One Night Only (165 page)

“
I
.
.
.
I
don
’
t
kno
w
wha
t
yo
u
ar
e
talkin
g
about,
”
she
said
.
“
I
wa
s
wit
h
Poll
y
.
I
neede
d
a
break
.
Arrgh!
”

Th
e
secon
d
wa
s
alway
s
th
e
worst
.
I
t
wa
s
lik
e
child-
b
i
rt
h
.
Th
e
firs
t
tim
e
it
’
s
unexpecte
d
an
d
yo
u
tak
e
the blo
w
,
bu
t
nex
t
tim
e
around
,
yo
u
kno
w
what
’
s
ahea
d
and
it
’
s
eve
n
mor
e
terrifyin
g
tha
n
before
.

“
Y
o
u
lef
t
ou
r
so
n
wit
h
m
y
mothe
r
s
o
yo
u
coul
d
go whorin
g
aroun
d
tow
n
wit
h
tha
t
pos
h
bitc
h
fro
m
next doo
r
,
didn
’
t
you
?
Loo
k
a
t
me
!
Didn
’
t
you
?
”

Gin
a
wa
s
tremblin
g
fro
m
th
e
ver
y
inside
.
Fiv
e
minutes mus
t
b
e
u
p
b
y
no
w
,
sh
e
thought
.
Please
,
Poll
y
.
Please
com
e
back
.
Please
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
tak
e
an
y
more
.
Sh
e
was o
n
th
e
brin
k
o
f
tellin
g
hi
m
abou
t
Marco
.
Sh
e
fel
t
s
o
dirty an
d
h
e
wa
s
s
o
convincing
.
Sh
e
wa
s
a
whore
.
Sh
e
slept wit
h
a
strange
r
.
Sh
e
deserve
d
wha
t
h
e
wa
s
saying
.

“
I
.
.
.
I
didn
’
t
mea
n
t
o
.
.
.
I
didn
’
t
.
.
.” “
Y
o
u
did!
”
h
e
said
.
“
Y
o
u
fuckin
g
–
”

A
flurr
y
o
f
footstep
s
fro
m
outsid
e
slowe
d
dow
n
the
moo
d
an
d
the
y
bot
h
waite
d
t
o
se
e
wh
o
thei
r
visito
r
was.
T
revo
r
ha
d
a
rive
r
o
f
perspiratio
n
abov
e
hi
s
li
p
an
d
his
forehea
d
wa
s
dotte
d
wit
h
glass
y
beads
.
Gin
a
coul
d
fee
l
a
trickl
e
o
f
col
d
swea
t
trave
l
righ
t
dow
n
he
r
spine
.

“I
f
sh
e
i
s
back,
”
whispere
d
T
revo
r
,
hi
s
fist
s
clenching
again
.
“I
f
tha
t
nose
y
tar
t
doesn
’
t
kno
w
whe
n
t
o
sta
y
away fro
m
m
y
house
,
I’l
l
chas
e
he
r
.
I’l
l
fuckin
g
chas
e
her!
”

Hi
s
ches
t
heave
d
i
n
an
d
ou
t
a
s
h
e
waite
d
an
d
the
n
the bac
k
doo
r
burs
t
open
.

“Daddy!
”

O
h
God
!
O
h
God
,
than
k
you
!
though
t
Gina
.

I
t
wa
s
Dann
y
and
,
lik
e a
deflate
d
balloon
,
Gin
a
almost collapse
d
agains
t
th
e
table
.
Dann
y
wa
s
home
.
H
e
had
save
d
he
r
muc
h
mor
e
tha
n
Poll
y
could
.
T
revo
r
would
neve
r
touc
h
he
r
i
n
fron
t
o
f
thei
r
son
.
Y
es
,
h
e
ha
d
battered he
r
blac
k
an
d
blu
e
whe
n
th
e
bo
y
wa
s
asleep
,
bu
t
neve
r
in col
d
dayligh
t
i
n
fron
t
o
f
hi
s
eyes
.

“Hello
,
m
y
boy!
”
sai
d
T
revo
r
and
,
lik
e
someon
e
had
flicke
d
a
switch
,
hi
s
whol
e
personalit
y
change
d
int
o
that o
f
a
dotin
g
fathe
r
wh
o
ha
d
returne
d
fro
m
a
legitimat
e
trip awa
y
.
Eve
n
th
e
bead
s
o
f
perspiratio
n
tha
t
ha
d
sa
t
above
hi
s
lip
s
an
d
o
n
hi
s
forehea
d
ha
d
disappeared
.

“
Y
o
u
smel
l
lik
e
ba
d
bee
r
,
”
sai
d
Dann
y
,
pullin
g
away whe
n
T
revo
r
leane
d
i
n
t
o
embrac
e
him
.
“
Y
uk!
”