Blaze makes a strange noise. “Fuck. Fuck. I remember. He pushed me. He saved me.”
Oh.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, because I have no idea what else to say.
George Bouchard had threatened Blaze with a gun, but in the end, he’d protected him too.
Can people do that? Be kind and terrible, all in one?
I guess I’m like that.
We’re all like that.
“Fuck,” Blaze whispers again. “Sorry about… everything, Dad. I didn’t want it to be like this.”
He brushes his eyes against the palm of his hand. It’s too dark for me to see if he’s crying or not. I don’tknow what to do if he is.
Blaze takes a deep breath, though, and stands up. He has to hunch or else knock his head against the angled debris. He extends his hand to me. “Come on. We can’t stay here.”
I take his hand, and after three tries I manage to stand. “You come here often?” I joke.
What a stupid joke.
None of this is funny. George Bouchard is dead, and instead of sympathizing, I’m making light of the situation.
Blaze looks at me, then chuckles. “I sure fucking hope not. One collapsed building is enough.”
I lean against him as I laugh, relieved that he didn’t blow up at me like a concrete building. “This is why I like you. You understand my jokes.”
Blaze and I take a few tentative steps forward, like we even know where forward is. “No, you like me because I like to choke you while we fuck.”
“Okay, that too,” I say. “And you’re really hot with Asch.”
He’s quiet for a few seconds. “I kissed him. We were going to have sex on the couch.” Blaze’s hand tightens around mine. “Is that okay?”
Am I all right with Blaze and Asch fooling around without me?
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
“Yeah,” I say softly. “I gave you permission, didn’t I? I always knew that you were a package deal.” I pause. “But next time, I want to watch.”
Blaze lets out a relieved sigh. “Deal.”
Imagining Blaze with Asch is better than thinking about dark concrete and smoke on my breath. They’ll be smoking hot together. Maybe I can convince River to fuck one of them too. He and Asch can wrestle for dominance.
Yeah, that would get my pussy real wet.
I reach into my pocket.
I freeze when I come up empty.
“Wait,” I say, my voice high. “I lost it.”
“I know that already,” Blaze says.
