Filling The Gap...

William

"Can you grab some soap from the cupboard just beside the sink please?"

She asks me as I keep my back to her promising that I wouldn't turn around and look as she washes herself in the bathtub. Not knowing what the big deal was haven seen a lot of naked ladies in my time. But I suppose I should be happy or at least thankful that she wasn't telling me to go away anymore both of us coming to a compromise when I wouldn't leave the room with how much pain she was in.

Opening the cupboard up I pull a bottle of summer fruit shower gel out. Walking slightly backwards as I outstretch my hand in her direction so she can take the bottle from me.

"Thanks."

Her hand wet as she leaves drops of water on my skin taking the bottle from me. I look over to her clothes that are still piled up in the corner of the bathroom, not being able to look away from the blood spotting on her underwear. Crossing my arms along my chest as I stop myself from turning around and asking the most obvious thing that I know probably happened.

"Stop it."

She says to me. Now noticing she could see me in the mirror. Opening my mouth to say something I bite back my tongue as my eyes hold hers. The bubbles shielding her body from my view. Fuck it. Turning around to face her.

"Hey, you agreed to not look."

Kneeling I lean on the tub. Glad she was at least talking to me instead of muting herself. Her skin being ghostly pale and cold enough to give even me chills.

"Did he hurt you?"

Her eyebrows lifting as she points a wet dripping finger at me, her shoulders slumping further down the tub so only her head is visible.

"That's all I want to know, then I'll drop it."

I think I at least deserved some answers since I had watched her crying on the ground of their doorstep for nearly ten whole minutes. Not being able to just walk away and just leave her there when she wouldn't move herself.

"Yes but-"

Her eyes now avoiding mine as her cheeks turn a rosy pink shade of red.

"He-We-"

Her words overlapping each other as she tries to think of what to say.

"I know you both had sex. That's not what I was asking about, did he hurt you?"

Not having a problem of posting dog shit through his letterbox too. I'd do it anyway since he was a dickhead.

"Please just leave it."

She hisses out slightly. Her hands underneath the water knowing she was cleaning herself down there. I swallow hard when I look in any direction but her.

"Where have you been?"

Away from you. Balling my fists.

"Away."

Deciding not to tell her that I had been between here and Susan's place. Wanting to go anywhere out of this place but turned back when I had reached the Leaving Dover sign on the side of the road, each day going a step further than I had the day before.

"I need to dry off."

She tells me, not bothering to press for more information. Nodding I stand to my feet and grab her a towel which she thanks me for. Heading back into her bedroom, I lay back on her bed staring up at the ceiling listening to the sound of her footsteps as she walks into her room only a few seconds after me. The sound of cupboards opening and closing as she walks back into the bathroom to get changed. Closing my eyes, I zone out till something nudges my foot leaning back up I see her standing at the end of the bed watching me.

"Sorry-Do you-Do you sleep?"

Moving down towards the end of the bed I lift to my feet and move around her to walk over to the chair in the corner. Sitting down I watch as she pulls back the duvet, now dressed in a pair of pink shorts and a white hoodie that was a couple of sizes too big for her.

"Sometimes, depends. Our energy drains slowly over time, the more active you are the more energy is required. The more rest is needed."

She sits up, the corner of her eyes wincing as she moves around on the bed trying to get comfortable.

"Robbie. He-It's my fault he's hurting. He's never had a friend and I didn't realize how much you meant to him-"

"I know. It's my fault, not yours."

Cutting her off. Her lips close as I sit further back into the seat, the same seat where I had made the biggest mistake I have ever made.

"I shouldn't have kissed you... I am sorry. It will never happen again."

Swallowing hard as I try to sound as sincere as possible.

"I forgive you. But I don't know if Robbie will, you hurt him when you left. I thought he was better off without you hanging around here but there's something about you that makes him want to try."

I shrug my shoulders not entirely sure what to say. I treated him like I treat everyone, which was sometimes maybe a little bit out of order, but I never treated him like he was anything less than what he was.

"He's a good kid."

Falling back on to her pillow she lets out a loud yawn. Her eyelids closing as I watch her body slumber into a deep sleep. Her soft snores escaping her lips as she mumbles out indecisive words.

My chances of disappearing now slipping away as I lean further back into the chair that I would be likely to be spending many years upon, my fate now being sealed for my eternity.