Page 69 of Stranger Danger

“Beckett,” I say slowly. “You have a concussion. All this sounds great right now, but it might not later.”

“I feel fine.”

“Yeah, I did too the first day. Not so much the day after.”

He wipes his face on his shoulder. “Then we deal with it tomorrow.”

“What if there’s no fucking tomorrow?” I bite out, so damn sharp I barely recognize myself.

There’s no response.

He doesn’t bitch or complain, or try to reason with me like he always does. His mouth sags open, eyes locked on mine.

The rain pounds against the roof of the car, growing heavier by the minute. Ohio’s probably under flood watch. I bet if I turned on the radio right now, it’d be all over the news.

Along with the information from Eunice.

Along with the city-wide manhunt that’s going on.

We’re just…

Fucked.

There’s no tomorrow. No grocery trips or late-night ramen or horror movies under my childhood comforter until four in the morning. No life in a new city with a puppy that I let him pick out so I can claim, “it’s yours,” when I don’t feel like walking it in the snow.

My jaw clenches, my nose burns, and I fight the new wave of tears, but there’s no stopping them this time. There’s no distraction sex. All I can do is sit here while they roll down my cheeks, trying not to picture the life I almost had.

Another car pulls in.

Another goddamn stomach-dropping failure to add to our collection.

The door slams shut.

Nothing.

No sound.

Beckett’s hands tighten in mine.

“Now there’s a fucking tomorrow,” he hisses.

Chapter 18

Beckett

I’m out of the car before Ira even has a chance to respond. Rain slices down my face like tiny knives, aggravating the gash in my temple and the dozens of splinters lodged in my cheek. My head hurts worse than before—by a lot. But I’d rather let him believe I’m getting better instead of worse.

We can catastrophize later.

Together.

The back door squeaks, and I grab the side before it’s fully open. I turn around, slowly, and bend over to see his hazel eyes through the crack.

“Stay here,” I say over the thunder. “I’ll come back no matter what.”

“I want—”

“You don’t have pants on.” I shove him back inside and slam the door before he can waste any more time.