Page 10 of Bonepetal
I snap back into myself with a hiss through my teeth. Fog beads on my face and runs down like sweat. He pats his pockets,frowns like he’s misplaced something, and mumbles a curse under his breath. Then he tells her he’ll be right back.
Strokes her cheek like he’s earned the right to touch her, kisses the top of her head, and jogs off toward the corn maze, alone. Leaves her standing by the cider wagon with their friends, chin tucked low, smile thin, eyes darting.
As if she’s safe.
I trail him into the rows, his humming threading in and out of the fog until it cuts off. A glow breaks through the dirt ahead.
A phone.
I crouch, lifting it out of the dirt. The screen blinds me, stupid-bright, and the wallpaper punches me in the ribs. Salem. Her face lit by someone else’s camera, smiling like she’s happy.
My grip tightens.
Then the messages flash. Bubbles rolling in, one after another, like the phone itself can’t wait to spit out his filth. Another girl’s name. Pet names. Baby. Hearts. Promises for later tonight.
Not Salem.
The glow stabs up through my hand, showing me exactly what he is. What he’s been doing while she waits for him.
My jaw cracks with the sound I don’t let out.
My vision goes sharp, veins buzzing with a heat hell could never burn out of me. He’s touching her, smiling at her, making her laugh, while feeding sugar lies to someone else.
The stalks rustle. He stumbles back into view, patting his pockets, muttering under his breath. Then his gaze snaps up, catching me standing there shirtless. Mud streaked across my chest, blood dried under my nails, tattoos black down my ribs and arms. Jeans clinging to dirt and grave-sweat. Boots sunk in the soil like they belong here more than he ever did. My buzz-cut hair bristles in the cold wind, crow-shadowed.
“Holy shit,” he blurts, a nervous laugh breaking out. “Man, you scared me. You look fucking insane.” His eyes drop to the phone glowing in my hand, Salem’s face still bright on the screen. Relief spreads across his dumb grin. “Oh, you found it! Thanks, dude, I thought I?—”
I don’t move. Don’t speak.
The crows above click their beaks like teeth. My grip tightens around the phone until the glass strains.
He steps closer, relief dripping off him like sweat, and plucks the phone from my hand with a grin.
“Christ, man. Thought I’d lost this for good.”
I stare. Say nothing.
He scrolls, smirks, shakes his head.
“Women, huh? Can’t live without ‘em. The one I’m here with—gorgeous, tight little body, face you wanna bite. But she’s not… adventurous. Doesn’t have that freak streak.”
“Right.”
He tilts the phone, showing off a picture of some half-nude bitch with sultry lips. “Now this one? She knows how to keep me coming back. Sends me shit like this all fucking day. Begging for me to come through after I’m done with this other one.”
“Uh-huh.”
He chuckles, smooth and arrogant, like he’s passing down wisdom.
“You need variety. The girl you take out, and the one you call when you want it messy. Can’t expect one woman to be both.”
“No.”
He grins wider, reading agreement where there’s only ice. “Knew you’d get it. Most guys don’t. Lucky I ran into someone real. Most preach love or loyalty, like that’s gonna keep you warm.”
“Doesn’t.”
He laughs again, pocketing the phone. “Exactly. At the end of the day, it’s about ass. Who’ll give it the way you want it,” Nathan says, relief dripping out of him as he takes the phone back. “Man, you really saved my ass tonight. Hell—saved my life.”
