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She nods, before biting her lip. “If something should happen, not that I think that anything will but if I scream...”
“I’ll still be able to hear you,” I finish and she looks relieved. “I’ll leave the door open all night and I’m a light sleeper.”
“That’s good to know,” she murmurs, her hand going to her back and I stiffen when she asks, “Do you think I should change my clothes?”
I look at her in her blue, pretty dress and it makes her look even younger than she is. I should tell her that yes, she should change clothes because I don’t want people to think that she’s underage. But then I don’t, rasping,
“Only if you want.”
Shrugging she replies, “Then I’ll keep it on.” She glances at me as I stand in the doorway, watching her unpack and some of the stuff that she takes out is more personal, toiletries, pads for her period, underwear and white socks with a yellow, frilly edge.
But I don’t turn away because this feels natural to me. In my mind we are not strangers and Melody seems to think the same because she doesn’t flush and she doesn’t try to hide anything from me or look uncomfortable.
Right before she’s almost done, she stops with her hand and there’s a careful note to her voice. “I saw the wall in your office. The one with all the information.” She inhales. “You know so much about me Callan...”
I don’t deny it.
“That I do, love.”
Licking her lips she murmurs, “And yet, I don’t even know as half as much about you.”
Tensing I turn for the doorway. “I should go and take and nap.”
That’s partially true because I have been driving all night but I also don’t want Melody to ask questions. The longer I can keep her thinking that I am nothing but a protector the better.
“Always the interrogator, never the interrogated?” Melody asks and I allow myself to smile because she can’t see my face anyway.
“Aye, you are quite right.” With those words I stalk down the hallway, the floorboards creaking under my boots and I walk into my room, throw my coat on one of the chairs and lay down on the bed. I stare up at the ceiling and this whole place is already starting to get to me.
The walls seem to be filled with memories and I am wide awake, my body tight as a boxers fist. I can hear Melody move around in her room because I’ve left the door open, her honeyed presence soothing and when she starts humming to herself, my lids flutter, the tension leaving me at her light voice.
I don’t like this place. It used to be a hell. And yet, now that Melody is here with me, I could almost mistake it for paradise.
9
Melody
While Callan is napping, I’m sitting on the porch and solving crosswords.Before I walked out here, I glanced into his bedroom and he was lying on his back, so deeply asleep that he almost looked dead. I was tempted to check in on him to see if he was still breathing but I didn’t want him to wake up and see me hovering over him. Besides he needs to rest.
I had the luxury of sleeping in the car. He didn’t.
Chewing on the ends of my pen, I wonder what the answer to Grateful? is when I notice a movement in the garden across from us and I look up. It’s the neighbor, a woman who has already walked in and out almost five times now.
Standing in her flowerbed, she waters her petunias but my eyes narrow when I notice that there’s no water in the can. Raising her hand she waves at me enthusiastically and I smile and wave back.
“Wonderful day, we’re having,” she twitters, puffing up her crimped hair. “Would you like to join me for some sweet tea?”
Shaking my head I call, “Thank you but I’m afraid I can’t.” I don’t think Callan would be happy if I trotted over to the neighbor without him knowing. I’m under witness protection after all, even if it’s sometimes hard to remember that.
A frown crosses the woman’s face and she stops pretending to water the flowers. “Do you need help with anything, dear?”
Help? Why would I need help?
“I’m good,” I say with a hesitant smile, wondering why she’s acting like this.
Clearly now stressed, the woman asks, “Are you sure you’re all right? It seems like you are here out of your own free will but I could be wrong...”
The woman’s eyes flare when the door creaks and a big shadow comes to stand behind me. Gasping for air, she abruptly turns around and runs back into the house. Rubbing the goosebumps down my arms, I turn only to see Callan’s tense face.
