Run

Chapter Fourteen

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The faint plink hadn't been from the blood, though there'd been a lot of it. Deirdra had knocked a water bottle full of water over when she'd slumped onto the desk. The water had mixed with the blood, spreading it, turning it into a good-sized puddle at her feet.

Trevor's bathroom faucet had developed a drip sometime in the past few days. Drip. Drip. Drip. I lay awake, staring at his ceiling, counting the drips. I wondered if she'd done that. Counted as her life dripped out of her.

She'd probably passed out from blood loss after a minute or so.

This wasn't doing me any good, lying here, pretending I could sleep. I eased out of bed and padded into the living room, curled up on the couch.

I'd been doing better. A full week of restful nights, mostly at Trevor's because he had a better mattress. My appetite had returned. I'd gone shopping with Celia and hadn't spent the entire time looking over my shoulder.

Stronger. I was stronger. Strong enough to know it was time to return to Bend and figure out where I belonged.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

All the medication and therapy in the world couldn't shove the guilt and anger into a box and chain it shut. It was this endless fucking cycle of a few steps forward and giant steps back, and I was tired of it.

Something creaked, and Trevor's shadowy figure stood in the hall entry. "Y'all right there?"

"Couldn't sleep. Your faucet drips now," I added. "When'd it start doing that?"

"Don't know." He sprawled out beside me on the couch, head tipped onto the back. "You ever been through an Austin summer?"

"No."

"Gets really fuckin' hot. Lived here all my life and I still think it gets really fuckin' hot." He reached out and found my ankle. Wrapping his hand around it, he tugged gently, and I crawled across the couch to straddle his lap. "What's Bend like?"

"Not nearly as warm. Highs are usually in the 80's, though sometimes it gets up into the 90's. Bellingham, where I grew up, is even cooler. It's right on the bay." Quaint and tidy. "I think you'd like Bellingham."

He trailed his fingers over my thigh. "Yeah?"

I hadn't spent any real time in Bellingham since undergrad, but homesickness for the familiar streets hit like a lightning strike. I wanted the trees and the water and the cold, damp air. I wanted to show Trevor my favorite trails and discover new ones, I wanted road trips over the mountains and nights curled up on the couch, listening to the wind. "Yeah. It's smaller than Austin. Tons to do - hiking and skiing nearby, close to Vancouver and Seattle. It's a small town, really, but it's hard to get bored." His touch was distracting. Lazy, feather-light caresses, sending shivers up my spine.

He didn't say anything more, just let his fingers drift along my skin. I shifted on his lap and looped my arms around his neck. "Trevor?"

"Mmmhmm?"

"If we're not sleeping, I've got a better idea of what we can do." I needed to get out of here. If I couldn't have the clouds and the cool air, I'd take hot winds and stars. Jittery energy surged through my blood, rattling my foundations. I couldn't let them shake apart.