years.”
“Yeah, and a whole bunch have never been heard from again, remember? You could have been killed,” Cass said. Some of the anger bled away to be replaced by concern. She ran her hand gently over his striped face.
“No shit. He was hanging out chopping wood, a damn axe in his hand.” Jacob laughed.
“Wow, that’s crazy,” Dee told him. Her eyes were wide as if she were hanging on every word. She glanced from Jacob to Chris and back again and shook her head.
“Holy shit. What did you do?” Glenn asked, his voice animated. It was the first time Glenn had shown any real interest in anything Jacob had to say.
“I ran like a little bitch,” Jacob admitted as he pulled Cass into his arms. He cast a sideways glance at Chris. “The look in his eyes was evil. He came after me and I flew down the hill like I had wings.” He gestured to his face. “Too bad I didn’t stick the landing.”
His friends laughed, but Cass stayed quiet. She pulled away to retrieve her drink. “You want a beer?”
Jacob thought about it for a second and decided drinking probably wasn’t a good idea. He told her yes anyway, just to keep from being hounded by the guys for not having one.
She cracked the bottle open and passed it to him. A shimmer of unhappiness still shaded her features. She came back to his side and lifted his arm back over her shoulder.
“You are lucky to be alive, brother,” Glenn told him, raising his beer for a toast. “Here’s to escaping the Ruidoso Slasher. May your head never get chopped from your body.”
Flickers of Katie flashed across his eyes as he raised his bottle. His chest tightened as he took a chug of his beer. He felt the tension in Cass’s shoulders and decided it was time to change the subject. She was going to give him enough hell later.
“Where’s Dennis?” Jacob asked, just realizing he wasn’t there.
“Who knows, dude,” Chris answered. “His dad is probably locked up again. You know how his mom gets every time that happens. He’ll show up once shit at home cools off.”
“Poor dude,” Dee offered, taking a drink from her beer.
Chris nodded, following her example. “I’m gonna go change the CD. This Marilyn Manson crap is giving me a headache.” He winked and rolled his eyes toward Dee as he headed for the living room.
“Hey. You said you liked it,” Dee argued as she chased him down.
Glenn grabbed another beer and followed after the couple. “They’re gonna need a referee.” He left them with a self-satisfied smile on his lips.
Once he was gone, Cass turned on Jacob. “Are you insane?”
Jacob bit his tongue and wondered if seeing visions of dead people could be classified as insane, or just crazy. “I didn’t mean to go onto his property. I just wasn’t paying attention, Cass.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Jake, but there’s definitely something you’re not telling me.” She took a sip of her drink and set it aside. She let him drink some of his before she took it away and set it beside hers. Grabbing his hands, she stood before him. “It’s like you’re not all here lately.”
Katie’s face flashed before his eyes and he blinked her away. “I think maybe I’m getting sick, or something. Maybe I’m just delirious from malnutrition. You need to feed me more often.” He cracked a smile, but it fell from his lips when he looked at her stoic face.
“I’m serious, Jake. Stop playing around.” She huffed. “I know you don’t eat anywhere near enough, but don’t give me that shit. I also know you’re stressed out. If I had to live with your parents, I’d be bat-shit crazy, so I get that, but you don’t seem like you.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you, Cass. I’m sorry.” He pulled her to him, lifting her chin. “I’m really sorry.” He bent down and kissed her, his hand on the small of her back.
She resisted a moment, then gave in. Jacob sighed when he felt her relax.
“Yeah, and a whole bunch have never been heard from again, remember? You could have been killed,” Cass said. Some of the anger bled away to be replaced by concern. She ran her hand gently over his striped face.
“No shit. He was hanging out chopping wood, a damn axe in his hand.” Jacob laughed.
“Wow, that’s crazy,” Dee told him. Her eyes were wide as if she were hanging on every word. She glanced from Jacob to Chris and back again and shook her head.
“Holy shit. What did you do?” Glenn asked, his voice animated. It was the first time Glenn had shown any real interest in anything Jacob had to say.
“I ran like a little bitch,” Jacob admitted as he pulled Cass into his arms. He cast a sideways glance at Chris. “The look in his eyes was evil. He came after me and I flew down the hill like I had wings.” He gestured to his face. “Too bad I didn’t stick the landing.”
His friends laughed, but Cass stayed quiet. She pulled away to retrieve her drink. “You want a beer?”
Jacob thought about it for a second and decided drinking probably wasn’t a good idea. He told her yes anyway, just to keep from being hounded by the guys for not having one.
She cracked the bottle open and passed it to him. A shimmer of unhappiness still shaded her features. She came back to his side and lifted his arm back over her shoulder.
“You are lucky to be alive, brother,” Glenn told him, raising his beer for a toast. “Here’s to escaping the Ruidoso Slasher. May your head never get chopped from your body.”
Flickers of Katie flashed across his eyes as he raised his bottle. His chest tightened as he took a chug of his beer. He felt the tension in Cass’s shoulders and decided it was time to change the subject. She was going to give him enough hell later.
“Where’s Dennis?” Jacob asked, just realizing he wasn’t there.
“Who knows, dude,” Chris answered. “His dad is probably locked up again. You know how his mom gets every time that happens. He’ll show up once shit at home cools off.”
“Poor dude,” Dee offered, taking a drink from her beer.
Chris nodded, following her example. “I’m gonna go change the CD. This Marilyn Manson crap is giving me a headache.” He winked and rolled his eyes toward Dee as he headed for the living room.
“Hey. You said you liked it,” Dee argued as she chased him down.
Glenn grabbed another beer and followed after the couple. “They’re gonna need a referee.” He left them with a self-satisfied smile on his lips.
Once he was gone, Cass turned on Jacob. “Are you insane?”
Jacob bit his tongue and wondered if seeing visions of dead people could be classified as insane, or just crazy. “I didn’t mean to go onto his property. I just wasn’t paying attention, Cass.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Jake, but there’s definitely something you’re not telling me.” She took a sip of her drink and set it aside. She let him drink some of his before she took it away and set it beside hers. Grabbing his hands, she stood before him. “It’s like you’re not all here lately.”
Katie’s face flashed before his eyes and he blinked her away. “I think maybe I’m getting sick, or something. Maybe I’m just delirious from malnutrition. You need to feed me more often.” He cracked a smile, but it fell from his lips when he looked at her stoic face.
“I’m serious, Jake. Stop playing around.” She huffed. “I know you don’t eat anywhere near enough, but don’t give me that shit. I also know you’re stressed out. If I had to live with your parents, I’d be bat-shit crazy, so I get that, but you don’t seem like you.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you, Cass. I’m sorry.” He pulled her to him, lifting her chin. “I’m really sorry.” He bent down and kissed her, his hand on the small of her back.
She resisted a moment, then gave in. Jacob sighed when he felt her relax.
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