Keep Me Safe

by Raquel Lyon

  The nurse huffed. “You’re being very irresponsible. If you leave, we cannot be accountable for your welfare.”

  “Suits me just fine,” Kendrick said. “There’s only one person I need in my life, and she’s right here.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Kendrick

  Kendrick glanced sideways at Molly, as they stood at the sink washing the last few glasses brought down from the attic. The midday sun illuminated her face with a warm glow, and she smiled as she passed him a glass to dry. She had a beautiful smile, and it didn’t matter how many times he saw it; he could never get enough.

  Very soon, their home would be full of people. Kendrick hadn’t wanted to make a big deal about turning eighteen, but Molly had insisted he celebrate the day, and making her happy was all that mattered. Party preparations had been in full force, all week.

  “Knock, knock.” Cora, their next-door neighbour pushed backwards through the kitchen door, carrying a plate full of food in each hand. “Where do you want these?”

  “Just on the table will be fine,” Molly said, wiping her hands and walking over to join her. “It’s really kind of you to offer to help.”

  “Nonsense. I love baking, and I can’t have Johnny eating everything I make, although he would if I let him.” She laughed.

  Cora and Johnny had made up, on the day of Pappa’s funeral, and they hadn’t spent a day apart since. A few months ago, Kendrick would have laughed if anyone had told him his brother would fall for a woman almost old enough to be his mother, and he sure as hell hadn’t foreseen his own pathway to monogamy, but he didn’t regret it for a second. Watching the two women share a joke at his brother’s expense, he was pleased they got along. It would be good for Molly to finally have a mother figure in her life.

  It had been barely two weeks since Molly had handed back the key to her flat and moved in with him, but looking at her now, it was hard to imagine the house without her in it. The day he’d asked her to move in would be forever etched in his memory.

  Molly had been so surprised when he’d turned up at the store in a rented tux. He’d expected the shock, but not the laughter that followed it. His arm being in a sling had kinda killed the suave effect he was going for, but her amusement soon stopped when he got down on one knee and produced a box.

  “Rick, I thought we’d agreed not to rush into anything?” she’d said, flustered. “I-I know I said you could move in, if you needed to, but—”

  “Molly?”

  “—this is too much.”

  “Look at the box, Moll.”

  “We’re too young.”

  “Moll. Would you stop babbling and just look at the box? I’m getting gardener’s knee down here.”

  She’d sighed as her eyes dropped to the red leather case and her brow furrowed. “It’s a key,” she’d said.

  “Yep.”

  “To what?”

  “Pappa’s house. Well, my house. Well, half my house.”

  “You’re not making any sense.”

  “Babe, Pappa left the house, and a lot more besides, to Johnny and me. I don’t need to stay at your place, and you don’t need to live in a poxy flat. I want you to come and live with us. Johnny’s all for it. All you have to do is say yes.”

  She’d answered with a huge grin.

  Kendrick laid the glasses out on the worktop and opened the fridge to check the beer had chilled. Seeing the cans reminded him of the night they’d ventured back to Molly’s old house, because she’d insisted upon returning to retrieve the rest of her things, despite him telling her it was a bad idea.

  “Whatever it is you think you need, I’ll buy you a new one,” he’d said.

  “That’s very generous. But what I need can’t be bought,” she’d answered, picking nervously at her nails.

  “Babe, unless you have a stash of diamonds hidden under your mattress, I can probably stretch to it.”

  “It’s not diamonds; it’s my stuff. College stuff.”

  “But you’re done with college.”

  “I know, but there are some songs I wrote, and notes with ideas. I’ve been trying to remember them, but I can’t. I have to get them. My portfolio needs to be a good as I can make it, now.”

  “Why? I’ve told you, there’s no need for you to rush to find a job.”

  “Rick, there’s something I haven’t told you.”

  Her news had knocked him sideways. Not that it was a surprise to him that someone thought Molly had the potential to make a go of her singing, and he intended to support her any way he could, but he was pissed that she’d gone all the way to the city, alone. Anything could have happened to her. From now on, any dude wanting to meet with her would have to go through him first.

  “And… And I kind of need to know if Dad’s okay,” she’d added.

  “You shouldn’t be giving that bastard a second thought.”

  “He’s my dad. Maybe not a very good one, but…”

  “Okay. I get it.” It had been clear Molly was determined to go, whether he liked it or not. “But I’m coming with you. He’s gonna be hacked off about you being AWOL for weeks. If he flips out, I want to be there to protect you.”

  “And how do you plan to do that with a broken arm?”

  “I reckon my one sober arm could take his two drunken ones.”

  “Even if his are wielding a baseball bat?”

  “Is that a possibility?”

  “If you’re with me? A big one.”

  “Then I guess we take back-up.”

  It had been a damp summer evening, when Liam’s car stopped outside Molly’s childhood home.

  “Want us to wait outside?” Johnny asked him.

  “Yeah. I’ve got you on speed dial. First sign of trouble, I’ll let you know.”

  When Molly entered, her father didn’t even bother to look away from the television.

  “I knew you’d come crawling back,” he said. “It’s about bloody time. This place is a shit tip.”

  Standing on the porch, trying not to gag on the stench of cigarettes and BO wafting through the opening, Kendrick had to agree, but Molly took no notice, and walked straight to her room, calling, “I’m not staying. I’ll just be two minutes.”

  “Like hell you aren’t.” Her father’s eyes flicked to the doorway and noted Kendrick awaiting her return. “You,” he said. “I might have known. You don’t know when to quit, do you? Thought I’d left you for dead, but I mustn’t have hammered the message home strongly enough. That can be rectified, if you don’t piss off and leave the girl alone.”

