“Don’t,” he snapped, coming closer. “There is absolutely nothing about me you should want, except to run the hell away.”
“No!” I shouted, pulling my hand free.
“What the hell do you mean,no?”
“Imean, you are full of shit. There are plenty of reasons I want you.”
“Daph,” he warned, knowing what was coming next.
“You are loyal, dark, and funny. Resourceful. And you make things happen even when the universe is crumbling around you.”
“Stop,” he turned his face away, but there was nowhere he could hide from me.
“You are fearless and humble, and so goddamn talented.”
“I said fuckingstop.”
“And you are smart and beautiful, and my favorite part of living. So, fuck you.” I glared, the sea breaking inside my chest in a sudden burst of salt and sadness.
In a huff, I pushed past him, storming for the door, but he slammed it shut.
“You are such a pain in the ass,” he sighed against my ear, his voice cut with smoke as he spun me to face him. I whimpered when his body pressed into mine, the hardness of his cock teasing at my center. His hand slid into my hair, pulling my head back just enough for his mouth to reach my pulse.
It was the closest we had ever come to a kiss.
“When do you leave?” he shook, dropping his hands to my hips and grinding forward just enough to make me feel him.
“Tomorrow morning,” I died, and his eyes dragged along my throat to find a burst of emotions breaking loose there.
“You’ve got this, Daph,” he whispered into my mouth, so close that I tasted the words.
“Maybe you could come with me?” I let my lids fall, surrendering to the witless illusion that if I could not see the world, it couldn’t see me.
“You know that I can’t.”
I breathed.
“Come on.” He pushed off the door, but I stayed put, needing one more second in the space where he still held me. “I’ll take you home.”
When I was ready, I nodded, slipping on my shoes and tucking my phone into the side pocket of my dress. I took one last sweep of Thay’s room, even though I had already burned it into my memory and turned.
“Can I have this?” I asked, thumbing the charcoal sketch of an antlered creature taped above his bed. Thay believed everything was better through the lens of folklore.
“Of course.” He smiled, folding it in half and pressing it into my hand.
“Want my shoelace or something?” I laughed, shoving back the urge to crumble to the floor and sob. “I wouldn’t want you to forget me.”
Thay placed his palm over my heart and closed his eyes, listening to the rush and pull of my blood.
“Just this,” he breathed… “I’ll record the song when I get a minute and send it over, in case you need it.”
He meantIris. The nineties incantation that always brought my soul back to my body whenever it went into full panic attack mode.
“But you won’t. Now come on,” he promised, lacing his fingers into mine and tugging me toward the door.
I tried to listen, but the world sounded different with the echo of wheels rolling behind me. The night swallowed us whole, and by the time I slid into the passenger seat, I wasn’t sure if I’d followed him or just… ended up there.
“Can you pull over for a second?” I asked, reaching for the stereo to turn it down.