You're Always You

Chapter Thirty-Five

David Minett

David was glad that the plan went well, as well as it was going to really. He didn't know what he would've done, if something...bad happened.

Thank god nothing did.

Upon trying to get Lydia's phone back from Monica, Monica rather unhappily kept it from her brother still. "She told him she was staying with a friend," she said. "She only has three friends, Davie, and one of them is looking at the other right now."

....

David blew out a breath, rubbing at his neck. He wasn't stupid. When Dick figured out that Lydia wasn't staying with Sasha, as he likely already had to be honest, he was going to start looking for her with Monica. David didn't think Dick knew to look at him; he didn't think the dumbass even knew he was on his payroll.

If Dick did know that, they'd have had words already, and thankfully that hadn't happened.

Yet.

Yet, because when Dickie started looking, he was going to learn some things, and he would find David here with Monica, and with Lydia.

....

Davie knew he could fold Dick into an origami dick, but...still. It was probably better safe than sorry. It would be better if David didn't have to fold Dick into an origami dick. He knew Lydie had already started unpacking, but....

"I'll figure it out," David promised. "It's okay. He's not gonna hurt either of you, I promise. Lydie's phone?"

Monica handed it over with a frown. David took it and started to punch in numbers, knowing Lydia well enough to be able to figure out what she would use as a passcode. Of course, he knew her passcode back home, but here it was different. At least she was still enough of the same person for it to be easy to guess.

Monica was impressed. "Woah. Army teach you that?"

"Something like that," he mumbled, going into her contacts and blocking Dickie's number. Of course, his own name was higher in the list, alphabetically, and he didn't remember giving up his number, but he figured Moni did, which was fine. He ended up texting himself, so he had Lydia's too.

Then he returned to the woman and gave her phone back.

Breakfast the next morning went much better for Lydia than it had before, which was a good sign. Though, David kinda wished it hadn't been, since what he had to say to her wasn't the greatest. He waited until she'd eaten a bit more than last time to drop the bomb.

"So...I know you've already moved yourself in a bit," he started, which stilled her fork in her suspicion. "....But Monica says there are are only a few places Dickie will come to look. Two, to be exact. And one of them, he'll be right."

"...I mean... yeah I guess. I can... talk to him when he comes here I suppose..." she mumbled, gazing down at her plate instead of at David.

....

That wasn't what he meant. David didn't...want him to find her, was what he was trying to say. That they should go somewhere else.

But she seemed stubborn in wanting to talk to him, and that was fine, except....Dave was honestly afraid that if he let her....

He was going lose her again.

He couldn't lose her again.

....But if she wanted to talk, he couldn't stop her. He would watch her, keep her safe, and make damn fucking sure Dickie didn't take her anywhere, but...he supposed he couldn't stop her from just...talking.

Even if he wanted to.

"Okay...." he sighed. "Well....You're not talking to him alone. And you're definitely not leaving with him. You heard him last night, but I saw him. Nobody wanted to get in his way."

"...Okay," she agreed softly.

It was a very unconvinced "okay". "We'll go somewhere else after that," David told her. "So he can't find you again."

She made a face. "I don't...have anywhere else...."

He smiled and reached to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. "I have a place, remember?" he reminded her. "It's small, but it's something. And he won't know to look there. Alright?"

She nodded her head, setting her plate aside. Thankfully this time it was much more empty, and only eggs and toast, so if it spilled there would be no syrup disaster. David decided to take the plate before she did spill it somehow, and got to his feet. "I'm gonna head out and visit my brother," he said, heading for the door. "I might be a while, but you should be fine. Monica's here, and my mom will be back before I am probably."

"Okay," Lydia repeated simply.

It was...sad. To see her this way, twelve years just...spent following orders, so much so that she didn't know how to do much else.

We'll be home soon, baby.

David then left the room and set Lydia's plate in the sink after scraping what was left in the garbage, before moving into his own room to get dressed and ready to go. Considering how...far Brett was at the moment, going to see him was a good long trip, definitely not a visit to the grocery store. He was a little worried about leaving the girls alone, but had some confidence that it'd be okay. Monica might've become a mouse of a stripper, but she was savage when she needed to be.

That girl was a honey badger.

She didn't give a shit.

So David tried to put his mind at ease as he pulled on his jacket and dropped his phone into his pocket. Though, in doing so, he heard the crinkling of paper, and furrowed his brows. There had been a note from old Lydia in this jacket before, but he'd found it already, and it wasn't in that pocket. There was nothing in this pocket before.

....

He was surprised to find not just a note in there, but a hundred dollar bill. He had...no clue where that had come from, until he read the note, which made him smile. Lydia's handwriting told him exactly who it was from, and he had a good idea of why she'd done it, too. He'd told her it was fine, but....

Thanks for the catnap, Davie Cock-ett ♥

The man couldn't but snicker a bit at that, shaking his head. He set the note on his bureau and slipped the bill in his wallet, before heading out. "I'll be back, Monica," he said to his sister, who was sipping coffee and watching TV in the living room.

"Where are you going?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

"To see Brett," Dave replied. "The friggin' warden was at the club last night. Bought my silence. It was awesome."

"Dope," Monica snickered. "So Brett's getting out?"

"Hopefully soon," he confirmed. "Think you'll be okay while I'm gone? I know it's a long trip...."

Monica nodded. "We'll be fine. Mom will be home soon."

"Alright," David agreed, exiting the front door.

* * * * * *

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XOXO Alice