Page 5 of The Sun
I smiled because I was special. “Momma says you’re ’sposed to like everyone.”
“People hurt you when you like ’em. And they leave.”
I rolled onto my side, staring straight into his water-colored-by-God eyes. “I won’t leave you, Elias Black. And I won’t hurt you. Ever.” I held out my pinky finger, and he glanced at it, brow furrowed.
“You want me to pull your finger or ’sumpin?”
I giggled. “No, silly goose. I wanna pinky promise. I won’t leave you. You don’t leave me. Never.”
“Never?”
“Never. Ever.” I made my eyes wide.Thiswas serious business.
His little finger curled around mine, and we shook on it. “Then I’ll let myself like you, Sunny Ray,” he agreed.
When Elias used both my names it made me feel all tingly inside.
“I know why you’re Maw named you that. ’Cause you’re like a warm ray of sunshine.”
I stared at my ceiling, thinking about what he meant. The sun was just a giant ball of fire, but it was pretty important, so I took it as a good thing. “Elias…” I whispered, but his breathing was hard and heavy, his eyes closed tight. I waited a few more minutes, then I leaned over and sniffed him, curious what boys smelled like.
And he smelled like soap. That was it. Just Dial Mountain Fresh soap.
The next morningwhen I woke, the spot beside me was empty. The sheets were crumpled and cool where Elias had been.
The aroma of bacon grease crept up from downstairs and underneath my closed door, causing my stomach to grumble. I rubbed at my eyes before stumbling out of bed.
When I went into the kitchen, the skillet sizzled, and Elias set the table while Daddy read the Sports section of theRobertsdale Times. Elias glanced up at me when he placed the last fork next to my plate. I smiled, but the storm cloud was back, heavy and angry on his face.
“Do you want to play after breakfast?” I asked.
“No.”
“Sunny, would you”—bacon grease popped. Momma swore under her breath. “Can you grab the milk from the fridge and pour Elias and you a glass?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I frowned at Elias on my way across the room.
I thought about our pinky promise when I snatched the plastic Dairy Fresh container from the shelf and closed the door to the fridge a little too hard. After I filled our cups, I took a seat, set the milk on the table, and then glared at him throughout breakfast.
As soon as the table was cleared, I went to my room and changed into play clothes, then lugged my Barbie case down the stairs and out into the backyard. I didn’t need some dumb boy to play Barbies with anyway. He’d just mess it all up like Daisy’s brother did, trying to boss the Barbies around and look up their skirts…
Two minutes after I dumped the dolls onto the grass, I huffed. Elias wasn’t sleeping in my room again. It didn’t matter if I pinky promised or not.
A light breeze rustled the leaves of the oak overhead. The sun glinted through the yellow-red and brown-orange leaves, and panic settled in my chest. The sunlight reminded me of heaven, which reminded me of Jesus. Jesus must be sad that I liked sleeping next to Elias and his soap smell. People aren’t supposed to like sin—Pastor Fulmer taught us that in church. I didn’t want to go to hell, but I didn’t know if I was sorry enough to be forgiven, either.
My stomach knotted and kinked as I wondered what eternity with the devil would be like. Demons screaming and screeching, clawing at my skin. Molten fire and all the bad people that died before me. Momma and Daddy would be so disappointed when they got to heaven and looked down into that pit of fire and saw me burning right next to Lucifer.
My eyes watered at the thought, and I closed them to beg for forgiveness, even though I wasn’t sorry.
Halfway through my frantic prayer, the kitchen door banged shut.
I opened my eyes to Elias stomping across the yard with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He stopped in front of me and kicked at a rock. “You gonna take your promise back since I made you mad?”
“You made me sad. Not mad.” I lied. I was a little of both.
He released the kind of sigh that made his shoulders rise tall and fall hard. “Shit.”
I fought the smile tugging the corners of my mouth. “If Daddy hears you say that, he’ll wash your mouth clean out with soap.”
