Page 46 of Live Love Steal
He had his scary face on. I studied it, trying to remember if it was as scary as before. I thought… why did I think he was scary? He was fierce. My rock. My savior. A man with so much to live for, who did so much for everyone else. Was there anyone he could turn to for help? My trembling hand brushed along the stubbled beard on his face. Its roughness jarring me back to the moment. I pressed harder into it, feeling the give of the short, wiry hair, the warmth of his skin underneath, and more importantly, the bones that told me he was really here. I was really here. “We survived.”
“Yeah, we did, Iron Girl.”
He called me my favorite nickname. Fresh tears slipped out. Sketch had no idea why I picked that element, or why it meant so much to me. Yet, he called me by the name my Dad started calling me years ago. How could they both be so wrong? I wasn’t iron. I was a crumbled mess. My abdomen seized again, threatening to quit its job of helping me suck in oxygen.
“I got you.”
He did. I could crumble, and he’d catch me. I could lean on him.
I could depend on someone for a change. I didn’t have to be the big girl, the one with the plans, the one who took care of shit.
A throat cleared in the hallway to announce someone’s presence. “Sketch, it’s Bear. Smoke gave me the clothes, and I got a can of soda here for your girl. I swear I’m not peeking. Are you doing okay there, Iz?”
Sketch turned our bodies to shield me from the empty door frame. Over his shoulder, I could see the hallway beyond.
Instead of answering Bear, I met Sketch’s eyes with a question. My mouth was moving, but I couldn’t say much of anything at the moment, worried it wouldn’t come out. Or worse, everything would spill out.
“She’ll be fine.”
“No offense, but I wanna hear it from her.”
Bear was going to force me into this. I wish I had Sketch’s certainty, his courage…
His eyes fell, no longer making contact with mine. I leaned in, curling around him, feeling the chilled water droplets on his back. “I’m alive.”
It was more than I’d expected when I dove into that dumpster. I’d been stymied by the brick wall at the end of the alley I’d run into. When I bailed out of the car at the intersection, I knew it was the only chance I’d get. The driver had slowed to avoid colliding into a truck. I had my heels off and my seatbelt unlocked, and timed my exit right as he pushed down on the accelerator. Then I rolled to my feet and ran for the nearest shadows I could find.
The sound of horns blaring and tires screeching spurred me to make an instant choice. In or behind? I opted for in. Which was crazy, I know. Who in their right mind would jump into a dumpster?
Apparently, it didn’t cross the driver’s mind. I had time to move some of the gross-smelling bags into place and slide under their greasy surfaces.
I kept a little pocket of air by my face and froze as I heard him banging around outside the dumpster. He popped open the lid and scanned inside. Then it slammed shut as he decided I would be insane to crawl under a week’s worth of rotten food. I heard him gag a little.
That was just fine with me. Gagging on the sour milk and putrid meat odors was much better than what they had planned for me.
But that sentiment wore off quickly. I tried to get out of the dumpster at least once, but quickly buried myself again as another car drove past.
I promised myself twenty minutes tops. Then I’d find help. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait that long because somehow Sketch found me.
Then he risked his life.
And killed a man.
For me.
I kissed Sketch’s neck. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” His words were abrupt, almost emotionless.
“Are you really?” I needed to know. I wanted to crack open his shell and find where I could crawl in and make it all better. I wanted to be certain my stupidity did not forever alter him.
He rubbed his chin against my forehead. “I think so. I mean…” His thoughts didn’t make it into words because he looked over his shoulder toward Bear, who was peeking around the edge. I made sure to keep the most important bits of me hidden behind Sketch.
“What are you looking at?”
“Checking to make sure you didn’t hurt her. I’m guessing by the way she’s clinging to your ass that you two are good?”
“Fuck off.”
