The Devil Child

Forty-six

He sat in his bathtub, covered in bubbles, with his companion sitting in front of him. She wasn't facing him, but rather letting him lather shampoo into her hair, wishing that she belonged. Longing to stay in the bathroom forever.

"I think I'm way in over my head here," Lennard said to her, his hands in her hair and his legs wrapped around her. Not that she would run, because she wouldn't. He felt grounded around her, like she was keeping him sane.

She made no sound, didn't even turn to look at him. "I know that I need to take down my dad, but I'm not sure how. What if I fail? What if Tanner fails?"

This time she did turn to him, her head cocked and her face telling him that she didn't think he could be serious. Spending so much time with her made it easy to read her facial expressions, despite her lack of verbal communication. He knew she believed in him, and he knew she thought he could do it.

He kissed her sudsy shoulder. "I don't want to let them down, darling. I've let them down before, especially my brother. What if he never forgives me?"

She shook her head, maneuvering her body so that she was facing him. With her tiny hands, she took his face in her hands, and rubbed her nose against his. The closest she ever came to romantic affection towards him. In her dreams, she was normal and he was in love with her, and they got married and lived happily ever after.

In reality, she was homeless, poor, and was as much creature as she was girl. She was not meant for this life, though she longed for it.

"You're right. I know he will. It's just that, as kids we did everything together. Side by side. We were inseparable. And now I've grown up in ways Minny never could because I left him behind."

Minny. She had been shocked to see him, looking so much like the man in front of her. His twin had given her a fright, because they looked identical, but his twin held onto a sense of youth that the man in front of her didn't. The twin was a boy, a student. Her man was a businessman, with a house and a job.

Two different sides of the same coin.

He put his hands back in her hair, lathering up the shampoo before he washed it out. Bathing with her was calming to him. Kept him grounded. Reminded him of what was important in his life, and she was certainly important to him.

When the two were done in the bath, he wrapped her up in a towel and dried her off. She watched him with wide eyes, as always, seeing everything but saying nothing. He wanted more from her, wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to hear her laugh, hear her whisper, hear her angry. He was beyond hoping for that, though. She was as silent as when they first met.

When he returned with a nightgown and cotton panties, she didn't put up a fight. She was getting used to him, getting used to wearing foreign clothes. She crawled to his bed and buried herself under the covers.

When he joined her, he wore only his boxers, but it wasn't unusual for them.

"Do you trust me?" His voice was laid bare for her to hear. He didn't keep many friends, but she was someone he never wanted to let go. There was something about her that made him warm, that made him happy.

She touched her fingertips to his bare torso, and he took that as a yes.

"Sometimes, I don't trust myself. I don't trust myself to make the right choices, the right decisions. Especially when Tanner is involved."

Almost on cue, a large crash echoed through the house. The girl cowered, used to being the only guest in the house. She felt threatened for a moment at the sound, as though they were ruining her alone time with the man she loved.