Page 109 of Like A Moth To A Flame

Over an hour later, I felt the tension seeping out of my muscles. I lay sideways in the tub, my legs folded against the wall, and my head leaning over the edge. Just as she promised, Amelia had helped me wash my hair, and partially dry it, and now she was braiding it in careful French braids down both sides of my head.

“And then tomorrow, when it’s dry, you can take it out, and your hair will be all pretty and wavy,” she said, pulling the hair tie out from between her teeth and tying off the end of one before she started on the other.

When she finished, we sat that way for a long time, in comfortable silence. Before long, Amelia slumped down against the wall, balling up my towel and laying her head on it like a makeshift pillow.

“So,” she said. “Let’s go over what we do know.”

“Sure,” I said, swinging my legs around and righting myself in the water.

“It’s not Sheriff Banner,” she said, raising one tired finger above the line of the bathtub so I could see it. “And It’s not Carl.”

“Speaking of Carl,” I said, grinning over at her. “What’s the back of his throat taste like?”

Amelia erupted in a fit of laughter, reaching over the edge of the tub and slapping at me playfully. I dodged her easily.

“Hey, listen!” she teased me, still laughing. “I don’t wanna hear it little miss ‘oops, my stalker put a baby in me’.”

“Hey!” I gasped, giggling. I should have been offended, but I just couldn’t be.

“You liked it!”

“I did,” I said. “Not even gonna lie.”

“I’m gonna laugh so hard if he turns out to be some super ugly rookie cop or something.”

I cackled, slapping back at her. She shimmied away, still laughing.

“That’snot funny!” I said, but I couldn’t stop the giggles.

“Yes, it is!” she countered. “Circus babies!”

We both collapsed into a fit of laughter, hiccupping and wiping tears from our eyes.

We basked in our laughter, finally calming down enough for me to feel some semblance of normal. The water had turned cold, but the warmth of Amelia’s company and true understanding of my situation was enveloping me like a cozy blanket.

“Thank you, Amelia,” I whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied, squeezing my hand.

I closed my eyes, finding a small amount of peace in the darkness.

27

You’ll never know what hit you…

Moth

We woke up the next morning, and a chill had settled in the air.

It’s like Kansas had gotten the hint that late summer was out and fall had officially started. Amelia and I had both fallen asleep in the guest room, huddled under the blanket and cuddled together for warmth. Before bed, we’d thrown a sweater over the camera at Amelia’s insistence, and I couldn’t blame her.

Why was I okay with him watching me sleep?

It never shocked or bothered me the way it probably should have.

I lay there for a long time, staring up at the ceiling and thinking until Amelia stirred beside me, turning toward me.

“I forgot to tell you,” she said, her voice husky with sleep and her lips turning up in a smile. “I have a date tonight.”

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