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“You want one of everything?”
“But mostly you.”
I glance over at him. “Did you hit your head?”
“No, but I got kicked in it repeatedly.”
“Clearly explains the trauma and the romantic things you’re saying,” I say as I put a twenty in and start hitting buttons. It doesn’t buy him everything, but it’s enough to hopefully sate him. “It’s hard to do this left-handed.”
“Shouldn’t have tried running off, then.”
“I wasn’t… you’re not going to believe me, are you?” I ask as I squeeze his hand.
“It’s not likely.”
“I didn’t think so,” I say as I collect all the snacks with my left hand. I tuck a bag of Skittles into Kade’s hand that’s struggling to hold the towel. “You’re so wet.”
“That’s what happens when you run away.”
“I’m positive I wasn’t running away,” I say as I gather up everything else.
“You swear?”
“I very much do.”
Kade leads me back to the room where I hear the shower still going. He makes a show of locking the room door, then goes in and shuts the water off. After a minute, he comes out wearing a larger towel and slumps down on the bed before patting it.
Picking up the pad of paper that’s left on the desk as well as a pen, I go over to him. “So, see this?” I ask as I scribble down a crudely drawn human. “I’m going to detach his fingers first.”
Kade starts laughing as he watches me cross out each finger. “You’re drawing me a diagram about how you’re going to kill Norn?”
“I am! So then I’ll take his toes.”
“What are you going to do with all of these fingers and toes?”
“I don’t know. I guess just like toss them in a corner or something,” I say, not sure why this part matters much.
“You could display them, you know? Wear a little necklace with them.”
I stare at him before sighing as I realize how ridiculous I’m being. “OKAY. I get it. I’m being crazy.”
“No, no, no! I want to hear more. So once you’ve built a little Eiffel Tower in the corner with his fingers and toes, what are you going to do?”
“You make me sound like a serial killer!”
“No! I’m trying to pull out your creative side. Okay, so fingers and toes stacked to make a pyramid. What are you doing with the hands?”
I can’t keep the grin at bay. “Stop! This is horribly morbid.”
“You’re the one wanting to chop them off. So you chopping them off is okay but me recommending you take up an artful side project so they don’t go to waste isn’t?”
“Okay, you’re right, I’m sorry. I’ll stop talking about ways to torture him.”
“Good,” Kade says as he leans in and tips up my chin. “Because, Len… you’re a good person. Don’t let your brother make you think you’re not. You’re nothing like him. You are better than you even realize. And I fully believe that you wouldn’t be happy torturing someone even if you hate them.”
I mess with the bag of pretzels I have in my hand, finding it hard to meet his eyes because I’m afraid that if he knew everything about me, he’d realize that I’m not as good of a person as he thinks I am. But he tips my chin up again and my eyes catch onto his.
“Are you listening?” he asks.
