Page 46 of Sorrow

He didn’t. I can see the package he pulled it from, and it looks almost empty.

“So we’re back to lying,” I say quietly, moving behind him so I don’t have to see the look on his face. “Good to know.”

“I was joking,” he grumbles. “I forgot a sense of humor was foreign to you.”

Well, the moment has passed, I see. I still want to hold his head under this bubbly fucking bath water until he stops struggling.

“On second thought, I don’t want to take a Hayes soup bath, so maybe you can fuck off for a little.”

Chuckling, his fingers curl around my hip to keep me there. “No take backs.”

Glaring up at him, I climb into the tub and try like hell not to show him how good it feels as I sink down and take up as much space as I can.

I’m surprised when he doesn’t climb in right away. He sets out towels for us and tosses me a washcloth, and I have to bite back a chuckle at the expression on his face when he realizes the tub might not be as big as he thought with two people inside of it. “Good thing you’re small. This might not work otherwise.”

He climbs inside behind me, bodily sliding me forward when I try to take up even more space.

I lose. Of course I lose.

“Oh look, it’s not working,” I lie. “Oops. Bye.”

But those rough hands grip both of my hips to keep me in place. “When did you pick up running as a hobby?” he quips,pulling me back against him. He’s so warm I don’t fight it this time.

“I could be chased by a hoard of mangy coyotes and I still wouldn’t be bothered to run.”

“And what if you were being chased by me?”

His tone takes on something a little different there, something dark and almost sinister. Something guttural.

“Are you trying to kill me, or fuck me?”

“Don’t spoil the ending, Hurricane. It ruins the ride.”

Well now I can hear the smirk in his voice. Hmph.

“If you’re going to kill me, I won’t bother running. But if you’re chasing me to fuck me, a girl might just power walk.”

That makes him laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind. Might want to see that one day.”

One day. That day will never come and we both know it, which dampens the mood as I dip the cloth in the deep purple water. As a matter of fact, if my plan works, this will be the last time we’re ever intimate in any way.

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

I don’t get a response for a while. I listen to him breathe for so long it makes me blush like an idiot, and then he leans in so close Ican feel his lips on my ear when he speaks. “You’re welcome.”

“What’s it like out there?” I ask, knowing Hayes has done his fair share of traveling. “The rest of the world, I mean. Is it nice?”

He leans back again with a heavy sigh. “Sometimes. I mean... people are shit everywhere, but the energy is different from city to city — enough so that I considered buying a trailer and living on the road just so I could experience as many places as possible.”

It’s probably the most personal thing he’s ever said to me, and also the most hopeful. I’m used to shitty people. But shitty people in a shitty town where it never gets above freezing? I can’t handle it anymore.

“So why do you stay? You’ve clearly got enough money and the skills to do whatever you want. Why stay here at all?”

“Because it’s the only place I have people who actually care about me. Or I did when my grandmother was alive, at least. Now I can’t imagine going anywhere because of The Sons.”

“Funny, they’re most of the reason I want to leave. They want this town, they can have it.”

“Yeah, tell that to Boo who’s hellbent on saving this frozen wasteland.”

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