Page 42 of Lovers Like Us
Mouths inches away, I breathe, “Biteme.”
He kisses me hard and then nips my lip,fuckyes—
“Separate!”
We do, and Farrow fits his earpiece in with the shake of his head. “If he does this the entire trip, I’m going to stranglehim.”
9
FARROW KEENE
Five hoursand twenty-three minutes into the drive—the tour bus rolling along the interstate towards the first convention stop—and someone is alreadybleeding.
Instantly, I stand and guide my boyfriend into the small bathroom, his hands cupped under his nose. The luxury tour bus is split into four sections, from the front toback:
Driver seat and passengerseat.
First lounge: two gray couches, chair and booth, television, granite counter with a coffee pot, sink and microwave; ice chest and fridge, and then a door leads to the bathroom/shower.
Sleeping bunks: on either side of a narrow hallway includes two rows of bunks, stacked three high. Twelvetotal.
Second lounge: a U-shaped couch, tabletop, and a television and gameconsole.
Almost all of us were playing poker in the second lounge, and really, when you put that many people in a confined space, this shit is bound to happen. But out of eleven people, the one person I’d choose not to be bleeding is gushing blood rightnow.
“Pinch your nose,” I instruct and chew mygum.
“Fuck,” he curses, his palms crimson from the steady nosebleed. He starts to tilt his head backwards on instinct.Come on, wolfscout.
“Maximoff.” My hand rises from his shoulder to neck. “Stay bent forward. Turn to me.” I need to see if the bone isfractured.
Before he does either, a voice distractshim.
“What…in the ever-loving-fuck,” Sulli curses in the doorway, jaw unhinging. “I’m so fucking sorry. I just get so competitive and…fuck.” She won the last hand of poker, and she sprung up in excitement and accidentally elbowed Maximoff in theface.
He keeps his hand cupped beneath his nose. “I’m alright,Sul.”
She inches inside as Donnelly and Beckett fill the narrow hallway to watch. Only three bodies max are able to fit in this cramped bathroom. Jane would be here, but she’s sleeping in a bunk withearplugs.
Blissfullyunaware.
But the more onlookers, the more Maximoff turns his back on them, just to decrease theirconcern.
Shit, I need him to bend forward, pinch his nose, and face me. He sort of corners himself by the faucet and pretends like he has everything undercontrol.
In one motion, I hop up on the counter. Sitting, but I’m still a few inches taller. And I seize his waist and draw him towards me. “Pinch your nose or I’ll do it foryou—”
I smile at his immediate reaction, his fingers automatically pinching his nose and forest-green eyes automaticallynarrowing.
The guy doesn’t like being coddled any more than Ido.
I hold his jaw and guide his head forward and a little downward. I can feel him watching me as I examine the bridge of hisnose.
By sight alone, the break isn’t clear. His nose isn’t sitting crooked on his face, but it swells. Skin in the corner of his eyes also reddens, the start ofbruising.
His voice is stuffed as he tells me, “It’s not thatbad.”
I pop my gum. “That’s cute that you think I can’t tell if it’s serious or not.” I glance at the three spectators. “Get meice.”
