A tear slips from the corner of my eye, leaving a cool trailbeforeit’sabsorbed by my hair.
“Tess? Will you come?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
Hismouthdropsto mine, andhekisses me deeply, hungrily. Heslidesinsideme slowly, watching my face the whole time.Hisrhythm is different now, more deliberate, the rhythm of a man who has decided something. His mouth isatmy ear,and his voice when he speaksis vulnerableand sure all at once.
“I love you. Stay with me.”
“I’m staying, Sullivan. I’m staying.”
Hecomeswitha ragged moan,every muscletight with pleasure as he empties inside me.After, we stay joined, his weight on me, his face buried in my neck.Hisbreath shakes.Mine doestoo.Wehold each other in a loft in a cabin on a ridge in a townwherehe came to disappear, and for the first time in either of our lives, neither of us isalone.
“I love you, Sullivan Mercer.”
Hedoesn’tlet me get up for a long time.
I don’t ask him to.
Chapter 11
Sullivan
Nine in the morning, and the porch boards are stillwet from thethaw. The sun comes through the pines in long wet stripes, the light you only get in April after a hard winter finally quits.
I sit with my back against the post and the phoneheavyin my hand, but Idon’tdial.
Inside, Tess is making tea.I hear the cupboard opening, the kettle hissing, the small private hum she does when she thinks no one is listening. Iam.Always.I’vememorized that hum the way I used to memorize terrain.
Old habits, new use.
I press Henry’s name before I can talk myself out of it.
He answers on the second ring. “Sullivan. You all right?”
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
I close my eyes.A knot the size of a fist is sitting in my throat. I swallow around it.“Yeah,Henry.I’msure.”
“By the way,Ennis turned up. Closer to home than weallthought.”
“Sowe’re one step closer.”
“We’re good.”
Henry Sutton is a man who, when you call him, makes space and lets you fill it.I used to feel uneasy about it. This morning,I’mgrateful.
I clear my throat. “I’d like to take the spot. In the vet program.”
A long pausebefore he finally says,“How soon?”
“A month or so.Got a few jobs to finish.”
