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“So, you’rerichrich,” I say. “I thought so. It’s the velvet robe—most people wear fleece these days, I don’t know if you know that.”
When I make a joke Dane doesn’t want to acknowledge, he has to pause and unclench his jaw. It’s becoming my favorite thing to watch.
“The Covetts were one of the founding families of Grimstone,” Dane says, like he’s admitting something, not bragging.
“Were you the ones who named it? Because you might want to rethink your marketing…doesn’t exactly conjure up images of sunny skies and sandy beaches.”
Dane raises an eyebrow. “Have you seen our beaches?”
“No, actually.”
Uncle Ernie hated the ocean. He took us into town but never down to the water.
“Let’s just say, it was the one time my ancestors were honest.”
“Can’t be that bad if they built a whole resort around it.”
Dane gives me an odd look. “People come here to visit, but they don’t stay.”
“Why not?”
“Because they can feel there’s something wrong with this place. Especially down there.”
He nods in the direction of the town and its caves and beaches, though we’re long past seeing even the trees in his own yard. It’s fully dark outside now and only a little better illuminated inside Dane’s house. The sole lamp in the room wouldn’t give nearly enough light to stitch up my leg anymore.
I hadn’t realized how much light we’d lost. Dane’s eyes have gone from honey to stone, his skin like marble. The darkest bits of his hair are black as jet, the lightest streaks pure silver. He’s more metal than man.
I should go…
Instead, I ask, “What’s wrong with Grimstone?”
Dane looks at me, head tilted. “Why is any place the way that it is? Why is everything in the Amazon poisonous? The people who grow here aren’t good people.”
“Including you?”
“Especially me.”
All at once, I remember that I’m in the house of a complete stranger. With a terrible reputation.
I lick my lips. “What does that mean?”
“What?”
“That you aren’t a good person?”
The silence between us is smooth like lake water—you could notice the tiniest ripple across it.
Dane’s face is expressionless while a thousand thoughts flicker behind his eyes.
If I could read them like a book…would I open it?
Yes. Every fucking time.
“What do you think it means?” Dane says. “To be a bad person.”
“It means you hurt people.”
He smiles slightly, his light breath tickling my arm. “Remi…everyone hurts people.”
