Mr Smith, Miss Jackson.

Chapter 3

I grab a bowl of popcorn and flop on the sofa, ready to watch Twin Peaks. The thunder rumbles outside, followed by a flash of light. The show starts and I sink into the sofa, letting myself get lost in this other world. A loud banging on my door rips me out of it. I stumble up and half jog to it.
"Please help me." She whimpers.
"Charlotte?! I didn't expect to see you again. Come on in." She stumbles in, sopping wet, covered in blood and mud.
"What happened to you?!" I ask in shock.
"He struck back, I thought he was asleep." She gasps out. I slam the door shut and grab her hand. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." I pull her into the bathroom. I set the bath running and then carefully begin to pull her clothes off. She blushes furiously, trying to hide herself.
"You're kidding, right? You're embarrassed?!" I laugh.
 "But it's you. It doesn't feel right." She whispers. I push a clump of muddy hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek with my thumb.
"It's okay, I just need to get you clean." I tell her. She nods, biting her lip. I help her into the bath and clean her like a young child.
"So what happened?" I ask quietly.
"He was so cruel to me. He acted like I was dirt. Men like that are a waste of space, that's why I do what I do. But he wasn't asleep like I thought. He grabbed me and hit me and then did me again. I didn't give consent the second time but I can't call the cops given my situation." she laughs shakily and I can tell she's holding back tears. 

"I'm sorry but I don't have any clothes for you." I tell her awkwardly. She smiles at me.
"That's okay, you've done so much for me already. Could I maybe borrow another shirt?" I nod happily and hand her a towel before running to my room. That's when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Sweat pants, an unironed shirt, my hair ruffled and messy, my feet bare. I look a mess. I sigh and start to look through my wardrobe for a pair of jeans and two new shirts.
"Don't change, I like this look." Charlotte says from the doorway with a grin. Her lip is swollen and bruises tattoo her skin. I wince inwardly, trying to ignore them.
"Here, this is one of my bigger shirts so it'll cover your uh, your butt." I hand her the shirt and also my hoodie to keep her warm and leave to let her change. I run back down to the sofa, running a hand through my hair. I can't let this woman stay here but I can't force her to leave.
"You know Dan, I can't get over how nice you've been to me despite what I am." She walks in, the baggy shirt just covers her. My heart starts to hammer in my chest and I have to force away a smile at the sight of her.
"Well, you only hurt people who deserve it." I reason. She smiles at me. Another knock at the door shocks us both. I head over to it.
"Excuse me, sir, we have received information that you may be housing a criminal. May we come inside?" The two large cops in the doorway stare down at me. I gulp and allow them in. I have no time to tell her to hide.
"Who's this?" One asks. Charlotte stands in the doorway, looking terrified.
"Oh this is my wife Lacey. We were just about to watch some TV." Again I'm shocked with how easily I'm able to lie.
"What happened to her lip?" The other grunts. Suddenly Charlotte snaps into action.
"This? Slipped and banged it on the edge of my island. Clumsy old me." She laughs naturally, smiling at the cops. They wander off into the house, looking everywhere for the woman stood directly in front of me.
"What are you doing?!" She hisses.
"No one has pictures of you, they don't know who you are, just go along with it." I whisper back. "Clear!" one of the cops yells. Both of them come back into the living and me and Charlotte immediately slap smiles on our faces.
"Thank you for letting us look around, we may contact you again. Thank you for your time." One of them says. I wind my arm around Charlottes waist and the two of us see the cops to the door.
"Any way to help." I laugh. "I hope you catch whoever it is you're after!" Charlotte's voice is laced with fake worry. They nod before walking out.
"Want to stay here for the night?" I ask after closing the door. She grins at me and we return to the living room to watch Twin Peaks.