Page 47 of Defect
I sat motionless for a few seconds because I didn’t trust myself to hug her but hearing her soft cries washed away all my doubt. I could hug her. I could give her the friendship I knew she needed. She gave it to me earlier. Now it was my turn.
So I hugged her tight. I wrapped my arms around her and she cried even harder. “It’s going to be okay, Solana,” I spoke into the top of her head and listened to her sniffle. The saddest thing I’d ever seen was watching a sunflower cry.
“I don’t know how I’m going to stop myself from going over there to check on him,” she told me.
“If you do, your ex might see you. If he hurts you I’m going to jail. I can tell you that right now. I know it’s hard but you gotta wait it out.”
“I know. I know. I just hate thinking about Malachi being there all alone and scared of what his asshole of a father might do.”
“He’s going to be okay. He has to be a tough little boy to deal with his dad for all this time. He knows to call you if he’s in trouble, right?” I asked, wiping her tears. She stared at me and pulled in a staggered breath.
“Yeah.”
“He’ll call you if he needs to.” She pressed her hands to my chest and nodded.
“I’m sorry about this, Ezra,” she sniffled.
“Sorry for what? Needing a friend? That’s what I’m here for.”
“No, I’m sorry for putting you in an awkward position. I shouldn’t be on top of you. I shouldn’t be straddling you and hugging you I just…”
“It’s fine. Did I curse you out?” I laughed a little.
“Would you?” She quizzed.
“Nah. Probably not.” She still didn’t move though.
“God, I’m a mess. I need to meditate and calm down.”
“I’ll meditate with you,” I told her, squeezing her sides. She laughed a little and climbed off my lap. I was both happy and sad. Happy because soon she’d feel my growing erection but sad because I liked the way she felt on top of me.
“Okay, come on.” She led me by the hand up the steps to her bedroom. She didn’t have to tell me it was her bedroom. It was the mecca of roses and sugar. It was painted pale yellow with white curtains and a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room covered by a quilt decorated with sunflowers and suns. In the corner was a white blanket surrounded by yellow and orange pillows on the floor. She headed straight for that corner and sat down. I sat with her. She made me get into the stupid ass lotus position too.
I’d do anything for her though.
That was quickly becoming a fact.
We meditated together for a long time. As long as Solana needed to feel balanced again. Then we stayed up watching TV and laughing. She made me a bowl of vegan macaroni and cheese and got offended when I told her it tasted like hot yogurt.
“It’s good!” She insisted.
“Nah. It’s trash but you got it. Have fun with that, Solo.”
“Fuck you, Ezra. You’re going to learn to like my vegan cooking.”
“I’m going to slide you some bacon though. I’ll just tell you it’s vegan.”
“You’re an asshole. I’ll be able to tell.”
“It’ll be the best six seconds of your life before you spit it out and fake like it’s nasty though.” I shrugged and she pelted me with playful hits. I locked my arm around her waist and wrestled her to her back, pinning her with my weight. She pushed against my shoulders and wiggled beneath me like she was going somewhere.
“How much do you weigh, Solana?” I asked with a smirk.
“I’m like one-hundred forty pounds.”
“You’re a one hundred forty pound lie. How much do you weigh?” I asked again.
“One hundred fifteen pounds,” she confessed with a grunt.
