Page 127 of Rat

Rory waited for Sebastian to take it all from him.

He nodded, pleading with the twitch of his brow and the wobbling of his bottom lip.

He wanted Sebastian to do it.

He needed him to.

“Oh, Rory,” Sebastian exhaled. “I’m sorry.”

22

The hand on Rory’sthroat vanished, and he peeled his eyes open.

Sebastian’s expression was stricken. His eyes were red. A frown dented his brow, and he cursed beneath his breath.

“You think I’m going to kill you?”

Rory blinked. “That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

“No!” Sebastian took a step back. “Of course not—”

“The gloves, the plastic bag, the secluded area out of sight of the road.”

“I put the gloves on because it’s cold…”

Rory licked his dry lips. “You’ve brought me down here, out of sight.”

“There’s a bench over there, quiet, where we can talk.”

“The bag?”

“It’s been raining, Rory. The bench will be wet. I brought the bag so we could sit on it.”

“You keep asking to know the time?”

Sebastian scrunched up his nose. “And why do you think that is?”

Rory ducked his head. “So you know when the tide’s going out—”

“So I can what? Make sure it takes your body away? You think I’m going to strangle you, shove you in a bag, and throw you in the sea?”

“I don’t know—”

“Jesus Christ!” Sebastian clutched his hair. “Are you serious right now?”

“You hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” Sebastian glanced at the sea. “You thought I was going to kill you, and you went along with it?”

Rory swallowed. “I don’t blame you for wanting me dead. I keep trying to apologize, to explain, but you cut me off.”

“I don’t want an apology.”

“Then what do you want?”

Sebastian cursed at the sky, then advanced on Rory. Rory stiffened, then stumbled forward when Sebastian snagged his wrist. He pulled Rory up the beach. “I want you to come with me so we can talk.”

Rory spotted the bench ahead. He blinked, thinking it might be a mirage, but it remained. “Talk?”

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