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And the other was Batman.
“Rock Paper Scissors for the Batman sleeping bag,” she said, and he glanced up at her, his expression serious.
“Fuck that. Batman’s mine.”
Leah laughed, holding her hands up in defeat. “Okay, okay. But only because the camp-out was your idea.”
He stood as she walked into the living room, and Leah watched his eyes travel over her body.
“You look good in my shirt.”
She smiled. “You say that every time I wear one of them.”
“Do I?” he asked, taking a step toward her.
She took a quick step back, holding up her hand and jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “I don’t think so, buddy. Hit the showers first.”
The shock on his face was comical, and Leah tried not to laugh when his dimples appeared.
“You know, you’re lucky you’re cute,” he said, leaning forward and brushing his lips against hers before he made his way past her toward the bathroom. A few seconds later, she heard the shower turn on, and Leah smiled as she climbed into the maroon sleeping bag and lay back, blinking up at the ceiling.
And then she instantly regretted making him take a shower.
It was too easy for her thoughts to run rampant in this desolate room. Keeping busy, making sure she never had an idle moment, making sure she was never by herself for long periods of time, it was her method of survival for the past month. She wouldn’t have survived it any other way.
Keep yourself busy. Keep your body moving. Keep your mind distracted.
But now there was nothing but silence, and time, and her.
When she was with Da
Leah closed her eyes and started reciting passages and quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird in an attempt to occupy her mind.
Thankfully he showered quickly, and it wasn’t long before he reappeared in the living room, clad in only his boxers. Da
“Comfortable?” he asked, shifting onto his side and propping his head up on his hand.
“Very. My sleeping bag is actually surprisingly cushy. I think you chose poorly,” she said, nodding toward his.
“Please. Try to keep your jealousy in check.”
Leah smirked, and he gri
“What are you doing? Flashing me?”
He burst out laughing. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m inviting you in. You need to experience the wonder that is Batman to fully appreciate what a piece of shit your sleeping bag is.”
“We’re not go
“Let’s try.”
She smiled as she sat up and wiggled out of her sleeping bag before crawling over to him. As soon as she was inside, he draped the sleeping bag over their bodies and reached behind her, struggling with the zipper.
After a minute she said, “I told you it wouldn’t work.”
No sooner than the words left her mouth, she felt the sleeping bag grow a bit tighter around them as he zipped it closed. He smiled triumphantly as he lay back, pulling her partially on top of him.
“Damn you.” She sighed, laying her head on his chest. “Batman does kick maroon’s ass.”
“Told you,” he said, trailing his fingertips over her lower back.
“I’m ruined now. How can I ever go back there?”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said into her hair, and she smiled.
“Aren’t you uncomfortable with me lying on you like this?”
“I’ve never been more comfortable.”
She laughed softly as she tightened her arms around him, and for a minute they just lay there in contented silence.
“So,” she heard him say, and his serious tone caused her to lift her head. “Did you do what I asked?”
Leah reached up and brushed the hair away from his forehead. “I did.”
It was quiet for a few seconds before he took a breath and asked, “And are you okay?”
A tiny smile curved her lips. “I am.”
He stared up at her, and Leah could see that he was gauging her honesty.
Da
“It feels like lying,” he had said to her. “They’ve all been good to me, and I don’t like being dishonest with them. They need to know.”
And while she knew he was right, Leah kept avoiding it at every turn. She just didn’t want things to change; enough change was coming her way to last a lifetime, and she didn’t think she could handle any more. She had no way of knowing if learning the truth would ruin their opinion of him, but she just couldn’t bring herself to chance it.
Plus, if she were being honest with herself, she didn’t want to discuss it with anyone. Discussing it made it real, and she was enjoying the fantasy world she and Da
At first Da
“I know it’s not a conversation you’re looking forward to,” he had said to her. “But it needs to be done. And it needs to be done before I go to court. I don’t want them finding out after the fact; that’s fucking spineless, and they deserve more respect than that. So if you can’t do it, then I’m going to. But it needs to happen before this week is over. We’ve put it off long enough.”
So that morning, before she headed down to Da
She should have known how they would react. If there was one thing her family was good at, it was pulling together and supporting one another in a crisis.
Rather than being horrified or disgusted or angry, they were sad—for her and for Da
“Don’t hate him,” she had quietly implored them. “The Da
And Leah’s father had taken her hand and said, “You don’t have to defend him, Leah. You don’t think I understand the feeling of being ferociously protective of your family? He’s a good kid who made a big mistake. And now he’s going to pay for it. It’s going to be hard. For both of you. But if he’s what you want, princess, then I’ll do whatever I can to make this a little easier for you. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy.”
Da
“So what did your dad say?” he asked.
She shifted so that she was lying fully on top of him, and his hands slipped under her shirt, holding her waist gently as he looked up at her.
“He asked if you would bring some ca
Da
The hurt will be temporary, she reminded herself as his lips moved against hers.
This is the forever.
Leah sat in the driver’s seat, her heart sinking as the call went to voice mail.