Текст книги "The First Last Boy"
Автор книги: Sonya Weiss
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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 16 страниц)
Chapter Eighteen
TANA
I rolled over in bed and punched the pillow, then flopped onto my back and stared at the ceiling. It was hot in the house and the air conditioner wasn’t working well. The heat combined with thinking about Ryan made it hard to sleep. Where had he gone? To another girl? I’m done with him, remember? So what if he went out to screw some other girl? It wasn’t my business and it didn’t matter to me. My heart lurched, making me a liar.
Oh, who the hell was I kidding? Tossing aside the sheet, I reached for my robe and froze. There was a noise at the front of the house. Oh my God. I crept from the room and when I reached the living room, I crawled to the door and peeked through the window beside it. Juvante? What the hell? Standing up, I yanked open the door. “Juvante!”
He jumped and spun around. “Damn, girl. Give me a heart attack.”
“What are you doing here?”
He looked uncertain and I knew it had something to do with Ryan. The two of them were as thick as thieves. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on. Can’t a guy stop by to see his brother?”
“It’s after midnight. What couldn’t wait?”
“He used to read me bedtime stories. I miss that.” Juvante made a show of fake sobbing and wiping away tears.
I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Seriously.”
Juvante sat on the porch steps. “He has some business, alright?”
“Whatever.” I sat next to him, trying to find the courage to ask the question I hoped had a good answer. After a few minutes of silence, I asked, “Is he with another girl?”
“Another...no, no. Nothing like that.” He smirked. “So that’s your issue? You and my boy, huh? I knew he was hitting that.”
Irritated, I said, “We’re nothing more than friends and I’m not even sure we’re that now.”
He slid away from me. Looking up at the stars, he said, “If there’s any lightning, I don’t want to sit anywhere near your lying ass.”
Twisting my fingers together, I said, “Ryan’s not interested.”
“Is that right?”
I sighed and shook my head. “I don’t know why I’m talking to you.”
“Because you secretly want me?”
“You know it. How are things with Alexa?”
He lifted his shoulders. “She got mad when she found out I was joining the Marines instead of sticking around to play house with her. She dumped me.”
“I’m sorry. You want to talk about it?”
“Nah. I beat somebody up and felt better.”
I laughed. “You’re crazy.” He put his arm across my shoulders and grinned at me but his smile faded when I said, “Now tell me why you’re really here.”
*
RYAN
I had to make a stop before I went to the hospital. It was probably a stupid idea and I sure as hell wasn’t a religious guy, but I’d try any avenue to fix what had happened. As I pulled into the driveway of Mama Leena’s house, I shut off the engine and let the Charger coast to a stop. Then I tried to be as quiet as I could getting into the house.
Roman was asleep on the couch, his mouth open, his snores filling the room. Destiny was at the kitchen table flipping through a magazine and drinking a Coke. She shut the magazine when I walked in. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” I went into my bedroom and she followed. I didn’t want her to know my real mission tonight, didn’t want anyone to know, so I grabbed a duffel bag and started throwing some clothes into it.
Destiny watched from the doorway. “You’re moving out?”
“I’m going to stay with Tana for a little while. She needs help taking care of Mark.”
“Brooklyn or Shelby couldn’t do it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I offered. Do me a favor and pack my shaving stuff.”
“Okay.”
When she didn’t leave, I stopped moving around the room and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
“That brick through my window. Do you think that meant anything?”
“Just some dumbass kid, probably. Why? Are you worried?”
She looked over her shoulder when Roman let out a particularly loud snore. “With the fearless Roman around? Why would I be worried?” She smiled at me and left.
When I was alone, I raced to the dresser and yanked open the top drawer. I rooted around the socks until I found what I was looking for. A necklace with the patron saint of healing on a small silver pendant. It had belonged to my mother and was the only thing of hers I owned. My bastard father had destroyed everything else. I folded it into my hand when Destiny came back to hand me the shaving stuff.
“Thanks.” I shoved the necklace into my pocket and then took the bag from her to stuff it into the duffel bag. I walked into the living room and Roman sat up with a jerk. He blinked sleepily at me, then swung his feet off the sofa. He grunted a greeting and then wandered into the kitchen scratching himself.
