Page 414 of Sticks and Stones
* * * Blackhawk & Cantrell * * *
The Condo
Afternoon
Corbin was just waking up. The last thing he remembered, he was on the couch after his bath, and Will had been rubbing his feet as they watched a movie.
It was theONLYpart of his body that didn’t hurt, and he’d appreciated the gentle contact. It had lulled him into sleep.
Now, though, he was awake, and the place was quiet. When he looked around, no one was there.
“Will?” he called.
No one answered.
In that moment, he started getting scared. He was alone, and he didn’t know how to deal with it. There was panic, and his heart was racing in his chest.
That’s when he saw it.
There was a note folded on the coffee table, and it was addressed to him.
That’s when he just knew it. This was going to be a‘Dead Corby’letter, where the man knew how bad it was, and decided to bail after all.
Of course, it was.
Reaching for it, his hand was shaking, but he knew he needed to get it over with as soon as possible.
Unfolding it, he read it over.
‘My love,
I had to run out to my place for some clothes to stay there with you. I don’t have a key, so you’re my only way back in. I’ll knock three times. Can you let your man back in? I’ll have a surprise for you.
Love you forever,
Will.’
After he read it, there was calm. It wasn’t his man bailing after seeing his body.
No, he was sticking.
After the bath, he knew Will was upset. He knew that what he’d seen that had been done to him had been a lot to swallow, and Corbin had seen the pain in his eyes.
But there wasn’t pity.
So, he’d won on that front.
Now, he’d just wait there, and pray he got home as fast as possible.
When he heard a phone ringing, he didn’t know where it was coming from. There shouldn’t be a phone there since everyone was gone.
Getting up, he followed the sound, and that’s when he found it sitting on the kitchen counter.
It was his phone.
What was this?
Where did it come from?
