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I sigh, thinking about how wonderful it would be.
KieranLooking out the screen door, I find Leona sitting outside on the grass, her legs crossed, looking up at the ink-black sky. I glance up seeing what she’s been staring at. The constellations.
It’s something we don’t get the luxury of seeing in New York from all the lights.
The wind blows and that bold smell of flowery perfume wafts around me. Opening the door, she looks back at me and smiles before turning back around. Leaves and cut grass rustle from the light breeze, the sound of water splashing against the docks summoning me to come sit next to her. Hands in my slacks, I come to her and sit down next to her, now that I realize how much my body aches. I don’t think I’ve done this much work since I’ve been in the position under my father. This house is a damn money pit. Looking at her, she seems content just listening to the bugs chirp and the sound of the sea wave. She’s something else. I never would have taken her for a girl that loved to sit in the grass and stare up at the stars. I guess I really don’t know her as well as I thought I did. My comment of her being needy really upset her earlier and I can see why, but what I don’t understand is why I fucking cared. Her throwing a mug at my back grabbed my attention, I should say. I wasn’t thinking when I said what I did. It was on my mind and it came out. But when that damn mug hit my back, I then realized how much affected her. She misses her dad, a feeling I’ve never experienced with my own. In fact, being away from him right now is the best time I’ve had in a while. I may never go back. I don’t talk to my mom, I can’t stand to see her the way she is and dad won’t get her help. She’s a drunk, one drink away from killing herself.
“I’m exhausted, let’s go to bed,” I say aloud and stand. I hold my hand out and she looks at it for a second before taking it and standing with me.
“Yeah, okay,” she accepts.
“Where is Eddie?” she asks once we’re inside, and I lock the door.
“I sent him home. He’ll be back tomorrow. He needs to finish mowing, and he’s going to paint that back room,” I tell her, and she looks at me with a comical look. I ignore it. Eddie hasn’t complained once today about doing chores around this place, he’s even asked about what I do and if I’d need help where I live. I don’t think he has it too well where he’s living now.
In the bedroom, she slips her shirt off, and shimmies her shorts down her long legs. I look to my own shorts, untying them and revealing my briefs. She slides onto the bed, sheets be damned, and rolls a pillow underneath her. Climbing up beside her, hands behind my head, I lay next to her and stare at the ceiling waiting for the soft sound of her snores before I turn and watch her sleep for the night.
Thunder booms from outside and I startle awake, I move to sit up and shut the window and find Leona laying on my chest. I freeze. This is a first. Grabbing her arm to move her off me, I stop myself and lay back down. I fell asleep. With her. Now she’s cuddling on me like I’m her personal fucking teddy bear and I’m not correcting this shit, why?LeonaWaking up, I grab a robe and run my hands through my hair to untangle it as much as I can. I didn’t really sweat last night, so I don’t find myself needing a shower right now. But coffee sounds great. Opening the door to the room I head down the hall, a full body yawn making goosebumps scatter along my arms and legs. Like déjà vu, Eddie is standing by the stove with that damn apron, and Kieran sits in a chair in the living-room looking ominous as ever. I guess he didn’t sleep again last night.
“Eggs?” Eddie asks.
Pouring some bitter black coffee into a new mug from the drainer this morning, I shake my head.
“How about a croissant? I can butter it for you?” Eddie holds out a flaky, delicious looking pastry and my mouth waters.
“Take it, you haven’t eaten much since I’ve been here.” Kieran’s dominating words booming through the small area. If I wasn’t so hungry I’d pass it up just to piss him off, but I take two and give Eddie a small smile.
Kieran sits there and watches me eat as if I was a child, the feeling uncomfortable but if I say something he’ll just do something even more annoying. Finishing my breakfast, I head outside with the coffee cup in my hand, the mid-afternoon sun hot and making the water splashing against the dock seem refreshing. If I had a swimsuit, I’d take a dip. I could do something daring go skinny dipping, but that’s not an option with my current company. I hear the strangest noise around the side of the house and my brows furrow with curiosity, my bare feet press into the grass quickly as I make my way to whatever could be going on, it sounds like an animal of some kind. Taking a peek around the side of the cabin I spot a burnt orange colored fox with a white bunny hanging from its mouth, one of the rabbit’s feet desperately kicking to escape. Oh my God, that poor bunny! My heart skips a beat, panic racing through my veins for me to hurry up and do something before he kills the defenseless rabbit. I sit the cup down and clap my hands hard in an attempt to scare it, but the fox looks up at me and doesn’t look scared at all.
