Page 93 of Creatures Like Us

You are, I want to tell him, and if not for the wildfire of anxiety raging in my heart, I would. Instead, I’m quiet and stiff as a board as I gather everything we need and open the front door.

Asher gives a little gasp behind me. “Wow.”

It’s sunny outside, and the ground is covered in a thick layer of recent snowfall, rendering the sunlight so intense we have to squint as we walk out onto the porch.

Asher inhales a deep breath behind me, and I do the same. His mitten-clad hand finds mine and squeezes my fingers. When I turn around, he’s smiling.

“Thank you, Noah. I think I needed this.” He inhales again, this time all through his nose. “Damn, that air smells nice.”

I haven’t been outside for a week or two beyond going out with the trash, but Asher’s been cooped up in my house for longer, so it makes sense for him to have the bigger reaction. Still, I can’t bring myself to fully relax. Not until we get back home.

“This your car?” Asher walks up to my rusty old pickup truck that used to be Auntie’s. “Damn, is this thing even drivable?”

I unlock the driver’s-side door and climb swiftly inside, and Asher does the same into the passenger’s seat.

“Just kidding,” he says, voice uncharacteristically mellow. “You’re really quiet today, Noah.”

I start the car and swerve out of the parking lot. Asher lays a hand on mine, but as I have to shift gears, he can’t really hold on to my hand for long.

“We’ll be okay, you know,” he says. “I’m not going anywhere, except for with you.”

I wish I could believe him.

The Love Loft is an anomaly in a small town like Springvale, and I’ve never set foot in here. The little bell by the door dings as we walk inside, and we’re greeted by the owner of the store: a lady who looks like an old-school dominatrix, all dressed up in a latex suit that shows off every curve, her long black hair pulled into a high ponytail.

Asher saunters further into the store while I lag behind.

“You boys need any help?” the store owner asks me.

I shift my gaze to her, giving her no reply except for a leveled stare, my long hair falling in front of my face as I look down at her. In this store full of sex paraphernalia, dildos, and revealing underwear, I stick out like a sore thumb.

Granted, I stick out like a sore thumb everywhere.

“Uh, no, we’re just browsing.” Asher grabs my arm and drags me into the store. “Don’t just stare at people like that,” he hisses in my ear, a little amused. “Don’t be a weirdo.”

But Iama weirdo—I can’t escape that fact—and soon Asher will realize he can’t be with a weirdo like me.

“Let’s get what we came here for,” I mutter, feeling like all the other customers are staring at us, at me.

“There’s loads of fun stuff here though,” Asher says. “How about this thing?” He holds up a ball gag, a wicked grin on his face. “Would make it easier for you to shut me up.”

“I like you talking though.” I lean in to speak low into his ear. “I like you whining too.”

His cheeks turn pink. “Oh, uh, right.” He returns the ball gag where he found it. “How about one of these, then?” By the dildo section, he holds up a giant purple thing that looks way too big to ever fit inside anyone.

“Are you sure you can take a thing like that?”

He snickers. “Me?You’rethe one who’d take it.”

“Why me?”

With a roll of his eyes, he leans in close, whispering, “If you forgot, I had my whole fist up your ass just yesterday.”

“Yeah, and that means it’s your turn to put out.”

He returns the dildo with a grimace and turns his back on me. “Never mind.”

I study the dildo with renewed interest. Itwouldbe kind of fun to use this on him, but I doubt I’d ever manage to convince him to try.