Two for Joy - Louise Collins Page 0,55

him as he cut logs for the fire.

He wanted to be around Chad. Wanted to spend time with him.

Not to manipulate, or mask his true self, but because he wanted to. He’d been himself with Chad, not shielded him from his monstrous side, and Chad seemed to enjoy his company.

Romeo wanted to make him laugh, and smile, and moan his name. It was a first. The only thing he’d wanted before that moment had been to kill, and his monster craving was still there, but alongside it he had new ones, domestic ones.

“Shit.” He dropped the basket in the aisle, startling the old woman next to him.

He liked Chad.

Romeo forced his eyes open and stared up at the sky. He winced at the sun blaring down at him, then rolled with a groan onto his side. His head pounded worse than ever, his cheek hurt, even his teeth ached.

Chad had made him realize there was more to him than the monster after all.

The thoughts of Chad hurt, sad, lonely, scared were near enough unbearable. The thought of Chad happy, laughing, triumphant, filled Romeo’s chest with a warmness, a glowing feeling that made him feel good. Chad had unlocked emotions in him that he thought he didn’t have, he’d never experience, and he needed to keep going, not only to keep Chad alive, but himself as well.

Neil’s house, he reminded himself.

He needed to get to Neil’s house.

Romeo managed to get to his feet, then began trudging along the ditch.

****

Exhaustion wearied Romeo’s limbs, and slowed his reactions. His face ached, to the point he dribbled, and didn’t realize until he touched his chin. He was tempted to curl up in the undergrowth and sleep off his headache, but feared if he tried, he’d never get up again.

He was walking until he found a layby, an unsuspecting person pulled over for a rest, then he was going to strike.

The sun started to fade, leaving an intense orange glow in the sky. He’d always been able to see the sun rise and set from the farmhouse, but hadn’t seen it do either in the prison. His one hour in the yard was always in the middle of the day with the sun right over him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it until he saw it setting, until he looked out on the horizon, with no walls to end the view, or mesh to distort it. He’d never thought he’d end up behind bars, always thought he’d outwit anyone, always one step ahead, but then Chad stepped into his life.

When Romeo got to the layby, no car had pulled in. He listened to them whizz by, praying someone would slow, park, let him strike, but no one answered his prayers.

He was left waiting, judging time by the moving sun, and the chill running up his spin. Romeo heard a chattering, a distinctive noise he’d recognize anywhere. He gritted his teeth, thought about ignoring it, but then he turned, and glared at the magpie in the trees, hopping branch to branch. It wasn’t alone, there was another one with it, two of them chattering to each other, giving him curious looks.

“Fuck off, blatant symbolism.” Romeo growled, clawing at the mud of the ditch to loosen a stone. He squeezed the stone in his hand, unable to launch it at the two magpies mocking him.

Mocking or encouraging, Romeo didn’t know. He dropped the stone and clutched his pounding head. He closed his eyes for what felt like a minute, but could’ve easily been an hour. The sky was darker, the magpies had gone, and still no one pulled into the layby.

His face felt bigger, and tighter than it should’ve done, but there was no way to soothe the ache. His stomach cramped and spasmed, and even though he was surrounded by water, it was the thirstiest he’d felt in his life.

As he stroked his damaged face he thought back to Chad, and the last time he’d seen him. Chad had told him he needed Romeo. The detective had gone completely, leaving behind a broken man, Romeo’s broken man. The one he was determined to put back together despite the jagged edges and missing parts. They fit together.

He dropped his hand from his face when he heard a car engine above, someone pulling into the layby. He waited, listening out for voices, trying to judge whether it was more than one person. The engine cut out, a door opened, then a man rushed behind the trees,