James

I tried calling Chelsea on my way home from Florida, but it had gone straight to voicemail. I hadn’t heard from her since we had lunch, and while we both agreed there was no possibility of a relationship, she seemed like she needed a friend. The last two days I was in town had been filled with my dad and conference calls with the clients he turned over to our firm. I’d crashed after dinner both nights and left early Wednesday morning to make the trip back to New York. I didn’t want her to think I’d used her. I enjoyed talking to her and felt like we could both benefit from having the other to confide in.

Cora was at work, but I sent her a text telling her I was in the car if she got a chance to talk. The silence that came with the open road never bothered me, although now, for whatever reason, it ate at me with each minute that ticked by. I’d stopped several times for gas and snacks, then again to piss—anything to break up the monotony.