Blood From a Stone (116 page)

“
S
a
m
son.
What
t
he
he
l
l
a
r
e
y
ou
t
a
l
k
i
ng abou
t
?”
H
er b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
.
“
D
i
d
I do
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
w
r
on
g
?
O
r
m
a
y
be,
y
ou dec
i
ded
y
ou d
i
dn
’
t
li
k
e
m
e
t
hat
w
ay
or
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
?”

S
he
sat
up
ab
r
up
tl
y
.
“
A
r
e
y
ou
g
a
y
?
I
w
ou
l
d
be d
i
s
appo
i
n
t
ed
because
I
li
k
e
y
ou…but
i
f
y
ou
a
r
e,
it’
s
o
k
a
y
.
Y
ou
can
t
e
l
l
m
e
and
I
w
ou
l
d
suppo
r
t
y
ou.
I ha
v
e
g
ay
fri
ends and
I
l
o
v
e
t
hem
v
e
r
y
m
uch.
N
ot
y
ou
k
no
w
…
li
k
e
t
h
i
s.
I
m
ean
li
k
e
fri
ends.”

H
e bus
t
ed out
l
au
g
h
i
n
g
. “
N
o, W
ill
o
w
.
I
’
m
not
g
a
y
.”
S
he
r
a
i
sed
her
ch
i
n
j
ust
a
littl
e.
“
Yo
u
’r
e
su
r
e?
Why

w
ou
l
d
y
ou
w
ant
t
o
s
t
op…I
m
ean
w
hat
g
uy
ever
s
t
ops so
m
e
t
h
i
ng 
li
k
e
t
h
i
s
c
iti
ng 
‘ri
g
ht
r
easons
’
?
Y
ou
g
o
t
t
a
be
k
i
d
d
i
ng
m
e
!
”

“I
cou
l
d
v
e
r
y
eas
il
y
p
r
o
v
e
t
o
y
ou
j
ust how
un
-
g
ay
I
am
ri
g
ht
t
h
i
s  second.
’
’
H
e  po
i
n
t
ed 
t
o 
t
he  ha
r
d  spot
s
tr
a
i
n
i
ng a
g
a
i
nst
h
i
s
j
eans,
l
au
g
h
i
ng
g
ood
-
na
t
u
r
ed
l
y
. “
D
a
m
n…
y
ou
w
o
m
en
a
r
e
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
.
Y
ou b
it
ch
t
hat
no one
tr
ea
t
s
y
ou
w
it
h
r
espec
t
,
and
t
hen
w
hen
so
m
eone
does,
y
ou
ask
i
f
w
e
’
r
e
g
a
y
!
”
H
e
shook
h
i
s
head
and
s
i
g
hed.
“I
j
ust
don
’
t
w
ant
t
o
do so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
y
ou
or
I
m
i
g
ht
r
e
g
r
et
l
a
t
e
r
.
I
w
ant
y
ou
t
o
be
su
r
e. We
’
v
e
on
l
y
k
no
w
n
each
o
t
her
f
or
a
f
ew
da
y
s,
but
I
h
ones
tl
y ca
r
e
about
y
ou
and
I
don
‘
t
w
ant
t
o
w
r
eck
t
h
i
n
g
s
by
m
o
v
i
ng
t
oo
f
as
t
.”

What
he
w
an
t
ed
t
o
add
w
as,
t
hat
he
d
i
dn
’
t
w
ant
t
o ha
v
e
t
o
li
v
e
w
it
h
t
he
hu
r
t
he
w
ou
l
d
cause
her
i
f
he
w
as
f
o
r
ced
t
o
l
ea
v
e
her
i
n
t
h
r
ee
and
a ha
l
f
w
ee
k
s, but
he of
c
ou
r
se cou
l
d not
say
t
he
w
o
r
ds.

S
he
s
m
il
ed
at
h
i
m
.
“I ca
r
e
about
y
ou
too.
It’s only been what? A couple of days. I must be losing my mind, I guess.
I
m
ean,
I
‘
m p
r
e
tt
y
da
m
ned
sens
i
b
l
e…b
ut
not
a
r
ound
y
ou!
”

S
he
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
m
f
or
a
f
ew
m
o
m
en
t
s
t
h
i
n
k
i
ng
about
w
hat
he
’
d
sa
i
d.
Was
she
i
n
f
act
do
i
ng
t
h
i
s
f
or
t
he
‘ri
g
ht
r
easons
’
?
Was
i
t
j
ust
out
of
l
ust
or
because
she
’
d
l
ea
r
ned,
t
h
r
ou
g
h
cu
lt
u
r
al
b
r
a
i
n
w
ash
i
ng
t
hat
not
g
o
i
ng
t
o bed
w
it
h a
g
uy
w
as
t
he
f
as
t
est
w
ay
t
o
l
ose
h
i
m
t
o
ano
t
her
w
o
m
an.
O
r
e
v
en
i
f
y
ou
d
i
d
g
o
t
o
bed
w
it
h
h
i
m
,
i
f
y
ou
‘
w
e
r
en
’
t
g
ood
e
n
ou
g
h’
he
m
i
g
ht
d
it
ch
y
ou
f
or
so
m
eone e
l
se?
L
i
k
e M
i
k
e had d
it
ched he
r
.