"I see" he replied. The girl was stunning, he had to admit, and he had already gotten an ample view of her thighs. Her lips were full and her eyelashe... thick. He moved away from her without helping her up."Do you always throw women onto the ground or was I an exception" Keira asked getting up angrily. No-one had ever treated her this way, he cousin was right he was an asshole, an arrogant, self-righteous asshole.Stunned at her question, then angry to be spoken to that way by a woman, made him. Oddly enough, even though he was the only white man on the block, or in the neighborhood for that matter, Preston also felt like one of them. He sensed that their bitterness, at one time pronounced and palpable, turned inward and approached a quiet stoicism, even an inanition, that crippled whatever anger stirred within them. They expected less of themselves, demanded less of others, and toiled eighty hours a week to see the natural cheeriness of their children before that too was sucked away. The water was completely still, neither cold nor warm, and I could feel nothing against my skin. Only seconds ago, there had been bright images flashing in front of my eyes, but now there was only blackness. Of all the senses, only my hearing was active, and I could hear harp music, as though from angels, welcoming me to heaven, but still with that unreal quality, as though being played through cotton woolThat damned harp music! Dr Beckham loved it, and played it at every opportunity, even. It was probably because of the combination of all that, that when Flossie did begin to move, with the obvious intent of making their presence known, and no doubt stopping what was going on, that Nathan’s grip on her waist tightened. He leaned in close to her, the front of his body touching her back, and whispered in her ear.“Wait!”Had he had the time to think things through, he wouldn’t have said that, of course. If he had allowed his social indoctrination to steer his actions, he would have.