Page 123 of Like A Moth To A Flame

“Why?”

“Because,” I shrugged. “Everything has been your way up until now. So it’s my turn, and I choose lunch.”

Still, he stood there, staring at me, disbelief narrowing his eyes.

“You don’t wanna go?” I asked.

“I didn’t say that.”

I waited for him as he retreated into the bathroom. I heard the shower come on, and ten minutes later, he walked out of the hallway, wearing his usual blue jeans, plain black t-shirt, and heavy boots. I stood up, looking him up and down. Still, he had the same confused look on his face.

Reaching onto the couch, I snatched up his jacket and shoved it into his chest.

“Let’s go,” I said, stepping past him and out the door. He followed along behind me like a puppy, and I laughed at the thought as he pulled the door closed behind him and shrugged on his jacket.

“You sure you wanna…?” he trailed off, looking up and down the sidewalk.

“Ashamed to be seen with me?” I asked, my eyebrows lifting.

“No,” he spat.

I turned without a word, moving off the porch and down the sidewalk, and he hurried after me, his head down and his handsshoved into his pockets. We walked in relative silence for a few minutes before I turned to him.

“What happened to your voice?” I asked. It had been bothering me ever since last night. “It’s deeper than I remembered.”

“Uh, structure fire,” he said, looking over at me. “I got trapped and inhaled some smoke. Scarred up my vocal cords.”

“Interesting,” I said. That explained so much. His voice was so different from what it had been like when I was younger. It was yet another reason why I hadn’t realized it was him.

We turned onto Main Street, and Mae’s diner came into view. Every time a car drove by, I watched him get more and more tense.

“What are you scared of?” I asked, and he looked up at me.

There was something unreadable behind his eyes.

“Just… weird,” he said, shrugging. “Everyone can see us, and it feels wrong, somehow.”

“You’re hilarious, Tommy.”

He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Why?”

“You ripped out my IUD, fucked me, and possibly got me pregnant, andthisis what’s weird to you?” I asked, crossing my arms again. I tried my best to give him the saddest pout I could muster and judging by the shocked look in his eyes, I had won.

I left him speechless on the sidewalk as I crossed the road, and he had to hurry to catch up to me. When he finally jogged up beside me, I reached over, pulled his hand out of his pocket, and interlaced his fingers with mine as he walked up to the diner. I felt him stiffen against me, but he didn’t protest.

Pulling the door open, I walked in, dragging him along behind me, and walked to one of the booths in the corner. I sat closest to the wall and pulled him down into the seat, still clutching his hand. He didn’t try to pull away, but he was nowhere near relaxed.

Peaking around him, I looked around the diner. Mae stood behind the counter, talking to Mrs. Rhodes, the kindergarten teacher. Sheriff Banner sat in a nearby booth, occupied with his newspaper. He didn’t even seem to notice we were there.

I pulled my hand out of his, and he looked over at me as I picked up his arm and threaded it over my shoulders. I leaned into him, running my hand along the taut muscles under his t-shirt. The warmth of his body washed me in comfort I hadn’t felt for so long, and I was happier than I remembered being in a long time.

I knew, at that moment, that as long as he was near me, no one would ever hurt me again.

Except for him, and maybe I liked that.

“Tommy,” I whispered, looking up at him.

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