sweet scent of clove cigarettes and mountain-fresh soap again.
Instead, he reeked of stale beer, which annoyed me because he always drank vodka. I wanted to strip his smelly clothes off and push him into the shower. I wanted to scrub the muscular swell of his arms and the ripples of his chest and abdomen. I wanted to push him up against the cold tiled wall and taste his tongue as hot water pelted our skin.
“Are you okay, Audushka?” Aleksandr said against my ear.
I couldn’t hear him with the thump of the bass in the background. I shrugged against his chest, nestling deeper into his arms, enjoying the fantasy while I had the opportunity.
“I need to get you home,” Aleksandr whispered, warm breath tickling my neck. The same part of my brain that was having shower fantasies about him wanted me to cover his mouth with my own, but I couldn’t lift my head.
“Audushka?”
His voice sounded miles away. Why was he leaving me?
“Audushka!”
My chin thudded against my chest and my head rolled to the side, as strong limbs pushed me away from the warm mountain I’d been clutching. Suddenly the floor disappeared, and I was wheeled through the air, as if on a Ferris wheel. I held on tight to the pole in front of me, in case I was to fall off.
“Get your fucking hands off her!” someone yelled.
The pole I was holding staggered back a few steps before staggering forward. I felt the force of the pole hit something, but I didn’t feel any pain. It was the last thing I remember before everything went black.
Chapter 9
A forceful knock on my window woke me up, though I had no recollection of how I got into my bed or when I fell asleep in the first place. My head pounded and my mouth felt like I’d eaten the stuffing out of a Pillow Pet. I pulled the covers over my head, convinced that the wind had caused the noise I’d heard, until the heavy rap started again. My hands shook as I continued to hide, curling my fingers around my blanket.
If you ignore things they go away, I reminded myself. Then I laughed, because ignoring everything was my family’s pathetic mantra. Ignoring an issue had never worked before, but I hoped tonight would be an exception. Soon the rap turned to scratching and fumbling as someone tried to open the window.
“Auden,” a voice called in a loud whisper from outside. “Hey, Aud!”
Awesome. Whoever it was knew my name. I lay still for a moment, deciding if it was a positive or a negative sign. Just go away, I silently willed the stranger.
“Audushka, open the window. It’s fucking freezing!”
My heart sped up as I threw the blanket off and kicked my feet until it lay in a pile of fleece on the floor. I stumbled out of bed and pulled up the shade to find Aleksandr jumping up and down, rubbing his hands together.
“What are you doing?” I asked, after unlocking the latch on the window and shoving it upward. Though I knew my bed head was untamable, pushing the hair away from my face made me feel better.
Aleksandr clutched the windowsill and attempted to propel himself through the opening but failed and fell back to the ground. Literally fell. Not that the drop was far.
“I needed to see you,” he said while brushing dirt off his butt. “I couldn’t wait.”
I glanced at the clock: 3:06 a.m. “You couldn’t wait until I get to the arena later?”
“No. I could not.” He hoisted himself up again. His knuckles changed from pink to white as he gripped the window, and his feet scratched against the house like he was scaling a flat rock wall.
Grabbing ahold of his biceps, I jerked him inside, unapologetic about causing his graceless face-plant onto my floor. Served him right. I poked my head outside before sliding the window shut. A person jumping in through the window of a house at three a.m. might be a normal occurrence in many parts of Detroit, but we still had a few good neighbors who would be alarmed.
“Is this what you sleep in?” Aleksandr reached for the hem of my
Instead, he reeked of stale beer, which annoyed me because he always drank vodka. I wanted to strip his smelly clothes off and push him into the shower. I wanted to scrub the muscular swell of his arms and the ripples of his chest and abdomen. I wanted to push him up against the cold tiled wall and taste his tongue as hot water pelted our skin.
“Are you okay, Audushka?” Aleksandr said against my ear.
I couldn’t hear him with the thump of the bass in the background. I shrugged against his chest, nestling deeper into his arms, enjoying the fantasy while I had the opportunity.
“I need to get you home,” Aleksandr whispered, warm breath tickling my neck. The same part of my brain that was having shower fantasies about him wanted me to cover his mouth with my own, but I couldn’t lift my head.
“Audushka?”
His voice sounded miles away. Why was he leaving me?
“Audushka!”
My chin thudded against my chest and my head rolled to the side, as strong limbs pushed me away from the warm mountain I’d been clutching. Suddenly the floor disappeared, and I was wheeled through the air, as if on a Ferris wheel. I held on tight to the pole in front of me, in case I was to fall off.
“Get your fucking hands off her!” someone yelled.
The pole I was holding staggered back a few steps before staggering forward. I felt the force of the pole hit something, but I didn’t feel any pain. It was the last thing I remember before everything went black.
Chapter 9
A forceful knock on my window woke me up, though I had no recollection of how I got into my bed or when I fell asleep in the first place. My head pounded and my mouth felt like I’d eaten the stuffing out of a Pillow Pet. I pulled the covers over my head, convinced that the wind had caused the noise I’d heard, until the heavy rap started again. My hands shook as I continued to hide, curling my fingers around my blanket.
If you ignore things they go away, I reminded myself. Then I laughed, because ignoring everything was my family’s pathetic mantra. Ignoring an issue had never worked before, but I hoped tonight would be an exception. Soon the rap turned to scratching and fumbling as someone tried to open the window.
“Auden,” a voice called in a loud whisper from outside. “Hey, Aud!”
Awesome. Whoever it was knew my name. I lay still for a moment, deciding if it was a positive or a negative sign. Just go away, I silently willed the stranger.
“Audushka, open the window. It’s fucking freezing!”
My heart sped up as I threw the blanket off and kicked my feet until it lay in a pile of fleece on the floor. I stumbled out of bed and pulled up the shade to find Aleksandr jumping up and down, rubbing his hands together.
“What are you doing?” I asked, after unlocking the latch on the window and shoving it upward. Though I knew my bed head was untamable, pushing the hair away from my face made me feel better.
Aleksandr clutched the windowsill and attempted to propel himself through the opening but failed and fell back to the ground. Literally fell. Not that the drop was far.
“I needed to see you,” he said while brushing dirt off his butt. “I couldn’t wait.”
I glanced at the clock: 3:06 a.m. “You couldn’t wait until I get to the arena later?”
“No. I could not.” He hoisted himself up again. His knuckles changed from pink to white as he gripped the window, and his feet scratched against the house like he was scaling a flat rock wall.
Grabbing ahold of his biceps, I jerked him inside, unapologetic about causing his graceless face-plant onto my floor. Served him right. I poked my head outside before sliding the window shut. A person jumping in through the window of a house at three a.m. might be a normal occurrence in many parts of Detroit, but we still had a few good neighbors who would be alarmed.
“Is this what you sleep in?” Aleksandr reached for the hem of my
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