Come to me

Elle blinked in surprise, her face flushing under his intention filled gaze. She looked at his lips, feeling light headed at his nearness. His warmth radiating from him, his scent surrounding her. She was caged by his arms, and unbidden her mind drew back to the image of him shirtless this morning…her breath gasped from her. 

“Ah, schatje I have to kiss you,” he breathed, sliding his hands up her arms, gently framing her face, “Will you let me?” He asked. Elle stared at him, trembling slightly from his touch. He ran his thumb gently over her lips, he bent to her, slowly inching his face toward her, his eyes locked on her face. Let you kiss me? Fucking ravening for you!

“Milo..” She whispered his name, her voice sounding strange and breathy to her. “I want..” She began, moving toward him, desperate for his mouth on hers, she reached out grasping the front of his shirt fisting the fabric. She bit her bottom lip, his eyes locked on it, an expression of wild lust crossed his face, as he glanced up at her eyes. 

“Do you want me to kiss you?” He asked, his voice deep with barely contained hunger.

“I want you…” She whispered, tugging on his shirt drawing him toward her. She grasped him tightly, her hands shaking with want, never had she ever wanted someone like this, and at long last his face was mere inches from her own, so close she could feel his breaths on her lips. I want you so badly, so damned much!

“Am I interrupting something?” Max asked from behind Milo. Elle swore in frustration, as Milo’s jaw clenched, his eyes wild with fury and repressed lust. He pulled back from Elle, who reluctantly released his shirt, turning to glare at his brother. Max smiled pleasantly at his clearly vibrating twin, even waved his fingers at them, “Come watch a movie with us, your entire family is in the living room, literally 5 feet away.” He offered.

Milo seriously considered decking his brother, never having been more frustrated. He placed a shaking fist to his mouth, glowering at Max.

“It’s the new marvel movie, right up your alley no?’ Max said pointedly to his twin, “Because of course the kitchen isn’t sound proof, and we could hear you two screaming like school girls over your collection, imagine our surprise when things randomly got so… silent, we thought one or both of you might be in trouble, and so I came to investigate,”  Elle’s face paled, everyone had suspected what was happening in the kitchen, and now Max had seen the proof. She was utterly embarrassed, and pressed a hand to her mouth to hold in a broken groan. Milo turned to look at her, clearly furious and now also embarrassed. Elle couldn’t face everyone, she pushed past both brothers and launched herself toward the stairs, her hands shaking with repressed desire and latent humiliation. Why can’t I control myself around this man?! 

“Elle,” Milo called after her, following her, Max behind him. Everyone in the living room had turned to watch the three of them. “Schatje…”

“Stop,” She said, holding her hand up, her face flaming, “Please, just…leave me alone.” She murmured. Milo stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching her helplessly. “I can’t do this,” She whispered angrily, feeling the eyes of his family on her. “I can’t…” A single furious tear trailed down her face, Milo flinched at the sight as if seeing her tears caused him pain. She angrily wiped the tear away, hating the show of weakness, when what she wanted was to scream indignantly until her throat was sore! She turned and ran up the stairs to her room, lest she cry or launch herself at Max. Milo felt like he had been kicked in the chest, furious and hurt for her he whirled on his brother.

“Why the fuck did you do that?” He growled at his twin in dutch.

“I am protecting you from yourself,” Max replied in Dutch angrily, “You are going to cross the line with that woman, and you are going to regret the results of it.” 

“How is humiliating her in front of our family supposed to be protecting either of us?” He yelled at Max, vibrating with barely subdued rage. “I am a grown man Max! She’s a grown woman, we don’t need a chaperone!” 

“Evidently you do! You were alone with her for no more than 20 minutes, and you almost had your tongue in her mouth!” Max yelled back at Milo.

“I haven’t even kissed her, not even once!” He screamed his Dutch deeply accented in his fury, “I don’t know what lurid scenario you’ve concocted in your demented little addled brain, but nothing, absolutely nothing has happened between us!” 

“Listen, I have no bloody idea what the two of you are on about, but that lass definitely does no’ need to hear you both having your pissing contest down here,” Daire said calmly, coming between the brothers. “Now she made it clear she did no’ want you to check on her, but someone should, and I do no’ think it should be either of you wonder twins, or your mam, or your wife,so if you can conduct yourselves for a few wee mo, I’m gonna see to her.”  

Milo inhaled and exhaled furiously, he wanted to check on her. He definitely did not want to send Daire to ‘see to her’, but she had asked him to leave her alone, and seeing his face, the one he regrettably shared with his imbecile of a brother, wasn't likely to make her feel better in the moment. Growling in frustration under his breath, he just nodded at Daire not trusting himself to say anything.

