Chapter 129

Hours had passed. It was mid-afternoon, and I was sitting on Sunset’s couch with the TV on, watching, but not absorbing the local news channel.

I had left Sunset alone in the bathroom following an unknown length of silence together, after which she decided to have a shower to wash away the stench of that filthy harbour.

It was a long shower.

Long enough for me to replay that gesture over and over again. Did she really mean it? Is that what she actually meant? Did I misinterpret it? Yeah, that must be it.

But what else could it have meant?

I sat in silence, scratching my stubble as I stared at the brand logo at the bottom of her TV when I heard the water finally stop, followed by the curtain being pulled aside. For the next minute or so, I heard nothing. Then came a bout of violent coughing, followed by the sound of spitting and then the flush of a toilet.

The next several minutes were filled with the sounds of a typical post-shower routine; the sink faucet running, the brushing of teeth, the soft crackle of a brush being drawn through severely knotted hair before it was eventually set on the vanity with a dull clunk.

My heart rate rose a few points as the anticipation of seeing that bathroom door open began to set in, and my eyes quickly developed a habit of darting to the left to see if it was still closed.

What was she going to do? How would she act? Would she acknowledge what she’d communicated?

My vigilance didn’t pay off, however; the door opened when I happened to be glancing out of the balcony window. My head snapped around when I heard the door click, and I found Sunset standing in the doorway, wrapped in a bathrobe with her dark, wet hair brushed back, leaving her face unobscured and quite vulnerable-looking—but at least that rich, amber complexion had returned.

We stared each other down for a moment. Finally, she blinked twice and looked down at the floor to take a few steps closer.

“Hey,” she said, her voice scratchy. She placed a hand on her chest and cleared her throat immediately upon hearing herself. “Sorry.”

“It’s OK,” I replied as I stared absentmindedly, waiting to see what she did next.

She clutched the robe with one hand, closing it over her chest, looking somewhat uncomfortable when she looked at me again. “Um… “ —she cleared her throat another time— “I, uh… washed my hair, like, three times and it still smells like that nasty water.”

I remained silent and nodded. It didn’t even sound like Sunset; she sounded like an old lady who’d smoked her entire life.

Her eyes darted around after receiving no reply, and she shifted her shoulders anxiously. “You probably smell, too.”

I looked at myself and then brought my nose down to sniff the shoulder of my shirt. “Hm… a little,” I replied, looking up at her again. “I wasn’t in there as long as you, though.”

She stared for a moment, those turquoise eyes sparkling in the light from outside. Then she cleared her throat and cast her gaze to the floor. “Mind if I sit with you?”

I glanced at the empty cushion next to me. “It’s your couch, Sunny,” I replied, looking up at her again.

Sunset forced a little smirk and approached to sit next to me.

For a brief moment, we both stared ahead in silence.

After trying several times to think of something to say, I found relief when Sunset drew a deep, raspy breath and then shifted closer to place her head on my shoulder.

This move surprised me a bit, but I welcomed it. The dampness in her hair quickly bled through my shirt, but that sensation was quickly dwarfed by the intense heat that radiated from her body, having been submerged in hot water for hours on end.

Not knowing what else to do, I carefully swung my arm over her head and wrapped her shoulders with it, pulling her close.

She sighed deeply, letting herself relax. Then she convulsed suddenly, bringing a hand to her mouth as she fired a row of loud coughs into her palm.

“Sorry,” she croaked softly, clearing her throat when it was over.

“It’s OK.”

We sat in silence for what felt like hours, which, in reality, was barely a minute. Then Sunset drew a breath and brought a hand up to place it on my chest, where she began to trace and pick at the wrinkles in my shirt.

After letting her do this for a bit, I drew a breath to say something, not noticing that she was doing the same.

We stopped. I looked down at her, and she looked up at me.

“Sorry, go ahead,” she said.

I shook my head. “No, you first.”

