Page 309 of Satan's Spawn

Crayton rests his elbows on the table. “He was here last week. Lost a lot of weight.”

And then some. Stress will do that to ya.

“He really misses you.”

Crayton takes a few moments to cast a glance out the window. “Yeah, I know he does.”

“Hey,” I call, and Crayton focuses back on me. “Where’d you go?”

This makes him smile. “Too many different places, none of ’em as bad as this.”

I blow him a sweet kiss. “We’ll be together again before you know it.”

“You’re with me every night, Little Ghost.”

“And you’re with me.” I reach for him again as the guard is busy staring at the wall. Crayton doesn’t hesitate to hold my hand.

To squeeze it tight in his palm as his gaze locks on me, telling me through silence all the things he wishes he could say before our time together ends.

I smile at him, doing the same.

Until the heaviness of the moment dissipates with another warning from the officer.

I try to break apart from him immediately, but Crayton holds on, his eyes boring into mine and waiting for me to say it.

“I love you, too.” I reassure him through a quiet breath, and then he lets go to lean back in his seat, allowing the stress of our situation to melt off him.

He shifts back to the light stuff where we’re safe.

“So…anything juicy happening between our dysfunctional group of friends you feel like sharing?”

I let out a boisterous “Ha!” knowing what the fuck is going on back home will take a lot more than forty-three minutes to explain.

Crayton has missed quite a lot:

Of drama.

Surprises.

Of what-the-fuck moments.

“Oh there’s juice alright.” I bite the bottom of my lip to hold back my grin.

He lifts an eyebrow. “Care to share with the felon?”

I nod several times so hard my neck aches.

“Oh…I totally do.”

“A lot of shit?”

“Uh-huh.”

“So where the fuck shall webegin?”

I tap my chin, going over all the lives that have been flipped upside down since Crayton’s farewell, then after a few fleeting scenarios, I settle on the ones that hit closest to home for both of us.

As I lean closer, Crayton does too, looking around the room like he’s waiting for something to jump out at him.

I look around too, adding to the dramatic effect before curling my lips at him. “How about withSaintandHendrix?”