Dialogue Samples: Hunk of Burnin Love

“Your liver is shot and you’re still drinking?” Ray sounded incredulous.

“Alcohol is the only thing that keeps me sober.” This made Milo giggle, and Tarique winked at him.

---

“Why didn’t you tell me all those years ago what was going on?”

Tarique avoided her intense gaze, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know full and well what I’m talking about. I could have helped you. We could have helped all those other children he hurt after he hurt you.”

And that was the heart of the issue he didn’t want to discuss. “I didn’t want your help. I didn’t want to be in Nevada. I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

“So instead you up and left?” Tarique said nothing, and Jo sighed heavily before standing and continuing. “I’m sorry.”

This time, Tarique looked her in the eye, “What?”

“I was right there the whole time. I knew something was wrong between the two of you. I just wasn’t home very often, and when I was, I was so very tired from working so much, trying to support us... Now that I look back on it, now that I know what Rod is, I see the signs. In my memories. How one day, you just stopped wanting to be touched, you stopped sleeping through the night, you walked around like an animal in a trap.” Tears were glistening in her eyes now. “I was right there with you, and I should have seen it, should have been a better mother to you, and I wasn’t. And I am so, so sorry, my sweet baby boy.”

Tarique was frozen in place, unformed, undecided words caught in his throat. After what felt like an age of silence, he finally got words out, and they weren’t the words he was expecting, “You need to leave.”

Jo blinked back in shocked confusion, “What?”

“I meant-” Tarique took a deep breath, “Rod is going to come here. Anyone who stays here is in danger. You and Ray should take Milo and go stay somewhere else for a few days. We’ll call you when it’s safe to come back.”

Slowly, Jo turned away from him, hands falling to her sides. “Alright. I’ll go tell the boys.”

---

Bahram looked at the cigarette, and then back at Tarique, “Liver cancer wasn’t enough for you, you decided you also needed to give yourself lung cancer before the month was out?”

“Yeah, dontcha know, they give you a discount if you need multiple organs replaced. After we catch this guy, I’m gonna spend a week camping along the border of Russia, see what kind of cancers I get from bathing in the radiation.” Bahram only laughed, so Tarique continued, “What, you don’t believe me? You may think I’m crazy, but I’m saving money like this, you’ll see.”