“Maybe.” I stood, and paused, resting my hand on the top of my chair. “For what it’s worth, I don’t want you to leave. I like having you here.”
My feelings were more than lust. I didn’t care if I ever got the chance to touch her like that, or if she ever expressed interest in me. I just wanted to be around her. She could pine for Callahan for the rest of her life, and I’d be fine with that, so long as she stayed with me at Heathen Heights.
I couldn’t sleep that night, so instead I went back out to the junkyard and went deep inside, directly to an old truck I’d used for the motor a while back. I climbed inside and popped the glove compartment open. A bottle of whiskey rolled out. I caught it and shut the compartment.
Every once in a while Cherry would get too annoying, so I rigged this place up so I could get a little peace. I pulled a small, hand radio from under the seat and flicked the ON button to drink my sorrows away. When they came back, I was losing Eleanor for good. I couldn’t handle that.
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed so hard it rattled the roof.
Oh, fucking great.
Now, I was stuck here for the night.
I closed my eyes, took another swig, and then another. I clenched my fists and realized I was alone; I could take my gloves off. I ripped them off and tossed them on the floor. I grabbed my bottle again and continued drinking. I was halfway through the booze when I heard a frantic knock on the door overthe rain and my radio. I sat up and looked through the dirty glass.
Eleanor.
Chapter 53 - Eleanor
Chemical rain = bad.
“What are you doing here? How’d you find me?” Riot opened the door to the truck and yanked me in, closing it fast.
“Th-the ruh-ruh-rain is ssss-so cold.” My teeth chattered. It hadn’t been the acid rain from before. This storm was like ice coming down.
“Yeah, it’s not rain. Well, it is, but it’s one of the chemical rains. How are you not frostbitten?” He lifted my arms and brushed my hair away from my neck, looking for signs of damage.
I shook my head. “I-I-I wasn’t hurt by the acid rain either.”
“Jesus, those pills they gave you must have had something crazy in them. Come here.” He pulled me into his embrace and soon I stopped shaking. I absorbed his warmth, my muscles relaxing as I took comfort in his strong arms and the smell of cigarettes and whiskey on his breath.
“Are you okay?” He chuckled.
Finally warm, I pulled away. “Yes. Thank you.”
“Why did you come out here?” He shook his head. I looked down at his shirt. It was completely damp now from being pressed against me.
“I thought I heard something, and I went to your room, but you weren’t there, so I went to look for you and it started to rain.”
“How did you find me?”
I cocked my head. “The music.”
He furrowed his brow, and he picked up the radio, turning the volume down a bit.
“I hadn’t realized it was that loud.”
I pointed to the almost empty bottle of whiskey in the cupholder. “Loud music, nearly finished bottle, looks like you were having a party.”
“Something like that,” he muttered.
“What were you celebrating?”
“I wasn’t celebrating so much as mourning.”
I stiffened. “Did you hear something from Cal and the others? Are they hurt?”
“No. Just me.”