Destiny shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“Lock up.” I waited on the porch until she did and then stood there a few minutes longer just listening to the sounds in the neighborhood. When I was satisfied that nothing was going on, I threw the duffel bag into the Charger and took off for the hospital.
It didn’t take long to get there and since I was good at sneaking into places, getting to Ms. Shaw’s room undetected was easy. I hated seeing her lying in the bed so still and pale, knowing that I might as well have been the one to put her there.
I eased down into the chair beside her bed and leaned close. “Uh...Ms. Shaw. It’s Ryan.” I exhaled. “I don’t know if you can hear me.” An image of my mother flashed into my mind and I bowed my head. Would she have been ashamed of the man I’d become? Of the damage that I’d left in my wake?
“I uh...I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.” I eased up on one hip and pulled the necklace from my pocket, resting the weight of it in the center of my palm. I had vague memories of my mother wearing the necklace. Distorted images of her smiling face, her kind eyes.
I swallowed. “I should have saved you.” I looked at the bed. “I should have saved both of you and it’s my fault. I was trying to be a good man and steer clear of Chanos. He struck first and that’s on me.” I took a deep breath. “But I wanted you to know that I’m going to make it right. I swear. I’ll also make sure Tana has her college money and I’ll take care of her and Mark for you. And I hope that you can forgive me for this. Um...I guess that’s all.” I slipped the pendant into her hand and draped the necklace around her wrist.
My cell phone buzzed and I snatched it up to silence it before a nurse busted me. The text was from Chanos. You were supposed to be here. You want to visit Tana in there next?
Chapter Nineteen
TANA
I fell asleep at some point after talking to Juvante who never did tell me why he’d shown up at my house so late. He’d kept changing the subject. I yawned and rose on one elbow to check the alarm clock. Not quite seven. I flopped back down in the bed and then the odor of coffee and bacon hit me.
For the briefest of seconds, sadness washed over me. The smell was synonymous with my mom. Every morning. Coffee and bacon. I combed my fingers through my bed hair and went to investigate.
Ryan was setting plates at the table. He looked handsome and relaxed. Probably took a trip to Skanksville last night and Juvante just hadn’t wanted to tell me. “You cooked.”
“Figured I’d better take that over if I didn’t want to starve while I’m here.”
I sat at the table and brought my knees up in the chair with me. Reaching for a piece of bacon, I said, “Did you already wake Mark?”
“I let him sleep.”
“You look relaxed.”
His eyebrows rose. “I slept pretty hard.”
“I’ll bet.” I couldn’t hide the jealousy in my tone and I called myself all kinds of a fool. I had no right to be jealous. Ryan wasn’t mine to feel that way about. I took a bite of the bacon. Ryan and the faceless skank could screw happily ever after for all I cared. Oh, bullshit. “Who was she?”
“Does it matter?”
I nearly choked on the bacon. So I was right and Juvante had lied to me. Ryan had been with another girl. “No, I guess not.” I put my hand on my stomach. The bacon wanted to do an encore. “Juvante was here last night. He wouldn’t tell me why, but I guess I know now.” My cell phone buzzed and I checked the text. I didn’t recognize the number. Maybe one of Mom’s friends. Tell your Mom I said hi.
“What is it?” Ryan walked around the table and looked over my shoulder.
After he read the text, he stepped back and said, “Fuck!”
“What? Is it the text?”
“No...I remembered I have to do something before I go to work. I’ll be back before you need to leave and you can take the Charger.” He was out the front door before I had time to say a word.
*
RYAN
I knew where Chanos would be and I drove straight there. I shoved through the front door of the pool hall and waited a second to let my eyes adjust to the dim light. Chanos was in the corner of the bar with a couple of guys I didn’t recognize.
He waved me over and then tapped his palm on the bar. “One for my friend.” With a wide smile, he rose from the stool. “The prodigal son is coming back into the fold.”
“I told you I was in, but you’re way off trying to rattle me about Tana. She was just a fuck.”
Chanos’ dark eyes searched my face and he nodded. “Then you won’t mind if I have a go at that?”
I took a step toward him and his muscle sprang up to flank him.
Laughing, Chanos said, “You can’t bullshit me. You never could.” The laughter faded and his eyes grew stony. “You needed reminding where your loyalties are. It’s the brotherhood over pussy. You feel me?” He moved into my space, a guy move for measuring dicks. I’d once done whatever Chanos had asked of me, but I wasn’t a kid anymore.
