Page 57 of All Your Days
Eli huffs and rolls his eyes.
“No you fuckin’ muppet.Home. I’ve never heard you call The Facility home.”
Sighing heavily, I put my bowl to the side and stretch out my legs.
“Huh. I guess I haven’t.” I say, trying to be casual and missing the mark entirely.
Part of me wants to spill my guts out with all the thoughts I had this morning. But they don’t feel ready yet, and I’ll probably fuck it right up again if I try to say them too soon. Eli side eyes me, ready to call me on my bullshit again. Knowing my only defence is offence, I switch topics.
“You sure you’re ‘kay? After last night?”
Sure enough, Eli blushes a fiery pink colour, twisting his face away from me so I can’t see it. There is a ring of bruises around his neck that has to be at least a little bit uncomfortable. They leave me conflicted—I hate that I obviously hurt him, but fuck, I like him having my mark on him.
“Yeah. Said I was fine, didn’t I?” He grouses, rubbing his booted foot in the dirt, still not looking at me, clearly embarrassed. I get it—I wouldn’t say I’m embarrassed, but it’s not exactly a comfortable conversation.
“Yeah, you did, but I just wanted to make sure. I don’t…. I don’t really remember what we did. I want to make sure I didn’t hurt you, or that you don’t have any, I dunno, regrets or nothin’.”
Not looking at him, I pluck at a stray grassy stem by our feet, twisting it in my fingers until they are sticky with its crushed juices.
Beside me Eli huffs and tsks. “I said I was fine, Jacob, and I am. I mean, sittin’ on this rock isn’t my favourite thing right now, and I’m not lookin’ forward to gettin’ on the road today with all the places I’m achin’. But I’ve got no regrets.”
It’s not exactly a declaration of love or undying affection, or anything above resigned acceptance. But with the way I treated him after our night at the outpost, what the fuck can I expect?
“We’re not headin’ out today.”
“What? Why?” Despite his complaints only a second ago, Eli looks ready to fight me about it.
“Too many reasons. Neither of us are in a state to travel safely. We need to recover a bit, and so do the camels. It’s too soon to move ‘em after they were tranqed. And the track isn’t safe. It needs longer to dry out or we’ll risk getting bogged, and with just the two of us, we’ll be really fucked. I don’t wanna stay here either, but I don’t wanna risk it.”
Don’t wanna risk you. I have to bite my tongue to keep the last bit from jumping out like a frog.
With a heavy sigh, he looks at the empty space where Cale, Malcolm, Ryan and Lou’s tents stood. Only one of them could be saved, the others were broken up in the fight.
It feels like bad luck to stay here, like we’re giving whatever evil caused all our troubles another chance to strike. Another chance for it to come back and torment us. I’ve travelled with plenty of superstitious folk over the years—guards and merchies both—and I always looked down on their talk of bad spirits orvibes when we passed through certain camps. It seems I owe them an apology.
Eli looks around the camp, too, no doubt seeing the same ghosts I am. He chews on his chapped lips, the beard burn rough around his mouth.
“Yeah. Yeah, I get it.” He says, with more conviction than he probably feels. “And hey, if we’re here and Lou knows where we are… maybe he’ll come back?” A timid blush rises on his cheeks, hope filling his eyes.
I really fucking doubt it, but I’ll kiss a fucking brown snake before I tell him that.
“Yeah, who knows.” I shrug and Eli snorts, shaking his head and bumping his shoulder into my arm. He stays like that, leaning into me, and eventually his head drops to my shoulder. Time ticks by in silence as we both muddle through the mess in our heads, rearranging it all so we can keep moving forward.
“So, how are we gonna spend the day?” Eli’s smile is stronger now, I can hear it in his voice.
Flashes of last night fill the dark of my closed eyes. My memories are hazy, confused by the madness and fury of the Rains. Even unclear as they are, heavy, pulsating warmth brews in my stomach, spilling into my veins and my dick begins to swell.
“Oh, I reckon we can come up with an idea or two.”
Chapter sixteen
Eli
When we crash intoeach other, it takes only seconds to get naked again, beard burn and trauma and bruises be damned.
And thank God, because I’ve been dangerously close to coming in my pants ever since he stripped off to bathe earlier. He was there all gorgeous and naked, and I had to pretend I wasn’t sneaking looks at his heavy dick swaying between his thighs as he lathered himself up. I swear he did it on purpose. I sure did.
He didn’t look when it was me getting all wet and naked. He just sat and stirred the stew like it was life or death.
