A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing Pt.7

A deep ripple of laughter from behind me tore my ears and snapped my eyes open. I was lying down on Paul’s dirty mattress. The sinking of my heart let me know I had betrayed my mother. His chest was gently compressed up against my back and his hand on my shoulder. His gesture seemed harmless, but I rolled over further away from him just in case.
“Sorry,” he said displacing his hand from my shoulder and onto the mattress.
“You fell asleep on the ground and the sleeping bag was still dirty and dusty so I just put you to sleep on here.” I slid down off of the mattress mesmerized in my betrayal. Four years of loyalty to my mother was broken apart by Paul. I wasn’t angry or upset with Paul, but I was sad because something was wrong with my mother and things may never be the same between her and me ever again. Our bond filled with love may diminish forever.
“Are you ok?” My lack of response to Paul no longer meant fear, but overwhelming sadness kept me from wanting to talk about anything that had happened in the last few hours.
“Do you want to talk about what happened at the gas station? I know it’s a traumatizing experience.”
Paul’s concerns made me feel at war between the feelings awkward and comfortable. It was awkward because I only knew the man from seeing him at Mrs.Labellee’s. At the same time, I still felt somewhat comfortable because there was something cozy about him, but I just couldn’t place my finger on it. I roofed my tongue of dry spit and yawned, pretending to fall back asleep, so I could avoid him.
“You know you can’t fool me with that trick,” Paul said tugging at the oversized neck collar of my current shirt.
“I need to potty,” I voiced innocently changing the subject. I hopped up and power walked to the bathroom.
“Wow, really. I’m sure you do.”
I sat on the floor in front of a cabinet with no doors and buried my head into my knees. My mother always had two huge band aids on each of her knees. Those band aids never seem to fully cover the wound, because there was always irritated skin spread around it and it got worse every time I saw it.
“Mama, why you got the band aid again and again? Do it hurt?”
She vibrated her lips until air broke the clasp of them. Thin strands of hair would dance into the air and heavily slap back onto her forehead from the mass of sweat gathered into them.
“It’s something called eczema, “she would say politely palming her knee and heaving roughly.
“What’s that?”
“It’s something that’s really itchy and can get bloody sometimes.” I’d stare at her blankly and be scared at the fact that she said she bled sometimes and she saw it in my face.
“It’s ok, “she said giggling, and “The band aid stops it and makes it all better. Okay baby? Now, go out of this room for a little while until I tell you to come back in, mommy’s not feeling well and she doesn’t want you to get sick. Bobby’s taking good care of me until I get better.” I was still frightened, but I nodded as if I understood. She fingered through his thick hair which peaked through the top of the covers.
“Mommy that’s our bed!” I impulsively ran and hopped on the bed pulling Bobby’s hair.
“Out, I say! Out!”
“Owww,” he reacted slowly. He squinted as if the sun had injured his eyes.
“Jalene! No! It’s ok! Bobby’s going to go now, ok? Just calm down sweetie. Step outside in the living room for a minute.” Steam ejaculated through the pores of my head and I gave him the demonic eye.