Page 74 of His to Burn

Jack was right. We were in a nightmare,and I needed him to survive. So Jack might not be an emotional support, but I’d take what he offered.

It was enough.

It had to be.

“I get it, Jackson,” I finally said.

“Do you?” He sounded skeptical.

“I do,” I responded, my voice daring him to argue.

“So we know where we stand?” he asked.

“We do,” I said.

“Good.” He smiled as pushed me back against the table and kissed my neck. “Now where were we?”

Jack

“What shall we have this morning?” Asia asked.

We’d been at the judge’s house for five days and had fallen into something of a rhythm.

Maybe too much of one.

The radio transmission kept repeating for three days before it stopped altogether. And therandom shooting was a constant soundtrack for our day.

But somehow, we made something of days, mostly me checking supplies like a mental patient while Asia took on domestic duties.

“You don’t have to cook every day,” I said.

I don’t know why I felt compelled to say that, but I did. Asia didn’t say anything else, but I knew she felt like she owed me, and my mind rebelled against the idea of her taking care of me as payment.

“Well, it’s that or chew my fingernails until they bleed, so I guess we’ll make the last of these eggs,” she said.

I nodded, then set off on my daily routine.

Through some kind of miracle, the power and water still worked. But I didn’t trust the judge’s blinds. I was paranoid about someone seeing a light from outside, and Asia was sick of me questioning her every time she turned on a flashlight.

She found some painter’s cloths and tape and told me we were going to cover the windows. It was irritating because the windows were twelve feet high, and I had to send Asia up the ladder.

No, that wasn’t true, I thought as I walked to the basement and checked the garage doors. Sheinsistedon climbing the damn ladder.

Said that if I fell, there was nothing she’d be able to do, but if the reverse happened, we’d have a shot.

I eventually came around to her way of thinking, but I didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

Dead people were walking, but the thought of Asia getting hurt fucked me up.

I fucking hated admitting it, but I cared about her.

Wanted her to be safe.

Wanted it more than anything.

Except Evan.