“Nah. You got under my skin, Sonny.
“You live in my fuckin’ head. Haven’t even?—”
He stops short,
hands flying to his pockets.
Then—
“Goddammit. Left my fuckin’ glasses.”
He closes his eyes and exhales.
“Sat ‘em down like a dumbass, didn’t think.”
He drags a hand down his face
and pinches his eyes.
“We can go back,” I offer.
He shakes his head, dropping his hand.
“I have spares at home.
“I’ll grab ‘em tomorrow night.”
His chest caves as his eyes fall into mine again.
Then he chuckles under his breath,
shaking his head as it dies away.
“You consume me, Sonny,” he says,
as if honesty’s the last card he’s got left to play.
“You take over me so fuckin’ hard,
“I ain’t me no more—I’mus.”
His head drops against the stone,
all the fight drained out of him.
“So don’t do that. Don’t act like it wouldn’t rip you up if I kept fuckin’ around. You cared. Ifeltit hit you when he said that shit.”
His stare pins me to the sidewalk and strips the moment bare.
“Just say you’re scared.
“I can work with scared.
“But I’m not doin’ this fake‘I don’t care’shit.
“That ain’t us.
“So if you’re scared, just fuckin’ say it.”
