Page 98 of Wilde's End
The last two nights, Wilde has lingered longer after sex than I’m used to. There’s a hesitance to him, like he wants to touch me or talk, but he never lets himself get there, and eventually, he gives up and leaves.
Tonight, I’m determined for it to be different.
“Your leg still sore?”
I’m assuming he won’t answer me because that’s kind of his thing, but then his voice fills the silent room. “A bit. He got me deep.”
“Should you have Booker check it again?”
“No, it’s healing fine.”
“Good.”
I can feel the way he wants to say more, and for once, he gives in. “Don’t know how I’ll go in my match on it though.”
“Peril?”
“Yeah. If Foley senses I’m injured, he’ll target the spot.”
“Foley sounds like a dick.”
“I’d do the same to him.”
Okay, so they’re both dicks. But Wilde is sort of kind ofmydick, so I’m going to assume Foley is the bad guy in this scenario. “I’m still going to hate him.”
He snorts. “Why?”
“Because I’m loyal like that.” I think back to everything he’s told me. “If you lose, will the town have enough money to get by?”
“I have my personal funds, so we’ll always be okay.”
“You spend your own money on this place?”
“I don’t like to touch it at all, but I won’t let people go without.”
“Why don’t you like to touch it?”
He turns, eyes catching mine, and I don’t back away from his stare. “Every cent of it is tainted.”
A sentence like that has my curiosity through the roof. I want to question it. Peel open his thoughts and dig for all of the nuggets he keeps hidden. But for someone who’s obviously not used to talking about himself, the fact that he’s given me this much has to be enough.
And now, it’s time to give him something.
All day, I’ve been nervous about seeing him tonight, and as I remember why, those nerves come back in force.
I climb up on shaky legs and clean myself off with the T-shirt I was wearing earlier before crossing to where I left Wilde’s gift.
Really, all I’m doing is replacing something that I broke, so Ishouldn’t be feeling so weird about it, but even when I get back to my bed, I still feel like I might vibrate out of my skin.
“I, uh, have something for you.”
Not only was Gracie right and it turned out horribly, but she insisted on scratching both our names into the surface before it dried. Seeing the uneven HUDSON on the side when I’d picked it up today only made the nerves even fucking worse.
Wilde sits up slowly, like he’s worried this is a trap. “You what?”
“Have, umm … well, I owed you it. After fucking with your things. It was wrong, and I shouldn’t have, so …” Before I can lose my nerve, I pull thebowlout from behind my back. “Sorry, it’s sort of dark in here.”
He doesn’t take it. There’s a long moment stretched tight where Wilde looks at it and I wait, my gut twisting tighter and tighter until I can’t stand it anymore.
