Life in Fusion (37 page)

straps into place and began flicking buttons across

the panel, firing up the massive engines, bringing

the Zephyr rumbling to life. “I’m in it purely for

the payday, sweet cheeks.” Buck spun his chair

around, letting his gaze run up and down Halo’s

body, clearing his throat. “And nothing else.”

Gostric was snickering, enjoying the fact that

Buck seemed to have put Halo in his place.

“If you say so.” Halo shrugged as if he

couldn’t care less. “Though for a man with no

interest in it, you seem awfully preoccupied with

mentioning my ass at every opportunity.”

“Oh just…shut up!” Buck spun back around.

Gostric glanced back and forth between the

two of them with a disapproving smirk on his face.

“Eyes forward, Gostric,” Buck snapped. “I

can’t fly this bird alone.”

“Yes sir, Captain.”

q q q

I stretched my back as a warm breeze passed over me. I took

the laptop and set it down on the iron table in between the two

chaises on the back patio of my house. I stared at the Sandias, able

to catch glimpses of the mountains between the trees. I fanned

my lap as I got up, which felt like it was on fire. I smiled, thinking

Life in fusion
277

about the book I was working on. It was a strange sensation,

coming to the realization that for the first time in all my years of

writing, I knew exactly where the story was going. I could see the

entire arc, laid out perfectly inside my head. I danced around like

a kid, elated by that fact. It was like magic inside my head, and I

loved it.

I went into the house, ducking as I passed under the colored

sheets hanging throughout the den before hopping up the step

into the kitchen.

I strolled into the dining room, surveying my now nearly

empty house, and a pang of sadness swept over me. I still

hated leaving this place. It had always been my very own homo

Shangri-La, an oasis that sheltered me from any ugliness that

might lie just on the other side the front door. It had never even

occurred to me, before Wade, that I’d wind up not growing old

in this house. Having Wade here made it more difficult to leave,

since his presence made it feel more like a home to me. I could

easily imagine us living here together, happily. But the spot on

the map wasn’t the important thing, I knew that. What mattered

was being together.

I sighed, happy at least that Gabe was moving in. I refused to

sell the place. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’d rent it out

to a stranger before I’d let it go for good. He didn’t say so, but

I think that hurt Wade, like he was afraid I was hanging on to it

as a safety net. That wasn’t the case, but he couldn’t understand

it for some reason. Maybe he’d traveled so much that he simply

couldn’t grasp the pull that one piece of earth could hold over a

person? It didn’t really matter, we had the rest of lives together

for me to make him understand.

“All in good time.”

I headed back into the kitchen and grabbed my soda off the

countertop, taking a sip. I grinned, looking over the elaborate

sheet tent that Wade had helped me set up in the den before

leaving earlier that morning. It looked like something out of

Arabian Nights, different colored sheets in rich reds, oranges,

purples, and blues all suspended from the ceiling with invisible

278 Ethan Day

string. We’d taken two air mattresses and covered the floor before

tossing down more sheets and blankets, along with about twenty

pillows in all.

The tent was open at each end so we had access to the

backyard as well as the kitchen and rest of the house. I thought I

might want to take one more dip in the pool before we left in the

morning. I checked out the clock on the stove, excited that Gabe

would be here any minute. I was glad Wade understood why I

wanted to spend my last night here, just me and Gabe. I could tell

he wasn’t altogether happy about it, but he got it.

I felt bad enough that Wade had barely been back to Summit

City since I’d gotten out of the hospital. He had responsibilities

there, which he’d neglected in order to stay with me. The whole

town was probably ready to throttle my ass over the whole car

wreck by now. A thought that had me thankful Gabe had taken

two weeks off, so he could help with the move and getting me

settled in.

I suspected Chip might have had something to do his quick

offer to help. I still hadn’t weaseled any details out of Gabe with

regard to what had happened between them the night of the

party, but I was beginning to feel damn certain it was more than

just a trick. That being said, knowing Chip the little I did, I wasn’t

getting my hopes up for any kind of real love connection. I was

fairly certain I’d used up all the good luck I had coming to me

finding Wade—well, that and the whole not dying and all. If that

was the case, he was worth it.

I took another long sip from the straw and placed the cup

down before heading down the hall toward the bathroom. I

flicked on the light and felt my lip curling up at the sight of

myself in the mirror. The five cuts on my face were healing

nicely. They were still light pink in color, but the stitches were

out and the scabs had fallen away. The plastic surgeon said they’d

fade over time to the point they were no longer noticeable.

It was really my hair that depressed me more than anything

else. They’d had to trim the hair around the long S shaped cut

along the back left side of my scalp to keep it from getting into

Life in fusion
279

the sutures. I turned so I could take a look at the area. It had been

more severe, though it too had healed up nicely.

I let out a frustrated whimper, taking in my once lush and

thickly coiffed head of hair. It was all gone now, my entire head

now buzzed short. There hadn’t been any way around it; I looked

like I’d had a patch snatched off the back of my damn head. It

had made me sick at the time. Wade said it turned him on, like

he was having an affair with a hot military dude on leave. I felt

plain and ordinary. Then, I of course reminded myself I could

be dead, and to stop whining about something that would grow

back…eventually.

I went to the toilet and unzipped, peeing while continuing to

berate myself for being such a vanity queen. I was still stiff in

spots, mainly my neck and back. My physical therapy had been

a nightmare. I’d gone through five therapists over the past four

weeks, thanks to Wade, who kept running them off. None of

them were good enough, or they weren’t doing things the way he

thought they should be done.