After staring for a moment, she brought her attention back to my shirt to resume playing with it. “Thank you… for getting me out of there.”

I gave her a squeeze. “No problem, Sunny. Sorry I didn’t come sooner; we had no idea you were down there until this morning.”

She nodded against my shoulder. “I figured that,” she replied. “I was totally freaking out down there. I knew you guys would have no clue where I was, or where to look. You probably thought I was still out looking for the suspect.”

I nodded. “Yeah, we did. We had no idea you were in trouble.”

She clutched a handful of my shirt and sighed. “I don’t know how you did it.”

I let my cheek rest on her head. “Well… you actually have Twi to thank for that; she’s the one who saw it on the camera—she just didn’t know it was you.”

Sunset shook her head. “I don’t mean that. I was talking about when you were trapped in that rubble… when the people destroyed your castle.”

I stared forward. “Oh.”

“Eighty years…” She shook her head. “I can’t even. I mean, I was only down there for…” —she lifted her head to look at me— “how long was I down there?”

“Just over a week.”

She paused, sighed, and put her head on my shoulder again. “Hm. I coulda swore it was longer. But… that was only a week. I don’t get how you did over eighty years like that: trapped, can’t see, not knowing if anyone will ever find you…”

“Like I said, there’s really no choice but to wait. It’s not very much fun.”

“Tsh… it sucks,” she added, letting her hand slide down my belly until it rested just above my belt.

“Yeah.” I sighed, feeling a bit of guilt over her experience as I watched her pick innocently at the hem of my shirt. “Sorry you had to go through that, Sunny. I kinda feel like I let you down.”

She stopped what she was doing. “What do you mean?”

“Like…” I paused to let my eyes wander the room. “I kinda made a promise not to let anything like that happen to you… and the others.” I shook my head. “Some job I’m doing. First, I let Flutters get captured, and now this.”

Sunset lifted her head to look at me. “It’s not your fault, Golds. It could have been a lot worse. I mean, it’s not like I was down there for eighty years.”

“I know, but... still.”

She lowered her head to let her cheek squash against my shoulder. “Trust me; I’m grateful that you found me. As much as it sucked being there for a week, it’s nothing compared to what it could have been.” She drew a breath and resumed playing with my shirt.

After watching her for a moment, I shifted my sights to the top of her head to study the dry strands of hair that’d begun to break away from the wet locks. “I uh… I’m sorry about putting you in the tub when we got back here, too. I’m sure the last thing you wanted was to be wet, but that was the only thing I could think of.”

“It’s OK,” she replied. “It seemed to work pretty good.” She tilted her head to look at me. “I know I usually joke around and give you a hard time, but… I could tell you were worried about me. I’m glad I have you to look after me. At the end of the day, after all the bad jokes and dick-ish things you do, you’re one of the biggest sweethearts I know.”

I gave a little smile and squeezed her again. “Well, I’m glad. And I’m happy that it worked—sort of. Your voice is still a bit… um… ‘horse’?” I raised a brow at her.

Sunset rolled her eyes and let her head drop.

“My jokes are pretty good.”

“Ugh… I knew I shouldn’t have said that.”

I chuckled quietly while she traced her fingertips over my belt buckle.

“You’re right though,” she continued. “I didn’t want to be anywhere near the water —especially that hot— but… when you told me why you were doing it, I was able to calm down… because I trust you. I knew you were doing your best to take care of me.” She paused for a moment, and then lifted her head to face me. “It doesn’t matter now anyway; I’m all dry now… mostly, so it’s all good,” she said softly. Her warm breath brushed my cheek, followed closely by a pair of soft lips caressing my jaw.

The tip of her nose grazing my cheek, along with a cool waft of air from her nostrils, sent a wave of goosebumps across my skin, especially when she left a light smear of saliva behind, which immediately began to cool as her lips traveled upward in search of my ear.

I closed my eyes, feeling her cool, wet hair against my neck. “You… should’ve just used a blow dryer and been done with it,” I said, distracted by the feel of teeth gently nipping at my earlobe.