“I’m not the same guy you knew,” I said.
“Not the same?” Chanos laughed. “That’s like saying you can take the devil out of hell, stick him in a business suit and he’s suddenly a decent fucking guy.” He slapped my chest. “You’re still who you’ve always been. You’ve just taken a hiatus from the things you used to do.” He snapped his fingers over his shoulder. “Give me the phone.” The guy to his right passed him a phone and Chanos swiped his finger across it. “Here. Take a look at this.”
The first picture was of Mama Leena getting into her car after work. The second one of Destiny at a fast food restaurant. The third was of Ms. Shaw in the hospital. The fourth of Tana waiting tables at her job. I stopped looking and returned the phone. I didn’t need to see any more.
He smirked. “It would be a shame if something happened to one of them because you forgot who you belonged to.”
“And it’d be a shame if something happened to you because you forgot who you were dealing with.”
Chanos smiled. “I don’t forget things, brother.”
“Good, then make sure you remember I’ll beat your ass until there’s nothing left but your goddamn teeth if you touch any of them.”
“See? You are the same guy I knew. Now, let’s have a drink to celebrate our family reunion.” He snapped his fingers at a guy behind the bar.
I took a seat on the stool as the devil opened his arms, welcoming me back to hell.
Chapter Twenty
TANA
Just like he’d promised, Ryan returned to my house before I had to leave for my shift. He was still wearing the overalls he used for working at the garage. He hadn’t been away that long but he didn’t look like the same guy. His eyes were dark and hard like he was going through the motion of living while not feeling anything at all.
Stepping inside the door, he kicked off his shoes and unzipped the overalls, dropping them to his ankles. Scooping them under his arm, he headed toward the laundry room, walking in front of the television where I’d been watching a mindless talk show.
“The doctor gave me some news today,” I said.
He stopped and turned to face me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Brooklyn took me to the hospital to visit Mom and when I arrived, the doctor said that he’s going to begin lowering the dosage of medicine to bring Mom out of the coma. He said the swelling is down and her brain function tests are better than he’d hoped for.”
“I’m glad.”
“Me too.” I shut off the television and followed Ryan into the laundry room. “Maybe we can celebrate tonight after I get off work?”
“Alright. I’ll treat you and Mark to Chinese takeout if you’d like.”
“Do you want to come to the hospital with me tomorrow?”
“I can’t. I’ve got things to do.” He opened the washer and dumped the overalls inside, then frowned at the row of knobs.
“Let me.” I set the cycle, added the detergent and switched the machine on. Both of us tried to move toward the door at the same time and we collided.
“Sorry,” I said, but didn’t move.
He raised his hand and stopped just shy of touching my face. His smile was tight, regretful. “I’m covered in grease.”
“I know.” The room seemed to grow smaller with each breath that I took.
“I know this isn’t going to make much sense right now, but someday, when you’re off at college and you think of me, I want you to remember something.”
“What’s that?”
“That I wish things could have been different. I wish I could have loved you.”
Could have. But didn’t. Got the message loud and clear. “Okay.”
He exhaled as if he’d been holding his breath. “I should probably take a shower.”
“Okay.” He left and I sagged against the washer.
“Is Ryan here?” Creature poked his head into the room. He and Jason had been playing outside for the last hour.
“He went to take a shower.”
“Cool.”
“When he gets out, I’m leaving for work, okay?”
“Okay,” he said in a dismissive tone and ran back outside.
I sighed and pulled my uniform from the hanger to lay it across the dryer. Nudging the laundry door closed with my foot, I stripped to my bra and panties and reached for the short blue dress. The door swung open and Ryan was there in his jeans and no shirt. His eyes swept over me and I caught the hunger in them before he looked at the washer. “My watch was in my pocket.”
“Oh.” I spun around and lifted the lid. Leaning into the washer, I fished out the sopping material and ran my hand into the pocket to grasp the watch. I held the wet offering out to Ryan. His hand closed over it and my fingers. I wiggled my hand free and picked up my uniform. “I have to leave.” I turned around and slid the dress over my head, shimmying the stretchy material down over my hips. When I reached around my back to work up the zipper, Ryan brushed my hands aside and zipped it up.
