Bayou

Chapter 10 ~ Teacher

The weeks watching him learn had made one thing perfectly clear. No matter how attractive he was. No matter how good with children, how conscientious, how polite, or how sweet, it didn't change the fact that he wasn't an adult. Not really. He'd never been outside the swamp. He'd never met another woman. His interest in me was just like his interest in everything else. He wanted to learn. He wanted to study, and as appealing as the thought could be, I'd been experimented on enough.

Julia, however, wasn't on the same page.

"It's your turn," she said one morning as I was finishing up washing the breakfast dishes.

I turned to face her, one brow lifted, slowly drying my hands as if it would somehow stall whatever awful thing I knew was coming. She had the look, the tone, the I've-had-enough-of-your-shit expression.

"To teach Croc."

I tossed the towel onto the sink. "Pretty sure he already knows more than me."

"He don't know shit about the world," she said. "I taught him how to speak properly, read, write, and as much math as I could. The boy already knew about nature and animals." She stepped into my path, blocking an escape I hadn't even started yet. "You're the expert on the bullshit going on outside this place. They had you in their facility. You saw firsthand what happens more than I ever did, and he has a right to know."

"Why me? It isn't like I know their secrets!"

"Why not you?" She lifted both brows, challenging me, daring me to give my reasons so she could explain them all away as bullshit excuses. She'd rip them from me, simplify and stupefy my carefully formulated thoughts. I needed them. Without them, I'd...

"Fine," I hissed. "I'll tell him all about it."

"Outside," she said. "Somewhere private."

I glared at her, and she lifted her hands in mock innocence.

"I don't want the little ones to hear and get upset."

"Sure you don't." I pushed past her.

She snickered.

Croc was in the living room, leaning over Eric and pointing out the words in a book about farm animals.

"C'mon," I snapped at him. "Julia says it's my turn to teach you."

Croc straightened, then faster than my mind could follow, he rushed forward to stand less than an inch from my back.

I gripped the door handle tight then shouldered him back so I could open it. The day was warm, surprisingly clear given the cloudy gray skies we'd had for over a week. I walked to the edge of the dock, took off my shoes, then sat to dip my feet into the cool, murky depths.

Croc took the spot beside me and matched my position. "I'm ready."

I bet you are. "I'm supposed to tell you about what it's like outside of here."

He shifted. "Is that all?"

I looked over at him. "What else were you expecting?"

He examined my face, before he gave up whatever fantasy he'd had and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Good." I lifted one leg from the water and bent it at the knee, turning toward him.

Once again, Croc mimicked me.

"Outside of here is...different from here." Excellent job, Willow. Really insightful. "What I mean is, there are roads and buildings and other people."

He stopped me. "Like in Julia's books."

"Yeah," I said. Duh. He'd probably read enough to explain it to me. "So, you know about towns and businesses? Doctors and lawyers?"