“It’s not just that.” As her breath drifted into my ear, her hand slid past my belt and cupped itself over my crotch, causing me to tense up. “I’m still wet somewhere else.”

“Oh, wow…” I stopped when my chest fluttered uncontrollably, unable to think as she began to caress the rapidly stiffening manhood through my pants. “S-Sunny, you… are you serious?”

She released my earlobe and then flicked it with her tongue. Then she planted a soft kiss on my cheekbone. “Come on… you didn’t really think the magic would take a day off, did you?”

“I—well, apparently not, guess.” I faced her.

Sunset seized the opportunity and leaned in to kiss me with those unbelievably warm lips of hers. She broke away slowly, backing off just enough to gaze into my eyes. “It’s been happening ever since you put me in the truck. I need relief, Golds; are you gonna give it to me, or do I have to take it?”

I stared back at her for a moment, noting the faint smell of harbour water still on her breath. “You know… that would have been a lot hotter if you didn’t sound like Joan Rivers right now.”

Sunset paused and then narrowed her eyes. “Hm. Looks like I’m gonna have to take it.” Her fingers wrapped tightly around my length, and she leaned forward to nip the tip of my nose. Then she leapt onto my lap, sitting on my thighs.

“Jeez!” I exclaimed as her fingers frantically picked my belt open and then unzipped my pants, rising to her knees so she could slide them down my thighs. Freed, my erection flung upwards and slapped my abdomen as Sunset lurched forward, pressing her bust against my face through that soft, fluffy robe. “Just—HEY! Take it eas—“

“Shush!” she barked, gripping my shoulders tightly as she brought her hips forward to press that warm mound against my belly, her aching womanhood searching for the business-end of my erection. The quest ended shortly; under that long bathrobe, I felt my knob come into contact with something warm, soft and very slippery.

Sunset bit her lip and closed her eyes as she swung her hips, stroking me with her crease to spread the moisture around. Then she cocked her hips back and pressed downward, making my head slip to the back of her slit to get snagged in her entrance. Then, without hesitation, the red-head slid her knees outward and descended, impaling herself on me.

“Hooo boy, Sunny. That is… warm,” I said, placing my hands on her hips as I felt the fiery-hot texture of her interior swallow me up, its grip firm and exciting.

“Tell me about it,” she panted, reaching down to untie her belt and throw the robe open. Her swaying breasts were freed, nipples soft from the heat; she came forward and planted my face between them, reaching past me to hold onto the back of the couch as her hips began to gyrate, grinding her clit against my lap as her insides and my length lovingly massaged one another.

Her breasts were hot and supple, pressed firmly against my cheeks as she huffed on the top of my head, overwhelmed by intoxicating sensation as she rode me vigorously, like a wild animal, with zero inhibition.

“Ohhh ffffff… mmmm,” she moaned, her voice raspy, breath hot. “Fuck, I missed you.”

I was unable to respond smothered by her breasts; all I could do was feel her heat against me, rising alongside the steadily increasing pleasure of her lovemaking. I managed to sneak my hands inside the robe and slide them around her waist, feeling her hot skin beneath my palms as I made my way up to her breasts. I squeezed them from the outsides, pressing them together as I brought my head back to have a better look.

Her nipples were almost touching one another like this, inviting me to taste them—so I did. I reached forward and took one in my mouth; the bud was soft and supple, and her hot skin gave off the scent of fresh shower—along with the slightest undertone of fish-scented water, which was a little strange, but I could live with it. A quick lap around her areola with my tongue and a gentle suck on that nub made it answer by stiffening rapidly between my lips, and after several flicks of my tongue and a playful nibble, I released it with a quiet pop and moved to the other.

Before long, Sunset’s nipples both throbbed and tingled, her appreciation signaled by her chest rattling with each breath. Her hips churned incessantly, bathing us in a pool of bliss as her fluids smeared themselves against my lap, filling the room with the unmistakable squipping of unbridled passion.