I faced him, mouth dry, heart beating fast. “Thanks.”
“You’ll need my keys.”
I dropped my eyes to his jeans and then jerked my gaze away. He didn’t go for his keys. Holding out my hand, I raised an eyebrow and said, “Unless you’d like me to dig them out?”
He dropped them into my hand. “The Charger has a lot of power. Are you sure you can handle it?”
I smiled. “I handled its owner didn’t I?”
Ryan smiled back. “Yeah, you did.”
“Then I’d say I’m good.” Electricity charged around us and if I didn’t know better, didn’t know that Ryan thought we were a mistake, I’d think that he did care more than he let on. Which was crazy. He wasn’t interested in loving me.
*
RYAN
Mark and I played video games until he got bored and wanted to go outside and play with some of the neighborhood kids. I took his bike out of the garage, pumped up the tire and told him not to ride too far. He hopped onto the bike and started to pedal off when I saw the helmet lying near where the bike had been.
“Hey, wait. Put that on.”
He looked at it, then at me. “I don’t have to wear it.”
“Does your mom usually make you wear it?”
He hesitated, then shook his head. “She says it’s up to me.”
“Bullshit. Put the helmet on.”
He stomped away from the bike, grabbed the helmet and smashed it onto his head. “I look stupid and the other kids make fun of me when I wear it.”
“Ignore the little shits and just ride your bike.”
He swung his leg over and started pedaling down the driveway. I sat on the porch steps to keep an eye on him and saw Juvante’s car turn onto the street. He blew the horn to get the kids to move out of the way and then swung into the driveway.
He watched Mark ride up the street. “Look at you playing daddy.”
“Better playing than being one.”
“That was just a rumor. Alexa’s not pregnant.”
“She’s what? The third rumor this year?”
“Just talk. They all want a piece of Juvante.” He laughed as he sat beside me. “The bets are in for the fight. You’re going against Bobby Perez. He’s 20-3. Take him out and you’re looking to bring in a little over three grand.”
I nodded, then stood up and yelled at Mark to get the hell out of the road when cars were coming. When I sat back down, Juvante shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day my brother would get neutered.”
“Shut up. I need you to line up the fights back to back. At least one or two a day for the next week.”
“Back to back? What’s the rush? You’ve got time.”
“No, I don’t. Chanos had photos. Mama Leena. Destiny. Tana. He even had one of Ms. Shaw in the hospital.” The memory burned in me. “Once I’m jumped in, it might take me a few days to heal up.”
Juvante scrubbed a hand down his face. “Yeah and you can’t fight like that. Alright. When are you getting jumped?”
“Saturday. That gives me a week to get Tana’s money back to her.”
He rubbed his ear. “I’ll make it happen.”
“Thanks.”
“Mama Leena finds out you’re back in, the gang ass kicking won’t be your only one.”
“I don’t have a choice. Either I belong to Chanos or I risk Tana’s life.”
“And because you love her, you’ll do it.”
I looked at the ground, tired of fighting it, tired of denying it. “She can’t ever know that.”
“I won’t say anything.” Juvante nodded, then scowled. “Where’s the Charger?”
“She drove it to work.”
“Man, that must be love. You don’t let anyone touch that car.” He slapped my shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” When he reached his car, he said, “You never know. Maybe you’ll get lucky and Chanos will get hit by lightning.”
“Maybe something good like that would happen. We both know what a charmed life I’ve led.”
“This is all Clarke and Roman’s fault. If being an idiot was a sin, their dumb asses would have to move into the confessional.”
“What’s done is done.” I stood so I could see the road. A car zipped past. “Mark!”
He pedaled toward me and parked his bike behind Juvante’s car. “What?”
“You have to stay on the sidewalk.”
Mark took his helmet off and looked at Juvante. “Can I drive your car?”
“Nah little man, my car’s too big to be on the sidewalk.” He tapped the hood. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow for the fight.”
“What fight?” Mark asked.
Chapter Twenty-One
TANA
As I drove home after work, I was reminded why I wasn’t thrilled with the later shift on certain days. There were always those middle-aged men, stopping in for a drink before heading home, looking for more than just a beverage. With stomachs lopping over their belts they thought I’d be thrilled to give up my phone number. Lucky me.
