picking up the fishbowl.
He'd bought her the goldfish on her tenth birthday. She'd wanted a puppy. The best he could do, considering Grandma June hadn't wanted a dog in the house, was to buy her a ten-cent fish from the local pet store.
"Where are you taking him?" Faye followed him out of the room.
He stepped into the bathroom, flipping the light switch with his elbow. "I'm going to dump him in the toilet."
"Oh, God." She pressed against his back. "I don't want you doing it."
"One of us has to do it." He set the bowl on the counter.
"He was my fish." She squeezed around him and inhaled deeply. "I'll do it."
Curley stepped back into the hallway, giving her room in the small bathroom to do the deed. She composed herself and opened the toilet lid. Stepping out of view, he leaned against the wall and turned his head, cracking the vertebra in his neck. Dawn would soon arrive. He should probably get on his motorcycle and ride home.
Plop
Faye sniffled. Curley swallowed, hating that one more thing in her life had upset her. She was too old for him to go out and buy her another fish, thinking it would replace the one she enjoyed.
"Rest in peace, Curley," she whispered.
The back of his head hit the wall at hearing his name, and he frowned. The toilet flushed. Still reeling, he continued to stand in the hallway as Faye washed her hands and shut off the light.
As she walked out of the bathroom, he said, "You gave the fish my name?"
She stopped. "At one time in my life, you were my favorite person. And you gave me a fish. A fish that lived 14 years and heard every secret I had and listened to me cry when Grandma June died and when I missed Uncle Walker. That fish was here for me when all I wanted was you, so yes, I named him Curley."
His heart hammered. Emotions like a knife stabbed into his chest, penetrating deep in his heart.
She walked into her room and shut the door. He slid his back against the wall until his ass hit the floor. That was the last thing he'd expected her to say.
Faye spent most of her time angry with him. If he wasn't fighting with her, he fought with his feelings for her.
He banged the back of his head against the wall. One fucking mistake, and he was going to pay for the rest of his life.
If he could change places with Walker and give Faye her uncle back, he would in a heartbeat.
Living in hell couldn't be that much different than living in a cell.
Chapter 11
Faye
Cupping her mug of coffee in her hands, she leaned against the counter, looking at Curley. He'd stayed overnight instead of leaving before she got up. That shouldn't have surprised her because he rarely listened to her.
What had surprised her was walking out of the bedroom and finding Curley sitting in the hallway as if he'd slept there all night. Finding him still in the house, her body betrayed her.
Even fifteen minutes later and fully awake now that she had some caffeine in her, she still vibrated from having him here.
How could he look sexy after spending the night in the hallway in his clothes, minus his boots, when she felt like a train-wreck fully dressed?
The rough night on the floor had deepened the lines at the corners of his eyes. He looked at her through heavy eyelids. She bit the inside of her lip. God, he looked as comfy as a soft, worn flannel shirt she wanted to slip into.
Except, she knew there was nothing soft about him. His broad chest stretched the front of his shirt. She lowered her gaze. Okay, there might be some softness on him. If she remembered right, his stomach, right above his belt, had fascinated her when they'd had sex. The light trail of hair down his abdomen had tickled her palm. She liked the way it felt, but she enjoyed his reaction more—his stomach had gone from soft to rock hard when she'd touched him.
But that was years ago. She swallowed. His body could've changed a little.
She sighed, catching the sound before it could escape her lips. No, his body hadn't changed.
He set his empty cup in the sink. "Did you change jobs because you need more money?"
Feeling flushed, she set down her mug. "If all I needed was money, I'd still be working at the lounge."
Bringing up her old