It’s cold tonight. I don’t want this to be the place I say goodbye, in the darkness of a parking lot. But what I’m coming to accept here is that there’s no version of my life with Lucy in it.

I only have one little trick left up my sleeve.

“I want you to come with me,” I tell her as soon as we’re outside. “I need you to come with me.”

She stops herself from saying something. Her head shakes side to side. She’s wearing me down with her mixed signals and secrets.

“Lucy, what is so hard for you about leaving this place?”

“Agoraphobia, of sorts.”

“Agoraphobia?”

“Yeah, meaning I can’t leave. I’m… Scared.”

“Scared? That why you take those pills?”

“Look, Baddock is more like a security measure for me. Nothing bad has happened to me since I moved here. I can’t say the same for…other places.”

I’m wrapped around her finger. I’m hanging on every word she says, just waiting for her to finally give in to my request or let me in, let me into who she really is. There has to be a way to persuade her to join me. After the most passionate sex one can experience, I don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to leave her here alone. How can I not pursue something with her, follow this connection we share? I don’t want to let her go yet. She lightens up when she sees me. I can’t place why… And she makes me feel the same. I have feelings for this girl.

I can’t lose her.

“I can keep you safe from that bad stuff,” I tell her. She sighs a cloud of her breath into the night and seems to almost laugh off what I say. “All I’m asking is this weekend, for your help to figure shit out at least until I have a better handle on who the fuck I am.”

She picks some leaves off a bush beside her while she thinks.

“Lucy, c’mon. I’m fuckin’ begging you here. A weekend with you so I have a little more time. Then you can head right back here, back to your simple life. You trust me right?”

She lifts her doe-eyed gaze to me gives me a single nod.

“Then come with me. That trucker in there, I know he’s got room for both of us.”

“But…My job.”

“We both know you’re not working tomorrow. Billie will understand.”

Quietly, she answers me. She’s considering it. “Will you go to the hospital?”

“You’ll come?” I say with more pep in my voice.

“Will you go to the hospital?”

I don’t let myself get too excited yet, not until I hear her say it. For now, I have to agree with her. “You got it. As soon as I sort out what’s going on, I’ll go to the hospital.” I extend my hand for her to shake and she takes it. “You’re coming?”

“Lucy!” comes a male voice from the doorway.

“Oh, Todd. I’m…”

I scowl. Of course Todd would interrupt the one conversation I’m being vulnerable.

“Who’s this?” The dude is like a walking Abercrombie ad. Nothing like me. I take a step toward him and offer my hand.

“Landon.”

He dismisses my offered palm and throws Lucy a glare so powerful, I’m half-tempted to kick his ass for looking at her like that.

“Thought he was leaving.”

“W—He… He is.”

“Why don’t you just say goodbye and come back inside then?” Todd says, his temper flaring which I desperately don’t want it to do. We don’t need to make this messier than it is.

“Are you drunk right now?”

“Drunk? Pfft. I had a few shots. Some girls bought a round for me. Just providing my excellent customer service.”

Lucy shakes her head and looks at me for comfort. “Todd. Please keep calm right now.”

“Ugh, shut up and come inside.”

“I think maybe you should back off the lady,” I reply, stepping between them.

“Dude, I’m her fucking boyfriend. Go fuck yourself,” Todd says. I flare my nostrils and flex an inch taller, now standing toe-to-toe with the prick.

“She told me she doesn’t have a boyfriend.” I shouldn’t’ve said it. There’s no need to stir this shit-pot but I had to say something to bring this asshole down a few pegs.

“Stop it, both of you. Todd, stop it. we’re not together. I…Just…I’m fucking confused, okay? I need you to back off from me a little bit. Go back inside. I’ll be two more minutes.”

“No, you won’t,” Todd replies dismissively. He’s watching me with eyes full of fury, barely paying attention to the woman he’s disrespecting. “Get the fuck inside. Men are talking.”

My leather jacket creeks as I fold my arms but decide to stay quiet. I don’t need more trouble.

“See, thing is Todd, you talk to me like this every time you get angry,” she says, fearlessly, "and you wonder why I’m not with you.”

“You push me to this, Lucy. Every damn time.”

“Man the fuck up. You’re the one that’s got your panties in a bunch,” I say, drawing his attention off Lucy. I can’t take the way he’s talking to her but I decide not to fight her battles.

“Fuck you, bro,” he jaunts.

“I’m not your bro, bro.”

After some silent steps toward each other, our noses are almost touching. I swear there’s almost smoke blowing from my nose. Lucy tugs at Todd’s arm to put some space between us. He shakes her off then turns his attention back to me.

I stand up taller.

“You wanna go?” Todd says.

“Please. This is so stupid. Calm down and I’ll explain everything soon.”

“Get out of our town.”

“Oh, trust me. I am.”

“Todd, get inside. We don’t need trouble.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, bitch!” Todd snaps. “Why the fuck are you standing up for this piece o’ shit?” His fist hits a wooden pole beside us and he paces around a bit, raging and shaking his hand out from the pain.

“You’re a piece o’ shit,” I murmur.

“Yeah, I’m the piece o’ shit? I am? Fucking white trash over here,” Todd says. “What the fuck are you doing, Lucy?”

“I’m saying goodbye,” I say. He doesn’t hear her, instead he lunges at her, his hand seemingly ready to take her throat. I step between him and Lucy pulls me away.

“He’s a fucking criminal! A complete goddamn stranger! Don’t you have a brain in there?”

“You don’t know him,” she says. He was gonna hurt her just now. That mother fucker was going to put his hands on her.

“I know him just fucking fine. A patched MC member? I know your kind. You’re not welcome in this town.”

I wanna kick this fucker’s ass, show him he ain’t the big man he thinks he is, but I hold myself back. Fighting this asshole isn’t going to help me get home, and the last thing I want to do is get Lucy or myself into anymore trouble.

But then he paces towards me. I shove him hard so he stumbles backward. He grabs for me but I’m able to take his arm and twist it up behind his back. I’m not in the mood for this bullshit. Todd flays a bit until his knee hits my balls. I cry out.

“Yeah, who’s the piece o’ shit now, huh?” he says.

A left hook meets my ear. Actually, maybe I can find it in me to kick his ass. I feel some blood trickle out, tickling down my neck. I shift and tackle this pussy ass bitch to the floor, pummeling a hard punch across his cheek. Kid can’t be too experienced in hand-to-hand combat. He’ll give up soon.

“Stop it! Landon!” Lucy’s arm tugging me backward pulls me too. The fuck am I doing? I step backward as Todd shimmies back in the dirt, holding a hand to his face.

“She doesn’t deserve this shit from you and in no alternate Universe do you deserve her,” I spit.

“Stop it! Stop it!”

“You’re damn lucky she’s here to protect your ass,” I continue.

“Get the fuck out of here before the police arrive.”

“Who called the police?!” Lucy booms.

“Who the hell do you think called them?” Todd replies, grinning toothily from the ground.

I can’t hear any sirens in the distance, but something inside me makes it fucking clear I can’t be around if the cops show up…

“Landon…Just…Go.”

I turn to look at her, but she can’t meet my eyes.

“Really?” I say.

She shakes her head some more.

“Fine. See you in another life, sweetheart…” I say, stepping past them both.

“Don’t you dare go after him,” Todd’s voice echoes from behind me.

I’m pleading, begging that she will. She has to. This can’t be where this ends.