There was nothing around him but lizards and dirt. Stars had replaced the traffic lights and neon signs. It had been over six hours since he’d heard a car.
His heartbeat echoed between his ears—slow, like a boozy bossa nova, every third note skipping. An irregularity that used to comfort him when he was a kid, hiding in his closet, buried under winter coats.
Maybe he’d stay out here amongst the cacti for a while. He never understood why so many people moved to L.A. Envy’s a dangerous drug, and that city was hooked.
He kicked a rock into the night and felt, for a moment, like the last living person on earth. Maybe it would never be safe to go back. Seemed as good an excuse as any to start over. He hoped she’d come find him once everything settled. It was her calm he’d miss the most. And the way her skin tasted.
At least she was safe.
He didn’t think anyone had seen him turn off the main road. She had begged him to be careful.
The moon stayed hidden behind a cloud.
He wondered if he’d buried the body deep enough.