Page 104 of Light Up The Night
"Long as you need," he says. "Long assheneeds."
"Thanks, brother."
He claps me on the back and heads out, but not without one last worried glance at Cadence, who's clinging to me in a way that suggests she may never let go.
Fine by me.
I bring her into my room, sit on the edge of the bed. Pull her back enough that I can look at her. "Hey—you with me?"
Her eyes focus on me slowly. "With you."
"Do you want to take a bath?"
She frowns. "Bath?"
Dirt and dust cakes her face around her eyes. She’s wearing a set of blue surgical scrubs with filthy, once-white Keds sneakers, and, strangely, some kind of black fabric wrapped in a tangle around her neck like an oversized scarf. One of those headwrap-things women over there wear? I dunno. I doubt she's changed those scrubs in days, if not longer. And not that I mind, but she smells like she's gone for who knows how long without a shower.
Her eyelids flutter and her eyes flicker with life, with thought. "A bath. Yes, please." Her green gaze flicks to mine. "Riley, I…"
I kiss the knuckles of one hand. "Hush, baby. I've got you."
She seems to sag at my words, as if whatever strength has kept her intact thus far is fading fast. "So tired."
"Let's get you clean." I brush filthy, tangled hair out of her eyes—the rest is bound up in a tight knot at the top and back of her head, out of the way. "Can I leave you here for a second while I run the bath?"
Panic fills her eyes at the suggestion. "No!"
"Okay, okay, it's okay. I've got you. C'mon." I stand up with her and carry her into the bathroom, sit on the toilet lid, and run the hot water. Once it's running so hot it's steaming, I add some cold water until it’s piping hot but tolerable and then sit with her while the tub fills. Once it's nearly full, I stand up and set her on her feet.
"I'm not going anywhere," I assure her. "We’re just getting you out of your clothes."
She nods, standing motionless. I unwrap the black scarf-thing from her neck, and she grabs it, clutches it in shaking hands. "Fatima. Duwana." Names, I think.
I let her hold onto it, whatever it is, as I kneel and untie her shoes. She balances with one hand on my back as I tug her shoes and socks off, one foot at a time. Tug her scrub bottoms off. Hertop. She lets me unknot her hair from the bun, and it collapses in a cascade of kinked waves. I feel nothing but worry for her as I peel her out of her sports bra and panties—she's lost weight, and she was fairly slender to begin with. She's not emaciated, but it’s clear she didn't eat properly over there.
I help her step into the water, and she sets the black thing aside onto the toilet lid and slowly sinks down to her butt, drawing her knees up to her chest. Her eyes go to mine, and she grabs my hand. "Riley. Please." She tugs me toward the tub. "Please."
Fuck, she can't even form sentences.
"Okay, I'll get in with you."
I strip and climb in with her. The water overflows with a splash, but I put down towels just in case. Not that I care right now, anyway. She ducks under, comes up wiping her eyes, hair spreading on the water like ink, then lays back, putting her back to my front, pulls my arms over her chest, and rests her cheek against my arm.
After a while, I use my foot to drain some of the water and then turn the hot water on to refill and warm it up.
We sit like that for a long, long time.
"Can we get out?" she whispers, eventually. "Cold."
"Of course. Let me get towels."
She watches me, never taking her eyes off me, as I climb out and towel myself off, wrap it around my waist, and grab another. Help her to her feet and step out. Scrub her dry, squeeze most of the water out of her hair—it's so thick, though, it'll take hours to dry completely.
She shivers as I help her to the bed. She discards the towel as she climbs under the covers, eyes on me as I circle the foot end and climb in next to her, tossing the towel aside.
As soon as I'm in with her, she surges against me, tangling herself up with me as if she can't get close enough. "Need you."
"You've got me, baby. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Not for as long as you need."
