Page 11 of Craved

Dust and dirt and a few bugs fell onto his head as someone stomped on the porch above him.

“Get up here, Maxim.” His father’s voice was calm, and unlike anyone else’s on the street. It sounded like Mr. Little from the Stuart Little movies.

“That’s because I was raised in London. Hugh Laurie—the actor who plays Stuart’s dad—is British, too. You are as well, my boy. But you grew up here, so you speak like an American.”

Maxim had frowned at that. He liked where he lived just fine. But he wanted to be like his dad.

Now, he hurried out from under the porch, then scrambled up the steps. He frowned when he saw the suitcase at his father’s side. “Are we leaving?”

“Just me, son.” His father crouched down to look him in the eye, then put a soft hand on Maxim’s shoulder. “You’ll be good for auntie, yes? Daddy might be gone a while.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to work. You know that Daddy sometimes has to go away for work.”

Maxim nodded, hugging himself. He hated when Daddy had to go away. Mommy had gone away when he was just a little boy, and he’d never seen her again.

“How long?”

“I don’t know. But you be good for your aunt. Do you promise?”

Maxim nodded then threw his arms around his father.

“None of that. You’re a man, Maxim. You remember that.”

“I don’t want you to leave.” He didn’t know why, but this time the leaving felt different.

“You’ll have to do things you don’t want all your life. Best to get used to it now.” And with that, his father patted the top of his head, then picked up the suitcase, and walked down the steps to the sidewalk. As he did, a taxi drew up, and Maxim’s father got into the yellow cab.

He looked back only once, then waved at Maxim before pulling the door shut. The cab took off, and his father was gone.

For a moment, Maxim stared at the space where the taxi used to be, overcome by a strange sense of dread. Like he would never see his father again, just like he’d never seen his mother after the last time she’d left.

He told himself that he shouldn’t worry. His father had gone away before. And he’d always come back.

With a frown, he turned to look over his shoulder, hoping that his aunt would give him some assurance, but the front door was closed and she was nowhere to be seen.

With a sigh, he turned back to look at the street, imagining his father was still there. He wasn’t, of course. But now there was a girl. She looked younger than he was, maybe eight, whereas he was ten now. Practically a teenager.

She had really short blond hair, cut close to the scalp like a soldier. He might have thought she was a boy if she hadn’t been wearing a jumper-style dress over a pink T-shirt. Her feet were bare, and she was squatting on the sidewalk across the street drawing on the cement with colored chalk. And every few seconds, she looked up at him through lowered lashes.

He smiled, just the once, and she looked quickly away.

He was still watching her draw when the door behind her opened and a man stepped out. Burly, unlike Maxim’s lean and tall father. The man scowled, and called a name. “Camilla.”

The girl kept playing with the chalk.

“Camilla,” the man called again, this time with an edge to his voice. “Dammit young lady, you listen when I talk.”

Maxim stepped to the side, so that he was halfway behind one of the posts that supported the roof over the patio. He didn’t like the way the man sounded, and he didn’t want the man to see him. He wondered why the girl wasn’t answering, then realized that she was wearing a Walkman and probably couldn’t hear the man.

He saw the fury build on the man’s face, then he actually jumped when the man suddenly stormed down the sidewalk and grabbed the girl—Camilla, he remembered—by the arm. He dragged her backward, ignoring the girl’s sharp scream and then her protests of, “Daddy! Daddy! You’re hurting me!”

As Maxim watched, they disappeared into the house. Maxim’s stomach twisted the way it did when he was going to be sick.

That poor little girl.

He wished he was older. If he was older, he’d punch the mean man in the stomach. He’d make the man apologize. And he’d keep the girl safe.