Page 55 of His Pet

Now I’m the one confused. “You said I wouldn’t leave that basement alive.”

I must still be dreaming, because Cameron almost looks bashful. “Right. I did say that, didn’t I?”

“Yeah.” I close my eyes, angling my face toward the rising sun. It doesn’t quite chase away the chill, but I still feel its strength. Now would be a good time. If I could just peacefully stop existing between one breath and another, it would be perfect.

Fingers gently skate along my cheek. I brace myself for pain, for it finally happening. Will Cameron snap my neck? Is that even a real thing or does that only happen in movies? He could choke me to death, too. Easily. Probably wouldn’t even need to use both hands.

Large, calloused hands cup my face. Neck snapping it is, then. I will myself to relax. Perhaps it will hurt less that way. I debate opening my eyes to get one last glimpse of Cameron, but what if he’s angry? I don’t want the last thing I see to be his scowl. Memories of his smiles are safer, and I keep them in front of my mind’s eye as I send a silent apology to my mother. She’ll probably never know what happened to me.

Sorry, Mom. You weren’t the best mother in the world, but I know you loved me. Maybe my father did, too, in his own way.

I don’t want to think about my family. I much prefer the happy moments I spent with Cameron. Him holding me, stroking my hair, kissing me.

I smile at the phantom touch of his lips on mine, then obligingly open up for his tongue.

Wait. His tongue?

My eyes snap open as Cameron’s very real tongue slips into my mouth. He’s kissing me, and I can’t decide whether it’s perfect or plain cruel. Giving me a taste of what I might have had before killing me? Yeah, cruel. But still, going out with a kiss isn’t so bad.

Cameron pulls me into his lap, muttering something about the ground being too damn cold for this before bringing his mouth back to mine. Even through the layers of blankets, I feel the heat radiating off him. He sighs. “Justin…”

“Do it. It’s okay.”

He tilts my chin to make me look at him. I let myself get lost in the darkness of his eyes.

“Listen to me very carefully, Justin. Are you listening?” He waits for my nod. “Good. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Kill. You. Did you get that? I’m not going to kill you.”

I hear the words but my foggy mind has trouble understanding them. What’s happening? “Oh?” I finally say, because Cameron is waiting for a reaction.

He looks to be fighting off an eye roll. “Yes, oh. Now that that’s settled, we’re going back inside. I’d prefer to avoid frostbite on my ass.”

“But the sun—”

“Will still be here later. And tomorrow, and the day after that. I’ve heard that it has billions of years before it explodes. Let’s go.” Cameron grunts as he pulls himself up to his feet with me still in his arms. Damn, he’s strong. I’ve missed him holding me while we chilled on the couch. I’m not ready to end this field trip and go back to the suffocating loneliness of the basement, but as usual, I don’t get a say.

Or do I?

Instead of dragging me back downstairs, Cameron sets me down on a comfortable sectional and takes a seat on the coffee table right across from me.

“Still with me, pet?” When I nod, increasingly confused by the situation, his expression turns serious. “Good. Now we talk.”

Chapter 36

Cameron

Despite my proclamation that we need to talk, we spend the next few minutes in silence, because now that it has come to it, I have no clue what to say. Dammit. I should have prepared a speech or something. Now I look like an idiot. At least Justin looks a little livelier than before. I was truly worried he was gone forever when I pulled him out of the cage, but the sun and fresh air have worked wonders on him.

Maybe that’s the answer? Take my pet outside every once in a while?

No, I doubt it’s that simple.

I take a deep breath. Focus, Cameron. Stop being a fucking coward.

“Alright. First things first.” I hold my phone in front of Justin. His eyes dart to it, something like pain flashing across his face. When he looks back at me, his expression is empty again. Intentionally neutral, or numb? I can’t tell, but I’m hoping for the former. I don’t beat around the bush. “Were you going to call someone?”

He tried to explain himself before, to tell me what happened, but I didn’t listen. I’m not going to make the same mistake again.

Defiance glints in his eyes. Not numb, then. Good.