Naturally, Stella happened to be around having the PT on her

knee. She was plain evil, agreeing with anything and everything

Wade said, which only aided in further inciting the insanity. He

was like Jim Jones, with a disciple of one—the ornery little witch.

It was so humiliating, and he’d been so belligerent to the last one,

I’d had to intervene. He’d since been banned from the therapy

gym altogether.

“Damn crazy ass man,” I flushed the toilet and zipped back up

before washing my hands and heading back out into the kitchen.

I heard the front door opening as Gabe yelled out a hello.

“Kitchen!” I said.

Rounding the corner, he froze his eyes widening as he took in

the tent. A smile spread over his face.

“Sweet!” Gabe looked at me, mouth hanging open—his eyes

all lit up, taking me back to when we were just kids for a nostalgic

flash of a moment. “That is an awesome sheet tent!”

“The awesomest,” I said.

280 Ethan Day

“Tonight is going to be so cool,” Gabe said, bending over to

peek inside before glancing back up at me. “It’s still freaky seeing

you without hair.”

“Thanks!” I smacked him in the ass. “Exactly what I don’t

need to be thinking about.”

“Aww.” Gabe grabbed me up in a hug, poking me in the side

till I started to laugh. “Never fear, you’re still all hot and sexy,

Booney.”

“Stop!” I yelled, trying to wiggle away. “No tickling—tickling

bad.”

Gabe relented, squeezing me tighter. I rested my chin on top

of his head, hugging him back. We both settled into the other, the

room getting quiet aside from the sound of each of us breathing.

The only thing I truly hated about all of this, falling for Wade and

the move, was being separated from Gabe. If I thought I could

get away with it, I’d abduct his little ass and force him to move to

Summit City with me.

“I’m really gonna miss you,” Gabe said.

“I’m just happy to have prolonged it.” I kissed the top of his

head. “Thanks for taking some time off and spending the first

few weeks up there with me.”

“Not to mention helping you move.”

I laughed. “That too.”

“Man, I’m such a boy scout,” Gabe said.

“Yeah, and lucky for you I’m too self involved to think Chip

might have anything to do with it.”

“Shut it!” Gabe smacked me on the ass.

“Baby,” I said, smiling. “Never knew you were into the kink.”

“Don’t be gross.”

“You get me so hot, stud,” I added.

“I’m gonna puke all over you,” Gabe said, getting obviously

irritated. “I think…have we like hugged for too long?”

Life in fusion
281

“Like to the point it’s become slightly uncomfortable?” I

asked.

“Yeah, like that.” Gabe answered.

“Yeah, kinda.”

We both laughed, shoving on each other.

“You’re so slutty…coming on to your best friend.” Gabe

scoffed. “That’s sick, man.”

“A hole’s a hole, baby.”

Gabe was now visibly sickened. “You’re so dirty!”

I reached over and shoved on his shoulder. “You’re too easy.”

“Am not.” Gabe shoved me back.

“Ow!” I stumbled back a step, holding my shoulder as I

hunched over.

“Oh, damn it Booney, I’m so sorry! Shit—are you okay?”

I stood back up, pointing at him all evil-like. “Gotcha—like I

said, too damn easy.”

I jumped back when he took a swing at me.

“Asshole.” Gabe grumbled.

“Oh, don’t go all pouty on me.” I pulled off my t-shirt and

tossed it at him. “Race you to the pool?”

“I didn’t bring any trunks,” Gabe said, disappointed, like he

wished he’d thought of that.

“I don’t have any either.” I shrugged, starting to undo my

jeans.

“Skinny dipping?” Gabe’s eyes got all wide behind the black

framed glasses. “Kinda weird just being us?”

I rolled my eyes as I peeled my jeans down over my hips,

jiggling my legs till my pants fell around my ankles.

“Oh my, I just don’t know,” I said in my faux, high-pitched

girlie voice. “My name’s Gabriella and I’m a proper little girl! I

couldn’t possibly take off my clothes!”

282 Ethan Day

“Shut up, wank-tard,” Gabe said, his lip snarling up.

I widened my eyes and opened my mouth as if I were shocked.

I yanked down my briefs and stepped out of them. “Oh my

goodness, boy bits!” I screamed like a girlie, then ducked through

the tent and out the back door.

I laughed, hearing Gabe piss and moan from inside the house

as I ran across the yard and jumped into the pool. The force of

the warm water against my skin as I crashed through the surface

was amazing. I stayed under for as long as I could, enjoying the

sound of the bubbles rushing past me. Then the silence came. I

liked that moment of quiet peace. It was always my favorite part

of being underwater.

I noticed Gabe’s body heading toward the surface from the

opposite side. He splashed through, all bundled up into a cannon

ball. I pushed off the bottom of the pool having nearly run out

of air. I broke the surface and gasped, sucking in a deep breath.

Gabe followed suit, and I splashed him once he’d opened his

mouth to breathe.

“Shit head,” he said, his dark eyes squinting at me.

I shook my head as I glanced back at the house, treading

water. “I’m gonna miss my house.”

Gabe swam over toward me, grabbing me by the shoulder. He

never had been the best swimmer, so I wrapped my arm under

his and we dog paddled to the side.

“Well it’s not like you can’t visit whenever you want.”

“I know.” I cringed when he rubbed the top of my head. “It

was my first place—my uncle left it to me.”

“I’ll take good care of it, I promise.”

I nodded, smiling as I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the

cheek. “I know that.”

“And hey,” Gabe added, “I don’t even need the second

bedroom, so we could set that up as a guest room, then you and

Wade can stay when you visit.”

“You might want a roommate or something.”

Life in fusion
283

“For what…you won’t let me pay you any rent, so it’s not like

I need the financial assistance.”