Page 18 of No Small Sin

Ijah and I hefted the body out. Teamwork makes the dream work and all that.

“No, Sam,” Ijah answered flatly. “You’re in the middle of nowhere and you don’t seeanyonewithout an appointment. It’s fucking dark out. There’s no one around for miles.”

He held the door open for us and we plodded through, shouldering the body onto a waiting gurney before it clicked shut behind us.

“Hey, kid. I have an autopsy tomorrow if you want to stop by.” Sam was also the local coroner, and despite the fact that I hadn’t watched him perform an autopsy since I was an overly-interested 14-year-old, he still offered.

“Have to work, Sam. Maybe next time.”

Ijah spoke up. “Yeah, if by work you mean lurk around LC for half the day in hopes that you’ll run into that gorgeous little waitress I just hired.”

The thought of that possibility made me restless with anticipation.

“A girl?” Sam questioned. “Since when do you interact with other humans, Beck?”

“I don’t,” I said, looking Ijah directly in the eye.

“Might be good for you,” the old man offered. “Don’t end up like me… a hermit in your old age, and whatnot.”

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and nodded. “People like me aren’t built for companionship, Sam.”

He hmphed. “Never know ‘til you try. What’s she like?” The question was aimed at Ijah.

He thought for a moment, then decided on the one thing I knew he was sure would garner a reaction from me.

“She’s a tight piece of ass, Sammy.” He smirked. “I wouldn’t mind…”

I shoved him roughly, my face flaming. “He didn’taskwhat shelookedlike, or what you would or wouldn’t mind doing with her.” My body vibrated. If he were anyone else I would have likely impaled him with the nearest sharp object, and there were plenty within reach.

Sam chuckled. “Haven’t seen that kind of reaction from you since you were sixteen and still setting shit on fire in the back parking lot anytime Ijah took away your stabby privileges.”

“Stabby privileges?” Ijah questioned, amused.

“Yeah, you know. When he got a little too trigger-happy, so to speak.” He turned to me. “If Ijah’s answer wasn’t good enough, why don’tyoutell me what she’s like then?”

How could I answer that? Why did either of them care what I thought or felt?

DidI feel?

I wasn’t sure which emotions filled my chest at the mere thought of her, but there seemed to be a lot of them. It felt… pleasant. Terrifying.

“She’s like… the way it feels when you visit the ocean for the first time. Or…” I hesitated, considering. “Like the moment you see the light behind a person’s eyes go out, and you know it was at your hand,” The corner of my mouth lifted of its own accord.

“Shit.” Ijah cursed.

“What?” I frowned.

“Unexpected, that’s all.” Sam chortled.

“Well, you fuckingasked.” I stomped off toward the door, swinging it open so roughly and quickly that it banged against the outside wall before swinging itself closed again.

I climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the car door, yanking my seatbelt before clicking it into place.

What the fuck waswrongwith me? I needed to get a grip.

Ijah opened the passenger door and settled into his own seat. I said nothing, jerked the car into drive, and peeled out of the lot.

We drove in silence for a bit before he finally offered, “It’s okay, you know. To feel this. To want her. You’re human.”

---