“Kristy … ” I had no words but I felt like I should say something.
“Don’t say anything, Jeff. I killed a baby. My baby. What the hell else is there to say?”
“Thank you.”
“What the hell are you thanking me for? Pulling you into the middle of my shit? Taking you hostage?”
“For finally – finally – being open. Remember I told you I wanted to know what I was getting into before I got into it? Well now I know.”
Kristy hesitated a minute.
“So I was thinking that once we hit the next town, I’d look for another ride,” she said.
“Why would you do that?”
“I’ve fucked your life up enough. You’ll be better off without me dragging you down. You can get wherever you’re going without dealing with my shit.”
“And what if I told you I didn’t want you to find another ride?”
“I’d say you’re as crazy as I am,” she said. I pulled the car to the side of the road. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I may be crazy, but so the fuck what? If I am, we’re perfect for each other. Think about it. Neither one of us is going anywhere. Neither one of us knows what to do. So why not do it together? Shit, man, I’ve done a lot of crazy shit with a lot of crazy girls, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t the craziest shit I’ve ever done and if you’re not the craziest girl I’ve ever done it with.”
For the first time in almost 200 miles, Kristy smiled.
“You’re going to regret this, Jeff,” she said.
“I’d expect nothing less.”
