Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 5

for Sebastian and want him to heal before making the journey. Sebastian could not countenance the idea of living in Drake's home, even sleeping in his bed, but not having him.
    Plus there was the small detail that he planned to steal Drake's vehicle.
    It was the right thing to leave. He hated to steal, but it was the only way to accomplish it. He didn't think Drake would mind.
    What I did for you, I'd do for anyone, understand?
    That's all he was to Drake – a charity case. He crept from the room, quietly, carefully, and made his way downstairs. He packed enough food to last for a couple days, knowing it would take at least that before they reached another town.
    Sebastian went to wake El Basque. "It's time to go."
    His father allowed himself to be wrapped in sheets. "Thank you, son."
    Sebastian did not like the finality of the words. They sounded like goodbye. "You're going to be well," he said fiercely.
    El Basque smiled faintly. "I know."
    Sebastian set his jaw and carried him down the stairs, cringing at every creak of the old wood. He settled him into a makeshift cot of wood and blankets.
    He walked back into the house, almost running into the woman again. Damn, she was quiet. Would she tell Drake they were leaving?
    She handed him a small bundle. Sebastian peeked inside and saw the medicines she'd used last night.
    He managed a smile. "Thank you, ma'am."
    Her wizened face crinkled into a smile of her own, then she disappeared into the house. How she managed to move that quickly, he didn't know. He went to gather the last of the supplies he'd plucked from the house's pantry, feeling like the worst kind of louse. He knew that Drake had plenty left, that he would have allowed Sebastian to take what he needed, but also that Drake would not be happy to find him gone.
    He held his breath as the old vehicle rumbled to a start. He pulled to the front of the house and stared at the door. All this quiet, all this creeping, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than for
    Drake to come running out of the house, icy blue eyes blazing. Drake would tell him off, but Sebastian deserved it. And then he would get to say a proper goodbye.
    None of that happened. The door remained shut, Drake remained sleeping, and Sebastian remained a selfish little shit. He looked back at the still lump that was his father and knew he had best get going if he wanted to find shelter before the end of the day.
    With one last, long look at the plain white house, Sebastian left Drake behind.
    ****
    The wheels clattered over the uneven clay, jolting them along. He could hear the makeshift cot rattle against the wooden base of the caravan.
    The sound wormed its way into Sebastian's conscience. He was the cause of his father's suffering now. And not only that, he thought of Drake's face when he said he was leaving. Had he seen sadness in those blue eyes? Hurt even?
    Because he was surely hurting. Every revolution of the wheels was like a crank to his heart, winding and grinding until there'd be nothing left.
    In the rear-facing mirror, a lone insect crawled the horizon, traveling closer until it morphed into a single man on a bike. It roomed even closer and pulled alongside him. The rider lifted his visor, and Sebastian could see that it was not a man but a woman. He slowed, and she matched his speed.
    "Where are you headed?" her melodious voice called.
    Sebastian's shrug blended into the bumps of the terrain.
    She glanced back at the covered caravan of the vehicle. "It's not safe to travel alone in these parts."
    "Then what are you doing?"
    She grinned. "Living dangerously."
    Sebastian allowed himself a small laugh. He should probably be more worried – this could be an ambush or hell, a woman could handle a gun as well as a man – but somehow he wasn't.
    "There's a watershed about two miles that away," she said. "They overcharge but they don't ask questions."
    "Thanks for the tip," Sebastian said.
    The roar of the bike between her legs signaled her imminent departure.
    "Hey, wait," Sebastian called. "Maybe I'll see you there."
    "You betcha, soldier." She pulled ahead of him and drove away. Bemused, he watched her shrinking form, shimmery in the desert. Soldier. He wasn't a soldier, although he knew one. Hell, he wasn't ever getting away from this, was he? The reasons he had left seemed small in his mind.
    His pride was not worth it.
    His foot rested on the brake, leaden by the weight of his self-disgust. The vehicle slowed to a lurching stop. He