Hopper quickly set Ash straight. “Girly, I served in Desert Storm and got my leg blown to shit. So save that shit for someone else.” She’d felt like a total jerk and made it a point to give him some cash for food. After that, Ash would visit with him, listening to his old war stories. Sometimes she stopped by with a Double-Double and a chocolate shake from In-N-Out, always insisting Hopper tell a story in exchange for the food. His stories about his war days and life on the streets were hilarious and heartbreaking.

Hopper had seen her hanging out with Nate and the others and tried to warn her. “Them folks ain’t right in the head, I know it,” he said once. She ignored him, telling herself it was just the ramblings of a sad old man. She wished she could go back in time, wished she could listen, really hear what he was trying to tell her. Hopper wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy, but he was a decent person. She figured for the right price, she could count on him to help her out. She knelt down beside Freud and wrapped her arms around him. He happily licked her face.

“You are the best dog in the whole world. You know that, don’t you?” Ash said. “Promise you’ll look after Becca, okay?”

He wagged his tail even harder. Ash hugged him one last time and grabbed Freud’s leash. She hurried across the street, calling out to Hopper. Taking Freud was a mistake, but she could at least make that right. Once she was done, she would finish her round of pawnshops and meet Nate. In a few short hours they would board a bus together, and head off toward a brand-new future. Just a few more hours.

BECCA

BECCA

Becca opened her eyes, wincing as the light burst through the downstairs curtains. She blinked furiously, trying to orient herself. She must have fallen asleep on the sofa. Becca remembered with instant regret the bottle of cabernet she opened after dinner. She rarely drank, but as the night wore on, Becca’s uneasiness grew, and she told herself one glass would take the edge off. Once Ash went to bed, Becca kept refilling her glass again and again, until the bottle was empty. She fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep. Her skull ached, and her mouth was dry. She would definitely regret her carelessness today. Becca sat up, fumbling around on the coffee table for her cell phone, stunned to find that it was almost seven thirty. Damn it, Becca wanted to talk to Ash about her new recovery plan and now there was no time. They were both going to be late.