Page 45 of Heat Haze
“Prickly,” he says under his breath. Sneaking a glance over at me, and I quickly realize that this is his way of asking for something.
“Do you want me to help you shave, sweetheart?” The way his face lights up while he nods eagerly just melts my heart. His stubble is thick, but I’ve never seen him shave it before. “Okay. Sit.” I point to the closed toilet, and he listens without hesitation.
His razor is some old red electric one. I plug it into the wall and half expect it to explode, but it doesn’t. When I switch it on it vibrates in my hand, whirring like an angrylittle thing. I search the counter and cabinet for shaving cream, but find nothing.
So I opt to just wet his face with my hand, which of course he doesn’t question at all. Just smiling up at me all wide eyed while I smear water on his face, which makes me want to squeal and smother him with affection.
But I don’t, because I need to get this done. Since there’s no shaving cream I take my time to shave him, trimming down the dark hairs that cover his face until there’s only a thin shadow-like layer of stubble left. He’s practically smooth faced, and something about that is deeply unsettling to me. Somehow he’s de-aged ten years, glancing up at me with the expression of anactualpuppy now.
“Uh… How oldareyou, Toro?” It’s almost alarming that this hasn’t come up until now. I guess considering how we met we sort of skipped all the awkward small talk that comes normally.
Toro thinks for a second, before his smile comes back. “Twenty… three. Twenty-three.” He says simply, and I nearly lose my mind.
“You’re younger than me?”
He laughs, taking the razor from my grasp and setting it down on the counter so he can scoop me into his arms.
“Old.” Toro isteasingme. I’m sitting there sputtering and he’s teasing me. “Nico old.”
“D-Don’t make fun of me!” I shriek, whimpering before hiding my face in his chest. “I thought… You… Oh my god…”
“Like it,” Toro purrs. Of course that makes me instantly pull back, eyeing him curiously. “Sexy…”
My jaw drops. I didn’t even think that word was in his vocabulary, although I guess that was ignorant of me.Toro isn’t stupid. He’s far from it. His family might call him simple and all that other bullshit, but I know that he’s smart. Being able to read or write isn’t a measure of intelligence, especially not for him.
But I’m also not gonna let him just get away with that. “Yeah?” I put on my best internet porn ad voice, hands resting flat on his chest. I arch my back not-so-seductively, and I probably look really stupid but that’s okay because I know it’s gonna work on him regardless. “Do you really think I’m sexy, Toro?”
That’s enough to shut him up. He goes still underneath me, face turning as red as his shirt. “U-Uh…” He stammers, pushing his thighs together. I just giggle, kissing his nose before climbing off him like nothing happened.
“Come on, Alma’s waiting for us.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The Tavera family truck is beat up with a dying engine. Tobacco is all I smell even with the windows rolled down, and the scratched up leather seats are providing basically no comfort. It’s not like it matters, though, since Toro scooped me up onto his lap for the drive out.
I’m sure it’s a safety hazard since neither of us have seat belts on, but the way he’s holding me tells me it was more for him than it was for me in the first place. He’s nervous, that much is obvious. It’s not hard to imagine why he isn’t exactly eager to go.
He doesn’t speak and stands out physically. I can only imagine how he’s treated by other people when even his own family hasn’t exactly been there for him. I instinctively reach for his hand, squeezing it enough to let him know I’m here.
Within seconds he’s pressing his lips against my temple, arms wrapping around me to form my very own Toro-themed seatbelt. Alma is in the front seat driving, but I don’t think she cares that much about all this PDA.
We’re surrounded by fields of wheat and short grass. The sky is a perfect blue, clear and pretty. It feels weird to be out away from the farm again… The last time I was packed in a car like this all my friends were with me—and alive.
Sensing my discomfort, Toro mumbles something incoherent and holds on a little tighter. His touch is feather light, his body language making him seem so much smaller than he really is.
“What are you guys gon’ do on your little date?” She asks, tapping her nails against the steering wheel. Her hair isdifferent today, pulled up into a ponytail with messy bangs. She’s dressed differently too, looking more casual. If I didn’t know any better I’d say she was trying to impress somebody.
“Eat,” Toro answers with his chin resting on my shoulder. “Caf… Café…”
Alma smiles at him in the rearview mirror. “Yeah? Which one?”
He doesn’t answer this time, looking at me all cute and confused. “We don’t know yet. But I did say I was hoping we could find a café… I miss coffee. Uh, iced coffee.”
“Still got that city boy in you, huh?” Alma teases. “But don’t worry. There’s a few. The townspeople really ain’t… It'll be fine. People are nice. Nicer than home.” Her voice trails off, attention shifting back to the road.
“Good.” I gently tug Toro closer to pull him into a cheek kiss. “We’re gonna have fun, Tor. Promise.”
My boyfriend exhales sharply through his nose, but I see the way a smile tugs at his lips. “Okay…” He sounds defeated, but I really do think we’ll have a good time. I think anything is better than lounging around his room all day cuddling in bed.