Little time passed before she climaxed. It came fast and sudden, with a rush of warm fluid that soaked my lap, accompanied by the tight, pulsing grip of her interior and a husky moan as I squeezed her breasts together, sucking one nipple while the other poked my cheek.

Sunset pulled back suddenly and brought her mouth down to connect her lips to mine, making sure her hips never ended their sultry dance. Her tongue slipped in with a swiftness that caught me off guard; with it came her saliva, which quickly mixed with mine. She swirled around inside my mouth, licking everything she could reach.

She broke the kiss before long, but kept her parted lips against mine, panting into my mouth as her body continued to fuck, seemingly of its own accord.

Something was off, however. Something that that was calling my attention away from the soft, tight heat that stoked my manhood, something that I could not ignore. While I was thoroughly enjoying Sunset’s passion, her deep panting had stirred up the residue in her lungs, and her breath was beginning to smell like a swamp.

Not wanting to say anything, I turned my head to the side, hoping that she would kiss my cheek or nibble my ear. And the plan worked—for a short time. Before long, though, she leaned over in search of my lips. I turned the other way, passing her mouth so I could kiss her neck on the opposite side.

She giggled softly and let her head fall back, biting her lip as my hands left her breasts and slipped farther inside the robe to squeeze her backside.

“Mmmm… fuck, it’s so good,” she whispered, bringing her mouth down to land a surprise kiss on my lips, following with a fishy-smelling blast of air against my face.

Turned away, not realising I was grimacing.

Sunset’s eyes were closed, luckily, so she didn’t see it; she licked her lips and followed mine, trying to plant another kiss, but I turned the other way to avoid her. When she tried to follow and I evaded yet again, she finally realised something was amiss. Her hips came to a standstill and she looked down at me, brows furrowed, mouth open as she continued to pant softly.

“What’s wrong?”

I drew a breath and paused, avoiding eye contact. “Nothing.”

Sunset cocked her head. “What do you mean, ‘nothing?’ Something’s wrong. What is it?”

I stared off toward her bedroom door and chewed my lip, not wanting to say it.

“Golds,” she said, her scratchy voice still able carry that distinctive sternness.

Knowing I couldn’t avoid it, I let out a sigh and faced her slowly. “Your… breath. It smells like that nasty harbour water.”

She leaned back and sneered. “What?”

I cleared my throat. “You smell like one of those boats from ‘The Deadliest Catch.’”

Sunset stared for a moment, then she closed her eyes and shook her head, sighing. “You fucking guy,” she muttered as she placed her hands on my shoulders. “Why didn’t you just say something?”

“I didn’t wanna… you know, hurt your feelings.”

“PPPFFT! Someone threw my ass in the lake for a fucking week. Like I give a shit if someone says my breath stinks.” She stood. My erection slipped out and fell against my abdomen.

“Wait, you’re not mad?” I asked, watching her turn around as she slipped the robe off her shoulders, revealing that flawless, amber derrière of hers.

“No, I’m not,” she sighed. “You should have just told me.” She stepped backwards and straddled my thighs, bent forward —which exposed every lovely, delicious thing that lived between those cheeks and thighs— to reach between her legs, still holding onto the corner of the robe to use as insulation. She gripped my length and stood it upright, then she let herself drop. I watched those glistening lips separate as she descended; they came down against my head, stretching just enough to let it slip between to enter the hot, moist tunnel beyond.

The red-head let her weight do the work, taking me deeper until her backside came to rest on my lap, showcasing her long hair and toned back as her depths welcomed me back inside with a warm squeeze.

“Ahhhh… yes,” Sunset whispered, letting her head fall back as she allowed her interior to become accustomed to the new angle. “It’s so good.” She leaned forward and placed her hands on my knees —which were still covered by my pants— and lifted her backside from my lap before letting it drop with a slap, followed by a gasp after driving my mast deep into her loins once again.