“Don’t fuck about with her,” Max warned, “Just check on her,” Daire’s made a face of deep irritation at that.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, please try and remember I handled you literally shagging my actual sister, with more grace than your handling two grown men being attracted to a complete stranger, you need to give yer head a shake.” Daire told him irately.

“I put a ring on your sister before I shagged her,” He retorted back to Daire , who arched his eyebrows in surprise.

“No you most certainly did no’” Maeve retorted, glaring at her husband.”Why you would say such utter nonsense…” 

“Woman, could you just support my nonsense for once?!” Max growled at her,

“No’ when you're getting high off yer own farts, mo chridhe,” Maeve growled back at him, “Yer acting like a right git, they are all adults, and humiliating the lass was no’ called for.” 

“Maeve I thought we agreed…” Max began chiding.

“We did no’ agree to behaving like  judgmental bawbags,” She cut him off, “You’re wrong here, I will no’ support this,” 

“I’m just looking out for her! Same as I would for Nadia or Naomi,” Max retorted, exasperated.

“Naomi is 17, and Nadia just barely 18, Elle is a grown woman, she’s older than I was when we met Mo chridhe,” Maeve chided, “Daire go check on her, Max away and boil yer heid. Milo..” She began seeing the haunted look on his face as his eyes followed Daire‘s retreating back. He ran his hand absently over his chest as he looked up. “I’m sorry,” She sighed. He looked at Maeve, shrugged his shoulders and walked away, heading to the front door, clearly needing to get away from them all. 

“I just wanted to kiss her,” He muttered tiredly under his breath in dutch.

****

Elle had closed the door to her room as soon as she’d gotten in, effectively muffling the furious yelling of Milo and his asshole of a brother. She was fuming, absolutely embarrassed and outraged. She hoped Milo was giving Max shit, and calling him every name under the sun. It was unfortunate she didn’t understand Dutch but his tone had been pretty unmistakable. She was livid that Max had ruined the moment, she had been so close, so damnably close. The yelling had stopped, and Elle could hear no more sounds, she sighed as she threw herself back on the bed, emotionally exhausted with the whole situation. The knocking at her door startled her, but Elle rose quickly all but running to open the door, hoping it was Milo, she tried not to let her face drop too much when she saw it was Daire instead.

“Och Lass do no’ look at me like that,” Daire commented drily, “Like I stole all the sunshine out of you, fuck me that was depressing.” 

“I’m sorry,” She sighed, “Come in,”

“Better no’, father Max of the cloistered order of chastity downstairs might come up here and scream about me taking your virtue,” He told her drily, Elle laughed despite herself. “I can no’ believe that hypocrite did no’ burst into flames the minute he opened his god forsaken gob, giving you shite about a wee bit of snogging, when I’ve had the grave misfortune of seeing his bare arse, because someone can nae lock a fucking door.” 

“We didn’t even kiss,” She huffed,annoyed, a look of hurt crossed Daire‘s face before he quickly schooled it.

“You have it bad for that bawbag,” He commented, sighing, “I’ll no’ act as if I’m no’ just a touch offended you fancy him more than me, but Maeve would say I need my ego slapped down every now and again.”

“I don’t...” She began.

“Aye you do, but it's all too soon, and your brain is slower than your heart. Give it a week and you’ll be smitten with that insufferable prick,” He told her smirking, “He likes you too, who would nae, you bring something out of him, I can no’ recall hearing him so animated as when he talks to you. He’s normally so…”

“He’s not detached or cold,” Elle interrupted defensively.

“No’ with you,” Daire agreed. “So what are you going to do?” 

“I have no idea,” She sighed. 

“Give it time Lass, Rome wasn’t built in a day, let this thing between you grow. Meanwhile, I’ll go punch my brother-in-law right in the pecker for you,” He told her, smiling charmingly.

“Promises, promises,” She sighed, smiling back at him. 

“Come on then Lass, give us a hug, for my troubles.” He said, holding his arms out. Elle sighed as she moved into his arms hugging him back. He squeezed her firmly, giving her the chastest of kisses on her forehead. Elle blushed and giggled at the contact, relieved that things seemed to at least be settled with Daire.

But to Milo heading to his room behind them, it looked like they were once more tangled in an intimate embrace. Furious and frustrated, Milo headed straight for his room, refusing to look at either of them, slamming his door behind him.

Elle looked up as he walked past, surprised at the surly furious expression on his normally kind face, and was even more surprised when he slammed his bedroom door shut loudly, she jumped and then looked at Daire who still had his arms around her. 

