managed to get the blood off his skin and out from under his fingernails.
He wiped his hands dry and then pulled a beer from the fridge. He heard the sound of water running in the back of the house and headed to the hall with a beer in hand. John realized that the blood on the floor and in the hall was gone. He found a mop leaning against the wall near his bedroom door. The bucket of water beside it was stained crimson. He took a long drink from his beer and then proceeded to his bedroom.
He could tell the water was coming from the master bath. John stepped into his bedroom and found Angela’s clothes in a pile on the floor at the foot of the bed. He downed the rest of his beer and put the bottle on the nightstand. He peeked in through the bathroom door and saw Angela lying in the tub with her head back against the edge. Her eyes met his and she smiled. The anger was missing from her face. She looked relaxed as if everything in the world was okay.
“You looking for something,” she asked.
Angela bit her bottom lip in the way that drove John crazy. He pushed open the door and smiled back at her.
“Maybe ,” he said.
“I’m so proud of you , baby.”
“How so?”
“You did it,” she said. “You really did it. You proved to me that you would do anything for your family.”
Angela’s voice was soft and inviting. John could sense the pride in her. His chest swelled. He hadn’t felt this from her for longer than he could remember.
“That’s all I ever wanted from you,” she said. “That’s all we ever wanted.”
She pulled one foot from underneath the water and laid it up on the edge of the bathtub. She gave him a look filled with desire. John walked to the tub and pushed off his boots with his feet. He looked down at his clothes and the amount of blood startled him.
“Don’t,” she said, then threw her other leg up on the far side of the tub, exposing herself. “Just get in here.”
The moment John pulled his stare away from the blood, the horror was gone. He looked into Angela’s eyes and forgot about everything else. He took a hold of her hand and stepped in the warm water. Angela pulled him down on top of her, and with the slightest ease, made him forget about all his troubles.
7
John lay in bed listening to the sound of his heart. He couldn’t sleep. The last time he looked, the clock on the nightstand read 3:42 am. His eyes started burning half an hour ago, but he knew it didn’t matter. Moonlight cascaded in through the bedroom window and lit up the opposite wall. He watched the open doorway until his mind played tricks on him. He’d seen movement in the hall several times, but he knew nothing was really there.
He turned his head and looked at Angela. She was sleeping soundly beside him as she had been since the moment her head hit the pillow. He watched her chest rise in slow, perfect rhythm. He thought she looked peaceful.
They’d made love for the first time in over a year. From the moment he’d stepped in the bath, John saw the side of Angela he fell in love with. Everything felt right and he didn’t want to ruin it. He would have to quiet the nagging thoughts dancing in his head.
He decided that he’d been in the bed long enough, and slowly moved Angela’s hand from his chest and slid out from under the covers. The wood floor was cold against his feet. He found his slippers under the bed, threw on his robe, and headed down the hall. His heart beat loud in his ears as he neared Alex’s room. Only a foot away, he paused and the silence brought a smile to his face. He pictured his boy sleeping soundly as he headed for the living room.
John went into the kitchen and eyed the canisters atop the refrigerator. He reached up and fished his hand around until he found what he was looking for. From a hidden spot behind the flower container, appeared a half empty pack of cigarettes. John looked in the torn opening in the top of the pack and found the small lighter.
He went
He wiped his hands dry and then pulled a beer from the fridge. He heard the sound of water running in the back of the house and headed to the hall with a beer in hand. John realized that the blood on the floor and in the hall was gone. He found a mop leaning against the wall near his bedroom door. The bucket of water beside it was stained crimson. He took a long drink from his beer and then proceeded to his bedroom.
He could tell the water was coming from the master bath. John stepped into his bedroom and found Angela’s clothes in a pile on the floor at the foot of the bed. He downed the rest of his beer and put the bottle on the nightstand. He peeked in through the bathroom door and saw Angela lying in the tub with her head back against the edge. Her eyes met his and she smiled. The anger was missing from her face. She looked relaxed as if everything in the world was okay.
“You looking for something,” she asked.
Angela bit her bottom lip in the way that drove John crazy. He pushed open the door and smiled back at her.
“Maybe ,” he said.
“I’m so proud of you , baby.”
“How so?”
“You did it,” she said. “You really did it. You proved to me that you would do anything for your family.”
Angela’s voice was soft and inviting. John could sense the pride in her. His chest swelled. He hadn’t felt this from her for longer than he could remember.
“That’s all I ever wanted from you,” she said. “That’s all we ever wanted.”
She pulled one foot from underneath the water and laid it up on the edge of the bathtub. She gave him a look filled with desire. John walked to the tub and pushed off his boots with his feet. He looked down at his clothes and the amount of blood startled him.
“Don’t,” she said, then threw her other leg up on the far side of the tub, exposing herself. “Just get in here.”
The moment John pulled his stare away from the blood, the horror was gone. He looked into Angela’s eyes and forgot about everything else. He took a hold of her hand and stepped in the warm water. Angela pulled him down on top of her, and with the slightest ease, made him forget about all his troubles.
7
John lay in bed listening to the sound of his heart. He couldn’t sleep. The last time he looked, the clock on the nightstand read 3:42 am. His eyes started burning half an hour ago, but he knew it didn’t matter. Moonlight cascaded in through the bedroom window and lit up the opposite wall. He watched the open doorway until his mind played tricks on him. He’d seen movement in the hall several times, but he knew nothing was really there.
He turned his head and looked at Angela. She was sleeping soundly beside him as she had been since the moment her head hit the pillow. He watched her chest rise in slow, perfect rhythm. He thought she looked peaceful.
They’d made love for the first time in over a year. From the moment he’d stepped in the bath, John saw the side of Angela he fell in love with. Everything felt right and he didn’t want to ruin it. He would have to quiet the nagging thoughts dancing in his head.
He decided that he’d been in the bed long enough, and slowly moved Angela’s hand from his chest and slid out from under the covers. The wood floor was cold against his feet. He found his slippers under the bed, threw on his robe, and headed down the hall. His heart beat loud in his ears as he neared Alex’s room. Only a foot away, he paused and the silence brought a smile to his face. He pictured his boy sleeping soundly as he headed for the living room.
John went into the kitchen and eyed the canisters atop the refrigerator. He reached up and fished his hand around until he found what he was looking for. From a hidden spot behind the flower container, appeared a half empty pack of cigarettes. John looked in the torn opening in the top of the pack and found the small lighter.
He went
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