Mysterious Boy

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LeMore
"If there's a God out there / please hear my prayer / I'm lost and I'm scared / and I've got nowhere else to run / I've come a long, long way / but I'm not sure I can be the best father / so, if you're listening / could you give a helping hand / to my daughter," I sang lightly as I rubbed Lilly's arm and she sleepily looked upon me. I smiled down at her and stopped. "You're beautiful, baby; don't you ever forget that, promise?" She nodded and I brought my pinky out. She wrapped her smallest finger around mine and her heavy eyelids almost hid the shine of her pretty, little eyes. "Get some sleep now." I leant down and pressed my lips against the soft skin of her forehead.
"No," she said. As I turned, her delicate hand came to my fingers and I looked back at her expectantly. She gestured me to come to her level, so I sat, my knees to the ground.
"I'm not going anywhere, Lilly pad. I promise."
She looked at me with wide eyes and I held her hands in both of mine, though I could've engulfed them in just fist with how wee she was. "We aren't-we aren't going to see Mommy again, are we?" She hesitantly asked. Lilly's voice was quiet.
Tears burned my eyes and I held them back. "No; no, why would you say that?"
She was silent for a moment. "I-I heard you and uncle yesterday." My lips began to tremble. "He hurt her, didn't he?"
"Lilly pad-"
"Please don't lie," she begged. I swallowed.
"I don't know," I simply whispered out. "But I'm trying to do everything I can to make it all better." She nodded in understanding and I admired how smart she already was. "You need to go to sleep now, sweetheart." She put her arms out to gesture a hug. I smiled weakly and sat up more to wrap my arms around her. I closed my eyes and held her tightly.
"You're a good daddy," she whispered out. My eyes opened at that and my lips trembled as my eyes began to burn with tears.
"Don't let the bed bugs bite," I breathed out as I pulled away and tucked her in.
***
I was sitting outside with my legs dangling underneath the guard to keep anyone from falling. I looked down at the pool below and had my head against the cool metal. I heard the sound of a door creak open and expected Raphael to sit next to me and stare at the water with me. But, to my dismay, it was merely Monique. "Hi," she said before sitting down next to me.
"Hello," I replied with.
It wasn't that I hated Monique; it wasn't the fact that she was completely blind to the fact that not everything was about her and probably tricked herself into believing she wasn't trying to make the situation about her; it wasn't that she sat next to me waiting for a bloody story that just doesn't actually happen in reality-the real world; I was just tired. I was tired of it all; worn. And I wanted to be left alone. I didn't want to talk or have her talk to me at the moment. But, it was inevitable. As soon as she came to Raphael's house that second time, packed up, it was inevitable. But this was me life we were talking about. I lived most a me life without my mam, but having her actually just- I shook my head.
"How are you?" She finally asked.
I let out a sigh through my nose. "I," I let out a small breath and felt the despair and love slowly settle inside of my gut, "I don't know anymore." My eyes began to burn and I looked up and breathed slowly. "I'm scared." I took a deep breath in, "I'm scared of what I'll find. I don't want-to find my own mother in-in shreds or something. I'm scared out of my mind; for me; for Lilly."
"You won't-"
"You don't know Larry, Monique. He's just-he's just so evil. I don't understand how people like that, like him, could possibly be on this earth. How is it possible that people find pleasure in doing that to another living thing." I licked my lips and stared at that still pool; blue, unmoving. I wished I could just jump in.
"A lot of people like that walk around us. Even if they don't do it the same way he did, I mean." I looked at her and she swallowed. "You're the one who told me that, though. The powerless."
"You think the powerless hurt?"
"A lot of times, yeah."
I shrugged thinking about it, "I guess it just depends on the people who are a part of it." We looked at each other for a minute and I smirked at the thought of her thoughts. Staring in my eyes meant something; maybe a connection, but not a life story. God, please.
I realised she wouldn't get it. She just would not get it in the end. She chose the powerless, and she fed off of it. She felt alive when getting hurt, not when she thought I loved her or vice versa. I looked at her hand and knew what I had to do. I put mine atop hers and then leant in. Her breath hitched as I came closer until I finally felt her breath on my skin. I paused before her lips, glanced up into her brown eyes and then subtly whispered, "Kiss me." And so she did.
Her tender lips pressed against mine and she licked my bottom lip, her hand pressing against my chest as I let her enter my mouth with ease. My chest felt tight as I thought it all through with her against me and kissing my lips. "Niall," she breathed out against my skin.
"I know," I breathed back. "You love me."