I watched that ass hammer my lap, the rear-end of her crease wrapped around my shaft with that thin, delicate rim of pink skin gliding along my length while the tiny hole just above stared me down, surrounded by an aura of slightly darker skin. All of this was perfectly matched by the tantalizing, hot texture of her interior sliding down my length; it was enough to make my eyelids flutter, and it was tough keeping them open to watch her rise again for another stroke.

Sunset established a rhythm rather quickly, her derrière bouncing on my erection like a pogo stick. I watched those cheeks hit my lap, jiggling gleefully with each impact; she panted and moaned incessantly, letting her head fall forward as she endured the deep sensations being repeatedly speared into her.

It wasn’t long before she began to tighten, her depths trying to squeeze me out as her weight forced me in; over and over, each thrust laid the next stone in her path to climax until at last she reached it. Using her hands as leverage, she shoved backwards and drove herself into me as hard as she should, her depths pulsing tightly as her backside twitched and bucked against my abdomen.

A raspy howl filled the room as the orgasm ravaged every part of her body. Unexpectedly, however, she sat straight up before it was even finished and began to rock her hips, grinding her ass into my lap. Her gushing heat stroked my length vigorously, sending my pleasure up that steady incline to the finish. One of her hands found itself on her thigh to steady herself as she rode, and the other came up to grope her breast and pinch her nipple as she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself through the intensity of the orgasm, desperate to receive that hot filling.

I knew it wouldn’t be long, certainly not with the scenery I had: that long, fiery hair swinging behind that toned back, the narrowness of her waist transitioning into those shapely hips and that divine ass, the warm, slick layer of juice that lubricated our movements as it smeared around my lap. Feeling the pressure begin to build from deep down, I reached out to cup her cheeks with my palms, squeezing them, digging my fingertips into that firm flesh as she reciprocated in perfect rhythm, the same rhythm that slowly-but-surely drew the seed from deep inside me, coaxing it to the surface, ready for launch.

Sunset moaned loudly and threw her head back when I came, maintaining a gentle pace with her hips as she felt the barrage of hot spurts hit the deepest parts of her, matched by that long, stiff girth throbbing within her hot grip. My strong hands clutched her backside, holding tightly as that satisfying juice was pumped straight up into those hungry depths.

With that, Sunset Shimmer went limp and flopped backwards. She laid back against my chest, angled slightly to let her head rest on my shoulder so we could be next to each other. We were still for a moment, panting heavily as we savoured the hot, thick mess we’d created.

After a deep breath through pursed lips, I reached around her and placed my hands on her hips, running them up to her chest to cup her breasts.

With the back of one hand draped across her brow, Sunset shook her head. “Fuck. That was… That was exactly what I needed,” she huffed.

I looked over at her, watching her eyes when they came over to meet mine. “Yeah.” I swallowed. “Dammit, you could kill with that ass, Sunny.”

She smiled, reached over for a peck on my lips and then faced the ceiling, eyes closed.

I took the moment to absorb the situation: her deep breaths, her soft backside mashed into my lap, her shoulders pressed against my chest, her hair tickling my neck, her womanhood still wrapped around my length—which was keeping that thick flood trapped inside her. One of my hands left her breast to run down her stomach, past her navel until my fingertips gently raked over her smooth, moist mound before dropping into the crest of that soaked crease.

She jumped when I grazed her clit, but then relaxed again as I traced her folds with my fingertip, feeling exactly where they wrapped my manhood. Once or twice, I felt my finger graze my shaft as I followed those tender edges up to the point at the top, and then down the other side.

“It’s hard to tell where you end and I begin,” I said, glancing at her again.

A smile grew on her lips. “Mmm.” She opened her eyes and faced me. “You know… sometimes I feel like we belong like this. Like, all the time.”

This made my heart flutter, and my mind immediately went back to the gesture she made in the tub. I chewed my lip for a second or two, wondering if I should try to find out if that was how she truly felt.

