Wanting Read Free

time, especially when Dane was late finishing and the rain pissed down on Adam like no one’s business. Still, it got Adam out of the house, didn’t it, and that was something.
    Times past, Adam wouldn’t have even stepped over the threshold at night. Wankers attacking him when he walked home in the dark made him afraid to go out. And he had been afraid, more than he’d liked to admit, because, fuck, it wasn’t cool to say you were frightened. Not around here, anyway.
    No, it wouldn’t be a wise move. People would use it against him.
    This city was rough as arseholes. Just two months ago, when summer had been at its height, a bloke had been found murdered in a warehouse, and before that, some freak had been feeding drugs to innocent people in order to make them go out and kill. The world was a fucked-up place, no doubt about it, and Adam wanted out of the rat race more than anything.
    He shivered, a raindrop sneaking inside his collar and dripping down his neck. Damn autumn weather ought to fuck the hell off right about now. Six days it had been raining, with no indication it was going to let up. They reckoned there would be floods before long, insurance companies shitting bricks at the anticipated payouts. Good job Adam lived in a high-rise flat then, wasn’t it, and as for home insurance…
    One day he’d get a job instead of relying on Dane to pay the rent. All right, Dane had moved in when Adam had lost his job because of…well, because of what had happened, but it couldn’t go on indefinitely. Adam felt guilty every time Dane dipped into his pocket, money for this or money for that, always something that needed paying for, but Dane insisted he didn’t mind.
    “I love you, don’t I,” he’d said. “And when you’re better and get a job we’ll share the bills, all right?”
    Adam had nodded, a damn sissy lump in his throat, and had gone off to busy himself doing something or other. He couldn’t remember what now, just that he’d needed to get away from those penetrative blue eyes before Dane copped on to the fact that Adam wanted to bawl his bloody eyes out. The last thing he’d wanted then was sympathy. He felt a bastard every day he didn’t get himself out of the flat to go job-hunting, but it was all so…so fucking hard . Everyone seemed to be looking at him weirdly, like…shit, he couldn’t even explain it. Like they knew he was afraid, that if they lunged towards him suddenly he’d crap his pants and take off running.
    And maybe he would.
    He glanced at the sky. Oddly, it wasn’t that dark, despite it being past midnight. The clouds hung low—looked as though they were sitting on the damn rooftops—all fat grey bellies and puffy arses. The moon shone from between two dirty great cotton balls, its pewter-coloured face somewhat angry compared to the usual smiling effort.
    Adam huffed out a short laugh, shaking his head. Like the moon was a real man. Jesus.
    The door to the mini-mart clacked open, giving Adam a bit of a start. Loud or sudden noises did that to him, and as he turned to see if Dane was on his way out, he wondered if he’d ever get over this shit. Kevin, Dane’s work buddy, lifted one hand in greeting then yanked his hood over his head before scarpering down the road. Waste of time, that. He’d be soaked before he even got home.
    Adam sighed, staring at the shop doorway for signs of Dane. The lights still blazed inside, looking for all the world like the shop was open, yet it had closed over half an hour ago. He gave the door a push, expecting it to be locked, but it opened with the same clack it had made when Kevin had left. The heater above the door blasted a welcome hot breeze, and Adam shivered again, rainwater dripping from his hair and into his eyes.
    He stared around the shop, hoping to catch sight of Dane, but he was either in the office securing the takings or in the storeroom. Either way, it was a bit mental leaving the door unlocked like that, considering the