Page 268 of Satan's Spawn
“Then lie to me.” My voice cracks, and he peers down, finding the tears I know are glassing my eyes.
He swipes the one that falls away with his thumb, bringing it to his mouth to taste. “I promise to never walk out of your life willingly, Rebecca, okay?”
Throwing in the towel for now, I rest the side of my face against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
“Your turn,” he says, back to staring at the ceiling.
“My turn?” I question.
“To tell me something.”
I think long and hard about anything of substance I can share, coming up with the first and only thought that pops into my head.
“I wish my dad could’ve met you.”
He huffs. “I’m pretty sure it’s for the best. As you can tell I’m not father friendly.”
I shake my head against him. “No, he’s like me. Dad always saw past the surface of people. Gave them the benefit of the doubt, no matter what.”
“You miss him, huh.”
“So much. It feels like the happy parts of me died with him.”
Crayton rests an arm on my back, running lazy circles over it. “It probably did. I know a part of me died with my mom.”
I breathe in deep, then let it out with a drawn out sigh. “I guess that makes me feel a bit better. Like I’m not the only one.”
He continues caressing me. “You may still be.”
“What do you mean?”
I can hear him swallow. “It was my innocence that died along with her.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to ignore how much those words seem to hurt him. “Crayton…” I bite the inside of my cheek, unsure if I should say what I want to.
“Yeah, Little Ghost?”
“I love you.”
His fingers halt on my back and he tenses up.
Eerily quiet. Painfully still.
And I already know it was a mistake.
“Rebecca…you know.”
“I know,” I respond meekly. “And it’s okay. Just wanted you to know I do. All of your highs and all of your lows. I cherish every single part of you, broken or not.”
Crayton is about to say something but a frantic knock at the door has his lips sealing.
Damn you Saint. Taking all this time and deciding to show up as I spill my heart at Crayton’s feet.
More rapid knocks, followed by Archer calling out for me.
What the hell is he doing here? He said he was going home for the weekend.
“Guys! Open up…now!”
