Page 96 of His to Burn

He pulled away.

I frowned, then let my arms fall.

“This will have to do for now,” he said.

I nodded without really understanding.

“What was that about?” I said.

He sighed.

“Do you think now is the time for that conversation?”

“Jack, don’t do this,” I said.

“Do what?” he responded, his voice tense.

“Pull away from me,” I said.

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking everything is about you,” he said in that ice-cold voice that was my least favorite.

“Point taken,” I responded.

I was proud I didn’t sound hurt.

Even though I was.

Even though I almost died, Jack pushing me away hurt more than the near miss.

So pathetic.

But, I wouldn’t admit that.

So I stayed quiet, letting the time tick by.

“Slight change of plans,” he said sometime later.

“What do you mean?”

I glanced at him, our eyes connecting in the dim lantern light.

“You have an uncle that lives on the Arkansas-Tennessee border. That’s where we’re going,” he said.

“Why?”

“Asia, I told you I wasn’t going to leave you alone, and I won’t. But once we get to your uncle’s—if we get to your uncle’s—then I’m gone,” he said like he expected me to argue.

I looked at him, then approached him slowly, moving like I was afraid he would run away.

I reached out, cupping his face in my hand.

“Asia,” he said, his voice strained.

“Jackson,” I responded.

He looked at me, his breath warm against my face.

“I just had to kill some more people in cold blood,” he said.