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Combined with the gentle lull of the consistent road noise outside, peace overwhelmed Kim as he listened to the shower running in the bathroom. Delilah was staying with him more frequently now, and it was pure bliss each time he managed to convince her that being a few minutes late to work was absolutely worth a whole nights’ cuddling and banter. Slowly but steadily, they were catching up on the last twenty years’ worth of events. Despite the numerous tragic and otherwise negative chapters of his life, he liked to match her approach to storytelling, focusing on the good that happened while she was gone. However, there were certain things that he couldn’t avoid telling her about, and tonight would remind him of one of them.
Kim heard the shower shut off, followed by the metallic sliding of the curtain across the rod. An impish smile fought its way onto his face as he was once again reminded that it was Delilah in there, exhausted and ready to be cradled in warmth and affection. His attention faded from the quiet bathroom again and back onto what he was halfheartedly reading. The door flew open and in one quick, sultry motion, she had him pinned practically motionless in his place. Kim’s heart raced and his breath hitched, paralyzed in flight mode. He frantically shook his head “No!” at her and made a motion to push away.
“Oh- oh my God, baby, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean-,” She stammered, sitting up on her knees.
“No, I-,” he fought to find the right words, understanding what caused the exceptionally fretful reaction to her advance.
“You used to… you loved when I did that, I… I mean I should know better, I don’t mean to scare you baby-“
“Delilah, it’s not you, it’s not your fault, there’s a reason behind the… there’s a story behind what just happened there and I promise, you did nothing wrong, love.” He sat up and faced her, tossing the comforter aside. He took a deep breath, letting the painful memory set into his mind again. “Something happened to me a long time ago that I need to tell you about.” Delilah gave him a wary expression, furrowing her brow.
“What do you mean? What… what did you do?”
Kim sighed a small breath and ruffled his hair.
“It’s not what I did. Not this time, Lilah. It’s what was done to me,” he said earnestly, his voice soft. Delilah’s shoulders sank.
“Oh. Oh my god, baby, what happened?” She brushed his shoulder. “You don’t have to- you don’t have to go into extreme detail if you don’t want.” Kim swallowed heavy and chewed his lip.
“I don’t really want to,” he said. Delilah scooted up next to him, wrapping her arm around his waist. He reached for her wiry hand and rubbed it gratefully.
“Only tell me what you’re comfortable with telling me. I believe you,” she reminded him, kissing him just below his ear. Kim took a deep breath and began speaking.
“Diane sent me out one night with Dad-,” Kim cleared his throat and shook his head. “Sorry - David’s - truck. He’d told me all week to put some coolant in that fucking- that piece of shit truck. He liked to never drove the damn thing and sent me for everything in it. It drank coolant like crazy and I was the only one able to keep up with it, next to every other one of the million things I had going, and I didn’t have the Maiden yet. Something in my mind kept telling me to just… take Diane’s truck.
“I was minding my own business, driving responsibly for the first time in a long time when that pile of garbage started smoking. I pulled off into a lot and inspected, panicking and crying my eyes out because I was scared of what David was gonna do to me. I knew the head was warped, at least. I was bent over the thing, assuming the worst, contemplating the call to Momma- or Diane-,” he paused to correct himself again.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. She’s your Momma.” Kim nodded shakily. Delilah rubbed circles between his shoulders. “I’m not gonna get upset with you for calling her that.”
“I was preparing myself to call Diane from the gas station a ways down the road. I knew how to handle it, I wasn’t scared of that. I wasn’t even scared of what lurked in the dark. I was just terrified of what David was gonna say or do, and was completely distracted.” Kim took a long, quivery breath and clenched his jaw. “Some old truck pulled into the lot up beside me. I can remember what that felt like - like I was being surrounded by a hungry animal. I didn’t know why. But, he got out of his truck and approached me. I tried to tell him that I had it handled. Everything in me was telling me that I was in danger. It was physically painful. He wouldn’t go away!” Tears pricked his eyes, falling gently onto Delilah’s tightening forearm. Kim was silent, his blue eyes wide with latent fear. His chest heaved and shoulders shook with each breath.
“Hey baby… hey, you don’t have to tell me anymore. It’s okay, I fully believe you,” she whispered, brushing tears away from his eyes. “You’re scared… your heart is pounding, I can hear it from here.” She stood on her knees and gathered him against her chest. Still silent, he let quiet tears fall and got comfortable against her.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” she murmured. “I can’t believe anyone would do that to a sweet boy like you.” She pressed her cheek into his damp curls. “And don’t let anyone make you believe that any of it was your fault. Not even what happened with the truck. It was a Ford, was it not?” Kim chuckled softly.
“It was,” he admitted. “Found on road dead.” Delilah squeezed him close. “Di- momma came and got me at the gas station and brought me home. She’s the only other person other than David who knows. He just… told me not to dress so flashy.”
“Christ. I’m sorry, I don’t care that he’s dead. I fucking hate that David.” Delilah griped, heavily dropping her hand to the mattress. “Hey, I love you. I’m proud of you,” she praised. Kim picked his head up, inviting her to continue her gentle touch. “I’m honored you felt so safe to tell me.”