“I never used to either, but I’ve seen some shit, you know?” I say as my mind wanders back to Trixie, Ichabod, and the Church. “Thankfully, you’ll never have to see that stuff. But I think what’s even more fucked up than not believing is seeing things that make you believe. In Heaven, in Hell, fuck if I know, but man there are some crazy people out there,” I mumble more to myself than him.
He scoffs but doesn’t say anything else.
“Yeah, I probably sound like some kind of zealot right now, right?” I ask with a forced laugh. “Ignore that, it happens once in a while. It comes with the territory, but sometimes I find myself remembering certain people in my life and it makes me think of home.”
The silence between us tastes sour now. I ruined it by talking about something that’s usually considered off limits when making the acquaintance of someone new and I have to find a way to sweeten it again to get back into his good graces.
“Anyway, are you into guys?”
Gray takes a deep breath, lets it out in a rush and sizes me up for a moment before he answers me.
“Yes.”
“Right on, man,” I say with a nod. “Personally, I’m not into dick, but I don’t mind getting mine sucked. Regardless of what’s between anyone’s legs. Wanna have some fun?”
“I want to go home,” he replies, his voice slightly whiny.
“Me too; lead the way,” I say as I take a step closer to him, look into his eyes, and grin. “But remember the golden rule about strangers. You never know which one wants to slit your throat and swim in your fucking blood.”
I watch the edge of his lip curl up as his eyes soften. He brings the cigarette up to his lips and when he pulls on it, his eyes light up behind the embers. Dangerous, damn near void, and completely fucking enticing.
“Exactly,” he agrees softly.
Three
Desperate Times
Gray
I can’t believe he followed me home, I think in annoyance as I reach down and slip my hands underneath the gate. I use my strength to push it up, deciding that the back entrance would be safer than the staircase with this guy.
“This whole place is yours?” he asks with a low whistle.
“I share it,” I answer softly as I step aside to let him in.
“Oh, right. With your boyfriend and girlfriend,” he muses as he walks in like he owns the fucking building.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I snap at him.
He glances back at me with that damn look of triumph on his handsome face and I sigh yet again. He tricked me into admitting that I do have a boyfriend, and I have no doubt that he’s going to try to use it against me.
Slippery fucker. Your luck will run out soon enough.
“Whatever,” I shrug as I walk passed him, fishing for the keys in my pocket. I slide my fingers into my back pocket and roll my eyes wondering what possessed me to put them back there, but decide to dismiss it when Lakyn takes a step too close to me.
; I give him a dirty look.
His grin widens.
I shove the key in the lock and damn near knock the door off the hinges to get away from him.
I stumble as I step inside my home, and his amused laughter ticks me off almost immediately again.
“Don’t you have anywhere else you can be right now? Or at least someone else to make miserable?” I bark at him as he walks past me into my home.
“Yeah, but not in this state. I’m just passing through looking for a good time before I head home to my friend,” he says, emphasizing the last word. I roll my eyes because it’s obvious to me that he doesn’t believe me when I tell him that Aiden isn’t my gal.