Left On The Highway: Too Late, Ex-Lover

ke's

o gray limestone cliffs, with a three-t

unched loose shale unde

ocky grade, and every skid tore at the raw flesh of my

aked through the fresh white gauze a

gan to scream th

stant, replaced by bruised-purple storm

shouted against the strengthening wind,

smacked hard a

e sky split open and the

in minutes-from the mid-se

d instantly into sli

bone in her thin athletic top, cowering against

once-but he had left Kenzie's he

, and his eyes

Tex storm shell, bought specifical

lunged forward and seized t

he ordered, ripping t

king. "Everything under it is soaked

bellowed over the rolling thunder. "You're sturdy-one

shell off me completely, and wrapped it without he

.." Kenzie sobbed,

down the mountain!" Eas

m, a human wall, escorting her swiftly across

over his shoulder without turni

ir figures had vanished

nothing but a thin cotton tee, the freezing rain la

ttered beyon

down at

the blood thin, diluting i

n't p

dn't

ocused everything I had on each breath,

f struggling through the downpour befo

ot, I was shaking so hard I couldn'

unlock from i

e rear door and

asting at its highest set

ly dry, sipping hot coffee from a thermos, snug

om the front seat, wiping condensation off the windo

say a sin

indow glass, took my phone from its w

from the airl

to Chicago O'Hare, departing tomorr

ification was an email fr

student orientation begins the Mo

my eyes

fternoon, we retu

ry clothes, locked my door, and col

morning, my bo

and surged th

d like a broken bellows; the infected wounds on

el thermometer and ch

izziness blur

pulled out my phone and

an't stop shaking. Can someone drive

inutes

ome Tylenol in the kit

ylenol in the kitchen. I'm

fications will wake Kenzie. She had a scare on the mountain

drama, Brooke. Drink some

I stared at the pho

shallow and ragge

they wouldn't even spend twenty minutes

ne gently on

oom sink, packed everything that belonged to me into my suitcase, and then sat

ng, the front door b

out the

e, in matching casual outfits,

e the lines get long," Hiram whispered in

rooke?" Avery

hit the unlock. "She's probably in her room sulki

gravel drive and sped of

ng back to find me waiting as "understanding" as ever-u

the gate, I took out my phon

sto