Wednesday
Picture 2
Kimmydon's Choice: both
Title:
What was I doing here? I should have learned my lesson from his last show, but no, I’d decided to try to make it to another. Sure, there was the lure of the new songs, written about characters I had created, but Dan would have been happy to sing them for me somewhere quiet, well-lit, and warm. Instead I’d wedged myself into a milling crowd, sure my shoe was slipping in something not from a glass. I’d made it through three numbers before I couldn’t take another minute. The people felt like insects, swarming me. I ran from the bar and heaved a sigh of relief from beside the bouncer still taking cover fees.
“You okay?” he asked, eying me over. “Need me to get a cab?”
I should have accepted, instead I foolishly thought a walk would do me good. Fresh air wasn’t a bad idea, but the neighborhood I’d chosen couldn’t be much worse. Dan wouldn’t swoop in and save me now. I didn’t have a knight sworn to protect me. I was going to be crushed by the monster that dogged my steps.
I froze in front of a lighted window, praying the neon would repel him, like some magic barrier.
It seemed to work at first, he stalled anyway. Then he came on, grabbed my arm and pushed me past the window, into the alley.
“Come along, little girl.” His voice dripped venom and I started to scream. His hand wrapped around my mouth, muffling it. It was cut by the knife he produced. “Now play nice and I won’t have to use this,” he warned, twisting the blade so it shone in the sparse light. Tears filled my eyes but I nodded slightly.
”Aren’t you lucky I have a strong constitution? Amnesia, the knight muttered.
The princess clung to the knight’s back as he rode out of the cave. “How do you get me into these things?” he asked.
“I’m beginning to believe your reputation is bringing disaster,” she retorted, losing breath as she connected hard with the saddle.
“Heh, suppose it could be. You never see the inept ones I put down. It’s mercy-killing, I swear.” He chuckled and held a hand over hers where it clung to his breastplate.
“Well, if you will kindly return me to my fortress, I will attempt to make your job easier,” she answered coolly.
“How’s that?”
“Better fortifications, of course. Less chance...” His laughing cut her off.
“You think they won’t find a way around? They always do. How many times have you been captured this month? this week? I’m starting to think you’re running off with them to make me come for you.”
She seethed, wishing she could cross her arms. Finally she did let go and slipped form the saddle to the dirt. She tumbled once, her rags picking up more filth. This last captor had not been gentle.
Rearing, the knight pulled rein, and dismounted, coming to lift her. “Why?” he asked.
She kicked a little, ineffectually, until he plopped her in the saddle, walking with the reins. She quieted some then.
“Why?” he barked again.
“I don’t know,” she answered. She knew the question. Why did she fight him? Why didn’t she let him protect her properly, all the time? Why did she refuse his presence so often?
“Try to figure it out,” he grumbled.
Scooping a glob of jam onto my bread, I joined Marla at the table.
“What happened to you?” she asked, alarmed. “Where were you last night?”
I didn’t answer, slugging back coffee and choking on it. “Nothing happened,” I said when the coughing died away. “I went to the show, then Dan brought me home.”
She smirked. “Dan did. Is he coming by again today?”
“Yes,” I said in a whisper. Appetite gone, I dropped the bread to my plate and turned back for my room.
“Wait,” Marla called. “Your face. What did you do? Fall?”
I ran a hand of the shallow scrape and bruise. “Yeah. I fell. Near a wall.” It was pushed against a wall, but close enough.
“You’re not going to eat that?” she asked, pointing at the bread and heart-shaped glob.
“No. In fact, I’m going for a walk. Tell Dan I’m at the park?” I didn’t bother with bag or coat, walking out.
I sat staring into grassy field, not seeing the kids playing, or dogs walking. Leaping of the bench, I punched Dan in the jaw as he tried to hug me.
“I’m sorry!” I shouted, putting my hand to the spot. “You scared me.”
“I deserved that. Should have warned you. You forgot this,” he said, pulling my notebook from his coat pocket. “That nearly scared Marla to death. You’ll have to tell her something when you get back. As soon as she told me you were gone, I guessed where.” He moved to sit next to me. “May I?” he asked, lifting his arm and setting it well off my shoulders behind me.
I nodded and leaned into his chest, tucking my head under his chin. “Thank you,” I whispered. “It could have been so much worse. It was bad, but...” I sniffled unable to relive any of the night before, yet.
“I’m here for you, Chase. Always. I’ll come for you anytime, anywhere. I just wish I’d known you were coming. If John hadn’t spotted you in the crowd, if I hadn’t gone looking...” We both shuddered at the implications.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked after several minutes of silence.
“No,” I whispered.
“Want to hear a story?” he asked. “About a little boy who got caught by bigger boys?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “Unless it’s about the little boy kicking all their asses.”
He laughed, and I could feel it rumble through him. “Don’t let him get you, Jenny. He’s gone. You will never see him again. No one is going to see him again for months.”
I let the words calm me. He was right. The creep was a repeat offender. I probably wouldn’t even need to go to court. Dan’s hand never stopped moving on my back, slow strokes. He turned his head to kiss the top of mine.
I shifted, bringing my face up to his. I held those deep dark eyes for a moment before pressing my lips to his.
His response took me by surprise. He jumped and seized my shoulders, pulling me away slightly. “Whoa. You sure you wanna do that?”
I sighed a little. “No,” I answered honestly before deflating completely. I was a puddle of Jennifer in his lap, no will to stir from the spot.
His hands found my hair and started combing through it. “‘Why?’ he asked. I opened my notebook to what I’d written after he dropped me off.
“She kicked a little, ineffectually, until he plopped her in the saddle, walking with the reins. She quieted some then.
“‘Why?’” Dan continued to read.
“I don’t know,” I answered. Then the tears came. I’d cried on him last night, and then it had been okay. I mean, I’d been assaulted and nearly raped, that excused a few tears, but now? Now I didn’t know why I was crying. Probably because I was a girl.
“It’s okay, Chase, cry it out.” It wasn’t what I’d expected to hear, and the tears slowed as a result.
“What?” I asked.
“That’s what that little boy did, after he got back to his mom. She held him, and let him cry, until he was ready to try again.”
I half-expected the tears to return, but they didn’t. Instead I threw my arms around his neck, half-straddling him. He gave a gasp in astonishment. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I shouldn’t have left alone. I shouldn’t have gone alone. I’ll never be so stupid again.” Pressing my face to his neck, I pursed my lips to kiss it.
“I’m so glad I found you. John and Eric still weren’t talking to me this morning, but they will when I tell them why I didn’t come back. I can’t believe you came at all, alone or otherwise. Why did you do it?”
I sniffled and pulled away enough to look at him. “42.”
He put his forehead to mine. “You’re telling me,” he murmured.
His smile warmed me where I thought I’d be frozen forever. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours, but it felt like eternity.
“Take me to heaven?” I asked, an errant tear tickling my nose. His lips moved to kiss it away.
“One day soon,” he promised. “First, I want to have you here a little longer.” He hugged me tight again, stroking my back and rocking. I wouldn’t argue. There wasn’t anywhere else I wanted to be.
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