Arrow Rock Literary Journal

You pulled up next to me, somewhere in the dead heat of a summer day in Texas, the weight of the pistol in my torn-up pocket growing hotter as your truck rolled to a stop.  

I ignored you at first, but you shouted out to me, “I’ll take you anywhere,” so I got in, out of luck, and your truck was better than the boiling concrete on the worn-out soles under my feet; and you told me, “Love’s out there somewhere, and I gotta find it,” and I couldn’t help but laugh.  

I told you, “Love means nothing to me,” and as I looked over your face, took in your features, saw the need and hunger in your eyes, I found myself speaking again, “But if you’re sure you need me, I’ll come with you,” and you smiled that crooked smile as we drove off, your hand gripping the wheel while you watched the creeping white lines on the asphalt approach on the horizon.  

I watched you as you drove, prattling on as you held the gas pedal down, as we crossed state lines, as you spoke to the denizens of wherever we were, and as we stopped for the night at that little motel, I saw you in a different light, no longer were you a stranger, but someone I knew.  

I knew that hunger in your eyes, I knew you weren’t going to find what you wanted, because you already have, I knew what you craved, and I knew that you didn’t know.  

You told me, “I left my home, nobody there to leave or love, so I drove,” and for the first time since I was young, I saw a man who wasn’t just angry; I saw a man desperate for love, desperate for a companion, just desperate; so we kept driving, continuing on your journey for love, and as we drove on, you spoke again, “Glad I met you, ‘cause now I finally know where I’m heading,” and you looked at me and smiled that same crooked smile that drew me in the first time we met. 

We finally reached the end of the line; as we looked over the west coast, you told me, “My love never found me, but hey, at least I made it this far without it,” then you turned to me, our gazes locked, and your eyes shifted; you finally knew, and said “Maybe you already did…” 

 After all this time, you finally leaned in, and I followed. 

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AJ Costa is currently a junior at Lindenwood University, majoring in English with an Emphasis in Creative Writing. Fiction is his favorite genre, with a love for fantasy, sci-fi and horror. He also enjoys writing poetry about his stories, or about his life. When he’s not writing, he can be found playing video games, listening to music, hanging out with his friends, or spending time with his family. He is working towards becoming and editor post-graduation and is excited to continue his education! He is also published at FestivalForPoetry!