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I’d always found people who cheated to be pathetic individuals who weren’t happy with their own lives enough to man up (or woman up in some cases) and tell their partner they were done. Instead, they got off on the secrecy of a forbidden relationship.
This man was a complete stranger to me, yet he’d shown me more kindness in five minutes than some others that I’d known much longer. It was definitely her loss.
He chuckled as his lips tipped into a wry grin. “You betchur ass it is! Now then, let’s stop talking about my foolish life. We’re both military men, and I think that gives us a sort ofbrotherhood others don’t possess. Because of this, I’m going to trust my gut and offer you a ride to where you wanna go. I hadn’t planned to head out there today, but it won’t be much for me to head out that way. What do you say?”
I shifted to pull my bag higher on my back as I gave it thought. I’d accepted rides with others based on much less connection. Plus, it would be stupid of me not to if what he said was true.
While I could always walk there, it wasn’t ideal. Not when there was someone I hoped to see once I got there.
“I’d appreciate it a lot if you’re really willing. I didn’t have much of a plan after I got my ticket here.” Here being a desolate town just like Corey had described. For some reason, I’d assumed he was exaggerating the notion that this place barely had enough people to justify the bus stop.
I was wrong.
“Follow me. The sooner we get on the road, the better. It’s already going to be hell to get a parking spot out there this time of day.”
He led us to an extended cab pastel blue pickup that was a couple of blocks over. I wanted to ask why he was over at the bus station if his vehicle wasn’t close by and who he might have been waiting for, but I didn’t dare push it. I knew that I needed to be thankful for the ride and not to expect much of anything else.
“I’m Adler, by the way. Should’ve said that from the get-go. Was too busy wondering if I’d get on the bus this time or not.” He took off his ball cap and shook out his hair before tossing it on the dash.
“You were going to get on the bus?” I couldn’tnotask after he hinted at it.
“Probably not. I’ve been trying to take that step for the last couple of months. I haven’t made it to the ticket stand yet so it’s not going far —“ I watched him pause for what to call me.
“Ashley Dunklin. I’m Ashley. Sorry about that. Why do you need a ticket when you’ve got a truck? I mean, wouldn’t that be easier?”
He shook his head as he drove us through town and out towards the wide-open farmland. Adler didn't speak again for eighty-five seconds. I knew this specifically because I counted each and every one as the silence swallowed me whole.
It was another unfortunate side effect of everything that had happened to me. I could no longer enjoy the peace and quiet I used to long for. I needed constant noise around me to keep the panic at bay. The type of noise didn’t matter much as long as there wasn’t silence.
“This town is home. After I got out of the Navy and came back, I decided this was where I’d stick it out. I bought some land and gave farming a try. It’s been good, but there are times I miss life on the go as I traveled in my career. Being still has its benefits and its disadvantages. I’m restless.”
“It’s hard to slow down after getting out. How long has it been for you?”
“Five years. Still feels like just yesterday though,” he groused. “What about you? You look like you stepped right off the plane from the sandbox.”
I looked down at my outfit, noting he was right. My clothes were wrinkled, and I probably had a good bit of stubble along my jaw from not shaving during the trip. I rubbed my palm over the bristles, wondering if I had the balls to ask Adler to let me stop somewhere to get cleaned up a bit.
Instead of being brave enough for that, I focused back on him and his issues. At least if I did that, I wouldn’t have to tell him all of my woes.
“You’re basically right. Been deployed for most of my time in. I realized I wanted out a couple of years back. It was a matter of waiting out the clock, then I was on the first plane back. It linedup with my squadron all coming back too, so it felt very official as far as goodbyes go.”
When I’d made the decision to get out, I hadn’t told anyone at first. It would have changed the dynamic of everything if they all knew I wasn’t sticking around longer.
So rather than bask in the countdown with my team, I focused on marking the days off to myself as I kept up appearances. I waited until my paperwork had gone through to tell them all. Most weren’t surprised given how reclusive I was, while others felt like I had another ten years in me.
Funnily enough, it was always the young guys who felt that way. Anyone who’d spent fifteen plus years in any branch of the military knew that going past retirement wasn’t for everyone. Lifers were real. I just wasn’t one of them.
“That sounds like a hell of an end. In case no one else has told you, I’m glad you made it to the other side. It’s hard to be here sometimes, but I can’t complain too much when so many of our brothers and sisters don’t make it. You know?”
“I do,” I whispered as I fought to not think of who all didn’t make it.
Most of what I just told him was true. I had decided to get out a while back, and I had kept it to myself. But it was the rest that he didn’t need to know.
Like how I was struggling with more than just being a civilian. Or how I didn’t have a plan of how to handle it exactly.
My only plan for years had been to get out and get here. Anything past that was an illusion. I knew what I wanted, what I hoped for.
But since I wasn’t the only person involved, I had no clue what lay ahead. It could go in a million different directions. Each brought about more challenges than the one before it, though a few were promising.
