clutched me tightly. She started to cry again. I just held her while she broke down.
“You don’t need to be scared. I’m here.”
She clutched me tighter.
I rubbed her back and guided my hands through her hair, trying to calm her down without the use of words. I wanted her to know that I would protect her against everything, even her dreams.
She pulled away from me then walked into the bathroom. A second later, I heard the shower running. I followed her and saw her sitting on the floor of the bathtub, the hot water dripping down her body. She had her arms wrapped around her waist and she stared straight ahead, dazed like she was having another dream.
I walked inside then sat next to her. I didn’t touch her because I assumed she didn’t want to be touched. Now I was really scared. Whatever she dreamt about must have really frightened her. I said nothing as I sat beside her. The warm water cascaded on both of us. Janice’s wet hair clung to her neck.
“Baby, tell me.”
She said nothing for a moment. “Carl.”
I looked away. That’s who I suspected her nightmares were about. I wanted that fucker to die. If I was going to kill anyone it would be him. Serving years in jail wasn’t a strong enough punishment for the pervert who violated my girl and my sister. If I ever ran into that guy in a dark alley, his corpse would end up in a dumpster. I waited for the anger to leave my body before I spoke. I knew I was frightening when I was angry. “You’re safe with me. He’ll never come near you again, baby.”
She took a deep breath. “I know.”
“I’ll never let anything happen to you. I would die before I left that happen.”
She nodded.
“So please don’t be scared.”
“I can’t help it.”
I nodded. “I know.”
“I don’t want to talk about my dream.”
“Good. I don’t think I could stand to hear it.”
She stared straight ahead.
“Come here.”
She moved closer to me and I placed her in my lap. She curled up and leaned against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in her neck.
“You never have to be scared, okay?”
“I know, Ryan.”
I kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t forget it.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you, Ryan.”
“You never have to worry about it.”
“What would have happened if you and Cortland hadn’t helped me?”
“Stop. Don’t think like that. Nothing happened and nothing will ever happen.”
She nodded. “Thank you for everything, Ryan. You mean everything to me.”
“You don’t need to thank me, baby.”
“I’m sorry I’m acting like this.”
I grabbed her face and directed her gaze on mine. “Acting like what? A normal person? Don’t ever apologize for being scared or emotional. You never have to hide from me.”
“Okay.”
“Are you ready to go back to bed?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think I can sleep.”
“Let’s watch some television , then.”
“You don’t have to stay awake for me.”
“I know.”
She said nothing.
“Come on.” I helped her to her feet then turned off the shower. After we dried off, we went into the living room and lied on the couch, watching an old rerun of a show on television. She lied on top of me while she watched it. I ran my fingers through her hair and down her back, trying to lull her to sleep. When I heard the quiet sounds of her breathing, I knew she had finally fallen asleep. I carried her back into our bedroom and tucked her underneath the blankets.
I lied beside her and stared at the ceiling. Now I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about Janice crying to herself. The sight broke my heart. She never talked about the incident with Carl but I should have known that it still bothered her. I hated thinking about it. I hated knowing I couldn’t protect her from her dreams. But I would never let anything happen to her ever again. It’s one of the reasons why I didn’t want her to go anywhere by herself. She was gorgeous, fuckable, and perfect.
“You don’t need to be scared. I’m here.”
She clutched me tighter.
I rubbed her back and guided my hands through her hair, trying to calm her down without the use of words. I wanted her to know that I would protect her against everything, even her dreams.
She pulled away from me then walked into the bathroom. A second later, I heard the shower running. I followed her and saw her sitting on the floor of the bathtub, the hot water dripping down her body. She had her arms wrapped around her waist and she stared straight ahead, dazed like she was having another dream.
I walked inside then sat next to her. I didn’t touch her because I assumed she didn’t want to be touched. Now I was really scared. Whatever she dreamt about must have really frightened her. I said nothing as I sat beside her. The warm water cascaded on both of us. Janice’s wet hair clung to her neck.
“Baby, tell me.”
She said nothing for a moment. “Carl.”
I looked away. That’s who I suspected her nightmares were about. I wanted that fucker to die. If I was going to kill anyone it would be him. Serving years in jail wasn’t a strong enough punishment for the pervert who violated my girl and my sister. If I ever ran into that guy in a dark alley, his corpse would end up in a dumpster. I waited for the anger to leave my body before I spoke. I knew I was frightening when I was angry. “You’re safe with me. He’ll never come near you again, baby.”
She took a deep breath. “I know.”
“I’ll never let anything happen to you. I would die before I left that happen.”
She nodded.
“So please don’t be scared.”
“I can’t help it.”
I nodded. “I know.”
“I don’t want to talk about my dream.”
“Good. I don’t think I could stand to hear it.”
She stared straight ahead.
“Come here.”
She moved closer to me and I placed her in my lap. She curled up and leaned against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in her neck.
“You never have to be scared, okay?”
“I know, Ryan.”
I kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t forget it.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you, Ryan.”
“You never have to worry about it.”
“What would have happened if you and Cortland hadn’t helped me?”
“Stop. Don’t think like that. Nothing happened and nothing will ever happen.”
She nodded. “Thank you for everything, Ryan. You mean everything to me.”
“You don’t need to thank me, baby.”
“I’m sorry I’m acting like this.”
I grabbed her face and directed her gaze on mine. “Acting like what? A normal person? Don’t ever apologize for being scared or emotional. You never have to hide from me.”
“Okay.”
“Are you ready to go back to bed?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think I can sleep.”
“Let’s watch some television , then.”
“You don’t have to stay awake for me.”
“I know.”
She said nothing.
“Come on.” I helped her to her feet then turned off the shower. After we dried off, we went into the living room and lied on the couch, watching an old rerun of a show on television. She lied on top of me while she watched it. I ran my fingers through her hair and down her back, trying to lull her to sleep. When I heard the quiet sounds of her breathing, I knew she had finally fallen asleep. I carried her back into our bedroom and tucked her underneath the blankets.
I lied beside her and stared at the ceiling. Now I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about Janice crying to herself. The sight broke my heart. She never talked about the incident with Carl but I should have known that it still bothered her. I hated thinking about it. I hated knowing I couldn’t protect her from her dreams. But I would never let anything happen to her ever again. It’s one of the reasons why I didn’t want her to go anywhere by herself. She was gorgeous, fuckable, and perfect.
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