[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Danny s face fell. He finally yielded under Dave s touch.
Dave bolted through the doorway.
 Dave, please.  Danny was on his heels again as he headed toward the front door.
Dave slipped his feet into his sneakers and yanked the ties into quick bows. His winter
boots were down in his car, not needed because of the mid-winter thaw. He set his bag
down, half-expecting Danny to snap it up and keep it from him, but Danny stood there, his
eyes pleading. Danny s sweet sad expression only made Dave feel more like a monster.
Dave shrugged into his coat and retrieved his bag from the floor.  I have to do this. I m
sorry.
For the first time, Danny s eyes narrowed and the set of his jaw hardened.  No, you
don t. He squared his shoulders.  They re liars, Dave. Liars. And you believe them. They re
the monsters. Not you.
 Danny, I pushed my way into your life, like a bull in a china shop. No pun intended.
 No, you didn t. I was the one who admitted my feelings first.
 Yeah and then I jumped on you and gave you a hand job.
Danny jutted out his chin.  I didn t exactly fight you off did I?
 No, that s true. But then again, how long had it been? Eight years? Jesus, Danny, you
were probably so horny the crack of dawn would have done the trick for you.
Hurt flickered again through Danny s eyes.  I know my feelings, Dave. They re not just
desire.
Oh God, he wasn t going to say that word, was he? Not now. No one deserved the  L
word less. To hear it from Danny would do him in as badly as losing him.  I gotta go now,
Danny. Let me be. He pulled the door open and bolted, pulling it shut behind him before
Danny could grasp the doorknob and try to stop him again.
94 Sedonia Guillone
Chapter Twelve
A man with outward courage dares to die, a man with inward
courage dares to live; but either of these men has a better and a
worse side than the other. And who can tell exactly to which
qualities heaven objects? Heaven does nothing to win the day,
says nothing -- is echoed, orders nothing -- is obeyed, advises
nothing -- is right: And which of us, seeing that nothing is
outside the vast wide-meshed net of heaven, knows just how it
is cast?
-- Lao Tzu
Danny stood a moment in shock. The sound of the door below opening pulled him into
action. He yanked the door open and ran down the steps, desperate to catch Dave before he
left. He ran out into the freezing cold, not caring that he wore only his pajama bottoms and
that the winter air stung every bare inch of his skin.
However, Dave was too fast. He d already started his car, backed out of the tiny
parking lot behind the building and peeled away. Danny reached the lot just as Dave s car
disappeared around the corner.
Danny stood in the winter cold, oblivious to the sharp chill on his skin. The pale sun
had already disappeared behind the buildings, signaling the descent of twilight. He barely
noticed. All he knew was that Dave had left, that they d fought, and that he had driven Dave
away. If ever there was a time he wished the sidewalk could open up and devour him, it was
now.
 Danny!
In the back of his consciousness, he heard someone call his name.
Tao of Love 1: Danny s Dragon 95
 Danny! The voice was coming closer, a familiar sound. Meg. Usually her voice
brought comfort, but today, it only reminded him starkly of what had happened. Nothing
could comfort him. As she approached he remembered what Dave had said about her. She s
got a great set of tits. The words thudded dully on his grief-stricken consciousness.
He turned just as she halted in front of him, her face frantic with concern. Vaguely, he
remembered she must have been closing the store and seen him run out. She hadn t even
bothered to put on her own coat.
 Danny, what happened? Why are you out here in the freezing cold like this? My God,
come inside. She put her arm across his shoulders, leading him gently to the door of his
building.
He let her lead him, realizing he was in some sort of shock, worse by far than the shock
he d felt when the homeless man pulled the knife on him.
Meg took his hand, leading him up the stairs and back into the apartment, the front
door of which still stood open from when he d run after Dave. She closed the door firmly and
brought him to sit on the futon. She picked up the little fleece throw blanket he kept slung
over the back and wrapped it around him.  Stay here, she said gently,  I m going to make
you some tea.
 No, Meg. Don t go. The kitchen seemed very far away. He huddled over, shivering,
but not because of the cold.
Meg sank down next to him.  Okay, Danny, don t worry. She took one look at him
and pulled him into her arms.  Let me warm you.
Danny let himself fall against her.  I can t talk about it, he said between chattering
teeth.  It s too painful.
Meg squeezed him gently.  You don t have to talk, Danny. You don t have to do
anything. She held him close and caressed his hair.
Danny shivered for what felt like a long time. It was quite dark outside before his body
had calmed enough for Meg to let him go and sit up on his own. He continued to stare down
at his lap, listless. Slowly, in dull tones, he told her what had happened, beginning with the
lawsuit.
Meg listened in the careful way she always did and sat quietly, her hands in her lap.
 My God, Danny, that s awful. She looked at him.  Listen, I don t think you drove him
away. I really don t. I think he feels ashamed, or something like that. She was quiet for a
moment.  Danny, what his dad did to him, it s still affecting him, even though he s older.
From what you told me about his reaction, it sounds like he had the most difficulty accepting
that you love him. I m sure it s even more complex than that, but ... I don t know ... it makes
sense.
Danny looked at her.  It sounds true. But I didn t want to lose him. Tears blurred his
eyes and he rubbed them vigorously with his thumb and forefinger. When he d sufficiently
96 Sedonia Guillone
squashed the tears away he looked at Meg again.  He said I should marry you and just hide. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]