| |
JUDE SLIPPED INTO SLEEP easily, but the black nightmares returned, where her friends turned to groaning, grunting zombies chasing her through endless corridors. The dream switched, and she was burying her parents in the backyard. After she tossed the last shovelful of dirt, the fresh graves undulated as if something were under the surface trying to get out.
As the terrible images unreeled behind her eyelids, she must have made some small distressed sound, because when she awoke, Sky was rubbing her back. The late-morning sun shone through the bedroom windows, and the pungent smell of pot tickled her nose.
“You had a bad dream, Jude. Here.” He passed her the joint. She took a long, cleansing pull and passed it back to him. His bloodshot eyes indicated he’d had a huge head start on the weed this morning.
“It’s all a bad dream, Sky.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “This whole life, it’s about waiting for the end of the road.”
“Jude, there’s no end of the road when you’re with me. Remember that. Come here.” He laced his fingers through her tangled hair and kissed her long and slow, sending the shivery, tingly feeling all over her.
“You taste like pot,” she told him and giggled, the effects of the joint kicking in, making her head light and airy. “And cherries.”
“You too, baby,” he said and kissed her again, sucking at her lips and tongue until she thought she would burst with delight. She was overwhelmed with an urge to touch herself, to slide her fingers between her legs and bring herself off while he kissed her.
“Whoa,” she murmured when he released her. She lay back on the pillows, knowing an idiotic smile was pasted on her face. Her lips tingled with the influx of blood, and she closed her eyes for a moment to better savor the feeling.
After a moment, she opened her eyes to scrutinize him. “That sheet is not decent.”
“So you’re telling me to put some clothes on.” He sucked on the joint, held it to her lips for a last toke, then stubbed it out in the ashtray on the bedside table. “I’ve taken off and put on clothes more times in the last twelve hours for you than I’ve done for any woman.”
Jude put her hand to her lips, trying to control her giggles. That one toke must have been too much for her on an empty stomach. “I’m simply stating a fact. Far be it from me to insist anyone put on any clothes.” She eased off the bed and went to the closet for water.
“Is there anywhere you don’t have supplies?”
She turned to face him, a water bottle in each hand, and pretended to ponder the question. “There’s only a gun and some water in the bathroom, so there you go.”
She walked to the bed and handed him a bottle. She twisted the cap off hers, sipped at the tepid water. “I miss cold stuff. And ice. I would love some ice.”
Sky sat up next to her, the sheet pooling around his waist. His hair stuck up in all directions on his head, and the arm tattoos were more vivid against his skin in the bright light.
“You went all out with the tattoos.” She reached over and ran her fingers over the designs.
He leaned against the headboard and shoved a pillow behind his back. “Seemed like a good idea at the time. Hurt like hell, though.” He rubbed his shoulders against the cloth and winced. “Like my back.”
Jude snapped her fingers, remembering the abrasions from last night’s scuffle. “Hold on a second,” she said and left the room. She retrieved a can of first-aid spray from the bathroom and reentered the bedroom.
“Turn over.” She shook the can at him. “It’s antibacterial spray. For your back.”
“I don’t think so.” He winced. “That’s going to burn.”
“No worse than those tattoos did. Turn over.”
“But I wanted the tattoos. I paid for them. That’s not really a good analogy, Jude.”
“What do you know about analogies? You’re a science teacher. Turn over.” She arched an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip. “And if it makes you feel better, you can pay me.” She brandished the can. “Stop being such a baby. Turn over.”
After giving her a look that was half-reproachful, half-sorrowful, he turned over onto his stomach. Jude inched the sheet down until all the abrasions were uncovered, unable to resist running her hand across his skin.
Occasional dark brown freckles dotted his back and arms, and she planted a kiss on an especially dark one near his shoulder blade. She smiled to herself as she shook the spray.
“Tell me before you spray.” His voice was partially muffled by the pillow.
“I will.” She popped the top off. “I took the top off.” Smiling evilly, she sprayed the abraded area liberally, laughing when he cursed. It probably stung like a motherfucker. “And that’s me spraying.”
He turned over, throwing her off his back, and grabbed at her, the sheet dangerously close to slipping past the point of no return.
Dodging his hands, Jude jumped on him and straddled his waist. “Now I’m going to have to do it again because you rubbed it all off.”
He grabbed her wrist and shook it. The can of spray dropped to the rug. “You’re done. That’s it.”
“Aww, come on.” Jude bent to kiss him on the lips. “Such a killjoy.”
“You’re an odd gal, Jude,” he said, pulling the sheets from between them until they were skin to skin. “But I think I like you.” He reached under the loose T-shirt, rubbed her nipple until her eyes closed partway, and she shifted her hips against him.
She felt him stiffening between her legs. “Oh, goody,” she said quietly. “The ride’s open.”
* * * *
AFTERWARD, JUDE MADE a move to get out of bed, but Sky circled his arms around her waist, stopping her.
“Where you going in such a hurry? You got an appointment?”
She struggled in his arms, feeling blissfully restrained. “I was thinking you wanted something to drink. It’s kind of hot. Are you hungry?”
“I’m fine.” He pulled her closer, kissed her behind her ear, an intimate gesture that made her shiver with pleasure. It wasn’t fair she had to wait until the world was half-destroyed to find someone who was quite like Sky. Sure, they might be using each other out of necessity, and yes, risk of death was high, but, she thought with a sigh, she liked him.
He played his fingers down the curve of her ribs. She laughed and reached up to grab his hand.
“Don’t do that.” She couldn’t stop laughing. It was too much.
“Are you ticklish?”
Even though he couldn’t see her face, Jude smiled and shook her head. Did he think she was a fool? “Is that a trick question? Isn’t everyone?”
