Cuts Like An Angel

Just nipping to the loo,” he explained when she frowned. She nodded as her mind raced to connect the word to meaning. She knew that word. She knew she knew it, and yet, her mind kept hiding it every moment she tried to recall it. Loo, loo, loo. “The bank?” she dared in a tiny voice. He gave another hefty chuckle, having the time of his life with her inexperience. “Spend a penny … water the one eyed dragon?” “The bathroom,” she cried.

Well, you seem to make the perfect friend, being the guru of so many kinds of catastrophes. We could teach one another.” More laughter that had her grinning. “We could maybe write a book.” She busted out in cackles. “Yes. A how-to manual for offing yourself.” In the middle of laughter, he said, “Or The Guru’s Guide to Not Giving a Damn.” “Thank

Medical Helpline Hussy, here to turn sexual stories, how can I help you? Oh God what was she doing?

Dead tired, dead stupid, and dead dumb. That’s the same as stupid, stupid.

have to. You don’t understand, and it’s okay. I don’t want you to worry about me.” His carefree tone made her panic and stutter out stupid half-ass words. “Bye, Rosie,” he said, regretfully. “You don’t need to do this!” she gasped, finally finding her voice. “Don’t you dare hang up, dammit! I mean it.” After many seconds of nothing, he whispered a perplexed, “Or what?” She shot out of her chair. “Or … I will be so very angry at you! And hurt!” she knew she was crossing every line possible, but her gut said he was dead serious—stupid pun unintended.

Why had he said Josh? He had no idea. But he did know that William was a fake, a liar. Useless. He didn’t want to be William any longer. Josh could be anyone—a mask he could wear and pretend to the world that he was normal and happy.

He didn’t sleep anyway, so what did it matter? His mind never wanted to calm. Always stuck in the nights … the darkness. Endless moments locked in that abyss where no one could hear him. No

He shook it off like an old sweater cloaking his back, rolling his shoulders to ease out the tension his thoughts created. William died the night he threw himself into the river. William was gone. The

So much of a distant memory now. Everything had changed. He had changed. He had clarity. All of those talks with Carly and Dr Broadhurst had helped him because he’d let it—because he’d chosen to let it.

She took another bite, closing her eyes as she chewed and hhmmmd out her enjoyment of it. “God yes,” she said. “Well I have to say this is my first.” “First?” He grinned with naughty mischief. “Foodgasm.” She

He had no one to call. No one to ask to help him. And that’s how he liked it. It was better that way. No one could leave when you were already alone. Fuck,

Oh shit. It finally hit her. He was blushing from the eye orgasm she was having all over him.

I’m crying because I thought you were dead. You said you’d call and you didn’t. What was I supposed to think? I’ll tell you what I thought. I thought you offed yourself, but I wasn’t really sure. I waited. I waited for days, William.” She

You know, when I called you that first night …” there was a long pause and Rosie strained to hear, needing to know that very thing, “it was to have somebody to say goodbye to.” Pain

His nostrils filled with the scents of the room, the scents of that night when his mother had summoned him. She’d been wearing nothing, her skin glistening in the night light, her femininity bared. William gripped the phone trying to crush it in his hand. “Look at your mother’s ….” Josh slammed his hands into the side of his head and scrunched his eyes shut, just as William had done that night. He doubled over, screaming into the empty house. No. He wouldn’t see it; he wouldn’t listen to those words or do as he was told. He stood himself up, eyes piercing the ones in the reflection. “I fucking hate you. It was all you. All you. Why did you do what?” He’d cut William out. He’d make him fucking leave. He’d kill him if he had to. He was no longer William. William was dead. Josh

collapsing to his knees on the pile of glass on the floor. The distorted reflection mocked him, laughed at him, pointed the blame back. “I’ll fucking kill you.” He snatched up a shard, his shaking hand pushing the jagged edge into his bare thigh. Electrifying pleasure raced through him. He let his head fall back, his mouth fell open as the glass silenced the evil in his skin. The cuts breathed air into his soul, releasing him from those mental binds—a man freed from the bars of his memories. He dropped the slick glass on the floor, blood dripping down his thigh. He

Life’s too short?” “Yep, but it’s the longest thing we ever do.” “That’s very true. I’ve never thought about it like that.” “Not many do,” he said. They

Struggling. Fighting angry ghosts that held their tongue, strangling them so they’d never tell.

He lowered his head with a shy grin. “You’re skenning like I’ve a third head.” “Skenning.” She panicked at the term wanting to grab her list of slangs from her purse, sure she didn’t have that one. “Staring?” he helped. “Oh,

I’m buying.” She was sure her wallet screeched at the generous offer. “I’ve got a few quid, thank you,” he said. “It’s cracking flags out.” He looked out the window then back, assaulting her with another heart stopping smile. “I’ve lost you, have I?” “I’m usually … I’m lost,” she admitted but in more ways than he realized. “I’m usually really good with slang, quid is cigarettes, right?” “Quid is money,

Quids,” she bubbled with a fluttery laugh, grabbing her purse while staring at his expanse of chest. “I have to write them as I learn them.” She snatched her little pad and scribbled it in. When she was done, she found him smiling at her. “I’m weird,