The Tutor

Chapter 29

Cora sat across the table in the cafe looking at Donna. "Are you serious?" Donna asked.

"Yes of course I am, I wouldn't be talking to you and asking you for tips if I wasn't"

"I mean I like my brother and all but I never thought that he would, you know to attract a woman of your caliber."

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"In case no one has told you, Cora, you are pretty fucking hot. At least by the standards that most men measure women."

"It's not about that!" Cora complained.

"Now can you help me or not?"

"You aren't just doing this to break his heart later?"

"The farthest thing from my mind, but there is a little, the problem I guess you would call it"

"What's that?"

"I'm sorta pregnant"

"How can you possibly be sorta pregnant, you either are or your not."

"Okay, I am pregnant, I just haven't decided what to do about it yet. It was sort of the product of, well you know"

"Oh" Donna's eyes widened realizing what she was talking about.

"I Don't want Marcus to hate me because, because I want to keep him or her"

"Why would he hate you?"

"Because it's another man's baby"

"So?"

"So you're saying that I should keep it"

"Look, Cora, I don't know you too well but everything tells me that its the right thing to do."

"Thank you Donna" Cora breathed a sigh "I know its quick but, well I want him, I just don't know how to get him he just seems so, well removed from everything"

Donna Chuckled "He is removed from everything by design, he doesn't want to hurt anymore"

"Oh the poor baby, but, I mean what, Oh!" Cora's eyes darted to the scratched surface of the table, "I didn't think, I mean I thought that was all over"

"Yeah" Donna replied, her voice like the tiptoes of a small child or Christmas day, "I don't know what it is, Combat, their friends dying, does things to a man that they have a hard time with. It's like all their emotions get tied up and shoved in a corner never to be released. I think more than anything he is terrified he will hurt someone he cares about"

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't think he would, not on purpose anyway"

"But"

"He needs you more than he knows Cora"

"Donna, what do you mean?"

"Please don't ever give him a reason"

"I don't understand"

"If he thinks that you will hurt him, he won't get angry he won't hurt you he won't do anything to you, he will just leave, and never look back, he will run because he is so afraid of his feelings"

Cora looked at Donna's eyes and felt the tears welling in her own as well. "I promise Donna I won't not ever he is all I want and all I'll ever want, I'm just so scared that he won't want me"

"Why?"

"Donna, I'm not exactly pristine as the driven snow."

"You know I don't think that matters to him,"

"I hope not, I mean I wasn't a good girl, in fact, you might say I was kind of a slut, but I have decided that I don't want to live that life, I want a man I can love and trust and who will be there for me"

"I mean are you sure, Marcus has been, well sullen I guess since he got back."

"Was he different before?"

"Yeah, he was the best before my protector my friend and my confidant, conspirator. We used to laugh sometimes at the silliest things."

"Why did you ask him..."

"To protect you? Because I couldn't think of anyone better suited who I trusted more. Don't get me wrong the FBI is great for that sort of thing but, Marcus I knew he wouldn't let me down"

"He didn't there were a few moments where I was scared, Marcus was never scared or at least he didn't show it"

"No he still has that hundred-yard stare, I guess, I guess he saw too much, lost too many friends, I don't know if it was an imposition for his sister to ask a favor of him like that, I really didn't think about it."

"What's he like?"

"What do you mean?"

"What does he like? To eat? to do?"

Donna spilled what she knew about her brother. Encouraged that Cora was more than smitten with him, the feelings that Donna got off of her were almost palpable and Donna wasn't going to get in the way.