Page 51 of The Pale Rider
People started spilling into the bar, and they all wanted to clap Aeron on the back and buy him a beer. He really was the hero at the wall. I would not question it. My drawing showed him saving the day, and everyone here was certainly confirming it.
Aeron had single-handedly saved California from a gang takeover while I sat on my ass, chatting with a bartender.
I would really have to contribute more.
Chapter 30
A
eron didn’t seem to have much of an ego as everyone at the bar seemed to want to kiss his ass. If anything, it seemed to embarrass him. It made me like him more, which made me want to bleach my lizard brain. Until Aeron told me the truth about everything, I couldn’t feel that way about him. I could just tell he was keeping secrets.
We ended up having to stay at the border an additional day since the scuffle at the gate lost us several hours of daylight. Aeron didn’t have an apartment right at the border, but someone at the gate let us crash at their place. He and Aeron bonded over killing gang members, and Aeron felt safe staying there.
We had to share a sofa bed, and it was super awkward. It was only a full, and Aeron and I were cramped. I could tell he was trying not to touch me because he didn’t know how I would react, and I was trying not to fling myself across his chest and snuggle with him.
It was probably two in the morning, and both of us were awake.
“Ariel?” Aeron whispered.
“Yes?”
“Does it have to be like this?”
“You could have told me about the paintings.”
“I didn’t want to overwhelm you. A lot of shit has gone down while you were in a coma.”
“Exactly! I’m already pretty fucking overwhelmed, and my memories are gone. Do you know what it feels like when you keep my past from me because you think I can’t handle something?”
“Ariel, I’m sorry I didn’t think you could handle painting the future on top of everything else.”
“Aeron, you told me something in my blood managed to turn the majority of the world into the undead. Being able to paint the future is way less fucked up than that.”
“I guess that’s fair. You don’t like it when I try to make decisions that I think will protect you.”
“I can decide for myself what I’m ready to hear. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll go against my instincts and try to stop doing that. Can I hold you while you sleep?”
I wanted him to. I could hear the vulnerability in his voice. I wanted to feel safe in his arms. I was feeling like some fucked up mutant. I could understand why Aeron was hesitant to tell me things, but that wasn’t his decision to make. I wanted to snuggle up in his arms and forget for the night I was some kind of freak.
I wasn’t ready for that, and I was still upset with Aeron. I had a feeling he knew exactly what kind of freak I was and why I could do those things, and he was keeping it from me.
“I’m not ready for that just yet, Aeron.”
“Ariel, I vow this to you tonight. I will answer your questions, but I promise you will have all the answers once you meet my entire team.”
“Thanks, Aeron.”
I rolled over and tried to get some sleep. My side of the sofa bed felt so cold and lonely.
Chapter 31
W
e were up pretty early the next morning. For some reason, Aeron wanted me to close my eyes when we passed through the gates to leave California. He asked nicely, so I tried to do what he asked. Curiosity got the better of me, so I peeked. I immediately wished I hadn’t.
There were dead bodies everywhere. There was a team of people lining up to throw them on a massive fire, but that wasn’t what got my attention. After bashing in some Rage Head skulls, I was used to dead bodies. What the fuck had Aeron done at the gate? He said he turned the gangs against each other, but that was a lie. I saw one of the corpses before they threw it onto the fire. It was bloated and blackened like it had been dead for way longer than just one night.
