Page 33 of Cutter's Hope

“Bubbles and Blossom?” I asked choking on a laugh.

“Yep and I’m Buttercup!” I couldn’t see her face, just the top of her head with how we were laying but I could hear the grin in her voice.

“How the fuck you figure?” I asked.

“Haven’t you ever heard of the Power Puff Girls?” she asked.

“No, what’s a Power Puff Girl?”

“Oh my God!” she sat bolt upright and turned, “This set up have Netflix?” she asked waving her hand at the television and entertainment center.

“Uhhh I think so, I don’t really pay attention to that kind of crap.”

Next thing I know, Hope is working remotes like a pro and I’m watching some retarded kid’s cartoon about three little girl super heroes, laughing my ass off at the green one’s attitude problem, which I guess was Buttercup.

“The girls loved this,” she said, “Want to watch another one?”

I gazed at her and it hit me just how rough her situation was, both then and now…

“Maybe later,” I grazed her cheek with my thumb and she switched off the TV and whatever else she had running.

“Why are you looking at me that way?” she asked softly and looked uncomfortable.

“You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”

She shook her head, “If I were amazing, I never would have lost Faith in the first place. Charity wouldn’t be out her closest sister, and I wouldn’t feel like such a fucking failure,” she said unhappily.

I looked her over. I had a feeling that she was leaving a lot of shit out about her situation growing up. Like why, as young as she appeared to be, she would have done such a major surgery to prevent any pregnancy. I wanted to ask, but I kept my mouth shut. It was none of my business what she did with her body, really, and it wasn’t like I was complaining. Kids weren’t any part of my future plans, not leading this outlaw life of mine.

“What?” she demanded when I’d been staring a touch too long.

“You’ve had it rough, haven’t you, Darlin’?” I asked gently.

“Rather not talk about it anymore,” she said.

“Fair enough, what would you rather talk about?” I asked gently.

She stood up and straddled my lap looking down into my face, studying it for a while, the hour was growing late and her eyes slipped shut. She sighed out…

“How do you think this is going to end?” she asked quietly.

“Does it have to?” I asked, pitching my voice low.

“Eventually. Everything has to end,” she murmured.

“Yeah, but we don’t have to think about that today, or tomorrow or even the next day. Why not just enjoy the ride, Sweetheart?” I asked.

“Not sure I’ve ever been able to. Everything seems to have a timestamp on it for me. An expiration date. It’s just the way it’s always been.”

I smoothed my hands up under my shirt along her satiny skin, she was warm and alive beneath my palms and I smiled a whimsical, crooked smile at her.

“Sure, yeah, okay…” I said without much conviction, I didn’t want to argue or fight with her, I just wanted the tension to ease out of her posture and for her to just fucking relax for a minute.

She slowly lowered her face towards mine, her hands smoothing over my chest, I grew hard with the anticipation of her lips meeting mine. She was so fiery, so determined. Strong and hardened by life’s circumstances but at the same time, soft and yielding under my touch. She aroused me in so many ways, physically, intellectually, and yes, even the beginnings of emotionally.

Her lips hovered a fraction of an inch above mine, her breath warm, fanning across my lips sending a shot of adrenaline straight to my heart, causing it to swell in my chest and her fucking phone rang. She smiled, lips curving gently and murmured, “Hold that thought,” before pushing off of me and to her feet.

I was gonna die.

---