Curled up on the sofa next to the replace, I watched the ames dance, switching from hues of orange and yellow to blue. My skin felt hot to the touch because I had scrubbed it raw in the shower. Despite that, I could still feel the sticky blood on me, the maggots crawling over my skin, the rubbery sinew that seemed to grab on and never let go. e smell still lingered at the tip of my nose—a mix of iron, rotten eggs, mothballs, garlic, and feces. ere was also a sweetness to it all. No one ever mentions that death has a sweet odor like the smell of a fresh-cut lawn or a ripe banana. Hexanol and butanol are responsible for that pleasant scent just after death sets in.
Every time I blinked, I saw the ragged animal, the blood, the half-eaten guts, the frozen black eyes. ose same dark marbles were all around, hung up on the walls of the living room, staring down at me. I refocused my attention on the thriller I was reading, trying to silence my thoughts, but they were still there. I hadn’t read more than a few sentences since I had laid down over an hour ago. My mind kept going back to that feeling I had in the pit of my stomach—the one that tells you something is very wrong. To the lemon of a car sitting outside. e lack of cell phone service and Wi-Fi. e rotting pit of animals at the end of the driveway. e scream I heard last night. I heard it, right? I rubbed my forehead and hoped the thoughts would rub away too. It was odd. One moment, I found the ranch comforting, and the next, it terri ed me.
Calvin had driven o in his truck, following Charlotte, hours ago. He didn’t
even tell me he was leaving or where he was going or when he’d be back. I couldn’t believe he had just left me here. But perhaps he was giving me space. I was cold to him, and maybe I pushed him away too hard. He hadn’t really done anything wrong . . . that I knew of. I needed to get over the pit of dead animals—no matter how disgusting it was—because it wasn’t Calvin’s fault. He didn’t kill those animals, and he didn’t make me slip into it. And the rest of the issues—no cell phone service or Wi-Fi and my car acting up—were inconveniences I’d deal with eventually. But the scream? Well, I can’t be sure I even heard it. I was being paranoid. But deep down I knew that paranoia sometimes kept you safe.
e clock on the wall opposite the couch said it was after seven. I let out a sigh and ipped a page that I didn’t actually read. Headlights ooded the living room window, and the roar of a truck engine rumbled the house. Calvin’s footsteps clamored up the stairs, then across the porch. I heard him wrestle his boots o and drop them on the ground outside before the door squeaked open. I draped one leg over the other and propped my head up with my hand. When he entered the living room, he didn’t say anything, and I pretended I didn’t hear him. I felt his eyes scan over me—from my toes to my legs to my chest and then they stopped at my face.
“Hey,” he said.
I casually ipped a page of the book. “Where have you been?”
He wiped o his shirt the best he could and scratched the back of his neck. “I was over at Charlotte’s helping her with her sink. en, she had me help
her with a window that wouldn’t open. en, I xed a cupboard door, and so on . . .”
“She kept you real busy.” I bit at my lower lip and ran my foot along my leg.
“Umm . . . yeah.” It was all he could manage to say. It was like all the energy in his body was going someplace else other than his brain. I knew then he hadn’t completely shut me out. I could salvage this and enjoy the rest of my
time here. e most pleasurable things in life are temporary. Most people don’t
understand that. ey want to drag it out and make it last a lifetime. I could tell Calvin was like most people. He needed forever, but I just needed right now.
“You all right? Feeling any better?” He shu ed his feet.
I stood from the sofa, lowering my head slightly, and gazed up at him. “I will be after you settle your debt rst.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Debt?”
Realization hit right away. His eyes went wide, and he cracked a grin as I walked to him. My ngers curled under the bottom of his shirt. I knew it was bold of me, but I also knew Calvin liked bold. He seemed to overthink and overanalyze everything, which was surprising for a country boy like himself. I pulled his shirt up over his head and dropped it on the oor beside him. I could practically see his heart pulsating in his chest. His breath quickened, and he quickly licked his lips like he was preparing for me to kiss him. But I wouldn’t, at least not yet. My eyes slithered up his stomach, to his chest, and then landed on his eyes. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bouncing up and down.
