But I didn’t go very far before I stopped driving. I slept out in the desert that night, huddled under blankets in the back of my truck. At first, I couldn’t sleep. All I could think of was the way that she’d felt in my arms, how wonderful it had been to kiss her. And then how much it had hurt when she said she never wanted to see me again. But I did sleep. I’m not sure why. Maybe I’d suffered too many shocks and betrayals at that point to even know how to function. My body seemed to shut down, as if sleeping could heal me. I slept a long time. When I woke up, it was afternoon, and I was soaked in sweat in the back of my truck. I ate some of the food that I’d been given, and I started driving. I made it to Lebenet before dark. I didn’t have much money, but I’d managed to save some. I was good at knowing how to squirrel away anything that came my way. Most guys in the community did, holding it back for after they got married.
