The Words We've Never Said by J.H. Knight

Author:J.H. Knight [Knight, J.H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Billy

Sam sat beside him, looking out over the livestock, watching the cowboys do whatever they did all day. They’d only seen each other a handful of times since that night under the stars a few weeks earlier, and Billy would be lying if he said he didn’t hate it. Once or twice a week, here and there, quick kisses, quick fucks, quick goodbyes were all they’d had time for. Now, sitting so close in the lazy heat of summer was a blissful kind of torture.

Winston was on a horse, swinging his rope over his head and tossing it out, not catching anything but, Billy supposed, working on his form. Charlie was with him, the two far enough away to be out of earshot but close enough that Sam could get to them in a hurry if needed.

“I hope Bree’s doin’ all right,” Sam said from beside him on the bales of hay serving as their bench. “Kendra is a good kid,” he added, as if trying to convince himself of something. “And I’ve known her momma for years.”

“I’m sure they’re fine. They went to a movie and to get some burgers, not to Tijuana for tattoos and a live sex show.”

Sam nodded, but tension radiated off him like heat from the sun.

“I wouldn’t rule that out, knowing Bree,” Sam said with a soft laugh, but he didn’t sound like he was entirely joking.

To be honest, Billy wouldn’t rule it out either, not really. But he hoped Bree was getting her head together, hoped she’d started making some better choices. “The worst thing they’ll do is meet up with some boys and smoke some weed or sneak some beers or something. Same kind of thing we all did at their age.” Billy said it like he was sure, but hoping he was right probably counted.

Sam glanced at him, fidgeting with a few strands of tall, nearly white grass he’d plucked from the field earlier. “I reckon that’s likely,” he said after a moment. “How are Ed and Loraine doing?”

“Pretty good,” Billy said quietly. “Did she send you pictures of the grandkid?”

Sam nodded. “About a hundred.” His smile was sad, though, despite the little laugh.

Billy wasn’t sure who, between them, missed his aunt and uncle more, but every time Billy thought about it, the weight of grief and secrets and lies and loneliness weighed down on him, so heavy he didn’t think he could move from under it. “She’ll be back.” Billy didn’t really have anything else to offer him.

“Yeah.” Sam’s sigh spoke volumes, and the way he hunched his shoulders and leaned an inch or so closer told Billy how much he was hurting at the idea of Ed being so sick, over Loraine leaving.

Billy had never wanted to touch Sam more than he did in that moment. No one was paying any attention to them, and Winston was so concentrated on his task a plane could’ve crashed on the house and he might not have noticed, but Billy knew

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