Shaking my hand to relax my tense muscles, I took the pen and wrote, “Levi? The boy from the alley?”
I held up the pad of paper to Lexi and she nodded her head. “Yes, sweetie. I’m married to his brother. Levi lives here too, but in the pool house across the backyard.” I stretched my neck up to see the building Lexi was pointing too, and a flush of warmth filled my chest. Levi. Levi Carillo had helped me. He had saved me. Even when I’d pushed him away.
Feeling Lexi watching me, my cheeks warmed and I wrote, “I don’t remember much.” I paused, a memory of me lying in strong arms filled my mind. Strong arms, bright gray eyes, and full lips that told me I was safe.
My cheeks burned brighter and I dropped the pen, not willing to share this intimate memory with Lexi. It was just for me.
Lexi shuffled forward, and asked, “What’s your name, honey?”
Taking the pen again, I scribbled down, “Elsie.”
“Elsie,” Lexi read when I held up the pad of paper. Her smile returned. “What a beautiful name.” Lexi’s smile faded, and she asked, “How old are you, Elsie?”
I had to think hard about when I had my last birthday. Living on the streets, birthdays and dates didn’t really matter.
Calculating the months in my head, I wrote, “Eighteen. I will be nineteen in a couple of weeks.”
Lexi nodded again, and said, “Just a bit younger than Levi.” At the mention of Levi again, my heart seemed to miss a beat and the same warmth from before infused my body.
Lexi, stood from the bed. “I’m going to get you some food, Elsie. You need to eat to build your strength. You got too thin out on the streets.”
Something worrying seemed to cross Lexi’s face. She moved closer to me, and this time she sat right by my side. Lexi took a deep breath, and said, “Elsie, because you’re eighteen, it’s up to you whether you choose to stay here and get better, or leave.” My chest tightened as she spoke, then she added, “I want you to stay. I can’t bear the thought of you returning to the streets.” Her hand then landed on my arm and traveled down to my wrist that was covered by my bracelet, one of the two bracelets I never took off. Her thumb delicately ran over the metal, directly over the scar that was hidden below.
Dumbfuck, no one wants you. No one can stand that voice. No one can stand your stupid written notes.
I met Lexi’s eyes, Annabelle’s denigrating voice once again pushing through as Lexi shined a light on my biggest shame. But Lexi’s obvious sympathy and understanding only shone back at me, the haunting cruel voice of Annabelle floating to the farthest reaches of my mind.
“I don’t know anything about your life, and I would never presume to understand what you have been through, but you’re safe now. And if you let us, we would all like to help you in any way we can.”
This time, the tears brimming in my eyes fell onto my cheeks. No one had ever shown me such unconditional kindness before. In the past, these offers always came with terms that I would never agree to.
I was overcome.
Lexi didn’t say anything else on the matter. Instead she got to her feet and walked to the door. Just before leaving, she said, “Levi has been real worried about you, Elsie. He’s been coming up here every day after his classes to make sure y’all are well. He keeps you company. He sits by your bed and keeps you safe.” What she said caused the pulse in my neck to increase in speed and all I could think of was the boy from the alley, the one who brought me coffee and let me rest on his shoulder, cared for me. I didn’t understand the how or the why, but it filled me with happiness all the same.
Lexi left the room, and after a while, returned with food. As soon as I had eaten, Lexi showed me the bathroom attached to the room, and clothes that she had bought me. It all felt like a dream. She kept me company for a while, but it wasn’t long before my body felt drained.
Lexi stood. “You need to sleep, honey. It’s gonna take you a while to fight the pneumonia. Sleep as much as you can.”
My eyes were shut before I’d even had a chance to say thank you. I didn’t know how long I slept, but the night had drawn in when I heard the sound of a deep voice coming from beyond the bedroom door. The room was dark, and when it became clear who that voice belonged to, I closed my eyes again. My heart pounded as I heard the door open and he stepped through.
“She’s exhausted, Lev,” a female voice said. I recognized it as Lexi’s.
The silence stretched for a few seconds, before the deep voice asked, “But she was awake today? She spoke to you?” I fought for breath as I listened to the boy’s deep graveled voice. And his accent, it was southern and strong, causing my cheeks to glow. The sound of his soft sweet drawl suited the shy boy who had cared for me. And his beautiful voice, if I remembered correctly, suited his beautiful face.