no fun, Shayne. No fun at all.”
* * * *
He took her to the grain elevator two kilometers outside of town. He used to come out here to escape his life. When he was younger, he’d scream as the trains went by as if the rail cars could obliterate the latest beating, the latest gossip spew of what his drunk of a dad had done. The name Granville was faded and there was graffiti decorating it.
He silenced the car and darkness dropped on them like a slap shot. Folding his arms on the steering wheel, he stared at the black, hulking building.
He could tell her he never liked Kevin, had found him a selfish prick even when Shayne had been a kid. He had looked at Kevin Hodges and had seen his dad. Only sober. A user who sucked the life out of those closest to him. Instead he reached over and opened the door, stepping out into the night. A few minutes later the other car door opened and banged shut behind Lacey. Hiking himself up on the hood, Shayne slid back, the engine heat soaking through his jeans as he leaned back to look at the stars.
She stood between his legs and he shifted to make more room for her. The car dipped and the hood gave a little pop beneath their combined weight. She leaned back, her head resting on his chest.
“Why’d you stay with him?” He watched those five words rise up to night sky as he wrapped a wavy strand of hair around his finger. How, he wondered, had Kevin not touched her? Shayne couldn’t stop touching her.
“The girls,” she answered in a soft voice. “And pride. Pride,” she repeated with a whisper. “I kicked him out because it was no longer just our unspoken secret. It was out there in the world because lollipop couldn’t keep her mouth shut that she was balling Kevin Hodges right under his wife’s nose.
“He was no longer just hurting me, he was hurting our daughters. So I kicked him out. Not that they got mad at him for cheating. Oh no, that would be too easy. Poor Kevin, kicked out by their mom. What a bitch she was. Is.”
“Baby,” he whispered, shutting his eyes at the pain in her words. His thumb caressed her cheek and he hated the tear that he encountered.
“I wonder if Kayla would’ve gone to school here if I had just shut up and let him stay. But...I couldn’t, Shayne. I couldn’t not matter anymore. I hate him. I really hate him for what he did.”
Shayne’s thumb brushed along her cheek, chasing and erasing tears. She wiped her eyes then captured his hand, holding it against her chest. A year ago when Todd had called him raging about the motherfucker who had hurt his sister, he had wanted Shayne to help kick his ass. Shayne had been on board because you didn’t hurt Todd’s sister. Tonight he wanted to beat the man to bloody paste on the road because she was more than just Todd’s sister now.
He flattened his hand over her poor, battered heart and counted stars because there was absolutely nothing he could say. Sometimes the phrase “I’m sorry” was a lame ass phrase that said less than no words. A little sigh came from her as she tilted her head into the bend of his elbow, her fingers spread over his forearm.
“Why did you kiss me Saturday night?”
Ahh...now there was a question to ask the stars. Because she had suddenly become the most tempting, amazing woman he had ever laid eyes. Because his entire body had surged alive panting like a dog in heat.
“Because I couldn’t not,” he answered, borrowing her words. He felt her lips repeat the words soundlessly against his skin. “Falling star,” he said, pointing up. “Wish.”
“I think it’s a satellite,” she said.
“Nah, are you nuts? That’s just the longest falling star, ever.” Shayne felt her smile and grinned. How to feel triumphant: make a sad girl smile. And he had done it twice tonight.
Go team Donnelly.
* * * *
There was something soothing in listening to another person’s heartbeat. The rhythmic pulses that meant one wasn’t alone in this moment. That there
* * * *
He took her to the grain elevator two kilometers outside of town. He used to come out here to escape his life. When he was younger, he’d scream as the trains went by as if the rail cars could obliterate the latest beating, the latest gossip spew of what his drunk of a dad had done. The name Granville was faded and there was graffiti decorating it.
He silenced the car and darkness dropped on them like a slap shot. Folding his arms on the steering wheel, he stared at the black, hulking building.
He could tell her he never liked Kevin, had found him a selfish prick even when Shayne had been a kid. He had looked at Kevin Hodges and had seen his dad. Only sober. A user who sucked the life out of those closest to him. Instead he reached over and opened the door, stepping out into the night. A few minutes later the other car door opened and banged shut behind Lacey. Hiking himself up on the hood, Shayne slid back, the engine heat soaking through his jeans as he leaned back to look at the stars.
She stood between his legs and he shifted to make more room for her. The car dipped and the hood gave a little pop beneath their combined weight. She leaned back, her head resting on his chest.
“Why’d you stay with him?” He watched those five words rise up to night sky as he wrapped a wavy strand of hair around his finger. How, he wondered, had Kevin not touched her? Shayne couldn’t stop touching her.
“The girls,” she answered in a soft voice. “And pride. Pride,” she repeated with a whisper. “I kicked him out because it was no longer just our unspoken secret. It was out there in the world because lollipop couldn’t keep her mouth shut that she was balling Kevin Hodges right under his wife’s nose.
“He was no longer just hurting me, he was hurting our daughters. So I kicked him out. Not that they got mad at him for cheating. Oh no, that would be too easy. Poor Kevin, kicked out by their mom. What a bitch she was. Is.”
“Baby,” he whispered, shutting his eyes at the pain in her words. His thumb caressed her cheek and he hated the tear that he encountered.
“I wonder if Kayla would’ve gone to school here if I had just shut up and let him stay. But...I couldn’t, Shayne. I couldn’t not matter anymore. I hate him. I really hate him for what he did.”
Shayne’s thumb brushed along her cheek, chasing and erasing tears. She wiped her eyes then captured his hand, holding it against her chest. A year ago when Todd had called him raging about the motherfucker who had hurt his sister, he had wanted Shayne to help kick his ass. Shayne had been on board because you didn’t hurt Todd’s sister. Tonight he wanted to beat the man to bloody paste on the road because she was more than just Todd’s sister now.
He flattened his hand over her poor, battered heart and counted stars because there was absolutely nothing he could say. Sometimes the phrase “I’m sorry” was a lame ass phrase that said less than no words. A little sigh came from her as she tilted her head into the bend of his elbow, her fingers spread over his forearm.
“Why did you kiss me Saturday night?”
Ahh...now there was a question to ask the stars. Because she had suddenly become the most tempting, amazing woman he had ever laid eyes. Because his entire body had surged alive panting like a dog in heat.
“Because I couldn’t not,” he answered, borrowing her words. He felt her lips repeat the words soundlessly against his skin. “Falling star,” he said, pointing up. “Wish.”
“I think it’s a satellite,” she said.
“Nah, are you nuts? That’s just the longest falling star, ever.” Shayne felt her smile and grinned. How to feel triumphant: make a sad girl smile. And he had done it twice tonight.
Go team Donnelly.
* * * *
There was something soothing in listening to another person’s heartbeat. The rhythmic pulses that meant one wasn’t alone in this moment. That there
Similar Books
