linxy - part XII
I bring her a turkey sandwich and some water before heading
out for the Cubs game with Max and Henry. She pulls herself to a sitting position
and stares off into space.
"Kind of mean of you to tell him I was planning on
raping you, princess."
"It’s true, isn’t it?"
I put the plate on her bed and she doesn’t even look
at it. "Hm," I say sitting beside her. "As I recall it, I was
simply illustrating that there was nothing stopping me from doing it. I thought
perhaps you’d find comfort in the fact that I hadn’t."
She snorts and rolls her eyes. "Like you’re not
still considering it."
"Well it sure as hell wouldn’t be because of your
winning personality." She rolls her eyes. "I don’t know if I’m
still considering it angelcake, but it sure sounds like you can’t stop
thinking about it. Tell me, when you do? Am I any good?" She turns her
face away in disgust. "You think I could make you scream, kitten? I know
I could. I’m a really giving guy." After a minute or two of the silent
treatment, a hint, a shadow, a rumor of a smile crosses her face.
"You clean up nice for a snake," she says. "Going
out to find someone else to take my place when I leave?"
"Are you going to eat or flap your gums?"
"I’m not hungry."
I take the plate away immediately and shrug. "No skin
off my nose. Come on, you have to go to the bathroom before I leave for the
night." She stands up reluctantly and I tie her hands behind her back and
unshackle her ankle. When she’s standing, she looks at me oddly, a bit
confused. The smug smile and laughter is gone. When I catch her eye she lowers
her gaze, as if we’re suddenly strangers instead of…not…strangers.
"It’s just that I’ve been waiting all this
time for you to punish me. To hurt me. I’ve been wondering what you were
going to do to me. It IS all I can think of when it’s dark and silent like
this." She says it all without looking at me. I stall, go tharn. I look
into her eyes, so big and wide and full of fear. This honesty is something I’m
not accustomed to. It throws off my reaction time. It throws off my smartassery.
I can’t even begin to imagine what Henry will do to her. I think back to
the doctor saying how easily she can be scarred. My voice escapes like a raspy
whisper.
"Well, I think I’m going to hold off Olivia. Just
once in my life I’d like to kiss a girl without forcing her to. Might be
kind of nice."
She nods in understanding and shuffles into the bathroom.