Page 28 of Morsel

“Yes.”

“Have you felt this way for a long time, Dolly?”

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t want to tell me, did you?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Oscar asks.

“Because I thought you’d think I was crazy,” I say.

“How could I think a beautiful woman was crazy?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper.

“Stop selling yourself short, Dolly. That’s how we got into this mess in the first place.”

I stare at him, and suddenly, I pull away.

“Stop,” he says.

“No. I don’t want this. I don’t want you to touch me anymore.”

“Why? Because I told you the truth?”

“No, because you were an asshole about it.”

“I’m sorry,” he laughs. “Are you offended? Maybe think about how I was offended when you had me abducted.”

“Are you ever going to get over that?” I ask.

“It’s been hours,” he says. “So, probably not.”

“Oh.”

“Time for bed, Dolly.”

Oscar points at the door, and I quietly climb out of the tub.

“I don’t have any other spare clothes for you,” he says. “You can sleep naked. Leave the clothes here.”

For the second time tonight, I undress in front of Oscar.

Then I go to bed.

14

Oscar

Sleep finally claims me.

I wake up on the couch to the smell of bacon.

“Dolly?”

“I’m here,” she says. “Are you hungry?”

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