"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." His reply was deadpan.
"Seriously... You haven't said a word since we left." It was dark. Driving along the interstate there was nothing but blackness as far as the eye could see.
"I'm just quiet."
"Tell me. Are you mad at me?"
"No." The radio was playing some old song so quietly it was difficult to make out over the sound of the wind around the cab and the large tires on the road. It was hardly silent but it felt like it was. It could have been seconds, it could have been minutes. It was hard to tell.
"Fuck you."
"What?" Shock was the first inflection his voice had taken on that she could remember.
"Fuck you. Honest to God. Go fuck yourself."
"Fine." They rode on, the night passing around them, nothing at all passing between them.
"Pull over." He couldn't tell if she was crying or not. He figured she probably was but he couldn't really tell and he didn't really care. He wasn't mad at her, he wasn't mad at anyone really. Maybe himself a little, but at this point he was just done. Life was a pain in the ass and pretty much fucked him whatever he did. So just fuck it. And now he had this to deal with this.
He ignored her.
"God Damn it, pull over." She wasn't yelling, but there was anger in her voice. Again, his response 'Fuck it.'
"Where?" He shrugged.
She tugged at the door that wouldn't open and scrambled furiously for some sort of unlock button. "Jesus! What are you doing?" He braked quickly and pulled over onto the shoulder. It was sandy and the truck pulled hard to the right off of the road. He came to a stop just short of a tall red cliff that had been nothing but a ghost from the highway. With the truck in park, she pulled at the door. It swung open pulling her out of the truck with it. "What the hell are you doing?"
She fell from the door and stumbled along out in front of him. The bright headlights cut a hole in the darkness. She struggled through the thick gravel and sand along the road. She staggered, half running, half falling into the night. He sat in the truck watching. So fucking typical, more bullshit to deal with.
"Julie!" he called to her. She kept going. Stepping out into the night he called out again.
"Fuck you!" and she kept walking. She was a good ways away now, leaving the headlights.
He followed her. She was crying now. She staggered a few steps more before collapsing down at the side of the road. A truck passed moving fast and buffeted them both with wind, dust, and grime.
"Julie." It was really all he could think to say.
"I don't think I can do it anymore. Just leave."
"I'm not leaving you by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere."
"That's not what I meant." She said, turning from him. "You said you wanted someone who could listen to you. Someone who was there for you. You said all those horrible things, and now you just shut me out."
"I know. I'm an asshole. Don't think I don't know it." Well, he knew it was coming. This is as good a time as any. He looked up at the black sky. There must have been clouds because there wasn't a star or a moon to be seen. It was nothing but blackness. Appropriate.
He stood up brushing himself off. He turned into the bright headlights staring up the road at him and started walking back to them. Now it was really quiet. "You want me to leave your shit here or do you want me to just take it home."
He heard the first rock hit the ground in front of him. The second whipped past close enough for him to hear. He turned around as the third caught him in the shoulder.
"What the hell?" she hurled another, catching him on the leg. "Nice..."
Turning his back on her again he heard her stand up behind him. He turned again and she was running at him. Stunned and curious he stood still and watched her come.
"You mother fucker!" she yelled as she hit him on the dead run. He staggered back a step but kept his footing. "You whiney ass mother fucker!" she seethed as she swung her arm at him catching him in the side of the head."
"Julie.... Julie..." She flailed at him randomly. A shot to his chin made contract and he but his tongue. Finally he caught her hands.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
She wasn't rational any longer. She stared at him. Her eyes were on fire. Her chest heaved with each breath. "Dick!"
"What do you want?" He was angry now. He wasn't entitled to be angry. He just looked at her.
"I fucked him."
"What?" its not like this was a conversation. He really didn't know what she was talking about.
"David. I fucked him. I was mad at you. I looked him up. I called him. He bought me dinner and I fucked him."
"Oh, nice." He let go of her hands. He had no reaction.
"I fucked the shit out of him. I fucked the shit out of him and when he took me back to the hospital, I sucked him off in the parking lot."
"Well, I hope it was good." Was this anger now? He wasn't sure what he was feeling.
"Oh it was. I didn't want to at first. But you won't fuck me. What am I supposed to do?"
"I won't fuck you huh? Yeah, well, I don't fuck."
"Oh, fuck you and your making love shit. We all fuck."
"Is that what you want? You want a fuck is all? Nice... No wonder."
"No wonder what? Yes I want to fuck. Call it whatever you want. I want to 'Make love.' I want to have sex. I just want to know that someone thinks I'm worth a little effort."
"Oh, a little effort?"
"Asshole." She swung at him again, catching him with her open hand. The slap seemed to echo in the empty night.
He just looked at her. He couldn't move. Her arm came at him again. SLAP! "So, you just going to take it, pussy?" and her arm came at him again. SLAP!
"Well... Pussy?" She was hissing at him. He looked into her eyes. She was panting. Her hand came at him again. He caught her by the wrist. For a moment his hand was in the air and she looked up at is as if it were about to fall.
"Are you done?" His heart raced. His hand stuck in the air. He just held it there. He couldn't do it. He looked at her.
"Do it." She hissed through pursed lips.
