“We can go get it after this,” I offered, and he gave me an odd look, like the idea of us doing anything after this together was ludicrous.
Silly little ginger snap. We would be doing all kinds of things together after this… he just didn’t know it yet.
“Ryan… are you okay?” the boy asked, and my frown deepened as Ryan did another strange little tap dance. It looked as if he were swatting away a fly.
I glanced back at Caleb, who was biting his lip in concern, before turning back to my distressed captive.
“Alright, kid. I’m going to take him back to get his sage. Go to sleep, but we’re going to have to talk some more in the morning. You’re going to need to tell me where you live.”
Caleb nodded, still staring at Ryan with concern. “Okay,” he agreed, and I got up to leave.
“Let’s go get your herbs, ginger snap. You’re stressing me out,” I muttered, gesturing for him to lead the way. He shot me something close to a grateful look before hurrying back down the stairs. I followed him, still confused as fuck as to why he was freaking out so much. He hadn’t acted this way when I spied on him through the window.
We made it back to the little shitty room that I had found him practicing in, and he practically sprinted to the bushel of sage I had made him leave on top of the mini-fridge.
I leaned against the door frame and watched as he fumbled with a Bic lighter.
His hands were violently shaking, and he couldn’t seem to get the stupid thing lit.
“Here, let me do it,” I offered. He genuinely seemed panicked, and honestly, he was so pale I was starting to worry he might pass out.
I moved to take the lighter from him, but he jerked away from me, turning wide but angry eyes on me.
“Stay away!” he shouted, and I took a step back, holding my hands up to show I didn’t mean him any harm.
“I just want to help. You’re shaking,” I said calmly, as if I were talking to a frightened animal.
“I don’t need your help. I need you to get the fuck off my property,” he snapped as he finally got the lighter to work. The second he had the herbs burning again, he seemed to relax. He slumped against the concrete wall and leaned his head back against it, letting out a shaky breath.
Guess we were resting for a bit.
I perched on the edge of the mini-fridge and watched him as he took deep breaths in through his nose and out from his mouth.
His T-shirt was drenched with sweat, but I didn’t think it was from our fight. He looked cold and clammy, like he had suddenly caught a bad bug. I cocked my head to the side, frowning.
So he got fear boners and panic flu? Was that a real thing?
“What’s with the sage?” I finally asked, and he opened his eyes to glare at me. I grinned at him.
“Why are you still here?” he growled, and I shrugged.
“Not quite done with you yet, ginger snap. Besides, you look like you might pass away at any moment. It feels irresponsible to leave you down here all alone.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“You don’t like ginger snap? I thought it was cute.”
“It’s. Not.Cute.You’re a fucking intruder! You attacked me with agun!”
“Yeah, but that wasbefore.I thought you were a child abuser. Now that I know you’re not, we can be friends like I said.”
“I don’t want to be your friend! You’re a criminal!” he snarled, though his voice was sounding weak.
I let out a sigh. “Listen. Even if I wanted to leave you alone, I can’t. You’ve seen my face. My boss is not going to be happy about that. He’s going to want me to off you.”
Whatever remaining blood Ryan had in his face emptied out. He was literally as white as a sheet of paper. Even his freckles seemed to have faded.
“Hey, don’t worry. I don’t want to do that,” I tried to reassure him, but he was fully panicking now and stumbling away from me again, shaking his head.