  “So it was you.” Kendrick had had his suspicions. The dude was clearly a psycho.

  “And you’ll get another dose, if you don’t fuck off.” At that point, Molly’s father had pushed from the sofa and took a step forwards, causing Kendrick to press speed dial, as Molly emerged from her room.

  She ran over to fill the space between them. “Touch me or Rick again and I will report you to the police,” she said.

  “You don’t have the guts to do that.”

  “Try me. As far as I’m concerned, I’m through being your punchbag, and unless you get help to dry out, you’re going to spend the rest of your life alone.” She threw a leaflet for a clinic they’d visited, the day before, onto the coffee table. “It’s all arranged. But you need to make the decision. They can help you, but you have to be willing to help yourself. Call them if you ever want to see me again.”

  It had taken barely a week for the clinic to make contact with the news that the old drunk had checked in. Personally, Kendrick thought he was a lost cause, but if it made Molly happy to give him a chance to redeem himself, he was happy to stump up the cost of the treatment.

  Happy there was enough cold beer, and that Molly had everything else in hand, Kendrick retired upstairs to make himself presentable. A short while later, when their guests began to arrive, he painted the picture of respectability, neatly dressed in a pale-blue dress shirt and black pants.

  Lexi was on
e of the first to arrive. “Geez, look at you,” she said, “such a man. I guess you’ll be buying your own smokes now?”

  “No need,” he said. “Kicked the habit.”

  “To please Wifey? Must be love.”

  “It might creep up on you, too… someday.”

  “Maybe it already has.”

  A sputter of amusement almost caused him to spray his beer over her figure-hugging dress. “You’re shitting me.”

  “Nope. See that guy over there?”

  Kendrick followed her line of sight to where a smart-suited man stood chatting to Cora. “The old dude?”

  “He’s only thirty.” Lexi gasped, before leaning in to speak quietly. “His name’s Ranjeet. And he’s loaded. Owns a club on the other side of town.” She caught his eye, as he looked over, and blew him a kiss. “I’d better go. Don’t want him thinking I’m monkeying around. He thinks I’m a good girl.” She winked, before adding, “So I’d rather he didn’t get wind of our previous arrangement, if that’s okay?”

  “No problem. I owe you one anyway, which I wanted to say thanks for, by the way. Didn’t turn out quite as planned, but still…”

  “It’s cool. I’m just glad to see you’re all in one piece… unlike the other guy.”

  “Barbie? Why? What have you heard?”

  “Not much, since his parents had him transferred to a private hospital. I guess families like his have certain influences to hush these kinds of incidents up, but I don’t think he’ll be running a marathon any time soon. Don’t give him a second thought. The best guy came out on top. Stay cool, lover.” She squeezed his good arm, and Kendrick chuckled to himself as she returned to her new man. Some people never failed to surprise him.

  He was still contemplating how much things had changed, in a few short months, when Liam appeared at his side. “What the fuck kind of get-up do you call this?” he said, flicking Kendrick’s starched collar. “You turn eighteen and suddenly you’re Mr Clean?”

  Kendrick smacked his hand away, laughing. “Appearances can be deceptive.”

  “Yeah, thought as much. So, big shot, has Johnny started looking for that land yet? I bet he can’t wait to get going on that joint business plan.”

  “He has his eye on a place, and as soon as Pappa’s cash comes through, it’ll be all systems go. Until then, I’m kicking back and spending as much time as I can with my gorgeous woman.”

  Molly’s arm snaked around his waist. “I hope you’re talking about me.”

  Damn, she smelled good, and in a sexy, little black dress, with her curls piled high on her head, she looked fantastic too. “Naturally,” he said through a mile-wide grin, wondering if anyone would notice if they snuck upstairs for a quickie, so he could kiss every bit of that bright-red lipstick from her luscious lips.

  His thoughts were interrupted when Johnny and Cora joined their group. “All right, baby brother. I think it’s time to give you your birthday present.” Johnny handed him a large envelope.

  “Cheers, Bro.” Kendrick fingered the paper, and his brows drew together. “Hmm. It’s not stiff enough to be the usual card with a tenner in it.”

  Johnny exchanged a look with Cora. “No. We thought an eighteenth deserved something a little more… substantial.”

  “Really? Now I’m intrigued. What is it?”

  “Why don’t you open it and find out?” Molly said, with excitement evident in her voice.

  Kendrick had to admit he was curious too, so he slid his finger under the flap, ripped a line along the edge, and pulled out the sheet of paper. “I-I don’t understand,” he said, attempting to make sense of the legal jargon swimming before his eyes.

  Johnny’s hand landed on his shoulder. “It’s quite simple, Bro. I’m moving in next door, so the house is all yours. I’m gifting you my share. Happy birthday.” Johnny slapped his shoulder before steering Cora away, leaving Kendrick too stunned to utter a thank you.

  “Rick? Rick, are you okay?” Molly’s voice floated in the air around his head. “Talk to me.”

  Shaking the fog from his brain, Kendrick glanced at the paper, stuffed it back in the envelope, and grabbing Molly’s hand, he dragged her out into the hallway. “Do you know what this means, Moll? We have a home. You and me. The two us. Here. Together.”

  “I’d be happy living in a shack, as long as I was with you.” She pulled him in for a long, lingering kiss.

  He squeezed her tight, knowing she was right. Since that first day at the store, he’d thought of no one else. The moment he saw her, he knew she was the one. The house and money were a great bonus, but as long as he had Molly, he wanted for nothing.

  Life was good.

  THE END

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