Page 20 of Are You Gonna Run?
Tossing me a wink, he moves back to finish up his food after a quick peck on the cheek, and I have to take a moment toappreciate how well he handled that. Most guys I know would’ve freaked out, but Eris seems to be confident that he’ll get his way eventually.
I guess I should be flattered since the man who refused to date anyone wants to date me, but I still feel like I’m missing the punchline of a joke. He’s too perfect. No one’s that perfect. Maybe he’s homeless or something — he showers at my house every day, leaves his laundry here, sleeps in my bed. I have no proof he’s ever actually gone home since he leaves my place to go to work and comes back right after. He brings more things with him, sure, but he also has a huge truck with a big toolbox in the back.
... Wow, that’s a leap even for me. Suppressing a snort, I finish my dinner and strip for him as I head to the shower, knowing he’ll insist I join him anyway. And after the shower, my stomach twists itself in knots. “Did you want to try the wax tonight or some other time?” I ask, half hoping the answer is the latter. “I’m good either way.”
“Maybe this weekend or something.” He collapses on the bed in his briefs andpats his chest. “Come here. Two truths and a lie time.”
Oh look, I’m disappointed he doesn’t want to play today. Being a girl is fun.
Grinning, I curl up against him and let out a happy sigh anyway. “You go first.”
“Okay.” He pauses for a moment. “I haven’t read a book since high school, my mom dipped out when I was fourteen and I haven’t seen her since, and one time I broke my arm falling off a roof.”
The first and last seem likely, which puts me in a good position. “I’m hoping the thing about your mom is a lie.”
“No, actually it’s true. She texts every so often, but she moved to Hawaii and got a new boyfriend. My dad hasn’t moved on, but we’ve been trying to talk him into Tinder.”
Fuck, that’s so sad. Hugging him a little closer, I whisper, “I’m sorry,” then ask him what the lie was.
“It’s alright. Been years now. The lie was my arm. I actually broke my leg and my wrist, but my arm was fine. I’ve tried to read a book if that counts for something.”
Eris kisses the top of my head like he didn’t just dump a bunch of sad shit on me. I’m not sure I even want to playanymore, I’d rather put him in a bubble and protect him from all the bad things in the world.
“I turned down a scholarship to an Ivy League school, I went through a preppy girl phase when my hair was blonde and I wore floofy skirts every day, and I’ve never had a job other than my own business.”
Humming, he drums his fingers on my arm as he thinks. “Uh... well, you’re definitely smart enough for an Ivy League school, so I say the preppy girl one.”
“Nope. I turned down an acceptance to an Ivy League school, but I wasn’t ever offered a scholarship. It’s the whole arm/wrist thing, you know.”
“Ah, you got me. Touché, little burrito. I’ll need to see pictures of preppy Rowyn soon. Oh, I got another one. I like pineapple on pizza, one of my childhood homes was haunted, and I played soccer in high school.”
“Nobody really likes pineapple on pizza,” I laugh. “That one.”
“Damn, I thought you’d believe that one because it’s so ridiculous, but I’m honestly glad you didn’t. That’s a dealbreaker for me,” he jokes.
Hmm. Smart man, good taste. “Now I need to hear about this haunted house.”
“Alright, so we found out later that this old lady died in the kitchen, and I swear we’d see her in there all the time. One time I went to get a drink of water and she was standing in the middle of it with her mouth wide open, pointing at me.” I feel him shiver like the memory is still clear. “I didn’t leave my room at night again.”
“Creepy,” I sing-song. “We should go back and see if she’s still there. For science.”
“You’re crazy,” he chuckles. “Want me to chase you around that house like we did the graveyard? Give another dead person some free porn?”
I’m actually not opposed to that. “That depends. Is there some poor, unsuspecting family living there now?”
“No damn clue, it’s in Texas. Military brat, remember? Though I’m sure there are plenty of haunted places around here we can find.”
“Did you... spend time in foster care when he was deployed?” I ask quietly. “You and your siblings?”
“Luckily, no. I think that’s why my mom thought it was fine to leave once we were able to pretty much fend for ourselves. We had an uncle that’d come stay every sooften, but mostly it was just us. I learned how to cook when I was like eleven.”
Kids shouldn’t have to fend for themselves at any age, and I hate her for it. I can’t believe he doesn’t. But I also recognize from his tense shoulders that this is hard for him to talk about, so I steer the conversation back to happier waters. “You’re right. We’re close to Helltown, there are plenty of truly haunted buildings there. I’ve heard a few of them have been turned into haunted houses for the season.”
“Yeah, there’s going to be a shit ton of parties coming up out there too. When’s the last time you went out there?”
Glancing up, I quirk my eyebrow at him. “It’s cute you think I’ve ever been brave enough to go alone.”
“Well shit, it’s settled. I’m taking you before the season is up. You’re breathtaking when you’re scared, Rowyn.”
