Page 71 of Haven't Killed in Years

Natalie swung around and kicked Declan right between the legs. He groaned as he bent over, but Natalie whipped the door open and ran from the bathroom. She hadn’t hesitated. It was the perfect reaction.

- - - - -

“You smell like pee,”Gwen announced as soon as Natalie plopped back onto the beanbag chair.

“Sorry, I tried to clean it.”

Gwen cringed before her face softened. “Are you okay? Did you have an accident or something?”

“What? No!” Natalie insisted. “It was Declan. He peed on me.”

“What do you mean he peed on you?”

Natalie huffed. “I mean what I said. I went into the bathroom and he was in there and he turned and peed on my feet.”

“That’s disgusting,” Gwen said.

Natalie rolled off the chair and stood up, towering over Gwen now. “I know, okay? I know it’s disgusting.”

“Calm down,” said Gwen. “I meanhe’sdisgusting. It’s not your fault. I didn’t meanyouwere disgusting.”

Natalie relaxed her shoulders. “Well, I kicked him and left before it got any worse.”

Gwen smiled. “That’s great. That’s really great.”

Natalie couldn’t help but smile.

“Now, sit back down,” Gwen instructed, and Natalie did as she was told.

They were both quiet for a few minutes, Natalie relieved to have moved on.

“You did really great,” Gwen repeated out of nowhere, past the point it made any sense to still be talking about. “But that doesn’t mean he should get away with it.”

Thirty-Eight

Natalie

Natalie pulled into herdriveway a little after eleven, setting off the light over the garage. She parked in her usual spot and walked around toward the door.

“Hey there,” came a voice across the driveway.

She jumped as she turned to see Wesley sitting on the steps of the main house, sipping on a bottle of beer that he held around the neck like chopsticks.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.

“It’s okay.” She brushed him off, continuing toward the door.

“How was your day?” he asked before she could put her hand around the knob and escape the interaction.

“Good, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” he said, teasing her for her performative manners. “Care to join me?”

“In what?” Natalie asked rationally instead of participating in social norms.

“I don’t know, sitting?”

“It’s cold out here,” she said.