We finished our last drink and I watch Lumen staggering on her way out. She didn't seem that drunk when we were playing pool. 

The fresh air outside doesn't seem to help any, because when we get to my truck, suddenly she leans against the hood and bends over. 

How much did she actually have? It's not like I was the one buying her drinks. Might be four, might be a lot more, I'm not even sure how much I had. But I can hold my liquor.

"I don't feel so good," is the only thing she says, she doesn't move. 

Merle turns to go back to her, but I keep my distance.

"I can see that. Are you gonna puke?" I ask her.

She doesn't say anything for a moment, then she whimpers, "I don't know, I don't think so." She tries to move and manages to do a couple of steps but her legs don't seem to listen to her and she grabs Merle's arm, as it's the nearest thing she can hold on at the moment. 

He himself is a bit unsteady on his feet but he leads her to the door, chuckling. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get you home."

He puts her between us and she leans against the backrest.

"I knew there is a good reason for why I don't drink. Why is everything spinning?" She shuts her eyes and puts her hand over them as if that would make it all stop. "I'll just close my eyes for a bit." And it's the last thing she says too.

Merle's amused eyes slide from her to me and he's grinning like a fool. "Looks like she's not used to drinking much, huh?"

I start the truck. "She said as much, I don't think she ate anything either." I glance at her, but she seems to be out already. Her head rolled on Merle's shoulder.

When we get to my house Lumen is dead to the world. We try to wake her up but it's impossible. Makes sense I guess, nothing wakes her on days she's sober, now she has alcohol to help.

I nudge Merle. "You were the one bringing her drinks, you drag her ass inside." I don't wait for his reply and go search for something to eat. I didn't have anything either and I'm hungry.

A few moments later I see Merle carrying seemingly lifeless Lumen inside. He gives me an evil eye and turns to her room. Few moments after that I hear a faint sound, like whining, following with quiet, breathless 'no, no', then Merle's shushing her. What the hell is he doing there?! 

I close the fridge and creep to Lumen's room. I stop in my tracks when I see her sprawled on the bed, her shoes off are lying next to it and Merle, who's back is to me, is hovering over her, working on her pants, which are halfway down her thighs already. 

She's trying to look around and seems a bit disoriented. Her eyes land on Merle and her hands grab one of his arms, shaking her head no. 

He leans in toward her face to look into her tired eyes. They are barely open and it looks like it takes a lot of effort on her part to keep them open. What the-.

"Shhh sweetheart, you are okay, just gonna tuck you in, gonna get you all comfortable." He tries to move on with her pants again but she tugs at his arm weakly and shakes her head a bit again.

He peels her hands from his arm effortlessly, puts them by her sides and pets them awkwardly, looking back up to her face. "Don't you worry about nothing. You made yourself perfectly clear. Nothing's happening here."

She closes her eyes and goes limp under him after that. I don't know if she passed out, or if she relaxed because she believed him.

Either way, everything is alright in here. Merle won't do anything. So I go back to my food hunting.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When I come to the living room the next day, I'm greeted with the sight I'd never guess I'd see. 

Merle's sitting on the couch and watching TV, yeah, no surprise there, but next to him, curled under a comforter, is Lumen. Her head is resting on his thigh and I see a bucket laid by and a wet towel on the table before them. I arch my eyebrows at him in a silent question.

"What? She was sick early in the morning." He smirks down at her. "Looks like we broke her in on the secret of nasty hangovers. She doesn't have a clue about how to handle it."

My eyebrows go even higher. "Is that so? You suddenly Merle-The-Caretaker or something?"

He gives me a mock offended look. "You say it like I don't know how to be nice to a girl. I can be very nice!"

I snort at that. "Sure, being nice to women, that's how you usually get them!" 

And as an answer, he flat out laughs at me. "You are one to talk, that yesterday wasn't very you either, mister 'Don't touch her, she's here with me!'." 

I guess he's trying to mimic my voice but fails miserably, he has a hard time to even speak because of the laughing, which eventually makes Lumen stir and groan next to him. I can't believe my own eyes when I see Merle pet her head, lulling her back to sleep, his laughs softens.

When she seems to be sleeping again he looks at me and whispers!

"What was that anyway? I thought you said you two aren't fucking, or something changed there?" He suddenly stops smiling and points his finger at me. "Are you? Because if you are actually fucking her I will be very pissed you had me to handle her drunken ass!"

I just shake my head and go make some coffee. I'm so dropping him at his place the next time. I don't care if he'll have to walk back here to get his bike, I don't want to listen to his bullshit first thing in the morning. I need my caffeine.

I start a pot and go through the fridge again. Looks like Merle had quite a few snacks during the night because there is not much left. I look to the couch, maybe Lumen wouldn't mind to make us some eggs when she wakes up. I see Merle slipping from under Lumen's head, putting a pillow there instead and then going to stand beside me. 

I groan internally. Is it too much to want to have a quiet morning? 

He nudges me away from the fridge. "Baby brother, I don't know how you survived here all that time, by yourself," he says while he takes out the eggs. 

Can he read my mind or something? Merle looks at me then. Fuck! He can! He sneers at my expression and continues with the cooking. With his back to me, he adds. "You might be slowly catching forty, but sometimes, you look again like the little boy I used to take care of."

"Fuck you!" I snap and go to the couch, when I remember that Lumen sleeps there, ugh. So I turn around, go back and sit at the table, waiting for my breakfast, just like the little boy I once was. Fuck!

By the time the coffee pot is done, Merle is done with the eggs as well and he goes to wake up Lumen. I don't know if that's a good idea but what the hell do I know. I don't suffer killer hangovers and I never took care of someone who did so... I leave it to him.

