Chapter 4: Blows
It was shortly after that when Shawn showed up with a black eye and evidence of bruising on his face. I knew that he didn’t like me staring at him, but the effect was so astonishing that I couldn’t help myself and, to my surprise, he grinned with satisfaction when he noticed me looking.
“A rough match,” he said, and for a moment, with that smile, I saw beautiful teeth and something of a boyishness that had hitherto been hidden.
I proffered him a beer, and he took it and sat down on the couch. I sat down in the armchair and continued to regard him with something like awe. He turned the television on and parsed the channels for a minute, evidently aware of my attention but tolerant of it. Finally he glanced at me, and turned down the volume. Then he stretched languorously
