Chapter 11
Leo
It burns like how I imagine hell will, when I get there.
But I can feel all my limbs, so it can’t be that bad.
‘Are you OK?’
Who is this woman?
Her car smells fresh. Vanilla. New leather. New money.
‘What’s the postcode?’ she says. She keeps talking. Can hardly hear her for the ringing in my head, but I know she’s terrified. Brick was pretty keen. Pretty sure he wanted me dead. Pretty sure he’s wanted to do that for a while.
‘Just drop me on the street.’ My lips are numb. Feels like I’ve got tomatoes that won’t burst stuck in my mouth. At least people won’t recognise me for a while.
‘No – I want to make sure you get home.’
Fine.
I’ll take what I can get.
She keeps asking questions, but I don’t answer.
She doesn’t need to know why I can’t go to the hospital, why I don’t wanna speak to the police, if my back hurts or not.
Course it fucking hurts – Brick threw a fucking brick at it.
She can take me home, make herself feel better, then be gone.
Never see me again. She’ll think she’s done her good deed, probably tell her posh mates about how brave she was, then get back to her lovely little life. She keeps saying my name.
The car stops. ‘This is it, Leo,’ she says. ‘I’ll take you in.’ Her voice sounds like she’s stood on the side of a pool and I’m under the water. I’ll be sleeping in the bush tonight, behind the bins. I’m not gonna tell her though.
‘I’m good. I can see now,’ I lie.
I find the door handle and step out of the car onto the pavement.
I wave into the black until I hear her car pull away.
Just wanted my G.
G and T and a weekend of numb.
Instead my eyes are on fire and my lungs feel like they might explode and I’m pretty sure I’ve broken a bone somewhere, and now I have to wake up.