Small

Mom

Sunlight came into the room, bright and warm. The covers were extra warm, either from the sunlight or from my body heat. I opened my eyes and stretched my legs out.

I heard a voice from just down the hall and got out of bed, knowing it was Darren in his office. I grabbed Ted and headed into the hallway.

I was just getting to his doorway when I paused, my eyebrows drawing together.

"I want to think she's happy but I don't know what she's thinking. She's so scared of... of everything-"

I pulled Ted close to my chest, my heart hammering inside.

"She was with Owen before me." Darren said, his voice a lot more calm than before.

I swallowed hard at the mention of his name.

"How am I supposed to tell her that? She won't believe me. She doesn't even trust me yet." The desperation in his voice was thick and heavy. It lingered even after he was done talking.

I walked away from the room and stopped beside mine. HIs bedroom was just across the hall and the door was open. I walked inside and put Ted on the pillow on the bed. I ran my fingers over the top of the dresser, my eyes running across the cologne bottle and the deodorant. There was a black comb and a bottle of hair gel. Lastly, there was a picture of him and a woman who was considerably older than him. They had the same colored eyes and their smile was the same. She was wearing a pointed birthday hat.

I opened the top drawer and sorted neatly were ties, all organized by color. There were even cuff links on the side. The second drawer held his shirts, folded with what looked like cardboard to keep their shape. I didn't know someone could be as neat as he was. Owen certainly wasn't.

I went over to the bed and sat on the edge. The bedside table had a light on the top along with a pair of ear phones. I opened the top drawer to find a handful of pacifiers in all different colors and patterns. I grabbed a purple one and ran my thumb over the silicone.

I stuck it in my mouth then laid down on top of the covers beside Ted. The sunlight in his room wasn't as good as mine but it was still bright. It was so different from Owen's house.

I stared at the ceiling, tears pricking my eyes. What if Darren wanted to get rid of me? What if he wasn't happy with me and thought that Owen "broke me?" I couldn't go back to Owen. I wasn't strong enough to be there. I wasn't sure I'd even make it out alive.

"Aly?"

I sat up and looked at the doorway. I wiped my eyes and took out the pacifier before I spoke. "In here."

Darren stuck his head inside before he walked in. "Hey. What are you up to?"

"I haven't seen your room much since I got here."

He smiled as he watched me look around the room.

"Is that okay?"

He nodded. "Of course."

I moved closer to him on the bed then patted the spot beside me.

He walked up to me but he didn't sit down. He leaned against the bed in front of me. He stayed silent, which worried me.

I changed the subject. "Who's the woman in your picture?"

"What picture?"

I pointed to the dresser.

"That's my mom. On her birthday last year."

"She looks like you."

He smiled. "She never lets me forget it."

I took his right hand and played with the ring on his middle finger. "Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah."

"I really like being here with you. I liked camping too. I don't... want you to think that I don't like it here."

He was quiet and when I looked up, he was watching me. "You heard the phone call."

I nodded. "I didn't mean to."

He sat down beside me. "I know it's going to take some time to adjust. But I'm not him, Aly. I'm not going to hurt you like he did. I promise."

"Did he... tell you anything about..."

"No. He didn't really say much about what happened."

I sighed though I was sort of expecting that. Owen didn't like people knowing much about his and my... relationship. He didn't want anyone to ask questions. 

"I'm not letting you go back there. You don't have to be afraid of him or me any longer. Okay?"

I nodded and went back to playing with his ring. "Okay."

He brushed my hair away from my face and I felt a blush creep up.

I quickly changed the subject. "Can you change me?"

He smiled and got to his feet. "Of course. Lay back on the bed for me."

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Edited 11/15/2022