I patted his shoulder. “You have a river to jump in.”
Calvin let out a deep breath and chuckled as I walked to the back door. I looked back at him with a smirk. “You coming?”
He playfully shook his head and grinned. “Grace Evans, you astound me.” See? He liked bold.
e dewy grass felt refreshing beneath my bare feet. Calvin followed behind almost stumbling like Bambi learning how to walk. I think he was too stunned and too excited for his usual cool, country boy stroll.
At the riverbank, Calvin slid his jeans down and kicked them o . He bent down, slowly removing each sock. When he was nished, he stood in front of me wearing just a pair of navy blue boxers. At that point, I didn’t even really want him to jump in. I just wanted to watch him, to study him, to take in every muscle bulge and crevice, every scar, every freckle, every inch of his skin.
But a bet was a bet.
“Boxers too.”
He looked down at himself and shu ed his feet. “Oh, come on.” “You lost the bet, Calvin. It’s time to pay up.”
He hu ed, but I knew it was just for show. He slid o his boxers and quickly covered himself before I could really see anything. Calvin looked at the dark, murky water, hesitating for a moment. e re ection from the moon and stars glimmered across it, creating a mirror of the sky. ere was a small splash downstream, a sh, I presumed. I thought it would scare Calvin, and he’d refuse to jump in. But it didn’t. He was used to nature.
“Consider my debt paid in full, Grace,” he said, uncovering himself and jumping quickly into the river. Calvin came up for air and tossed his head back, shaking the water from him.
“How is it?” I asked, giving him a pleased smile.
“It’s actually nice.” He wiped his face with his hand while treading water. “You should come in.”
I glanced down at my silk pajamas. “I’m not wearing the right swimming clothes.”
“Well, go ahead and take them o ,” he teased. “I’ll turn around, and I promise I won’t peek.”
I looked down the river one way and then the other. It was endless in both directions, disappearing only behind bends or trees. Calvin had the biggest smile on his face while he waited. I wanted to say no. I had no idea what was in that water, how vulnerable I’d be in there, but I wasn’t one to back away from a challenge.
“Fine. But no looking.”
“Cross my heart,” he said, turning away.
I quickly slid my bottoms o and removed my top. I hesitated for a moment, standing there completely unclothed. Calvin didn’t look. I was surprised. He was a man of his word. Most men weren’t. I jumped in and let out a squeal. e water was cool but refreshing, just as he said it was. I was
underwater for only a few seconds before I reached the surface. Wiping my
face, I leaned my head back, letting the water coat and smooth out my hair.
Calvin turned around, and that same smile was still on his face. His eyes
ickered with desire—or was it something else? I couldn’t be sure. “You all right?” he asked.
I nodded and playfully splashed a little water at him, letting out a high- pitched laugh. He did the same back. As we swam, the seconds became minutes, and we got closer and closer until we were only a few feet apart. My leg bumped his rst.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said.
“ anks for teaching me to sh today.”
“It was my pleasure, and I’m glad you caught one before me.”
We smiled and continued to tread, swimming around one another until the minutes became an hour.
“How was your night with Charlotte?” I nally asked, interrupting the silence we both were obviously fond of.
“Uneventful. I just worked the whole time.”
“You know she likes you?” It was a question, but I didn’t think he’d have an answer for it.
“I know,” he admitted.
“You know she also doesn’t like me?” “I know that too.”
“Why do you think that is?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
He wiped his face and swam a little closer. e moon caught the whites of his eyes, almost making them glow. “I think you know why, Grace.”
It was too fast, too soon. And I knew I needed to pull away.
“I’m going to head in,” I said, putting an end to where this conversation was heading.
Calvin pressed his lips together, and his eyes lost their glow. Disappointment kept people wanting more. It was fuel for their desires. He
didn’t say anything and just turned around instead.
“No peeking.” I swam to the edge of the river and climbed out. Picking up my pajamas, I opted not to put them on. Instead, I walked back toward the house unclothed, letting the cool summer night graze my skin. I glanced back once, and I saw Calvin looking over his shoulder, watching me walk away. Perhaps he wasn’t as true to his word as I thought he was. You never really know a person.