“Sunny?”

“Mm?”

“Did you… I mean, what you said in the tub, did you mean it?” I shook my head quickly. “Er… like, not ‘said,’ I mean did. When you did that thi—“

“Yes,” she nodded, slightly apprehensive, but purposeful. “Yeah. I meant it.”

I stared into those turquoise eyes, motionless. My heart danced around in my chest. Was hers doing the same? Her eyes certainly were.

In the midst of all this elation, however, my thoughts suddenly went back to that little house in the woods, and the shy girl who lived within—not to mention a certain posh fashionista.

Despite this, my focus soon returned to the gleaming eyes right in front of me. “Um… Sunny? How is this gonna work? I live with Flutters… and I love her—and Rare.” I raised a hand and closed my eyes when I noticed her brow furrow. “Not that I don’t want… I mean, you and me… it’s just—”

Sunset interrupted me with a kiss. She pulled away slowly, keeping her eyes locked on mine after we’d opened them. “It’s OK,” she said quietly, letting her head rest on my shoulder again. “I don’t want you to do anything different; I like things the way they are. I like what we have, and I like that we’re not joined at the hip, that we still have our freedom—or at least I do. You have Rare and Flutters to deal with.”

I gave her a smirk. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”

She smiled. “It’s not. I know you love them; I do, too. And I’m happy that you have what you have with them, and I’m glad to have been a part of it,” She nuzzled her nose into my neck. “And I like what we have already, Golds. I don’t want it to change; it’s perfect the way it is.”

I turned to kiss her forehead. “If that’s what you want, then... alright. It’s kinda the same as before, except... now we know.”

Sunset sighed. “And… I want to say it, but…”

I paused. “It?”

“You know…” She pulled her head back to look at me again. “I wanna say it, but not with my voice like this. I want you to hear me say it with my voice.”

I wrapped my arms around her midsection and squeezed. “Fair enough.” After nuzzling her cheek with mine, I let out a sigh. “What made you finally decide that you… you know… felt this way?”

Sunset didn’t answer immediately. She thought on it for a moment, blinking her eyes and then finally licking her lip. “When I was under there… down in that cold water, in the dark, wrapped in that blanket, I was just… numb. Tired of thinking. Tired of not knowing what to do—tired of wondering how long it would be before I was found. Then I felt someone touch me.” She turned to face me. “I went crazy. I got flustered, worried that whoever was there might leave without me, which I know is nuts, but I kept picturing being stranded on an island, or in a desert, and there’s a rescue plane flying overhead… and no matter how much you wave at them, they don’t see you and end up flying away. But I knew I was being rescued when I felt the chain let go and I felt myself being held… and taken away.”

I watched her closely, listening to her perspective on what happened that morning.

“I knew I was out of the water when I felt… heavy. Like, unbelievably heavy; being underwater for so long, floating like that... you grow accustomed to it—more than you’d expect.”

“You were also pretty waterlogged.”

“Yeah.” Sunset looked down at herself, watching her right nipple point to the ceiling as she continued flatly. “I wondered if maybe it was you who was rescuing me… but I thought that was too good to be true, especially with the luck I’d been having. But then… when I felt myself lying on my back on the cement, and that cover was pulled open, I saw your face... and I knew.” She faced me again, eyes gleaming. “I knew I couldn’t deny it anymore. I can’t ignore how how you make me feel.” She smiled and bit her lip. ”Right then, your face was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen in my life, and I just knew. And I knew I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t say it.”

I smiled at her. “I got your message in the tub. And there’s no rush, Sunny. Say it whenever you’re ready. I’ll wait a hundred years if I have to. It’ll be worth it.”

The red-head gave a quick smile, drew a breath and then stared at the ceiling, well aware that my manhood was still wedged deep in her nethers. After a long, relaxing exhale, she sat upright and began tidying her hair.

