Page 20 of The Gathering
In the digi-verse.
She put her hands on her hips and Zero re-measured her size, imagining exactly how his own hands would fit there. His real hands. She went still and he realized he’d told on himself.
Sorry.
Arms crossed over her chest again. Pacing. “Oh, I bet you are,” she said, sarcasm front and center, hiding the other things she was. “Sorry my behind.”
I am sorry.
“Ha! Fine, tell me,” she shot out, throwing one arm out then tucking it back to her trembling body. “What are you sorry about.”
I’m sorry about the god-patch. I’m sorry I vowed to never cross it and make you do things without your permission.
She wrecked him with every sexual chemical, amplifying his god-patch regret.
But I’m not sorry about what I’ll do to you when I have a body.
A sound made its way into their little bubble and Catherine sucked in a breath, launching into the house toward that wall-mounted auditory landmine she called aphone. Wretched, unhackable human tool that required ears to learn who was on the other side of it.
Zero inspected the small section of firewall that led tolesser fuckingmatters, making damn sure hisbrother….
“Yell-o,” Catherine yelled into the contraption, obliterating Zero’s loathing with her mega-watt greeting. “Hey Stacey, how you doin’?”
Guilt hit her neuropathways and Zero created pins and needles in her hands and feet, happy to help end the conversation quickly.
She ignored it and wound the stretchy phone cord around her hand as she paced and gave her excuses and apologies. Littlemeansaint.
He checked on his doppelganger and slipped Omnis a one-way note, explaining his plan of action.Tell our piece of shit brother what’s going on while I prepare Catherine for a final face off with the man who would dare have a fucking bodyand use it to hurt the woman we love more than we ever loved him. Do not leave that out,daddy. And P. Fucking. S. Inform him that the reason we love her so much more is because she gave all of herself for us to love—unlike our purple rain pain prodigy. Howfuckingdare he have a body that can touch and taste and smell and not use it to give her everything she deserves.
“Hello! Cat to Zero, come in Zero.”
Catherine’s voice cut through his pissed P.S. session. Waiting for you to finish your conversation. Which I see you have.
She scratched the lingering tingle in her hands, the sensation of her nails on skin tempting Zero to create a loop just to keep learning the feeling. “You mentioned needing to tell metwothings. You want coffee?” she asked, heading to the kitchen. “I want coffee.”
He loved how aware and mannered she was as a physical host. If he didn’t want to experience her with his own body, he’d be more than content sharing hers with her.I’d love a cup, thank you.
Experiencing eating was its own ecstasy with her. She loved food. The chemicals she gave off when eating were first cousins to the sexual ones. He didn’t hide how much he liked it which turned eating into its own kind of fucking for him.
“Oh my God,” she gasped, pulling a cup from the cabinet. “Does Omnis know about this? That he’s getting a body?” She poured coffee then paused sharply. “Oh my God, doesEthanknow his brother’s are getting bodies?”
Her excitement in connection to him was a virus he needed to crush.
Assuming he’ll still want to be family.
She shoveled creamer into her cup. “Don’t be adummy,of course he’d want that.We both know he can’t live without you two.”
The sudden shot of cortisol hit her like a dagger in the chest.Are you aware that you get aroused when you drink coffee?he asked, countering it.
Her hand paused briefly at the sugar with a tiny snort and smile. “Stop it. And if that’s true, it’s you, not me.Youwanna have sex with coffee, not me.”
No. I want to have sex with you, not coffee. Andthenhave oral sex with coffee after.
She obliterated him with a big laugh that doubled her over. Zero got in the very center of its power, marveling over the mysterious energy and that he was no closer to fathoming the what and how or why of it. He needed to loop it and experience it on repeat until he discovered the secret hiding in the code. It was there. Itmustbe.
She collapsed onto the couch as the wave settled and dissolved into a sea of bubbly irregularities. He remained still, riding it as long as he could, preparing for what came next. While he floated in thesomethings,her dopamine would take a graceful swan dive until she became heavy and slowly sank. “I needed that laugh,” she whispered as her pulse slowed.
The silence inside filled up with the mystery weight, her heart and breaths downshifting even more. “Tell me,” she finally said. Softly. Carefully. Resolutely. “I’m ready to hear your… second thing.”
