“What are you doing?”
The question startles me. Not because it’s asked but because of who asks it. Angel crouches five feet from me, his arms resting on his knees, his eyes, as always, guarded and watchful.
“I’m planting my garden.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to be self-sufficient.”
“You don’t want to shop in town?”
How do I answer this? “What if there’s a storm or the road is closed? I would be stuck up here. I need to make sure I have supplies to survive if the worst should happen.”
“Has it happened?”
“Once or twice. The veggies I preserved and canned kept us fed and from starving until they got around to opening the road.”
Angel goes silent watching me.
I rub my forehead with the back of my wrist. It’s not hot exactly, but, under the beating sun, it’s warm. I dig in the soil, turning it and putting the rows of seedlings in.
“What are you planting?”
“Beans go at the back so they can climb the house. I’ve got tomatoes and chilies. Potatoes and squash. And I’ll be planting watermelon and strawberries later.”
Angel creeps closer, I watch his shadow until he’s almost on top of me.
“Is being alone worth it? Does it fix anything?”
His murmur sends chills up my spine.
“I don’t know, but it stops the worst things from happening.”
“What’s worse?”
I clench my teeth, not wanting to answer. “There are lots of worse things. Being with someone you hate, living a life that doesn’t fit you.”
“Living a lie?”
I suck in a breath, but he creeps closer, his face so close to mine that we’re almost touching. I keep my eyes on the dirt, but he’s breathing on the side of my face, so close.
“Why are you trembling?” Angel whispers.
“I’m not.”
He moves suddenly, and I’m lying on my back in the dirt with no idea how I got here. He leans over until we’re nose to nose.
“You smell like menthol.”
“So what?”
“I remember what they say about omegas.”
I stiffen. “I don’t know omegas.”
Angel smiles; his haunting blue eyes are hard crystal chips. “Sure, you don’t.”
I startle, my lips parting as his fingers touch the sides of my hips. He splays out his hand and slowly moves it under my top.
