Page 12 of Never Say Die
“Yeah, you said that last week. Cash. Tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, yeah, I’ll have it.” He waited for Enzo to disappear around the corner before he unlocked the door and slipped inside.
Rot perfumed the air. He wrinkled his nose, staring at the ballooned sleeping bag occupying a semi-clean area on the kitchen floor. Shay sat against the wall next to an outlet, scrolling through Thomas’s lime-green phone while it charged. The blinds were cinched, but daylight leaked into the studio.
“I used your last two garbage bags,” Shay said, pointing at Thomas’s makeshift casket. “Lined the bottom and wrapped him.”
“Gross, but smart.”
“Did you know Thomas had an entire folder dedicated to girls dressed in My Little Pony outfits?”
“No, but I sure do wish I could un-know that.”
“He wrote self-insert pony-porn fanfiction in his notes app, too.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. Another thing I wish I could un-know, thanks.”
“Says the guy who fully intended to bone him.” Shay smiled thinly.
Heat filled Aiden’s cheeks.Intended to do whatever it took to forget about you.He crossed the room and kicked Shay’s feetapart, plopping on the floor between his outstretched legs. “Too bad someone ripped his heart out,” he sneered. He leaned closer to Shay’s stomach. The wound had grown a fraction smaller since he’d been gone. “Don’t bite me or anything, all right?”
Shay snorted. He stayed still, breath shallow, fingers restless on the carpet. Aiden dabbed antiseptic on raised scabs. Shay flinched, stomach flexing, and knocked his foot against Aiden’s shin.
“What makes you think I’ll go on tour with you?” Shay asked.
Aiden kept his attention on the gash. He felt Shay’s eyes, though. Climbing him. Fixed on him. “You’ve always been a selfish prick,” he said, peeling the adhesive-cover off a section of clear band-aid. He attempted to make a butterfly stitch. Crisscrossed the tape. Pulled, gently. The wound closed, leaving a vertical seam adjacent his bellybutton. “It’s in your best interest. Fame and fortune. Glory,” he whispered, and flattened a square bandage over his stomach. “But go ahead. Beg Chain to take you back. Next time you get hungry I’m sure they’ll provide.”
“Butyouwill. . . ?” Shay did the absolute worst thing possible—pinched Aiden’s chin and steered his face. Aiden wanted to saydon’t touch me like that. He wanted to sayalways touch me like that.
“I’ll do whatever it takes ‘til we figure this shit out,” Aiden said, yanking his face away.
“Does that include putting a knife in me again?”
“One time was enough.”
“You sure about that?”
Aiden narrowed his eyes, propped his index finger against his thumb, and flicked Shay’s bandage. Shay hissed through his teeth.
“Look, the ritual worked. End of story. Are you in or not?” Aiden asked.
“You lured me into the woods, murdered me, sold my soul to the devil, turned me into a monster, and you’re asking if I’minor not?” Shay scoffed, shaking his head. “AndI’mthe selfish prick?”
“Apparently, I put you on layaway,” Aiden said.
Shay laughed. His fangs arced behind his lips. “You’re evil, Aiden. Like, legitimately, actually evil.”
“Yeah, sure. Kettle meet pot. Anyway, we’re about to be richer than god,” he purred. “So?”
One deep, rumbling sigh later, Shay nodded. “We’ll need my car.”
Aiden’s smile lifted on one side. “Go get it then.”
Shay palmed his face and pushed him backward. “Take a goddamn shower. You smell like a sewer.”
He tumbled to the floor. “Call a Lyft from Thomas’s phone. Have it drop you at the bus station and take the rail from there. It’ll look more legit.”
“Evil,” Shay said again, and slammed the door.
