Page 139 of Satan's Spawn
I taste the sweetness mixed with copper from his sustenance, the concoction nothing short of deadly.
My finger lifts to caress his lips, and Crayton, like the time we were under the water, allows me to touch him.
“Did you disappear from Riverside because of me?”
His answer is instant. “Yes.”
“Why? Because of what happened in the pool?”
“Yes.”
“So I’m good enough for you to dothis, but not enough to kiss?”
Crayton stands, wiping the blood off my face with the bottom of his shirt, another form of tenderness he’s not conscious of. “I thought you don’t care about whether or not assholes want to kiss you.” He says, cleaning my soiled leg too.
“Well, maybe this asshole’s starting to prove different.”
He wipes his hand along his jeans as he says, “Trust me, he’s not.”
“Let me out of here!” Father Stanley’s voice bellows out in the distance, bringing fear back to the surface of my mind.
“The priest!” I hiss, gathering my things.
Crayton reaches for my hand and pulls me to my feet, barely allowing me to adjust my clothes. “Let’s go.” He says right before he throws the door open, dragging me through the church to escape.
“Wait, my book!” I tell him, pulling out of his hold and running back for my things on the front pew.
“Let’s fucking go before you get caught.” He starts moving again, his boots thumping loudly against the floor.
“Uhm. Don’t you mean ‘we’?” I retort, struggling to keep up with his long strides.
“Just shut up and move.” He grates, not looking back.
I can hear Father Stanley shouting again, slamming on the door this time.
“The priest!” I shout, finally catching up to Crayton and gripping his shoulder. “Stop.” I pull him back, and he turns around with a dramatic eye roll.
“What about him?”
“We can’t leave him there.”
“Yeah, we actually can.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “I’m not moving until you release him.”
“It’s your funeral.” Crayton turns and storms off again.
Letting out an angry breath, I turn on my heels and head toward the front of the church, regretting it more with every step. I may get in heaps of trouble but at least I’m not leaving an old man stranded.
I just reach the crossing when a hand clutches my arm.
Crayton spins me around, cursing under his breath.
“Wait outside for me by the bus stop.” He reaches in his pocket for a pair of sunglasses, shoving them into my chest. “Put these on and pretend you’re waiting for the bus.”
“Only if you promise to—”
“I’m freeing your fucking priest, now go!” He points behind him to the door. “Before I change my mind.”
