Page 74 of Pocketful of Shame

A lock and key.

The boy.

Burning flesh.

The boy.

The boy.

The boy...

"Romi, let me in," Sketch's voice infiltrated my thoughts as he knocked on the door. "Come on, Ro, open the door."

Gasping for air, I twisted around and flung the door open, eyes wide and full of terror when they landed on his face. "The boy," I choked out, clutching at my chest. "You're the boy."

Sketch frowned, his confusion obvious. "What?"

"The little boy from the dream." Trembling, I snagged his hand and pulled him into the bathroom, hands roaming frantically over his chest. "It was you."

"Ro, that was just a dream," Sketch coaxed, reaching up to snag my hands. "It's not real, baby."

"Itisreal," I sobbed, gaze flicking to the mark on his hip that was partially concealed by his boxers now. "I know, Sketch. I remember." Swallowing down a mouthful of bile, I reached out and touched his mark. "I was there."

"You remember what?" he demanded, sounding frustrated. "Where the hell were you?"

"In the room behind the locked door," I choked out, tears filling my eyes, as I pointed to his hip. "The day they gave youthat."

"I knew it!" Presley declared, barging into the bathroom, eyes bright with excitement. "I fucking knew she was withholding!"

"Chris was right," I wailed, face contorting in pain as a huge sob racked through me. "Nothingin Pocketful is as it seems."

"Shut the hell up, Quinton!" Sketch snapped, shoving Pres away from me. "What are you talking about, Ro?" he demanded, eyes laced with confusion and pain. "Are you saying someone burned me?"

Numb.

I was frozen to the bone.

Terror seeped from every pore in my body.

"Romi!" Sketch barked, closing the space between us. "Answer me, dammit!"

I couldn’t answer him.

I couldn’t freakingbreathe.

My whole world was crashing down on me.

Everything was slipping into place.

My past.

My present.

His past.

Chris…

Like a cruel twist of fate, or the bitter sting of a reality check, a loud hammering noise came from the main door of our motel room. "Open the door, boy, or I'll kick it in!"

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