OUTLAW KING(5)

“Why don’t you go home early. Take the rest of the day off. I won’t say a thing.”

“I can’t do that,” I said.

“Trust me, you can,” Sherry said.

I lifted a piece of a paper and didn’t mean to look at it. It was a corporate email with a very clear headline of the possibility that the building could be shut down.

“What…”

Sherry ripped the paper from my hand. “You didn’t see that.”

“But I sort of did.”

Our eyes met. She shrugged her shoulders. “We’re fighting to save things. It’s not easy.”

“If this place closes…”

“Just go home and enjoy the rest of your Friday. Get a head start on the weekend. Please.”

Sherry stood and hurried away.

You ever get that feeling that the entire world is just crumbling all around you?

Yeah, that was pretty much my life, non-stop.

I got back to my feet and figured I wasn’t in a position to argue with my boss.

So I left work early.

It was a good feeling cutting out, kind of like when I used to do that in school. That always ended up with me in trouble though. Usually with King.

I missed it all.

I missed the trouble… I missed King…



I OPENED the piece of paper and grabbed my glass of wine.

HEY BEAUTIFUL, HOW’S EVERYTHING going over there? You know, sometimes if I stand in Tito’s room and look out the window I swear I can see the very top of your house. I know that’s impossible, but it bothers me that we’re so close but so far. You know? I think it’s really f*cked up. I want to come steal you, Linds. I want to take you away from that house and that life of yours. We both should get more out of all of this. Tito keeps telling me about chasing dreams and living a full life. I want that for myself. And you. I can’t stand that people say we’re too young. We know how we feel, right? So what the hell does it matter? It doesn’t matter.

Hey, maybe we can meet up at night. Really soon, too. I can work something out, if you’re willing to sneak out. I know your aunt and her husband run a really tight ship, but I’m thinking I can sneak to the tracks. Can you meet me there? I know that hill is a bitch to deal with. I can try and make you a path. Just give me the word and I can make it happen. I’ll do anything to see you again. To kiss you one more time. Just like the last time, when we were standing in the rain. I love that day, Linds. But I also hate it. You know? I’m sorry the guys were all around us though, shouting at us. They’re *s sometimes, you know? I hope you still have that rose I sent you. But why would you? It was so long ago. No way that thing could still be alive. But I can tell you what is alive. That’s my feelings for you, Linds. This is such shit right now.

We have to figure something out. I hope you get this letter before Jim does. He’ll probably read it, freak out, tear it up. That’s kind of funny though, right? So, hey, if you’re reading this, Jim, hey man… f*ck you! You can’t f*cking keep me away from the woman I love. Not a chance in hell.

Hey Linds, how was that? Would that really get under his skin, do you think?

There’s so much more I can say here and write but Tito is drunk and if Mom gets home and he’s not sleeping, she’s going to flip her lid. She’s killing herself, you know. These hours for this money is not right and fair. Tito told me there’s a way out of this but I don’t know what that means. He said he’s going to work the streets soon and fix it all. I hope so.

I miss you, Linds. I miss you everyday of my life. I miss you with everything I have in my heart. I think at this point I would kill someone to get near you. To hug you. To kiss you. To taste your lips again. It drives me crazy when I close my eyes and I can see you standing right in front of me. I try to taste you but I can’t. I remember… but I can’t. It’s the worst pain in the world, Linds. It’s a pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But the crazy part is I hope you feel that same pain. Because it means you care the same as I do.

I have to go now. My house is getting a little crazy. Look up to the moon and the stars, okay? I’ll look every night and maybe we can look at the same night sky at the same time. Then it’s like we’re together.

I promise you, Linds, we’re going to be together. Forever.

LOVE YOU, KING

I WIPED a stray tear and rolled my eyes to the back of my head for a second. How the hell could something written so many years ago still matter to me? Well, that answer, that was easy. Because it was so real and sincere. That’s what King always brought to me. Even when things didn’t work after that wild summer. He sort of moved on. I sort of moved on. But our paths always crossed. I always knew if I needed him he would be there. One phone call and King would be there to do anything I needed.

Right up until it all stopped.

His brother was murdered and that’s when King lost his edge for good.

I saw the life in front of me, the one that Aunt Jane lived. I thought I could escape it, but I missed the one element of it all. The reason why Aunt Jane slept around and bounced in and out of relationships was because of comfort. Because she knew who her true love was and knew she’d never find him again. That’s exactly what King meant to me.

But it could never happen now.

He was gone.

I was trying to convince myself to stay committed to Nelson.