Chapter 44

“Well, you should always believe me.” The pout became a faint smile, a flash.

“Because you’d never lie to me.”

“Not about anything important. Now, I like how my silver hair makes me look older.”

“Hmm.” I was still running my fingers through it, trying to tame it some. “Who wants to look older than they are?”

“Someone who’s always being told he’s too young, that’s who.”

“Ah. Everything will be okay, Archie.” I hoped I was being truthful.

We stayed like that a long time, up there on the roof under the stars, our bodies molded together on a night so steamy the air around us felt heavy and tangible. The storms that looked imminent earlier never came. I even forgot to be nervous about the altitude. Archie settled. His sobs quieted. He stopped sniffling.