Page 46 of Sugar and Skulls

“Katie, they are not my boyfriends.”

I shut the light off and slide in next to her. She snuggles into my side like a little kitten. Sleepily, she murmurs, “Two boyfriends are better than one.”

She falls asleep three seconds later. My fingers run through her curly hair. I have to protect her. She reminds me so much of myself. I don’t want her to have to fight for everything by herself. I want to save her from all the ugly in the world. Katie can’t get hurt again.

I run different scenarios through my head of how to help Katie. Only one ensures her safety. Killing the bastard who hurt her. One thing worries me though. After I kill him who will try to hurt her next? I couldn’t keep myself safe. I can barely keep my own head above water. How am I going to keep us both floating safely? Eventually I doze off to the sweet scent of Katie’s strawberry shampoo tickling my nose.

Chapter Twenty-One

Bill

???

When I was in prison I would wake up sweating, shaking, terrified for my baby girl. I was helpless. All I could do was hope that someone was taking care of her. It was fine the first ten years until Tammy’s parents died. I’m fairly sure I know who killed them. I haven’t voiced my fears out loud. Their deaths were listed as accidental. Supposedly there was a gas leak.

Jesse was the one who found them. She came home from school to find them dead in their recliners, so I was told. I frantically tried to get her into a home of someone in the club, but no one listens when you are a prisoner. After that it was hard to get any information on her.

Jesse’s grandfather used to send me one letter a month. It simply outlined her growth, her accomplishments in school, when she learned to ride her bike, things like that. He also sent a photo. I lived for those letters.

Without the letters I went crazy with worry. Who had my baby? Did they read to her? Did she have food? Clothes? Love…

Years I’ve dreamt of this. Having her home. When she didn’t come find me I checked on her. She was curled up sleeping with Katie. She had her arm around the little girl, protecting her in their slumber. I’m not sure what has happened or who the girl is to her but whatever is going on I can tell it’s serious. So serious she came to me.

I haven’t been her favorite person lately.

When Dirk called me and told me she wanted to talk to me my heart burst. When she asked to come here it burst again. And now she’s here. For the first time in seventeen years I feel whole.

Dan, Raffe, Dirk and I are all sitting here in silence drinking from the top shelf. We started as a celebration of Jesse finally finding her way home. After a few drinks and discussion of what led to her being here we have settled into a tense silence. She didn’t come here on happy terms. She came because she is frightened. For Katie? For herself? We don’t really know. Seems Jesse is a bit of a mystery. She has friends but no one seems to really know her beyond their own relationship with her.

Dan and she are close. I see it but even he knows little about the Jesse outside the tattoo shop. “Another bottle, boys?”

They all nod. I get up and head over to the open bar but stop as I pass the entrance to the hallway. Jesse is standing at the end of it watching me. I turn to go to her but stop dead in my tracks as she runs to me. She throws herself at me. I open my arms to catch her, taking a step back to steady myself as she barrels into me.

An anguished cry escapes her. Her face buries in my neck, my beard shielding her from the world. “Hey, it’s okay, baby girl. I got you,” I whisper into her hair.

My baby is in my arms. Oh, god how I’ve waited for this moment. She’s so small, so fragile. She smells like heaven. I never want to let her go. Never. The guys quietly sneak out of the room to give us privacy. Dan gives us one last glance. He offers me a look of encouragement before turning away.

We embrace each other for a long time before she gently pulls away. Her eyes say everything. She has forgiven me. I hope she sees the genuine regret in mine. We stare at each other for a long time, each of us really taking a good look at the other for the first time since our initial meeting.

“Do you want to talk?” I ask hesitantly, hoping that speaking out loud doesn’t break the reunion that seems to be going better than any other I’ve tried.

“Sure,” she says quietly, walking over and sitting down on the couch.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“Water is fine, thank you.”

I grab a bottle of water for each of us and sit down beside her. She pulls her legs up and turns to face me. “Thank you for letting me bring Katie here.”

“This is your home. You can bring anyone you like here,” I tell her as I twist the cap off one of the waters and hand it to her.

She takes a sip and then drops her head. “I’ve made such a mess of my life,” she says into the bottle.

“Jesse, whatever is wrong please let me help.”

“A friend of mine found a picture of Katie. Someone dropped it.” She worries at her bottom lip before continuing. “Her mom is an addict.”

My heart beats wildly in my chest. Jesse’s mom was an addict too.

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