Taken In

Chapter 13

I look at her as she giggles, and laugh with her. I didn't expect her to be so comfortable with me so fast. Maybe it's because we're talking about something she likes, or maybe it's all the sugar she's been drinking. I've been told she only asks for soda when she needs a drink. I look up at her bed side table and see a large styrofoam cup with a straw which I assume was full of coke, but is probably now empty.

"Do you read?" She asks, I look back at her once I realise I was too caught up in my own thoughts to continue the conversation.

"Used to." She nods once I finish speaking. I've never been studious but reading is something I got into a little while in high school, I read anything I could find, as long as it distracted me from the all the shit going on at home.

Breo looks at me before looking back at her book, then up at me again.

"I'll bring you up some books tomorrow- if you want."

My words cause a smile to form on her face again, but I watch as she thinks to herself for a moment, before frowning.

"Expensive." She says quietly.

Watching her expression change causes my stomach to sink but I ignore it.

"Hey." I try to say reassuringly, she's very apologetic and as soon as she thinks she's done something wrong that's all she'll do. That asshole must've put her through hell.

"You didn't do anything alright? I want to get you books, it's not expensive."

"Not expensive?" She repeats, looking up at me timidly with teary eyes.

"Yes- not expensive."

"Okay." She says, sounding unconvinced.

Trying to change the topic slightly I ask her other questions. It's very interesting talking to her, she gives short but straight forward answers, so to have a conversation I have to question her a little. I don't know much but I looked up autism a few days ago to see what it is. I read that autistic people like direct questions, so I've been doing that.

"Were you reading the manual because you're bored in here?"

"I like to read." She responds after waiting a few seconds, I think she's just trying to be polite.

"Do you like watching TV too? Seen anything good on it so far?"

Placing Pooh bear on her lap she brushes her hair away from her forehead to rub it gently, looking at me with wide eyes.

"I'm allowed?"

Her words surprise me, she has been in this room for a two weeks all day everyday and she hasn't turned the TV on since she got here? Trying to hide my disbelief I answer her question so she doesn't think she's done something wrong.

"Yeah you're allowed, you can do whatever you want in here."

She looks at me and smiles again. "Thank you."

"Do you know how to use it?"

She shakes her head and I lean forward to pick up the remote on the coffee table in front of us, before teaching her how to use the TV. I notice as she watches me carefully, nodding after every sentence to show she understands me. I lean back and pass the remote to her, and watch as she goes through the channels, stopping when she sees something she likes.

The Scooby-Doo theme plays throughout the room loudly, causing her to flinch and turn the volume down almost immediately. "Sorry." She says, placing the remote on the table in front of her as if I intend to take it back.

"You didn't do nothing, it's fine." I smile at her and watch her get comfortable, watching the plot as it progresses. The TV is mounted overhead from where I'm sitting, and I don't want to scare her by sitting next to her so I pull my phone from my pocket and check my texts, occasionally looking up at her. She's so invested in the story I bet she's forgotten I'm in the room- it's cute.

I scroll through a few texts before my stomach starts to grumble. Looking at the time I realise it's around 8pm and all I had for dinner was Tequila.

Putting my phone back in my pocket I lean forward, turning to see that the episode has ended.

"You had dinner?" I ask, interrupting the silence as she scrolls through more channels.

She shakes her head and I sigh. She's supposed to have had dinner by now, I'll talk to Luis about that later.

"You hungry?"

She nods again.

"What do you want?"

"Pizza...please." She says with a smile. That's all she's asked for since she's got here. Part of me thinks she believes it's all she can ask for but another part of me thinks she just likes pizza that much.

"Is pizza your favourite?"

She shrugs her shoulders.

"Why do you ask for it then?" My curiosity increases while I wait for her answer.

"Not sure." She looks at me shyly, and I decide to drop the topic incase I make her embarrassed.

"What will you have?" Her response surprises me, sometimes she's so quiet I don't expect her to speak at all. However she's been asking me more questions recently, saying more words too- maybe she is feeling comfortable with me.

"I don't know." I lean back into the couch and rub the nape of my neck, feeling the stubble on the back of my head brush my hand. I don't have long hair like the rest of the guys, short hair has always worked for me, girls seem to think so too.

I think about what I could eat and remember the kitchen probably doesn't have much in it. We mostly order take out but that gets boring after a while, Teresa is also out of town so there aren't any groceries.

"Wanna come to the store with me?" I ask, causing Breo to immediately put down the remote she's holding and look up at me immediately.

"I'm never supposed to leave." She says blankly. Realising how much for an asshole I sounded when I told her that, I try to rephrase what I said.

"I said that so you can rest." I sigh, leaning forward as I continue to explain. "I've got a lot of people coming in and out of here and don't want you to get scared or lost." She looks at me as I continue to speak, trying to censor out anything that would scare her.

"You can leave the room alright? You just gotta tell me first, or if you're with me, you can leave if you want."

She nods while thinking to herself, looking at me to talk again. "Stores are safe?" She asks me genuinely.

She ran away from her fucked up boyfriend to San Antonio. She's probably scared he'll find her. If he does and I'm with her, he'll wish he kept his bitch ass in San Angelo.

"Yes, it's far from San Angelo, and I'll be with you."

She seems apprehensive but I bet being in this room is driving her crazy. It'll do her some good to get out.

"It's night too so it'll be less busy." I say again in an effort to reassure her.

"Okay." She nods. "Can I bring Pooh bear?"

"Yeah he can come too." I look at her hug her bear and smile- it makes me smile too. That bear has probably got her through a lot of shit so I've never judged her for it- whatever makes her happy.