“What was that?” She asked him bewildered.

“No’ good news, that's for sure.” He told her, equally confused. 

****

“Leah, we have to go, there ain’t no time to pack anything, we have to leave!” He tells her forcefully, his hands on her shoulders shaking her. “The police are coming and they know who your husband is, they KNOW WHO CALEB IS!”  He yells in her face. 

She puts her hands on his chest and pushes him back. 

“I can’t leave daddy, I can’t! She yells back panicked, “Walter’s at school, I can’t leave my son!” 

“Leah May! You listen to me girl, you and that baby in your belly will be dead tonight if we don’t get going right now! Caleb will get Walter, he passes! The white folk can’t tell he’s mulatto! He’s got his daddy's eyes and coloring, people think he’s just a little tan!” Her father told her desperately, shaking her still, standing so close she could see the cataracts around his dark eyes. 

“We can stop at the school, we can get him!” She says desperately, “They don’t know Caleb at the school, daddy! What if they don’t let him take Walter?” She’s trying desperately not to cry, she places a hand on her distended belly, her baby has just started kicking, only a few days ago. She remembers laying in her bed, with Walter and Caleb, their hands pressed to her stomach in awe and wonder, how had it all gone so wrong so fast?

“Baby, he’s a white man, you think old principal Hawkins would risk angering any white man? Much less one claiming a white passing mulatto as his son? I don’t think so!” He tells her all bravado,  giving her a reassuring smile though it don’t reach his eyes.  “Come on now baby, we have to go.” He tells her, grasping her hands and pulling her toward the door. She looks around desperately anguished as she takes in what she is sure will be the last time she sees her home. The memories of her son’s first steps, the spot where she had been ticking off his height as he grew, the little loveseat she and Caleb had sat in when she had told him she was carrying his child, the bedroom where she had whispered to him that she was going to make him a father again! He had been so happy, kissing her face, before he had kneeled in front of her and kissed her still flat belly. Joy shining in his sea green eyes, his mahogany and gold hair shining in the setting sun, when he had held Walter in his arms for the first time, right in that same bedroom. Kissing her softly, pushing back her sweat soaked hair, looking at her like she was the most beautiful incredible woman he had ever seen.

“I love you Leah,” He had whispered to her, as they made passionate sweet love in the afternoon sun, his work roughened sun tanned hands running over her dark skin, that was like warm melted chocolate and smooth caramel or so he constantly told her. “You are the most beautiful, perfect woman on God’s earth,” He’d say watching her dress in the morning at her armoire, running his hands against her exposed back, leaning in close telling her “I love the difference in our skin Leah, seeing my hands on your body, ain’t nothing more beautiful than that.” Too bad no one else thought it was beautiful, she had thought then, as she thinks now. 

All of that loving, all of that beauty that they had built together in this house, was about to be gone, because some folks didn’t like seeing a white man with a black woman. Because some folks thought their love was a crime. Leah would never understand that, they weren’t hurting no body, loving each other the way they did. Ain’t no man could love her as well as Caleb did, and ain’t no woman ever loved her man the way she did Caleb! 

She moves to the door, as if in slow motion, she sees it explode in, she covers her face with her hand as she turns, giving it her back, protecting her baby. Her Daddy throws himself over her, using his body to shield her. They are both on the ground now, when their dogs come in, barking, hollering, making an unholy sound, the police ain’t far behind, screaming and hollering just the same. Daddy tries to protect her, but the dogs are on him first, she feels his warm blood hit her and hears his screaming in her ears. Leah starts begging, pleading screaming, for them to pull the dogs off her daddy, he’s an old man he won’t survive she begs. The cops just laugh, one of them kicks him, Leah crawls to him, desperate to protect him, when another cop grabs her by her hair and yanks her away. She screams terrified as he hauls her back, he punches her hard in the face, and then again, and again, another one comes to join him, he starts kicking her, Leah turns into the fetal position, hopelessly trying to shield her baby. 

The cops keep hitting her, until one of them reaches for his billy club, and smashes it down with all his might toward her belly…Leah sees it coming in slow motion, she screams, and screams…

And screams, now she is pale as milk, red hair fanning around her, she is fully naked, her distended belly so large it's almost impossible to protect it, his boots kick at her,  this one hitting her in the belly in time with…

Leah screams, the pain is unbearable, she knows…she knows the baby is gone…

Laila screams, her face expressionless, colorless, blood all around her….she knows…she knows….

“My baby!” Both women scream together united in their agony, united through time and space, united through…

“My baby!!!” Elle screams, coming awake violently,on the floor beside her bed.