The Tattooed Flower

5. I'm Stupid for Pizza and Promises

I'm sitting across from Quinn on the floor where there should be a dinning room table. She sits cross-legged holding the huge triangular pizza slice with two hands, taking rather large bites for such a small girl.

Okay she's not small. She's at least 5'7" and she's got amazing curves, not too much, but it's not cuddling a stick when you hold her. "Mmmm!" She grunts quickly, satisfaction, obviously only to humor me. I smile and continue eating my third slice.

"I haven't had Pizza Bros in five years." She says, her attention still on the half eaten pizza slice in her hand.

"That must be a crime. Or it should be." I exclaim in response.

"Oh it is, my uncle was arrested for lack of pizza consumption." We exchange smiles and I laugh silently. Excitement stirs inside me. I can't say I wasn't worried that the beautiful exterior of this girl I'd taken in, was just a mask for a dim-witted sob story.

Jesus that sounds awful, but I'm only human.

Quinn finished her slice including the crust. I wait for her to reach for the second slice, only to see her lean to the side and rest on the floor. "Tired?" I ask.

"No." She doesn't look tired, content.

I want to ask her what happened earlier, what happened yesterday. I want to understand. But she's not ready, and that's okay. For now all of that can fall behind us.

"He was also addicted to soap, my uncle. It's okay he's clean know." It takes me a minute. She's completely serious until I see a smile spread across her face and she rolls over laughing.

I love it. Puns are my kryptonite.

I smile and finish the pizza slice. I fold the box up and stand, putting it in the fridge. want.

I return to the floor and find Quinn's eyes on me. She just lays there staring at me for the longest time, not moving at all. Eventually I speak and her attention snaps out of focus as if she'd been lost in a daze of thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Drawing."

"You draw?"

"Yeah."

"Like what?"

"I like to draw people, mostly portraits. I was thinking about drawing you." Her words spill out quickly, like she's trying to run away from them.

"Wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure."

We decide to watch 'Singing in the Rain', which I've never noticed I own before today. Quinn keeps her distance at the edge of the couch which surprises me because of her actions from earlier.

She likes this blue couch an awful lot. I swear I saw her shudder when she looked at the red couch.

The movie is filled with bubbly characters, with animated personalities and lots of singing. Which I won't lie, isn't really my thing. But Quinn had this huge grin on her face though the whole movie, which was actually very long. By the end Quinn's asleep at the edge if the couch and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. Eventually these weighted drapes I call eyelids fall and sleep takes me.

************************************

In my entire life, I've only heard one scream more terrified than the one that ripped through Quinn's mouth at three a.m..

My eyes fly open and search for the source in the dark. Nothing, I can't see anything. Light switch, behind your head. I tell myself.

I turn, smacking the lights on with an unexpected urgency. I find Quinn across the room, staring horrified at shaking hands. I stand and try to walk towards her. When she sees me, she backs away her hand finding the wall for support. Her face is horrified, and grief-stricken, tears pour angry red trails down her face leaving no hope for a happy redemption.

"Quinn, it's okay... It's Caleb... Quinn..." I know this face. It's the same one I've become so familiar with seeing in the mirror after I watched my father murder my mother and sister. The face that you woke up to after nightmares so real you weren't sure if you were actually awake.

I take a hesitant step closer and she doesn't move, doesn't lurch away. I take her shaking hands slowly and hide them in mine. "Quinn..." She steals her hands from me and throws them around my waist closing any distance between us. I know this gesture. Feeling like you don't care who it's is as long as someone is holding onto you if only so you don't fall.

Her whole body shakes and I hold her tightly to me, because I know it's what she needs. I don't say anything. I don't dare say, 'It was just a dream.' It wasn't just a dream, it was a repeated reality that the world will do anything to keep her in.

After what must be a half hour she stops shaking and all that escapes are quiet sobs. "Hey." I take her face in my hands and push her out in front of me so I can see her eyes. She's shaken and torn and weak, but not broken. Never broken. "Lets get you to sleep." She bobs her head quickly and I wipe tears from her eyes.

"Okay?" I ask.

"Yeah." She chokes out between crying hiccups. I take her hand and squeeze as I walk her to the bedroom. I push blankets aside and adjust a pillow letting her climb in.

She shuffles into bed and pulls the comforter up to her chin watching me as she lies on her side. She clings to the blanket, like as long as it's covering her she can't be harmed. I wish that was right. I walk across the room to my closet, grabbing some boxer shorts and a t-shirt. I'm at the door when I hear Quinn.

"Caleb..." Her voice is quiet, a small hiccup following. The sound of that voice breaks my heart into a million pieces.

"Don't leave." 
I look back at her; I finding eyes of glassy mirrors, desperate and needing. I shuffle off the baggy jeans of the day and throw on the boxer shorts. Her eyes follow me in an unrelenting fashion, watching to make sure I don't leave.

I strip my shirt knowing her eyes still watch without me seeing. I replace the shirt and crawl into bed with her. 
I tuck myself under the blanket and for a moment, try to keep my distance. Staring at the back of her head. I see the dark silhouette, outlined by the glow of the moon in the night through the window, shift into me.

She cuddles into the curve of my body where she fits so effortlessly. 
Without hesitation I wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly. "Don't let me go." She whispers through the hiccups. 
"Never." I murmur into her hair.
"Promise?" She tempts, still quiet as a mouse.
"Promise." 
I fall asleep breathing in the kiwi scent of her hair and her natural aroma which reminds me of what I can only describe as hope. Soon enough my thoughts fade alone side her gentle hiccups.

So here's a little taste of Qualeb or Calinn. I think I like Qualeb, I don't know.

Thanks brosniffs,

Lidi