Page 391 - Some Dance to Remember

Some Dance to Remember 361

“It’s not worth the chance.” Ryan sat upright in his chair. “You always
said you wanted to be more communicative than competitive.” Then he
dared. “Do you need the crowds cheering your muscle?”
“No.” Kick shrugged his shoulders. “If you want the truth...”
“Go ahead. Hurt me with it.”
“It was always only you out there. I posed for you.”
“Omigod. Don’t do this to me. I love you so much.”
“As for the other drugs, our use is no more than recreational.”
“Don’t be angry,” Ryan said.
“I’m not angry. I’m hurt.”
“I’m dying. I’m scared to Death. I can’t go on like this. We’ll get sick.
We’ll die.” Ryan grasped. “Everyone’s changing their bad habits.”
“Fuck everyone,” Kick said. “Whenever I do something, I do it the
best and see it through to the end.”
Ryan’s heart raced at his words. The end. Just like the movies. THE
END.
“If there’s a problem between us, I never knew till now,” Kick said.
“We’ve had three good years.”
“You’ve had three good years. I’ve had two.”
“Don’t start, Ry.” Kick recognized the darting razor-flick of Ryan’s
tongue breaking its check. “I remember how you could start on Thom and
Teddy, and how you go at Solly. I don’t want you to start on me.”
“I’m sorry. That was a rotten thing to say.”
“I think I’d better leave.”
“What?”
“I have to leave.”
“Why?”
“If I make anyone unhappy, I have to leave,” Kick said.
“You don’t want to address our problem?”
“I have no problem. I’ve chosen quality of life over quantity of life.”
“That’s a problem.”
“It’s your problem. If I leave, maybe you can solve it.”
“What’s with you southern guys? How can one little conversation
make you head for the door? What is this? Gone with the Wind?” Southern
men! Southern men! “No working anything out? You just walk out the door
and frankly don’t give a damn?”
“I give a damn,” Kick said. “You can handle this. You can handle
anything. You’re a writer.”
“This is not one of my porn stories. You’re not a character I want to
manipulate. A long time ago, maybe, I had the conceit to feel I conjured

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