll get a new phone and let you know the number once I do.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Just take care of yourself,” she says, her voice quivering. “We miss you, and we love you.”
“I love you too, Mom,” I say, a lump forming in my throat before hanging up.
I hang up the phone. My throat tightens as I contemplate the enormity of what I’ve done, of the decision I’ve made. I’vechosen to exist in this strange new world alongside Ash, a man whose past is stained with violence and blood.
I swallow hard, realizing that I may never see them again, never hear their voices in person. The weight of my choice sits heavy in my chest. The world I once knew feels like a distant dream fading fast.
I wipe away an errant tear, bracing myself for the journey ahead, for a life with a convicted murderer. The payphone feels cold in my hands, echoing my chosen future.
Am I making the wrong decision?
16
ASH
Our convoy of two snakes its way through the empty country roads. The engine’s hum is the only sound accompanying me, a rhythmic lullaby amidst the enveloping silence.
