Water in a Time of Thirst

Chapter Six

"I'm thirty-four." Corbin searched her face for a reaction. The last few women he'd encountered were older, and drifters like him, yet didn't mind his age when they slid inside his sleeping bag. But maybe she did? "Does that bother you?"

Everleigh straightened her head and crooked her brows. "Why would your age bother me?"

"No reason." He shrugged.

"Why are we stopped?"

"See that tower in the distance?" He leaned into her, pointing towards the object. "My uncle shoots suspicious people from up there. It's how he keeps his property safe."

"I see..." she replied, and he turned his head so his lips could graze her ear.

"Don't be scared."

The whisper sent a visible shiver down her spine, but she looked into his turquoise eyes, like a predator challenging another predator. "I'm not scared."

"You sure?" He cocked his brow.

"I don't scare easily." She stared at him, a challenge still there.

His heart rhythm quickened, but his breathing eased as he stared into her bowls of pudding-eyes that erased the memory of Sarah's grey ones. This was a moment he could steal. It would be easy to tilt his head and press his lips to hers, and it would satisfy his craving for human connection.

"Everleigh..." Armis's wheezed from the back seat. "Are we there?"

"Close," she squeaked, her confident glare replaced with a blush of embarrassment.

Corbin's shoulders drooped. Lately, his life was full of bad timing. He scooted back to his side of the truck and started the engine. "You doing alright back there?"

"As well as expected," Armis replied and adjusted himself into an upright position.

They both watched as Corbin steered the truck through the tree clearing bordering the farm when a patch of earth exploded into the air, creating a fine mist of dirt.

"What was that!" Everleigh leaned forward.

"A warning shot," Corbin replied. "I need something to use as a peace-flag, so my uncle knows our intentions are good."

"Um..." Everleigh searched at their feet.

"I've got it," Corbin said, removing his shirt, causing Everleigh's eyes to grow wide.

"What are you doing!"

"Making a peace flag." He winked, and her face turned a deeper shade of crimson as she stole a glance at his bare torso.

When he caught her looking, he grinned. She snapped her attention to the backseat where Armis was lying back, eyes closed and his face curled in pain.

"It's me, Corbin!" He waved the shirt out of the window.

Light flickered from the sniping tower as if the sun was beaming off of a shiny object. Taking it as a good sign, Corbin stepped out of the truck with hands up. From a distance, his uncle's silhouette was visible in the morning sun. The light flickered again, followed by a faint call carrying on the wind. Corbin hopped inside the truck but kept his shirt off as he steered towards his uncle's home-and very much aware of Everleigh's discomfort. His uncle made his way down the tower while the truck crawled through the field. Everleigh rolled down the window and leaned her head against the doorframe, taking in a deep breath of fresh air.