Chapter 2
"I'm clean," I heard Jesse's raspy voice on the other end of my cell phone. I haven't spoken to him to two months.
"How do I know?" I questioned. I missed him terribly, and I wanted to tell him. I don't know why I couldn't bring myself to say it.
"I've been in rehab, babe. I miss you. I love you."
"Where are you?" I still couldn't say it.
"That Holiday Inn down the street. Can I come over?"
I was hesitant, but I shouldn't have been. "Yeah."
"I love you."
"See you soon."
Tears rolled down my red cheeks.
***
"We don't have to stay in New York, you know we can go anywhere. My grandpa left me enough money where we can go anywhere in the world, Jesse." I tried to convince him that we can leave together.
"What about your parents? They won't let you. They'd rather throw me in jail." He sat on my bed, his head still lying in his hands. When he looked at me I could still see wet streaks down his cheeks.
"Let's go now," I started taking clothes out of drawers without hesitation. "We'll take the first flight out of here, wherever it is."
"You're shitting me," he was smiling now, so I smiled.
"I shit you not, I will leave this town and never once look back. I vow, right now, to go wherever the wind may take us, as long as we're together."
Jesse got up off the bed and hugged me, then kissed me, then took my face in his soft hands and said, "I really love you."
***
The first flight was to Kansas. We both agreed not to go to Kansas, so we took the next one: California. Completely on the other side of the country. And my parents didn't even know I was at the airport.
We were having our furniture and the rest of our clothes shipped to our new place once we found one. For now, we were going to stay in a shitty hotel by the beach.
"God dammit," Jesse mumbled out of nowhere. We were sitting in flimsy chairs next to where we'd board our plane in the next twenty minutes.
"What?" He didn't answer. "Tell me now!"
"That guy over there. The one with the tattoo under his eye? He sold me the stuff."
"Fuck, not today." I said, teeth clenched.
The man was staring right at Jesse, then he'd look at me, then Jesse again.
"Well what the hell do we do?" I asked, hoping for a quick answer.
"I don't know, Hanna, dammit."
"He's coming!" I whispered at Jesse. He stood up and told me to stay. I saw he was going to the men's bathroom. I went after him.
"I told you to stay Hanna! Yo, get back there now!"
"No, I'm not going to let you get in more trouble, Jesse! He won't bother you if I'm here."
"But he will. Shit." Jesse answered as the tattooed man approached us.
"J-man? That you? You got yourself a little girlfriend?" He chuckled and put his index finger under my chin. I quickly swatted him away.
"Don't touch her, man. I'm done with you, I told you. I'm not using anymore."
"No one ever stops," He glared in Jesse's eyes. "Call Ty and he'll hook you up."
"He's not interested in whatever you're offering, sir," I said, pointing my finger at the man's face. "He's done with that shit, done for good. Don't ever talk to him again."
"Babe, sit down," Jesse commanded.
"Let's go, Jess, we can sit together."
Jesse followed me back to our seats where our plane was boarding. We grabbed our bags and hid ourselves in line. Right as we were going to board, we heard a familiar voice behind us.
"You're going to Cali too? See you when we land," the tattooed man whispered.