I watched intently as she combed her fingers through those red locks, my eyes travelling down her sculpted back, studying the curve of her waist and hips, to say nothing of that wonderful backside as it rested on my lap, my length projecting straight up into those tight, creamy depths.

“OK.” She sighed, draping her hands on her thighs before looking down to the floor to her right. She leaned down to pick the robe up by its sleeve, then placed it between her legs as she stood, using it as a towel to stop my load from dumping onto the floor or down her leg.

I watched Sunset’s hips sway ever so slightly as she made her way to the table, dragging the robe on the floor behind her. She plucked the stolen napkin dispenser from the table and began to clean herself while I watched; she leaned forward and supported herself on the table with one hand, letting me see a ball of fingers and napkin swirling around her crotch, plainly visible between the tops her thighs.

Glancing down at myself, I noticed my gradually softening length lying across my lap, glistening with the moisture from our lovemaking.

“Hey, Sunny? Toss me some napkins?”

She glanced at me for a moment. Then she pulled a bunch more napkins out for herself before tossing the dispenser to me. While I wiped myself off, she finished up and threw her soiled napkins in the garbage before returning to the table to pluck her robe from the floor, grumbling something about ‘more coming out.’

She headed to her bedroom next, bringing the robe with her. Once I was done cleaning up, I fastened my pants and got up to throw the garbage away before returning the dispenser to the table. Seated on the couch once again, I listened to the sound of Kleenexes being drawn, followed by drawers opening a moment later. Not long after that, Sunset emerged from her room, wearing a pair of black tights and a fuchsia T-shirt, brushing her hair.

“Lookin good,” I said as she tossed the brush through the doorway onto her bed and then headed back to the couch to sit on my right.

“I know,” she quipped, hugging my right arm as she leaned on my shoulder with her cheek.

The news was still on, but neither of us paid attention to it.

Instead, I looked over and studied the top of her head, counting the ribbons of yellow that highlighted that endless sea of red. Reminded that this was the first time in over a week that her hair was actually dry, I reached out to give her thigh an affectionate squeeze. “I’m sorry, Sunny.”

“For what?” she replied tonelessly.

“For what happened to you.”

“Eh, I told you it’s fine.”

I nodded. “I know, but… you were out all that time looking for the killer, then you ended up trapped at the bottom of the harbour, and now here we are: back at square one.” I let out a sigh.

Sunset lifted her head and looked at me, brow cocked. “Who says we’re at square one?”

I stared vacantly. “Wait… you found something?”

She gave me that signature smart-assed smirk. “If you consider ‘knowing who the killer is’ to be something, then yeah, I found something.”

My jaw dropped. “You know who the killer is!?”

She nodded. “Got a mind-read and everything. Confirmed it face-to-face.”

I sat up, slapping my hands on top of my head. “Holy shit! That’s fucking amazing! So you got a time and a place where we can pay him a visit?”

Her expression sank, and her eyes dropped to the side. “Well… no,” she cringed. “I wasn’t able to get that far. I was bombarded by… images. Images that I’m never gonna forget, if you catch my drift.”

My face went blank. “Oh… you mean…?”

“The murders.”

“You saw Pinks’ family...”

She nodded. “Yeah. First hand.”

I sighed, and then gave her knee a rub. “Sorry, Sunny.”

Sunset pursed her lips. “It’s OK. I’ve had other things to distract me lately.”

“So what happened?”

She drew a breath and looked at the floor. “Well… I had to break it off, and then… I kinda got flustered, and we got separated before I could go back for more info.”

I let my head fall back, rolling it side-to-side as I thought to myself. “Shit.”

“It’s OK,” she shrugged. “It’s not a total loss. I know the identity of the killer, which is huge. And everyone has friends, right?”

I smiled. “That’s right.”

“We’ll find out who they are, and they’ll tell me what we need to know—whether they know it or not.”

I nodded once and sat back, putting my arm around her. “Whenever you’re ready, Sunny, you and I’ll go find this motherfucker. It’s only a matter of time now.”

