at least willingly. But he agreed. He didn’t tell Lena, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep either. She would be a welcome diversion for the insomniac nightmares that awaited him in the dark of his room.
“What do you want to talk about?”
Lena took a long time to answer. She hadn’t cried once since he’d come in. Not when he had to dig for splinters in the bottom of her feet. Not when he poured burning peroxide onto her hands. But he thought that she might cry now.
“Who was that guy?” Ramon asked.
“Damien,” Lena answered.
“What happened? I just saw you hit him and then everything else.”
“He surprised me at the door and ran inside. He was drunk.”
“Why’d you hit him?”
“Because the motherfucker deserved it.”
That was a good enough answer for Ramon, who had used the same answer on more than one occasion.
“Do you know why he came here?”
“Because he thinks I should give him a second chance.”
“I don’t really believe in second chances,” Ramon said.
“Not for assholes like him.”
They didn’t talk any more about Damien. Ramon sensed that the subject was more sore than any of the wounds that Lena had sustained that night, and that it was better left alone for another time.
“Your dad said you told him I made an inappropriate remark to you. I’m sorry, whatever it was I didn’t mean -”
Lena cut him off.
“That was my fault. I told him you did that so that you’d get in trouble. I didn’t mean for him to get angry.”
“Oh.”
“And I don’t want to get you in trouble any more. You’re not as bad as I thought you were.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
They sat in silence for a while. Ramon tried not to notice how beautiful Lena was when she wasn’t defensive and hostile. Lena tried not to let on how much she appreciated Ramon’s caring for her. Neither of them was fooling the other.
“You’re not so bad either,” Ramon said. “When I met you, I thought you were just some spoiled princess who got herself into more trouble than she could handle and needed somebody to babysit her.”
“How am I not exactly that?” Lena said.
“Well I’ve never met and princesses who would break a glass over somebodies head.”
They both shared a laugh.
“You know, your dad -”
Lena cut him off again.
“He’s not my dad.”
“Your stepdad is a scary sonofabitch.”
Lena knew what he meant. She told Ramon about what it was like growing up with him. It was good, she said, while her mother was still alive. He was kind to her. Whether he was actually kind or just pretending, it was all the same to Lena. After, though, it changed. He only ever saw her as his. Like she was part of the estate, one of the pieces of art on the walls just waiting for a suitable buyer to come along and take her off her hands. She told Ramon how she was afraid of her step-brothers, how they looked at her like hungry dogs, and how Zeus had laughed off her concerns with a “boys will be boys” wave of his hand.
“Why don’t you leave?” he asked.
It was a question that Lena couldn’t answer. She knew she should, but she was
“What do you want to talk about?”
Lena took a long time to answer. She hadn’t cried once since he’d come in. Not when he had to dig for splinters in the bottom of her feet. Not when he poured burning peroxide onto her hands. But he thought that she might cry now.
“Who was that guy?” Ramon asked.
“Damien,” Lena answered.
“What happened? I just saw you hit him and then everything else.”
“He surprised me at the door and ran inside. He was drunk.”
“Why’d you hit him?”
“Because the motherfucker deserved it.”
That was a good enough answer for Ramon, who had used the same answer on more than one occasion.
“Do you know why he came here?”
“Because he thinks I should give him a second chance.”
“I don’t really believe in second chances,” Ramon said.
“Not for assholes like him.”
They didn’t talk any more about Damien. Ramon sensed that the subject was more sore than any of the wounds that Lena had sustained that night, and that it was better left alone for another time.
“Your dad said you told him I made an inappropriate remark to you. I’m sorry, whatever it was I didn’t mean -”
Lena cut him off.
“That was my fault. I told him you did that so that you’d get in trouble. I didn’t mean for him to get angry.”
“Oh.”
“And I don’t want to get you in trouble any more. You’re not as bad as I thought you were.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
They sat in silence for a while. Ramon tried not to notice how beautiful Lena was when she wasn’t defensive and hostile. Lena tried not to let on how much she appreciated Ramon’s caring for her. Neither of them was fooling the other.
“You’re not so bad either,” Ramon said. “When I met you, I thought you were just some spoiled princess who got herself into more trouble than she could handle and needed somebody to babysit her.”
“How am I not exactly that?” Lena said.
“Well I’ve never met and princesses who would break a glass over somebodies head.”
They both shared a laugh.
“You know, your dad -”
Lena cut him off again.
“He’s not my dad.”
“Your stepdad is a scary sonofabitch.”
Lena knew what he meant. She told Ramon about what it was like growing up with him. It was good, she said, while her mother was still alive. He was kind to her. Whether he was actually kind or just pretending, it was all the same to Lena. After, though, it changed. He only ever saw her as his. Like she was part of the estate, one of the pieces of art on the walls just waiting for a suitable buyer to come along and take her off her hands. She told Ramon how she was afraid of her step-brothers, how they looked at her like hungry dogs, and how Zeus had laughed off her concerns with a “boys will be boys” wave of his hand.
“Why don’t you leave?” he asked.
It was a question that Lena couldn’t answer. She knew she should, but she was
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