I turned into the driveway of the house and waited for a few seconds, trying to gather my resolution, my self-promise to keep my emotional distance from Ryan. Soon, hopefully, Mom would be home from the hospital and my life would go back to the way it was before the shooting. One where I didn’t see Ryan every day. Didn’t have to be tempted to say words he didn’t want to hear.
Gathering my purse and apron, I locked the Charger and went to the porch. The door swung open and Mark, already clean and in his pajamas said, “Me and Ryan are going to get the food.”
I smoothed his damp hair back from his forehead and leaned down to press a kiss there. “Make sure you get sweet and sour chicken for me.”
“’K.” He wiggled his fingers at Ryan. “C’mon.”
I locked up after them and went to my bedroom to grab some clean clothes. The information packet from Bayside College was open and the sheets in disarray. The amount of tuition I owed was circled. I didn’t remember doing that. I should probably call them. The third week of August all the money had to be in for classes starting the first week of September. There was no way I was going to have enough money. Since Shelby and I planned to room together, I’d have to let her know too. But I was too wiped out to deal with it right now. I’d deal with it tomorrow. I grabbed my clothes and went to take a shower. By the time I was finished, Ryan and Mark were back.
I took some cups from the cabinet and set them on the table while Ryan grabbed the plates. Mark opened one of the containers and dumped some fortune cookies on the table. He put one in front of each of us like he used to do when we’d get Chinese takeout and eat it with Mom. My eyes stung at the memory and I blinked back the tears.
He picked his up, I took mine and we both looked at Ryan.
“What?”
“We’re supposed to open them together and read them out loud,” Mark said. A little of the eagerness went out of his expression. “We always did it with Mom,” he said softly.
Ryan picked up his fortune cookie. “I’m on it.”
“Ready?” I looked at Mark and when he nodded, I said, “Go!” The one to get their fortune out first was the winner.
Mark waved his slip of paper in the air. “Something wonderful will happen.” He folded the paper and tucked it beside his plate, then looked at me.
“Follow your dreams,” I read aloud.
“Your turn,” Mark said.
“The early bird gets the worm,” Ryan said and started to put the fortune in his pocket.
I grabbed it from him. “It doesn’t say that.” My smile faded as I read it to myself. Love is not easy, but worth it. I handed the slip back and reached for a box. There were so many questions I could ask Ryan about why he didn’t want to share that fortune, but I didn’t. I was pretty sure the answer that I was looking for wouldn’t be there. “Did you remember the sauce this time, Creature?”
We ate and when we were almost through with the meal, Mark said, “Ryan is going to a fight.”
“What?” I lowered my fork.
“Juvante said he’d pick Ryan up for a fight tomorrow.”
“A fight.” I looked at Ryan.
His eyes darkened. “It’s not what you think.”
Mark scooted his chair back. “Can I watch TV?”
“Read a book or something,” I said, still staring at Ryan.
“I read them all.”
“Then reread one. You know Mom has TV limits.”
“But—”
“Creature, I need to talk to Ryan.”
Without another word, but with a long suffering sigh, Mark left the kitchen.
“A fight is the reason why you can’t come to the hospital with me? You’d rather go beat the hell out of someone? For what reason?”
He scowled. “Did I miss the part where you became my girlfriend?”
“Oh, you think I don’t have the right to question what you’re doing? You’re around Mark. I have to look out for him. That makes anything you’re involved in that could hurt him my business.”
A muscle in Ryan’s jaw worked. “Do you think I’d do anything that would hurt him?”
“Would you?”
Ryan slid the chair away from the table and picked up his plate. He dumped the scraps into the garbage and set the plate into the sink. With his back to me, he said, “How could you even ask me that?”
“Because...because you have a history and it’s not a good one.”
He turned around and the look on his face made me regret my words. “I never said I had a good past and I never promised I was your prince fucking charming.”
I moved to join him. “No, you never said you had a good past, but you never said how bad it was either. When I asked you before to tell me that your past was over, you didn’t answer me. Why are you going to fight? Is it something to do with your past?”
“I’m going to bed.” Ryan walked past me.
“Ryan!”
He stopped but wouldn’t look at me.
“If you’re doing something wrong you can’t stay here.”
He faced me and his lips twisted up in a mocking smile, so handsome it hurt to look at him. “Define wrong.”