She put her head on my shoulder again. “Mm-hm.”

After sitting together for a moment and enjoying each other’s warmth, the TV droned along in the background. I turned my head to look down at her again. “So… where did you find him? Twilight said you were way out west of the city.”

“Well… I was, but that’s not where it happened. You have to understand, this person is part of something bigger, and they clearly didn’t like me snooping around—hence me ending up in the river.” She shook her head. “I dunno… I get the impression that I was on the verge of discovering something big. More than just a murderer. Simple criminals don’t have manpower like these guys had.”

I leaned closer. “They didn’t get a hold of your phone, did they? The last thing we need is a bunch of thugs having access to the app.”

She shook her head. “No. My phone got smashed—which, if it still worked, would probably have a message from the coffee shop telling me I’m fired for missing a whole week without giving any notice.”

My eyes dropped to the floor. “Oh... shit. Yeah, you’re probably not wrong on that one.” I chewed my lip for a moment, thinking. Then I looked over at her. “Um… when you say: where ‘it’ happened, what do you mean by that?”

She chewed her lip, brows furrowed. “Um…”

”The search continues. Investigators are still baffled by last week’s incident at the Wheels n’ Pipes Bar and Billiard Hall, located on Saddleton Road West, roughly sixty kilometers outside of the city.”

The headline stopped Sunset in her tracks, and her eyes immediately locked onto the TV.

Noticing this, I watched her for a few seconds before letting my eyes venture up to join hers. On the screen, above the banner that read ‘From Roadhouse To War Zone’ was an aerial shot of a bar, its parking lot littered with pickup trucks and rows of motorcycles. Three ambulances had been backed up to the building, their cherries spinning in concert with the pair of police cars that sat nearby. As the news helicopter circled the building, its side wall came into view, revealing a gaping hole. On the ground, just outside of the opening, laid what appeared to be an upside-down billiard table.

”A place well-known by biker gangs across the province; normally fairly quiet —as far as these types of establishments go— until just over a week ago, when a fight of ‘epic’ proportions broke out, resulting in one death, and dozens more injured. At the center of it all? A lone woman, described as tall, with red-hair and yellow highlights, wearing a short-cut black leather jacket. Her whereabouts are still unknown; according to eyewitnesses, she disappeared from the scene without a trace and hasn’t been seen since. The investigation into her disappearance is ongoing, and her motives are as yet unknown.”

Slack-jawed, I turned to face Sunset, very slowly.

She was still as a statue, staring at the TV, face blank, eyes wide.

“Sunny?”

She seemed to snap out of it and looked like she was about to face me, but then she stopped, purposely avoiding eye contact.

I leaned closer. “Sunny… what did you do?”

Her eyes darted back and forth, then she sprang from the couch. “You wanna go to the store? Let’s go to the store. I’m kinda hungry, aren’t you?”

I shook my head and sneered. “What? No. We don’t get hungry; you know that.”

She put a hand out. “You know what I mean. Like, I have a craving for something. You know… something crunchy… and salty. And cheesy!”

I stood and cocked my head, glaring sternly at her. “Sunny, what happened at that bar?”

“What bar?” she shrugged.

I pointed at the TV. “THE ONE ON THE—damn it, Sunny, I—“

“Look,” she cut in sharply, pressing her fingertips to her temples. “For an entire week, I’ve tasted nothing but that skanky harbour water, OK? Is it too much to ask for something to munch on? All I want... is to go to the store and get me some motherfucking... cheddar… BITS AND BITES!”

Jaw clenched in frustration, I stepped forward, grabbed her by the forearms and shook her. A tense look came over her as I held two fingers up in front of her face, saying, “Sunny, I’m gonna ask you two questions, and you’re gonna answer them. Got it?”

Knowing I wasn’t playing around, she nodded quickly.

“One: what happened at that bar? And two: how the fuck did you end up in the harbour?”