Chapter 26: Terms of Contact

Su had spent the night wanting to kiss him again, which made her angrier. On Friday morning, Mo set a cup within her reach and kept both hands around his own. He had chosen the upstairs kitchen at Wang Traditional Martial Arts because the school below was empty. No students striking canvas. No Lili managing the front desk and every person within hearing distance. Even the bakery next door had not opened its ovens. His black jacket concealed most of the fresh dressing beneath his shirt. Six stitches, according to Desai, in the skin that had split over the deeper seam. He had crossed twenty-six feet and nine inches of open air with that seam torn inside him, then objected to local anesthetic because the needle was unnecessary. Su remained standing across the small table. Her shoulder ached where the metal bar had struck it. The bruise had darkened from…