*
RYAN
Two o’clock in the morning and I was still wide awake. The argument with Tana kept playing over and over in my mind. After I’d said to define wrong, she’d gone off on me. Unloading everything she’d thought but had never said until now. She was pissed at me and afraid for me.
I would never be free of my past and now that I was going to do a U-turn right back toward it, Tana was right to be scared. Because that’s what I’d seen in her eyes. Fear. The kind of fear that hadn’t been there before her mother had been hurt.
The bedroom door opened and light from the hallway slanted across the bed. Tana hovered in the doorway. “Ryan? Are you awake?”
I eased up onto one elbow. “What do you want?”
She came into the room. “I’m sorry for what I said in the kitchen. I know that you’d never do anything to hurt any of us.” The bed dipped when she sat beside me.
I lay back down and linked my fingers behind my head to stare up at the ceiling. I sucked in a breath when she put her hand on my bare chest.
“You’ve pulled away from me ever since—”
I didn’t want to look at her, didn’t want to have to fight the tug-of-war going on inside of me. “It’s better this way.”
“It feels like everything is changing and I’m losing my best friend and I’m scared.” She leaned closer, so close that the warmth of her breath fanned across the side of my face. “I need you to hold me. I need you. I know it makes me sound weak and pathetic and...don’t make me beg for the comfort of being held.”
Like they had a will of their own, my arms lowered and wrapped around Tana. One second we were staring at each other in the dim light shed by the open door and the next, she was lying across me and we were kissing. I was a thief taking comfort and pleasure from someone I had no right to touch. But Tana Shaw was the one addiction I’d always crave. I’d have to die to stop wanting her, to stop needing her.
She roamed my body with her hands and I didn’t have the will to push her away. Not this time. One more time, I promised myself. One final time. Her hands were eager on me, searing my flesh, laying claim to skin she didn’t know she already owned. She kissed the side of my neck, the width of my shoulders and trailed kisses down the center of my chest. Dipping lower and lower until she put her mouth on the waistband of my boxers.
“Tana—”
“I want you this way, but you’ll have to teach me.” Her hands dipped into my boxers, lowering them and she reached in to cup my raging erection. She dipped her face down and ran her tongue along the side of me, stopping at the head to gently suck on the side of it.
Oh shit.
“Like this?” She pulled me into her mouth and I almost pulled a charley horse in my thigh because my muscles clenched so hard. When her hand squeezed my balls, I couldn’t form a coherent word. I could only take a few seconds of her giving me pleasure before I had to stop her. I grabbed her arms and hauled her up the length of my body, shifting and rolling her over until we were side by side. I wanted to tell her that I loved her, that I always would, but it would only make the inevitable parting harder. Instead of words, I used my lips and my hands to show her what I’d never be able to say.
There was a difference this time than the first time we’d been together. A bittersweetness that made my throat burn. I kissed Tana softly, then slowly eased her out of her clothes. She helped remove mine and then she was beneath me, opening up her legs, letting me in, her smile shy and trusting.
I was hers.
She was mine.
For tonight.
I plunged into her, rocking her body, gently loving her with everything that I was. Tears leaked from the sides of her eyes and I kissed her as I kept moving. “Don’t cry, baby.”
“I’m not sad. It’s just...”
I couldn’t let her say the words I knew were on the tip of her tongue. She would shatter me if I heard them. I’d never known love and I’d craved it all my young life. Now here it was, in the most beautiful, purest form waiting for me and I couldn’t take it. “Shh...” I eased out almost all the way and then back in, increasing the tempo until Tana breathlessly begged me. I worshipped every inch of her skin with my lips, my hands, and my body until she clutched at my shoulders, raked her nails across my back and called my name.
Then I let go, freefalling from the darkness into beautiful Tana. My heartbeat. She shuddered beneath me and sobbed out that she loved me. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, probably thinking she would see rejection in my eyes. But had she been looking, she would have seen the heartbreak in them instead.
Tana slept in the crook of my arm and I held on as tightly as I could without hurting her. I watched her peaceful slumber for hours while wishing I had the power to stop the new day from dawning. Her breathing was slow and even, her lips slightly swollen from mine. I gently smoothed the hair from the side of her face. She didn’t stir.
“I love you, Tana Shaw. You will always own me,” I whispered as dawn broke. Exhaustion crept in and I finally slept.
