Hawaii

I shrugged.

"And how come Paul called me an hour ago to ask if you were with me?"

"I don't know."

"He said that you left him a note," he frowned as he began maneuvering through the parking lot maze. "And you told him that you couldn't give him an answer until Hawaii ended." He paused and bit his lip. "What the fuck does that mean anyway?"

"It means what it means, Billy."

"Well, what does it mean?"

"I had to get away from Hawaii," I defended my position. "There's something fucked up in the air there. I couldn't think straight."

"So what does that mean, exactly?"

"It means that it's a really long ass story," I yawned again. "Can I tell it to you tomorrow? Linzi's going to want to hear too and I'd rather not have to repeat it twice."

He nodded as we turned onto the freeway and headed for home. It was going to be a long night and a long tomorrow, but at least I was away from Hawaii. At least I had time to think away from Paul's demands and Tony's saddened eyes. At least I could spare that last piece of my sanity as I made the biggest decision- and possible mistake- of my life.

Billy grinned. "Can I at least call Paul back and tell him that your plane landed safely?"

"He asked you to?"

"Yes."

"Then it's okay."

"And what about Tony?"

"What about him?"

"He's called twenty times," Billy shook his head in amusement. "I have to tell him something."

"Tell him that I'm going to be okay," I thought aloud slowly and meticulously. "Yeah. Tell him that I'm going to be okay."

"Whatever that means," Billy laughed and pulled his sunglasses down from his head to cover his eyes. "You sure you didn't get sun poisoning in Hawaii?"