Page 33 of Rock Giant

“Evidently not as fucked up as yours.”

“Mine isn’t fucked up at all.Things are great.I’m getting married.”

“Your shit is fucked.I can see your aura.”

“My what?”

He squinted so that one eye closed completely, then focused just right of her ear.“Yup, it’s totally emo—pink, but like shot through with black.”

It was?He was probably just hallucinating, although, honestly, he wasn’t being much different to how he’d been the previous time they’d met.

“What colour is yours?”

“You tell me?”He offered her another mushroom, and then his flask.“A little boom-boom to wash it down.Probably green.It’s usually green, sometimes orange.”

Jodi swallowed, attempting to wash away the foulness that lingered on her tongue.Not that the boom-boom tasted much better.And if she’d expected the world to burst into colours, then she was sadly disappointed.If he had an aura, she couldn’t see it.“What is that?”she complained of the flask’s contents.

“Absinthe.”

“Fucking hell, you’re like a one-man party.Isn’t that stuff illegal?”

“Nope that’s a myth, and I happen to like aniseed.Damn, I could go for some nice aniseed balls.Did you ever have them as a kid?”

“Can’t say as I did.”

“Bit like mini gobstoppers.Tough on the teeth.Nicer than chewing sticks.”

“Huh?”

“Liquorice…liquorice sticks.Not the same but they taste similar.You’ve never had one of those either?Woman, you’ve been living under a rock.Say, is that why I couldn’t find you?Should I have turned over more rocks?”

Had he been looking for her?If so, why?The cats, probably.

She was past the point in her life where she needed the likes of Paul Reed to swoop in and save her.Things were on track.Nash’s band was on the rise.The stars had aligned.She wouldn’t be spending next winter outdoors huddled under canvas… They’d have a home, somewhere safe and dry…

Wait, was that what she wanted?When she thought of Nash’s place, all white walls and guy furniture she felt like a cat trapped in Schrodinger’s box waiting to find out if it was alive or dead.Why did nobody ever ask the cat?She’d often wondered Surely, it knew.

In any case, she was going to be The Ghost Boys’ Girl Friday and tour the laundrettes of the world.

“You okay, Castle?You’re looking a bit wan.”

“Fine.How long is your tour?”

He shrugged.“Not sure, another six to eight months, maybe?It has legs.More legs than it probably needs, and it’s not like there’s any real down time between them, or any decent pussy nestled there like there is between yours.”

“What?”His logic was hard to follow.What had legs to do with her pussies?

“All I’m saying is that I hope he appreciates you.”

Of course he did, if they were talking about Nash.Were they talking about Nash?Why did she feel like someone was walking over her grave?Maybe she was just cold.That was probably it.It was late.The sun had turned in hours ago.She didn’t have a coat on, not even a jumper.Nor did her companion, but he didn’t seem to be affected by the elements.Nothing ever seemed to faze him.He just took everything in his long-legged stride.Why did part of her want to grab him by the hand and yell lets go on a bear hunt together?There weren’t even bears in the UK.Maybe they could hunt a Gruffalo instead.They lived in the woods.The woods were right over there.But no, wait… she had to be somewhere.Running off with him wasn’t an option.It was a fact that one did not marry the goblin king… Except, Sarah should have.

Damn, what time was it.She managed to locate her phone.Thirteen o’clock.No, that wasn’t right.Twelve thirteen.Shit, she was late.Nash must have engaged stealth mode and slipped right past her.

Why did her legs feel so leaden?Her centre of gravity swished from side to side as she started making her way uphill.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Feel a bit sick,” she said.