He drummed his fingers against her side. “Do you like being tickled?”
“It makes me laugh,” she said and wrinkled her nose. ”Maybe I don’t like that so much.”
“Naturally, it makes you laugh,” he said and insinuated his other hand between her ribs and the mattress. He cradled her, his hands still. ”But don’t you like to laugh?”
The mere threat of tickling made her squirm with suppressed glee. “There’s nothing to laugh about now.” The laughter bubbled up and spilled over. ”Stop it,” she cried, grabbing at his hands.
“You’re the one doing all the wiggling.” He slid his hands to her stomach. “How’s that?”
“I would prefer if you let me go,” she said, making no attempt to escape. She was content enough to lie there, her back pressed against his chest.
“So you can scamper away? Not happening.” He gave her a quick squeeze. ”Learn how to relax.”
Giving up, she pushed her bare bottom against him and settled in, a grin on her face. ”You got me. I’m relaxed.” She blew out her breath in an exaggerated exhale. “See? Totally relaxed.”
He kissed the back of her neck, blew on the damp skin. “Good.”
Jude closed her eyes, drifting in the safety of Sky’s arms. For the first time since the whole ordeal began, the constant anxiety was gone. She could listen to herself breathe, daydream without jumping at every stray sound. Easy to get used to, except for one small thing. Unwelcome thoughts about Sky’s eventual departure clouded the moment of contentment, and she sighed.
“When are you going to scamper away from me?” she asked, placing her hands over where his lay on her stomach. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Why worry about that now when things were going so well?
He stiffened against her for a second. “Don’t worry about that.” He squeezed her so close that his breath blew in her ear. “Or I’ll tickle you again.”
“Okay,” she said in a small voice.
“Everything is going to work out. I promise.”
“Okay,” she said again, not believing him. Searching for a change in conversation, she let her fingers trace the twisting dark lines that ran along his arms. Very Goth. “How old were you when you got these?” She left the circle of his arms to retrieve the half-smoked joint in the ashtray. Sitting back against the headboard, she lit it, drew in the smoke, and passed it to him. Still lying down, he took it, inhaled the fragrant herb before passing it back to her.
“Fifteen.” He blew the smoke out and leaned back on the pillows, eyes half-closed.
Jude raised her eyebrows. “Your parents let you do that?” Her parents had disapproved of tattoos, saying they were only fit for people who either rode motorcycles or who went to prison. Meanwhile, they had their own little pot farm going in the backyard.
He smiled a little. “My mother encouraged me to express myself.”
Jude laughed. “Express yourself, indeed. They must be very liberal.”
“My mother, yeah. My stepfather, not so much. But they’re both tough customers, that’s for damn sure.”
“There was a brief silence. Jude squeezed his forearm. “I’m sure they’re fine.”
He didn’t answer, and Jude didn’t press further.
“Well.” He broke the silence. “It’s going to be a hot day. Better get those bodies in the front moved away from the house.”
“Mmmm,” was all she said. Enough time to think about garbage disposal later. “Tell me more about your teaching life. The students must have been tough.”
“Yeah. And some of them didn’t make it.”
“Make it?”
“Got pregnant, left school to work or take care of family members, got shot.” He shrugged, the muscles of his shoulders making the movement a thing of grace.
“How awful. Those poor kids.” She toyed with the edge of the sheet. “My mother was a teacher for a few years. She said it was a big scam. The better the schools did, the less funding they would receive. And when they did badly, the increased funding went to new reforms and jobs to support those reforms instead of to programs that would truly help the students. It’s like no matter how much money a school system got, it never really went to where it was needed.”
Sky nodded. “That’s about right. Did she homeschool you all?”
“No, she said we needed to be socialized so as not to be isolated weirdos.”
“Are those her words or yours?” Sky laughed.
Jude hid a grin. She reached out and traced a line down his belly to his navel. He grabbed her hand.
“That tickles.”
“Now you know how it feels. How long did you teach?”
“Five years.”
“So you kept going back?”
“I did.”
“Why?” Jude turned the full force of her gaze on him. “Why did you stay?”
He drew air into his lungs and didn’t answer. She thought he wouldn’t until he finally said, “I left home when I was sixteen. My mother had remarried, and her new husband didn’t take too well to a half-grown kid who wasn’t his. Truth be told, I didn’t take too well to him either. I gave him a lot of problems.”
“As teenagers do.”
“He gave my mother a lot of shit about me. I always heard them arguing, and her crying. So, long story short, I decided I should get out, give them both some peace.”
“But they would be worried about you!” Jude was aghast. How could a teenager take care of himself? “Didn’t you care about how they felt?”
“I only cared about my mom.” He gave a half shrug. “I ended up renting a room in some boardinghouse and working at a grocery store. Didn’t go too far, just the next town over. So, I’d been gone a couple weeks or so, and I’m working the register, and my baseball coach comes in. He was my math teacher too, and I thought he’d come to repo the precalculus book I hadn’t returned.
“But no. He wants to know what happened, why I left and all that crap. I give him the abbreviated version of the story, and next thing I know, he gives me a place to stay, and I finish my last two years of school. Ended up going to Rutgers on scholarship. Then I got involved in the Astronomy Files, a program that brings sciences to schools, and I started to like the idea of working with kids.”
Jude stared at him. Such a tough life at such a young age. All she had wanted to do was work in a museum back room where she could get away from people. Sky, on the other hand, had jumped right in the middle of a potentially dangerous situation and kept going back. That was much more than she had ever done.
“That’s very brave.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say brave. It’s what happened.”
Jude rolled her half-clothed body against him. “I’m glad you happened to me.”
He hugged her to him and kissed her shoulder, his stubble sandy against her skin. “Likewise, Jude.”