24 LUKEAfter handing Wayne his money, I watched as Duke said one last good-bye to Charlotte and then climbed into his truck. Wayne went back inside, and then it was just Charlotte and me.
“The end of the road,” I murmured, and she nodded.
I didn’t know what else to say, and it seemed she didn’t either. I folded her into my arms one last time, trying not to notice how perfectly she fit there. There were no tears, no long drawn-out good-bye, and no promises to keep in touch. She had stormed into my life, but it seemed she was leaving without the same flair.
I thought about kissing her good-bye, but in the end, I couldn’t. I simply held her for a minute longer, than helped her into her car, shut the door, and watched as she drove off into the distance, my fists clenched at my sides and my
