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His voice was so plaintive, and the look on his face so hopeful, that I broke into a tearful smile. "Just try to stop me from being your friend. Johnson, I love you, and in their own ways, Camil e and Menol y do, too. You're part of the family, real y. Of course we're friends. And maybe . . . maybe now without the strain of being lovers, we can be closer than ever."
And then a feeling resounded through me, straight from my heart to my lips. "Chase, wil you become my blood brother? I want to know we'l always be there for one another. It won't bind you to a relationship with me as a lover, just as a friend, and you'l know I'l always be there for you."
Chase ducked his head, blushing. "You mean it? You're not just trying to make me feel better?"
I nodded. I meant it, al right, with every fiber of my being. "I'd never make that kind of a pledge out of pity or guilt."
Hunting around, I found my dagger and washed her off careful y. Then, motioning for him to sit on the bed, I held up my hand and sliced a clean, short cut on the palm. Chase held out his hand, and I did the same, then, tossing the dagger on the bed, I clasped his palm, our cuts pressed together.
"Johnson, I pledge to you my loyalty, my friendship, and my love. I'l always have your back, as long as it doesn't interfere with my other oaths."
He shivered. "Delilah, you'l be my sister, my blood-bound friend, and I'l always be here for you. I offer you my loyalty, friendship . . . and my love."
As our palms touched, a tear rol ed down his cheek, and I gently leaned in and kissed it away. The salt tickled my tongue.
"I guess I'd better head out." He glanced at his watch. "It's going on two, and I have to be up at seven."
"Did you want to sleep here? You'd get at least an extra hour of sleep that way." I didn't want to see him go. It was over, yes, but I didn't want to see him turn and walk out the door.
He paused. "Would that be weird?"
"No, no. Stay and sleep over. One last night." I glanced at my bed. "Since I stil reek of skunk, you can have the bed, and I'l sleep in one of the cat beds.
Much easier to replace than a mattress."
Once again, he loosened his shirt and slid out of his pants. "Thanks, Delilah. Just . . . thank you."
I slipped into the bathroom and out of my nightgown and took another quick shower, then dried off and transformed into Tabby. As I padded back into the bedroom, I saw that Chase was in bed, already asleep. He was breathing softly, and he'd put the cat bed on my side of the mattress. I let out a soft mew, my heart breaking again. Leaping up on the bed, I climbed into the cushioned nest, circled three times, and slept.
When I awoke, he was already gone. I shifted back into two-legged form and saw that he'd left a note for me. It was a simple, "See you later . . . Sis . . ."
but it hit me in the gut, and I slid to the floor, weeping softly.
A moment later, the door opened after a light tap, and Camil e peeked in. "Delilah, you need to get up . . . Delilah? Honey? What's wrong?" She raced over to kneel by my side. "Are you okay? Is it about your hair? Were you hurt in the fight? Are you in pain?"
"No--no . . . none of that." I let her cuddle me and then leaned away, not wanting to smel up her pretty dress. "Last night Chase came back. We talked.
It's over. We broke up."
"What? How did this happen?" A shocked look on her face, she bundled me up and into my robe and led me downstairs. "You need some food. Come on, you can tel me over breakfast. The guys are out right now, so it's just you and me and Iris."
The kitchen was thick with the scent of pancakes and syrup and eggs and bacon. Camil e handed me a plate and took one for herself, and we loaded the food on as Iris finished making coffee.
"You look like death warmed over, girl," she said.
"I feel like it. Sit with us--I want to tel you both something." When they were sitting at the table, and we were eating breakfast, I told them about my night with Chase. Everything.>He nodded. "I've wondered now and then . . . and I don't know where it comes from either. I guarantee you it wasn't my mother, and I real y don't know any of our relatives--she saw to that. Can you understand that I'm just . . . there are so many things . . ."
"Shush . . . I understand. I real y do. But maybe, if you'd let me help you, I could release some of that tension." I reached for his shirt and begin to unbutton it, but he caught my hands in his, pul ing them away from his chest.
"Delilah, there's more. I thought it was too early to say anything, so I've been staying away, examining my feelings. I wanted to wait, wanted to see what if I was just afraid. But I guess I'd better just tel you."
Puzzled, I stopped. More? Okay, so I knew that he'd been having a difficult time with the transition, but what else was hiding behind those limpid pools of chocolate that passed for eyes?
"What's going on, Chase? Did you . . . are you . . . gay?" That was the only thing I could think of that might account for him putting distance between us.
"Gay?" He blinked. "No, sweetie. Trust me, I'm not. The thing is . . . here's the thing . . . you see . . ."
"Just spit it out." Whatever it was, knowing had to be better than facing uncertainty.
