Neglected Desires

Chapter 19

"Hey buddy!" Kevin came running through the door of the little cafe, his eyes instantly landing on me in my usual seat. His little arms wrap around my neck as I bend down to wrap him in a quick hug. This was a normal meeting that Alysha tried to have once a month. We had started this years ago after we decided we needed a little time away from everything, including our apartments, to really talk over any important issues in our lives.

"Did Prince come with you?" His eyes wide and excited as he pulled back and looked around me haphazardly.

"Sorry Kevin, he's a little busy right now." The child's deep brown eyes moved back to me.

"S'ok Alexa. I miss you." Smiling at the child in brown corduroy pants and a plain blue shirt as I jostle my fingers through his untidy hair. Before I can say anything else I finally see Alysha coming through the glass doors of the cafe dressed in jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt and dark sunglasses. Releasing a deep sigh I feel my heart sink as I remember the last time I saw her in that very same outfit.

"Hey girl." Her voice just a little too excited as she tried to take attention away from what she knew I could see. Standing up, we embrace like the close friends we truly are.

"What happened?" I whisper in her ear only to have her pull away and pretend she didn't hear me. Our visit was tense at best, at lest for me. She told me about her job and how she was having problems with her new coworker and we talked at length about Kevin and his new friend who'd just moved into the building yesterday. After our plates were empty and our conversation came to a lull I sent Kevin over to the pastry display with some cash so he could pick out deserts for all of us. We sat I silence for another minute, her eyes still covered with dark sunglasses. "What happened Alysha?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." A nervous laugh filled her voice as she fidgeted with her sleeve. Reaching over the table I snatched the glasses off her face and revealed the biggest black eye I'd ever seen. I did't have to see her arms to know what I'd find there, I'd seen this all before on her.

"You let him back in your home?" My heart broke, less for her because she continued to allow him back in her home, but Kevin had no choice and she was constantly putting him in this dangerous situation.

"He's changed." Her voice convinced only herself.

"It certainly doesn't look like he's changed at all to me."

"I was out of line the other night and he set me right. He apologized later."

"Alysha, he hurt you just like he's done in the past." Her eyes rolled back in her head as her arms crossed over her chest.

"I know you're just being a good friend Alexa, but you have to trust me to make my own decisions and I'm telling you he's changed." Sighing and shaking my head I know there will be no reasoning with her today.

"Mommy fell down in the kitchen." His little voice caught us both by surprise. I turn to find him standing next to me staring at his mother with a terrified expression hiding deep in his young eyes. I glance at Alysha and I know she can't see it, she's just happy he's remembered the line she gave him about falling. She finally notices the look I'm giving her, a look that easily tells her how disappointed I am in her right this moment.

"I think it's time to head home Kevin." She stands and reaches her hand out to the child who gives me a quick, silent hug before he walks off with his mother.

The spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening trying to forget the version of my friend that had arrived at the cafe. Years ago, just after Kevin was born, she was the same way. It took her nearly a year to come to her senses and even then it was only after she ended up in the hospital.  In all honesty, I hadn't realized how long I'd been driving around until I pulled back into the nearly vacant parking of Paisley Park after the sun had already descended to the other side of the world. Entering the building it was so quiet I wondered if there was even anyone there, but I knew he was around somewhere. After looking in a few rooms I finally found him sitting at his piano, playing a soft melody. Without a sound I walked into the room and sat next to him on the piano bench. His hands didn't even pause as he turned turned to look at me with a soft expression before I rested my head on his shoulder that was loosely covered in a white, partially buttoned dress shirt.

"You've been gone a long time." Tender lips landed a soft kiss on my head. "How are Alysha and Kevin?" Resting my fingers on his forearm I closed my eyes for a moment as studied the sensation of muscles moving under his skin as those finger continued their work on the keys.

"Kevin's dad has been and she's convinced he's changed." My eyes still closed as his melody mixed with the hushed sound of his steady breathing filled the empty space around us, engulfing me in a sense of security. "She all but told me it was her fault he gave her a giant black eye." With my eyes closed I could feel his draw a large breath, swelling his chest momentarily.

"Is Kevin ok?" That deep voice quieter than normal as the tone of the melody started to change, our musical blanket becoming more somber.

"Physically he's fine, but he knows what's going on. It's in his eyes." We sat like that for what felt like hours, me resting my eyes ad trying to forget the harsh reality I'd come face to face with earlier today while his fingers continued their journey over the keys from one melody to another. "Are you and Tony ok now?"

"Yes" the music finally started to fade out and as the muscles in his forearm stilled. 'Thank you for that earlier." Opening my eyes, I turn my head to find him staring down at me, "Sometimes I need someone to remind me that I'm not always right." A small grin lifts my lips at his words.

"Well you can count on me for that." The curve of his shoulder jumps slightly as a silent laugh passes through him. "I just want to forget this day Prince." My words exhausted.

"How about I run us a bath," his left arm snaked around my waist, "and I can wash the day off you and try to give you something else to think about."

"Yeah, I think that might be worth a try." Not another word was spoken by either of us as he took my hand in his and lead me toward the next part of my day and farther away from the things I couldn't stand to think about anymore.