Page 81 of Angels Fall

He caught me, mid-fall, and lifted me back up with him.

Yes. That’s exactly how I feel.

TYLER

With her sitting in my lap, staring at me, flooded in our shared desire, I see my whole, rotten life reflected in her eyes. In her knowledge of me. In who I was. In who I am. In who I might one day be. Our connection with each other is as ancient as the sodden shelter that hosts us, as strong as the power it generates, and as beautiful and complicated as the machinery that keeps it all at bay.

In other words… Shit just got real as fuck.

“Thanks,” I say.

She nods. “You’re welcome. Thank—”

“Pleasure’s mine.” I cut her off.

Smiles are shared. Smiles turn into giggles. Giggles turn into laughs. And laughs turn into me saying, “Sorry, sorry, I need you to hop off, you’re gonna break my nuts.”

More laughing as she lifts herself up, goes to her backpack, and pulls out a towel.

“That’s some Girl Scout shit right there,” I say.

“Always prepared,” she muses back, then says, “Umm…”

“What?”

“I gotta take this thing off. Out. Whatever.”

“Oh, right. Yeah, I guess you do. You want… help?”

She gnaws at her lips, which is cute as hell. “I guess?”

She laughs. I laugh. We’re a regular basket of fuckin’ giggles all of a sudden.

I love it.

I stand, cross over to her, turn her around, and take hold of the tail.

“You good?” I ask.

“We’ll see.”

I bend over, kiss her on both ass cheeks, and as I do…

“Oh, shit!” she gasps, as I withdraw the metal plug, kissing and massaging her as it goes. I toss the tail to the side, turn her to face me, and kiss her mouth while continuing to massage her sweet, sweet ass with both hands.

“So,” I say into her kiss, “how was your first first date, Ms. Clayton?”

She snorts then says, “Considering I was expecting dinner and a movie, not bad.”

I love this girl. So much so that I almost say it. Almost. But it feels like I’m doing things right so far, and so I’m gonna just play it safe.

It does occur to me that I don’t play it safe when I have something sarcastic to say, but when there’s something deeply sincere I could share, I hold back. But now’s not the time to jump into that psychological fox hole (pun one hundred percent intended), that’s what I pay Dr. Eldridge for.

“What?” That’s me. Maddie’s stroking some of my tangled mess of hair out of my face, wearing a look that’s not quite sadness, not quite concern, but is definitely their second cousin.

“Nothing,” she says, “Just… I dunno how I didn’t recognize you. You’re so… you.”

“I didn’t recognize you either.”