Taking out a big casserole, she puts it on the stove, murmuring something to herself and her forehead wrinkles. Looking like she’s pondering, she shoots her hip out, sharp and quick and I flex my jaw, my eyes narrowing with want.
Her curves are lithe but rounded, like spicy apples that I want to roll around in my hands before I go in for a bite. Her hair is hanging down the half of her back and she’s barefoot but she still looks like what the girl in the store called her.
A princess.
And who was I?
A monster.
Then again, I knew some problems would arise as soon as I came back here. I haven’t been back in years because I know I’m not wanted. They don’t need to tell me that but I disliked the look on Melody’s face after the altercation in the store.
She got upset. Glancing at her, I wonder what goes on in that hazel colored head of hers. Does she now secretly fear that I am some kind of fiend, hiding behind the façade of a well-respected cop?
Aye, then again I suppose it is not that far from the truth...
Walking over to the refrigerator, she bends down and takes out some produce and puts it in a plastic bucket. Unaware of everything that’s gone down in this house, she walks over to the sink and turns on the water and I tense up, my muscles straining at the sight of her by that sink.
“Melody,” I say in a sharp voice and she quickly turns, looking at me in surprise. Her beautiful eyes seem so innocent to me, so blissfully innocent that I regret snapping at her. “Nothing,” I add.
In response she simply nods and I am grateful for that and for the rest of the time, I watch her cook, relishing in how this seems to comfort her and I realize that she needs this. She needs to focus on something else and be distracted from what happened to her.
Frowning, I take out my phone, texting Racket.
Anything new?
His response comes quickly.Less than expected but we’ll get him. Enjoy your vacation.
I’m enjoying Melody that’s for sure. And her presence in thishouse. If I had her stay here long enough I bet she’d manage to clean out all the dark cobwebs without even lifting a finger.
We eat our dinner in peace and I listen to Melody make small talk and I can tell she’s avoiding certain questions. Questions that she thinks might trigger me but what happened was a long time ago.
What worries me is her reaction when she finds out. It is not uncommon for victims of crime to despise and turn away from anything violent related. Some of them even stop listening to the news and understandably so.
We keep the conversation light and I tell her about the Garda and about my old dog Banshee and how she used to scare the shit out of everyone despite being blind on one eye and walking with a limp. It makes Melody burst out in laughter and the sound attacks my chest like I’m being smattered with punch after punch.
This girl should have never stopped laughing. If only I had known her sooner, I could have saved her. I could have stopped bad things from happening to her. But I wasn’t that lucky and I know that it’s something that I will regret and feel guilty about for the rest of my life.
When she picks up our plates to wash up, there’s a small smile around her lips and her eyes are relaxed. She seems content and I almost want the neighbors to spy in through my windows to see her like this. See that I’m not so bad. Not when a girl like her accepts me.
After hanging up the dishtowel to dry, Melody murmurs, “Do you want to watch a movie with me?”
As if I would ever say no to her. “Aye,” I nod, “let’s do that.” I get up and we walk into the living room and Melody immediately curls up on the same spot I always used to grab when I lived here. I sit down next to her, picking up the remote and I flip through the channels.
“Comedy please,” Melody says and I nod, trying to find a move as close to a comedy as possible and we decide on one taking place on the country side. Grabbing a pillow, Melody puts it against her chest and scoots down, leaning her head back.
Her legs are up, the tip of her knee touching the side of my thigh and whenever she moves, a current blares through my groin until I need to shove my fist against my mouth to not let out a curse. From the moment I saw that photo of her, I started dreaming about her.
Long, hot dreams that never seemed to end but when I woke up with a raging erection and sweat plastering my back, I felt guilty as fuck. I didn’t think I was allowed to think of her that way. She was merely a young girl and I was merely an older detective.
I told myself that when she was found, I was going to treat her like any other professional cop would. But that was a thought that worked only as long as the girl was out of my reach. As soon as she came close enough, I understood that she wasn’t just a case to me.
She was more than that. My beginning and my end.
“Callan?” Melody murmurs, turning her head so that she can look at me. “On our way home, I noticed some posters up on some of the trees. What’s that all about?”
“Fates Falls festival,” I reply. “Happens tomorrow.”
Pushing herself up on her elbow she says, “Festival? That sounds like fun.”