work out in the garage, okay?”
I studied his sullen face and frowned. Something was wrong, but he obviously didn’t want to talk about it and I wasn’t about the push. “Okay, handsome. I’ll get you something in case you get hungry later.”
He gave me another kiss. “Thanks, baby. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
I watched as he walked off, confused as shit over what had just happened, it was probably the first time he’d ever gone cold on me. Maybe he’d gotten into it with one of the guys on the run?
There was no point in speculating, he’d tell me if he felt like it. In the meantime, I could keep myself busy online.
: : : :
I glanced down at the time on my computer screen, it was past ten and my eyes were starting to burn from fucking around with code for hours. Torch was still in the garage as far as I knew, I’d only heard him walk in and out once.
Deciding to call it a night, I logged out and walked to the kitchen. The food I’d ordered for him sat untouched in the fridge, so I grabbed two bottles of beer and headed back to the garage to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep in a pan of motor oil or something.
I found him hunched over one of the vintage Harleys he was fixing up, there were another seven lined up along the wall covered in dust. According to Torch, he’d taken on as many runs as he could and pretty much abandoned his side business while I was away. Why was he all of a sudden back at it?
I walked up from behind and handed him a beer over his shoulder. “How’s it coming out here?” I asked.
“Pretty good,” he mumbled as he tightened a bolt. “I just need to get a new muffler and give her a paint job now.”
“What color are you thinking?”
He scooted back in his little rolling stool, took a sip of his beer, and wrapped an arm around my hip. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know… Maybe a dark, army green? Something with a little sparkle but still masculine.”
“Yeah, I think that would look really great. Good eye.”
I combed my nails through his hair. “Are you about done? I thought we could watch a movie or something since you said you had a long day.”
“What time is it?”
“Quarter after ten.”
“Shit, the hours kinda got away from me.” He stood up and walked over to the sink. “Let me just clean up and I’ll be in.”
I smiled and went to walk back inside, but thought twice. “Torch?”
He glanced over at me as he rinsed off his soapy hands. “Yeah?”
“You know, I have this habit of isolating myself and staying busy when I’m dealing with something I don’t really wanna deal with. And I’m not saying or assuming that’s what you’re doing, but on the off-chance you are, I get it and I’m here. You can tell me as little or as much as you want, okay?”
When he acknowledged what I’d said with a simple nod, I headed back for the door again.
“Buddha’s got cancer,” I heard him mutter right as I reached for the knob.
I stopped in my tracks as the words hit and turned back around. “Shit.”
He sat back down in the stool and stared at his hands. “That’s the word that’s been going through my head all day too.”
I sighed. “How bad is it?”
“Pretty bad, it’s late-stage lymphoma. He’s already doing chemo.”
Leaning back on the door, I closed my eyes momentarily to let everything sink in. “Fuck... Baby, I’m sorry.”
He rubbed his beard and looked up. “Yeah, me too.”
I walked back over and crouched down in front of him. “Hey, look at me,” I said, cupping my hand under his chin. “Buddha’s a strong son of a bitch, I wouldn’t count him out yet. If he’s getting treatment, that means he hasn’t given up. You can’t either.”
“I know,” he replied. “It would just be a hell of a lot easier if this was one of those situations I could fix with fists or a bullet. I’m good with that shit. But cancer? I don’t know anything about fucking cancer. The man saved me from the
I studied his sullen face and frowned. Something was wrong, but he obviously didn’t want to talk about it and I wasn’t about the push. “Okay, handsome. I’ll get you something in case you get hungry later.”
He gave me another kiss. “Thanks, baby. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
I watched as he walked off, confused as shit over what had just happened, it was probably the first time he’d ever gone cold on me. Maybe he’d gotten into it with one of the guys on the run?
There was no point in speculating, he’d tell me if he felt like it. In the meantime, I could keep myself busy online.
: : : :
I glanced down at the time on my computer screen, it was past ten and my eyes were starting to burn from fucking around with code for hours. Torch was still in the garage as far as I knew, I’d only heard him walk in and out once.
Deciding to call it a night, I logged out and walked to the kitchen. The food I’d ordered for him sat untouched in the fridge, so I grabbed two bottles of beer and headed back to the garage to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep in a pan of motor oil or something.
I found him hunched over one of the vintage Harleys he was fixing up, there were another seven lined up along the wall covered in dust. According to Torch, he’d taken on as many runs as he could and pretty much abandoned his side business while I was away. Why was he all of a sudden back at it?
I walked up from behind and handed him a beer over his shoulder. “How’s it coming out here?” I asked.
“Pretty good,” he mumbled as he tightened a bolt. “I just need to get a new muffler and give her a paint job now.”
“What color are you thinking?”
He scooted back in his little rolling stool, took a sip of his beer, and wrapped an arm around my hip. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know… Maybe a dark, army green? Something with a little sparkle but still masculine.”
“Yeah, I think that would look really great. Good eye.”
I combed my nails through his hair. “Are you about done? I thought we could watch a movie or something since you said you had a long day.”
“What time is it?”
“Quarter after ten.”
“Shit, the hours kinda got away from me.” He stood up and walked over to the sink. “Let me just clean up and I’ll be in.”
I smiled and went to walk back inside, but thought twice. “Torch?”
He glanced over at me as he rinsed off his soapy hands. “Yeah?”
“You know, I have this habit of isolating myself and staying busy when I’m dealing with something I don’t really wanna deal with. And I’m not saying or assuming that’s what you’re doing, but on the off-chance you are, I get it and I’m here. You can tell me as little or as much as you want, okay?”
When he acknowledged what I’d said with a simple nod, I headed back for the door again.
“Buddha’s got cancer,” I heard him mutter right as I reached for the knob.
I stopped in my tracks as the words hit and turned back around. “Shit.”
He sat back down in the stool and stared at his hands. “That’s the word that’s been going through my head all day too.”
I sighed. “How bad is it?”
“Pretty bad, it’s late-stage lymphoma. He’s already doing chemo.”
Leaning back on the door, I closed my eyes momentarily to let everything sink in. “Fuck... Baby, I’m sorry.”
He rubbed his beard and looked up. “Yeah, me too.”
I walked back over and crouched down in front of him. “Hey, look at me,” I said, cupping my hand under his chin. “Buddha’s a strong son of a bitch, I wouldn’t count him out yet. If he’s getting treatment, that means he hasn’t given up. You can’t either.”
“I know,” he replied. “It would just be a hell of a lot easier if this was one of those situations I could fix with fists or a bullet. I’m good with that shit. But cancer? I don’t know anything about fucking cancer. The man saved me from the
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