I stared at him for a moment, trying to take all that had happened in. My eyes looked over at the drug dealer then they returned to Thomas'. I wondered if he was dead? Thomas had a lot of blood on his hands and JD was not moving so.........
He coughed and grunted a little. I mentally sighed but continued to shake. Thomas was still there smiling at me. What did he expect? A hug? Even though he did it to protect me, seeing him become savage on another person was disturbing. I tried to say something but I didn't know what to say. He held up a finger, "Hold on." He went to JD and wiped the blood off his hands onto the guys shirt. Then he returned to my side and wrapped his arms around me. "I missed you, Ginger Bread. So much." His arms became tighter.
Part of me, the young girl who had never kissed a boy before Thomas, wanted to hug him back, wanted to remember his scent, the touch of his skin and the feel of his hair. Still the older part of me that had just witnessed a near murder was scared to move.
He pulled away and looked at me, apparently aware that I hadn't returned his hug and was shaking. He frowned, " I'm sorry. I wish you hadn't seen that. I didn't even know you lived around here. When I saw him and you I just reacted, ya know? Didn't think about it." He rubbed my arms as if trying to warm them, "You aren't scared of me are you?"
Inside I screamed, "Yes!" But I was smarter than that. Or maybe I wasn't since I didn't say anything.
"Well, look Ginger Bread, you have no reason to be scared of me. I would never hurt you. I know its been a long time since I last saw you but I hope you still know that." My eyes fell on JD's body again. I felt Thomas grab my chin gently so that I was looking into his eyes. They were still soft like when I had first met him. "And you don't have to worry about JD either. I won't kill him but if he knows that you're with me than he'll be sure to leave you alone. Please say something, you're scaring me."
I clenched my fists and said, "Lord." He laughed. I didn't.
"Come on," he said, " I'll give you something to calm your nerves." Immediately images of JD on the corner flashed through my mind.
I pulled away from him and said, "I don't do drugs."
He looked surprised then disappointed, "That's not what I was talking about. I don't do drugs either. I had food in mind. Maybe some pizza?"
I was unsure whether I should trust him but after all it was Thomas.....Thomas. I agreed to go with him but I didn't accept his hand. For awhile we walked beside each other in silence. He led me to a pizza shop and ordered two slices of cheese. I began to wonder what time it was. If it got too late, my Dad would come out and look for but I didn't want him to come into this part of town. Thomas had led me deeper into the city. The pizzas came.
He dug into his, "Take a bite. It will make you feel better." I picked up a slice of pizza and chewed slowly. "What are you doing here?" He smiled.
I shrugged, " I visit my Dad during the summer."
" I bet you're in college aren't you? You were always bright, Ginger Bread." He had pride in his voice.
I nodded, " I'm in school."
"Just graduated?"
I nodded, "Yeah. I majored in law."
"Thinking about becoming a lawyer?"
" I guess but I',m not sure what type of lawyer. I'm stuck between focusing on malpractice and just being a public defender."
" Want to know what I think?" He had a coy smile.
I couldn't help but smile back, "What?"
"I think my girl could do both."
I remembered the day we had first met, when he called me his girl. "But of course you don't mean it like I am actually yours."
He shook his head vigorously, "Of course not. I would never-"
"You said the same thing to me the first time we met. Do you remember?"
He thought about it. "Yeah, I do. Deja vu, huh?"
I nodded. He continued, "But you know I would have made you my girl if I hadn't had to leave."
I missed Thomas. A warm feeling grew inside me.
He chuckled a bit, "Hell, if I could have stayed longer I would have made you my wife."
I sighed. It was a happy sigh. "Thomas." He leaned closer to me and I rested my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead and we snuggled close. Still, as I felt his skin, smelled his scent and felt his hair I couldn't help but wonder how much Thomas had changed?
He coughed and grunted a little. I mentally sighed but continued to shake. Thomas was still there smiling at me. What did he expect? A hug? Even though he did it to protect me, seeing him become savage on another person was disturbing. I tried to say something but I didn't know what to say. He held up a finger, "Hold on." He went to JD and wiped the blood off his hands onto the guys shirt. Then he returned to my side and wrapped his arms around me. "I missed you, Ginger Bread. So much." His arms became tighter.
Part of me, the young girl who had never kissed a boy before Thomas, wanted to hug him back, wanted to remember his scent, the touch of his skin and the feel of his hair. Still the older part of me that had just witnessed a near murder was scared to move.
He pulled away and looked at me, apparently aware that I hadn't returned his hug and was shaking. He frowned, " I'm sorry. I wish you hadn't seen that. I didn't even know you lived around here. When I saw him and you I just reacted, ya know? Didn't think about it." He rubbed my arms as if trying to warm them, "You aren't scared of me are you?"
Inside I screamed, "Yes!" But I was smarter than that. Or maybe I wasn't since I didn't say anything.
"Well, look Ginger Bread, you have no reason to be scared of me. I would never hurt you. I know its been a long time since I last saw you but I hope you still know that." My eyes fell on JD's body again. I felt Thomas grab my chin gently so that I was looking into his eyes. They were still soft like when I had first met him. "And you don't have to worry about JD either. I won't kill him but if he knows that you're with me than he'll be sure to leave you alone. Please say something, you're scaring me."
I clenched my fists and said, "Lord." He laughed. I didn't.
"Come on," he said, " I'll give you something to calm your nerves." Immediately images of JD on the corner flashed through my mind.
I pulled away from him and said, "I don't do drugs."
He looked surprised then disappointed, "That's not what I was talking about. I don't do drugs either. I had food in mind. Maybe some pizza?"
I was unsure whether I should trust him but after all it was Thomas.....Thomas. I agreed to go with him but I didn't accept his hand. For awhile we walked beside each other in silence. He led me to a pizza shop and ordered two slices of cheese. I began to wonder what time it was. If it got too late, my Dad would come out and look for but I didn't want him to come into this part of town. Thomas had led me deeper into the city. The pizzas came.
He dug into his, "Take a bite. It will make you feel better." I picked up a slice of pizza and chewed slowly. "What are you doing here?" He smiled.
I shrugged, " I visit my Dad during the summer."
" I bet you're in college aren't you? You were always bright, Ginger Bread." He had pride in his voice.
I nodded, " I'm in school."
"Just graduated?"
I nodded, "Yeah. I majored in law."
"Thinking about becoming a lawyer?"
" I guess but I',m not sure what type of lawyer. I'm stuck between focusing on malpractice and just being a public defender."
" Want to know what I think?" He had a coy smile.
I couldn't help but smile back, "What?"
"I think my girl could do both."
I remembered the day we had first met, when he called me his girl. "But of course you don't mean it like I am actually yours."
He shook his head vigorously, "Of course not. I would never-"
"You said the same thing to me the first time we met. Do you remember?"
He thought about it. "Yeah, I do. Deja vu, huh?"
I nodded. He continued, "But you know I would have made you my girl if I hadn't had to leave."
I missed Thomas. A warm feeling grew inside me.
He chuckled a bit, "Hell, if I could have stayed longer I would have made you my wife."
I sighed. It was a happy sigh. "Thomas." He leaned closer to me and I rested my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead and we snuggled close. Still, as I felt his skin, smelled his scent and felt his hair I couldn't help but wonder how much Thomas had changed?
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