Domination

Chapter 13

Lorelei used her arm to wipe off the sweat that was building on her forehead. Christina's apartment was warm, and that made the stench even worse. The further they dug into the piles, the more pungent the smell became. Lorelei could not wait to get back to the hotel and shower.

They had been cleaning for hours and barely made a difference in the mess of the apartment. Lorelei was digging for things that were clearly trash or unsalvagable, which was most things. Christina and Jesse argued every time she wanted to hold onto an item. Christina had an excuse for each piece of junk she wanted to keep.

"I was wearing that scarf the night I met your father," Christina said.

Jesse was holding a black and pink scarf that had holes from being eaten by mice. Lorelei did not want to imagine where the stains had come from. Christina snatched it out of his hands before she could dispose of it.

"Dad died twenty-five years ago," he said.

"Even more reason to keep it," Christina said.

Jesse's father died? Lorelei thought.

He had never mentioned his father before and she never thought to ask. They had bonded over the stories of their mothers. She wanted to know more but knew it was an inappropriate time to ask.

"Jesse, I am not going to get rid of something that has memories," Christina said.

Lorelei had heard Christina say that a dozen times already. Everything in the apartment had some distant memory attached to it.

"We can't keep everything that has memories," Jesse said.

"Yes, we can," Christina said. "We just have to find a place for it."

"And where will that be?" he asked. "The apartment is not big enough for all of this crap."

"It's not crap!"

"You're right. It's fucking garbage."

Christina put her finger on Jesse's chest as she scowled. Jesse swatted her hand away.

"Do not swear at me, Jesse Aiden Madden," she said.

Oh no, Lorelei thought.

Last time she had used his full name she kicked them out of the apartment.

"Mom, I am trying my hardest to have patience," Jesse said. "You need to work with me."

"I am not getting rid of everything I own," Christina said.

Jesse let out a deep breath. He pulled his gloves off his hands before running his fingers through his hair.

"I need some air," Jesse said.

"So you're leaving?" Christina asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm taking a break. We both need to cool off."

Lorelei set down her garbage bag and pulled her gloves off.

"I need some fresh air too," she said.

She did want to escape the smell, but she was also afraid of being alone with Christina again. Would she continue to talk about how much she loved Jody? Was she comparing the two of them? Was she disappointed that Jesse was now with Lorelei?

Lorelei and Jesse walked out of the apartment. Lorelei pulled down her mask and took in a deep breath of fresh air. Jesse ripped his mask off.

There were so many questions on Lorelei's mind. She wanted to ask about Jody. She wanted to ask about his father. She knew however that it would all have to wait. Jesse was clearly frustrated and she did not want to add to his stress.

"I can't believe I brought you here," Jesse said. "You don't need to go through this."

Lorelei raised a brow. He was concerned about her right now?

"Jesse, I came to support you," she said.

"You don't need to see my fucked up life," he said. "This is why I never moved back to Vancouver."

Lorelei did not know what to say. She reached out and put her hand on his arm to comfort him. She pulled her into his chest and kissed the top of her head.

They said nothing for a few minutes. Lorelei's mind was racing with questions, but she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. She needed to be here for Jesse.

"Let's get back inside," Jesse mumbled before pulling away.

Lorelei gave him a quick kiss before grabbing his hand. They went back into the building and up the stairs to Christina's apartment. Jesse opened the door, and Christina was standing in the kitchen. She was leaning against the counter and had a beer in her hand. Jesse squeezed Lorelei's hand so tight that her knuckles ached. Lorelei looked up at Jesse to see him scowling.

"Are you serious?" Jesse asked. "I told you I was only going to help you if you stayed sober."

"It's just one beer," Christina said. "It's not vodka."

"We're out," he said. He pulled Lorelei toward the door. "If you want our help tomorrow, you better be sober."

"Jesse!"

Jesse pushed Lorelei into the hallway and they rushed down the stairs. Was Christina going to follow them? Jesse swore loudly once they were outside. Lorelei stayed quiet as Jesse complained about his mother on the way to the hotel.

---

The warm water cascaded down Lorelei's back. As soon as they got to the hotel, Lorelei and Jesse got into the shower to wash off the smell. Jesse washed Lorelei's hair. She closed her eyes and leaned her hand back into his hands as she enjoyed his touch. Jesse smiled as he watched her.

Lorelei did not change into clothes when she got out of the shower. She wrapped herself in a towel before lying on the bed. Jesse laid down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his chest. He dragged his fingers across the back of her shoulders. Goosebumps broke out across her skin.

"I think you should stay at the hotel tomorrow," he said.

"I want to help you and your Mom," she said.

Jesse sighed.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "I want to be here with you."

He kissed the top of her head. Her eyes were growing heavy and she was struggling not to fall asleep. She was always comfortable being around Jesse. He made her feel at peace, even in the stressful situation of his mother. She wished that she could have the same effect on Jesse. He always struggled to sleep and she would watch him suffer throughout the day.

"I love you," Jesse said.

"I love you too," Lorelei muttered as she was falling asleep.