Page 53 of When The Noise Stops

"Girl."

Her eyes widened.

"Girl?"

"I said God has favorites."

"I fucking knew it," she nodded.

Chapter 21

Knox

The campfire was going.

We'd been back for a few hours. Ronny was passing out the stuff she'd bought at the flea market. Tiny got his cast-iron skillet. It was a weird fucking gift.

I wasn't listening to any of it.

I was watching Lila.

She was sitting on a log across the fire, staring at the flames. She hadn't looked at me once since the shower incident. I regretted using her shower now, but I had grime and gas from fixing a fuel tank all over me, and the campground facility wasn't working.

The image of her when she found me was burned into my brain. Her standing in the doorway. Eyes wide. Mouth open. Looking at me. Looking at it. She had licked her lips. Lingered.

She hadn't looked away.

I shifted on my log. Tried to focus on something else. Anything else.

Tiny was telling a story. Hawk was laughing. Deacon was quiet. Everything else was normal.

Except Lila wasn't looking at me.

Normally, I couldn't get five fucking minutes without her appearing beside me. Sitting too close. Stealing my drink. Putting her hands on me. Talking my ear off about absolutely nothing.

Tonight she was across the fire.

I didn't like it.

Which was fucking ridiculous considering I'd spent the last week trying to get some distance from her.

She was wearing this—what she said was a vintage dress she'd bought. Blue. Sleeveless. Her hair was down. She looked soft. The firelight caught her face and made her glow.

I wanted to go over there. Sit next to Ronny. Say something.

I didn't.

Somebody passed a bottle around. I took a drink. Couldn't tell you what it was because I didn't taste it.

Then Lila stood and blurted out:

"I saw Grizz's penis."

The fire crackled. Somebody choked. The whole camp went dead quiet.

I went still.

Lila was talking a mile a minute like she did when she was excited and about to say reckless shit.