Page 170 of Savage Roses
delphine
“This… is unusual,”Salvatore says later that night. He puts his arm around me as we walk onto the dark street “You sure you’re good?”
Frost puffs out in the winter night’s air. Our breaths caught in the cold. Weather forecasts predicted it would be the coldest New Year’s night in over a decade.
You’d think I’d want to be bundled up inside. Most of the city rang in the New Year over an hour ago. People have already started heading home.
And we’re just getting started.
I plunge both hands into my coat pockets and smile up at Salvatore. “I’m good. Are you?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, Phi. I’m good. Where to?”
I think before answering.
When I suggested we do something spontaneous, I had no real ideawhat. I was feeling lost and despondent and Salvatore avoidant and angry. He lost his temper and vented maybe more than he ever had before—a real breakthrough in the aftermath of what we’ve suffered.
I don’t know why or how it came to my mind, but in that moment, I felt we needed something different. Something fun and rebellious, almost like we were teens again. We’ve just escaped certain death and are more alive than we’ve ever been.
So I suggested we go out, after all. Not for New Years. But for ourselves.
For our own enjoyment, like we used to when we were younger.
“Well?” Salvatore asks when I take too long answering.
I nibble on my bottom lip, then cast him an uncertain look. “It’s very… unexpected.”
“Phi, this whole night is unexpected. You forget you were in sweats with Pepa on your lap just twenty minutes ago?”
“Even more unexpected than my first unexpected idea.”
He shakes his head, his expression a cross between amusement and exasperation. “You lead the way.”
Even though I’ve Salvatore, he’s still surprised when I do as he suggests and lead him to the destination on my mind.
We come to a stop outside the shop. The flashing neon sign in the window reflects in our eyes. The word ‘OPEN’ glows at us. Below that an advertisement reads ‘2 for 1 Special’.
Salvatore slowly turns to me. It’s begun flurrying again, tiny flakes swirling around us. Some of them land in our hair, our eyelashes, on our clothes. He stares at me for a moment with the flakes dusting the shoulders of his leather jacket.
“Phi…” he says. “You can’t be serious.”
“You don’t have to do it. But I want to. I’ve always wanted one… and it’s the only way to get rid of it.”
His cheek twitches subtly. So does the left corner of his mouth. “You really are such a goody-goody.”
“Excuse me?!” I gasp.
“You know what I mean. This reminds me of the time you stumbled into Nirvana. A real lightweight.”
“I was eighteen!”
“We went to school with alcoholics and drug addicts. Rich ones, but drunks and druggies just the same, Phi.Youwere one of the few goody-goodies.”
I roll my eyes and put my hands on my hips. “How can I forget? It’s why you pursued me.”
“You being cute didn’t hurt. Neither did those little dresses you wore.”
“Are you coming in with me, or not?”