All Chapters of No Return: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Right from the hall door, Silvia saw Jay had fallen asleep, curling up on the couch. It was a miracle he hadn’t knocked the guitar down to the floor in his sleep.She left the paper cups on the coffee table, put the guitar in its case and searched her bag for her trip blanket.Jay’s jacket was still dripping on the back of the other armchair and it was plain to see he was cold. She tucked him in, grabbed her latte and went back to her armchair. Out the windows, the platform lights drew static white cones that the rain pierced in a hypnotic dance.Silvia glanced at Jay and sighed with a mild smile.She’d never been a fan of spite sex, but this gringo sure made the idea appealing.If only she’d been ten years younger and ten pounds slimmer.Then she would’ve felt authorized to wish she were sitting on the couch with him, resting against his side under the blanket.For starters.She turned to look out the windows again, as the endless night crawled its way through the storm toward the mo

Hearing his brother’s voice felt like the best thing that had happened to him in ages. He told him about his situation and his brand new plan to leave the bus station in three or four hours.“I’ll call you when I get to town.”“You’re gonna have to spend the night there, ‘cause I can’t go get you right now. They warned us the road to town is flooded.”“Don’t worry, bro. I’ll wait for you.”“Hope you have some fun, ‘cause you’re missing it big here, man. Jo brought Fay and some more girlfriends along, and we’ve been partying around the clock ever since they got here.”Jay chuckled. “Sons of bitches. Tell those babes I expect a nice welcome.” He saw Silvia coming. “Gotta go now, bro.”“Take care, bastard.”Jay disconnected and handed out the latte to her with a bright grin, telling her the breaking news.She took a moment to reply, surprised to see his eyes were actually blue, clear and pale like water. “That’s great, Jay! You’ll be on your way in a while!”“Hell yeah! Can’t fucking bel

After moving around while they talked, changing spots on the couch, the coffee table, or standing by the windows, they sat together again for a five-fork lunch of snacks and soda from the vending machines. Then Silvia retreated to the end of the couch and curled up there with a cigarette, watching Jay speak.She wanted to remember as much of him as he could. Because, in a very straight and non-dramatic fashion, he’d saved her. His company had allowed her to take the first step to leave the hurt behind and start moving on. He’d given her something to recall on her long way home, other than that insane, violent episode that had shattered all her dreams for good.He patted her feet, pointing at his own legs. “Rest them here before your knees cramp,” he said.She squinted—what? Jay’s smile could’ve melted the iceberg to save the Titanic. In minutes.“Hey, we’ve already slept together, right? No need to be shy.”Silvia could only chuckle, and did what he wanted. They talked for another thi

Later on, Silvia would have time to process and fully appreciate Jay’s protective attitude. Right then, she just let him guide her up the steep, creaky stairs, designed to get rid of annoying guests with but a little push.She let him do the talking and place himself between her and the owner, who chattered like an old housewife about how many times Jay’s brother had called to ask if he’d arrived yet. The man’s grandson came two steps behind her with their bags.It took them what felt forever to reach the second floor and go to the last door at the other end of the hall. As soon as the man opened the room in the corner of the building, Jay motioned for Silvia to walk in first, standing between her and the owner again.She looked around only to find the bathroom, and hurried across the room to get in there and lock the door behind her. She noticed her shaky hands when she produced cigarettes and lighter. Her heart hammered her chest, and she was already regretting ever leaving her safe

The owner didn’t take long to bring their dinner, but he hadn’t been able to fit their drinks on the tray, so Jay volunteered to go fetch them, with a six-pack for later in mind. Silvia laid the table and left the tray on the chest of drawers, where she found a candlestick behind the TV. Jay was back in a couple of minutes, and smiled when he saw the candles burning in the middle of the table. That was a nice touch. Silvia was by the window, as if she hadn’t moved while he was downstairs. Jay approached her from behind and rested both hands on her shoulders, his face brushing her hair. “Let’s eat,” he said softly. She nodded, smiling. It was so odd. His presence helped her feel so calm and confident, and at the same time, she didn’t care knowing that in the morning he’d be out of her life for good. He’d played his part in such a straight, honest way, that it was only right that he could get rid of her and on his way within a few hours. Ten years earlier, she would’ve tried everyt