Chapter 26
Kord
Kord staggered back against the wall.
The slap was sharp and hard. Though it was nothing he couldn’t handle, emotionally it packed a real wallop and not just because it was completely unexpected.
“Wha-what’d you do that for?” Kord rubbed his face. The sting of Jimmy’s delicate hand hurt even more because he knew it resulted from the years Jimmy had languished, wondering what might have been. Kord couldn’t fathom the scope of that pain but he could imagine it was great.
“Because…” Jimmy backed away toward the bed. “Just…because.” His chin quivered but he did not cry. “I wanted you to feel the way I did when you left town. Even if that slap only hurt a little.” He perched on the edge of the bed again.
Kord wanted to sit with him. But he knew that wouldn’t be wise. Espec
