Bad Behavior(51)
"Cats do that. They're wild."
"That's what I figured. He was out tomcatting around and would be back in a few days." I nodded. "A while later, my sister told me she saw Daddy drown him in the tub and throw him in the garbage."
He ran his hand down along my back and rubbed circles over the wet fabric as if he were trying to will comfort into me. "I'm sorry he did that."
"So am I. Eudora seemed sort of gleeful when she told me. She never liked Tybalt, either. She was just jealous that he preferred me to her. But once Tybalt was gone, I knew I needed to be gone, too. I couldn't stay there anymore. I didn't want to. I was afraid of them. I hate being afraid." I looked anywhere but at him. I didn't want any more bad memories pouring out of me. I had so many to choose from, it was hard to keep them all in check.
"Tell me something happy. Something that made you happy."
We were on a bridge, the sounds different, more open. Then we hit real pavement again in the city. The road was smoother here.
"I left. That made me happy."
I watched as the light of the moon slid through the glass separating us from the misty outside. It was fleeting, only peeking through clouds here and there. The rays were mesmerizing, though my eyelids drooped, blocking the view. Lincoln took my chin and guided my eyes back to his. I didn't realize I had been crying until he began wiping my face with his sleeve. My tears came off pink somehow, leaving streaks on his nice shirt. I wondered if it would come off at the laundry.
"You sure we shouldn't take her to the hospital?" the cabbie asked. His voice was muffled, barely reaching past the ringing in my ears.
"No, she's got a concussion. I've dealt with those plenty. I can take care of her."
After a while of silence, with only the background noise of the hum in my ears, the car stopped for good. It felt as if my brain sloshed forward, riding smoothly up the inside of my head before settling back down again.
"Here." Lincoln handed a large wad of cash to the driver. Too large. "You never saw us and you never saw the wreck. Nothing. Got it?"
"Yes, yes. I understand. This fare never happened."
Lincoln gave him a curt nod and opened the door. He lifted me into his arms and stepped into the night. The open air felt wonderful. It was like I could finally breathe. I wrapped my hands around the back of Lincoln's neck and settled my head against him, breathing in the mix of cool air and his scent. So much better than being stuffed in a car.
"No sleeping now, angel. Not until I know you're okay."
He freed one hand and entered the door code. He carried me up the two flights to his room with ease. I clung to him. I didn't care if I looked weak. I couldn't focus because of the ringing and the fog that swirled in my mind. Something out in the fog scared me. I needed to hide. Maybe I could let my walls down a bit and let the fog hide me instead?
After unlocking his door, he took me inside and sat me on the bed. He knelt in front of me. His fingers were at the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. He reached around me and unclasped my bra before letting it fall to the floor. Then he laid me back and finished stripping me. He pulled me back up so I was sitting.
"Let's get you into a hot shower. Sound good?"
I nodded. My eyelids dropped closed and my chin hit my chest.
"No, no." He pulled my chin up almost roughly. "No sleeping. Just watch me. Keep those beautiful blues on me, got it?"
He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it down. It was ruined. I saw now that we were both muddy and bloody. He stripped off his pants and tossed them into the pile, and then his boxers. His skin was streaked with dirt. Where were we that was muddy? Before I could figure it out, he pulled me to my feet and led me to his small bathroom. A walk-in shower, enclosed with glass on two sides, took up half the room.
"We're going to take a long, hot shower." He reached in and turned the knobs. The room quickly filled with steam.
I shivered and crossed my arms over my chest. I was freezing, though I hadn't realized it.
Once the temperature was to his liking, he stopped fiddling with the knobs and backed away so I could enter first. I was happy to oblige. I slid past him, grazing his hard body in the small space. The water stung in a good way, opening my pores and replacing ice with heat. The hiss of the water competed with the ringing in my ears. I wanted the hiss to win.
A stream sluiced away from me, a dirty mix of pink and brown against the white tiles. Lincoln walked in behind me and closed the door. He reached around me for a bar of soap and started lathering it as I stood beneath the spray.