Slow Burn by Hudson Max

Author:Hudson, Max [Hudson, Max]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2019-07-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Jonah

The stars shimmered above with a brightness that felt ethereal as if each light were an angel twinkling in the distance. Jonah absorbed the magnificence of the world sitting before him with as much admiration and wonder as a man seeing the cosmos for the very first time. Even though he had been out to the farm fields many times as a kid, he didn't recall this level of bliss filling his vision. He felt engorged with it; infected by it.

And he didn't want it to stop.

He rolled lazily on the blanket to face Troy who was already hanging halfway between consciousness and sleep by the way his mouth slacked and his barely closed eyelids fluttered. Jonah placed his hand on Troy's chest.

Troy turned slightly. “Don't you want to go inside?”

“Not yet. I want to look at you more.”

“But all these stars...don't you want to look at them instead?”

“Why would I? You're right next to me.”

Troy purred sleepily as he reached for Jonah's cheek. Jonah placed his hand over Troy's hand and smiled wide, feeling the magnificent warmth of Troy against him. He sighed contentedly as a breeze picked up and blew the scent of lavender all around him.

“If the world ended right now, I wouldn't even care,” he whispered.

“Oh, really? You sure about that?”

He laughed. “I just feel happy.”

“I'm glad you feel happy. Do you want to go inside soon? It's getting a bit late and I have to go to the department tomorrow.”

“I guess we can do that.”

“Do you have work tomorrow?”

“Yeah...at 9:00 AM.”

“Then, we should probably go inside and sleep.”

“It just doesn't feel fair. I want to spend the rest of the week with you. And the weekend. And the week after the weekend.”

“You can as long as you handle your stuff first.”

“What stuff?”

Troy sat up slowly, stretching his arms above his head. A yawn took his features briefly prior to him replying, “You know, like where you're going to live. You can't really stay here forever.”

“Yeah, I guess you're right about that.” Jonah sank to his back and resumed staring at the sky, feeling the anxiety crawling up into his chest. “I just didn't want to think about all of that right now.”

“You have to think about it sometime soon, right?”

“I guess.”

Troy placed a hand on Jonah's stomach. “It's going to be okay. I'll be right next to you, you know.”

“I appreciate that. I'm not really used to having help, let alone asking for it.”

“And that's okay. Consider this practice for the future when you need to ask for help again.”

“I just wish I didn't have to do it alone. I miss Abby. I can't stop thinking about her wandering around Tulsa. She could get hurt or hit by a car.”

“Hey, don't think about all that right now. Maybe we can go searching for her. We can make some fliers. We can do whatever you think will help make you feel better.”

“It would make me feel better to have her.”

The sound of chirping bugs and the sweet caress of the breeze cut through the little clearing and Jonah sat up to greet it.

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