"Go away!" I hear from the couch. It's muffled. Looks like she's hiding. 

Like that would work on Merle. I snort at the thought.

"Come on princess, you need to eat something."

"I don't want to. I will be sick again. I am sick right now!" Her voice is hoarse.

"Come on, be a good girl and go eat your breakfast. You know I know what's best for you right now." He's telling her while stealing the comforter from her and tugging at her hands to get her to stand up. 

She has gray sweats on, guess she had to put them on sometime during the night. Or was it Merle last night? My eyes slide to him. What's up with all that? He's definitely acting weird.

By this time he managed to drag Lumen to the table, sit her down and a plate with eggs, a glass of water with aspirin in it lands before her followed by a cup of coffee. He takes his own cup and looks at me raising an eyebrow.

"What? Want me to make your plate too? Get your ass up and do it yourself. Jeez!" he says while sitting next to Lumen. He turns to her to encourage her. "Go on sweetheart, eat some! Drink the water. It'll do you good" 

She looks at him distrustfully but then starts to eat, slowly while he's watching her, drinking his coffee.

I go to fix my plate. What the fuck is happening here? Merle isn't nice! I've never seen him be nice to anyone. Even less to women. The nicest thing I've ever seen him do toward a woman was holding some bitch's hair while she was puking just to fuck her right after that. His motive for the nice act quite clear. Merle's a pig, Merle's a sexist, Merle's a racist, Merle's an asshole, Merle's a lot of things, but nice? No!

"So I was thinking about those books of yours," he says, bringing me out of my thoughts. 

Oh right, the books, I completely forgot about that. I look at Lumen when I sit back down across from her. She looks like she forgot about it too. But then she seems to remember because she turns scarlet red and glues her eyes to her plate.

Playing with her food she mumbles, "Right... I am so sorry about the scene I did there, the crying I mean. Actually, I'm sorry for the rest of the night too, I've never drunk that much and-" She starts to apologize but Merle cuts her off.

"Nothing to be sorry about. You should see some of the things I do while under influence... actually no, forget what I said, you really shouldn't see any of that." He clears his throat. "Anyway, now at least we know, right? And we can help you out." He looks at me, but although I know I agreed to help her I still just can't believe what I'm seeing.

So when she looks at me, my face must say it all, because she looks quickly back at her plate and shrugs. Obviously thinking I'm not so for the idea of helping her anymore.

I am, but-. Merle gives me strange look. -What? Not my fault! I'm not the one acting all weird out of the blue, am I? I give him a 'what a hell' look back. Merle shakes his head and turns back to Lumen.

"As I was saying, I was thinking about it, how many books are we talking?"

"A lot, but I have most of it in boxes anyway. There was only one bookcase in the apartment and I didn't buy another."

Merle grins at that. "Good, good. We should ask someone to go with us. To help to carry it all. I'll call Clyde."

I see Lumen make a face.

"Do you have to? I mean, it's awfully nice of you, that you are willing to help me, but this guy, something's off about him." Lumen's eyes travel to Merle. "I can't imagine that guy with a kid." She whispers the last part as if she was afraid he can somehow hear her.

Merle smiles at her knowingly. "Neither can I, that's why I think it's bullshit."

Clyde is indeed a strange character. And believe me, coming from me, that's saying something. He came seemingly out of nowhere a few months ago. One day Merle came with his new buddy and he's been around ever since. I never asked where they've met or anything. To me, it was obvious what this friendship is based on. Drugs. 

I don't know if I believe the little girl he's talking about exists, to be honest. But there is something in Clyde, something I'm very familiar with and I don't like it. That something that was in my father too and I have many scars as a reminder. Kids always have been off limits for me and if the girl does exist? I wish for her to get away from Clyde as soon as possible.

"Okay, so you wanna do it today?" Merle finishes the coffee in one big gulp and slams it down on the table.

Lumen cringes at the noise and shakes her head. "I don't think I'll be able to do anything today besides sleeping. Much less to deal with that ass. I don't actually know how to do it. I don't have a key anymore and I don't know when he'll be home. And even if I did know, he won't let me in." She sighs.

An evil smile breaks on Merle's face and he turns to search in one of the drawers in the kitchen for a paper and a pen. He puts them on the table before her once he found them. "Don't you worry about a thing, sweetheart. Old Merle will take care of everything. Just write down the name and the address." 

She gives him a questioning look but does what he asked. 

Merle looks at the paper. "Alright, so I'll be going now, things to do, people to find." He winks at Lumen who gives him an unsure smile in return. "Hey Darelina, you come by later. Yeah? I'll call you." And with that, he leaves.

"Thank you, for everything." She calls after him and he just waves back and shuts the door on his way out.

This all is so strange.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that day I go to Merle's house after he called me he has some new info about Lumen's ex. He sounded very proud of himself and when I get there he's already waiting for me outside, smoking, a beer in his hand and another one ready for me. Big grin on his face. 

He starts as soon as I am close enough to hear him. "Hey baby brother, you won't believe what I found out! Me and Clyde went to check out the address, and guess what? Clyde knows the guy! Turns out the little shit is some college kid that buys from him regularly. Wasn't that often at first but these days he calls him two, three times a week. Did Lumen ever mention him having an issue like that?"

I shake my head, what the hell do I know? "No, she doesn't talk about him at all, only that they broke up." I light a cigarette too as Merle continues.

"Anyway, we are in luck because I was told he's coming for his shit tonight. The plan is to wait for him, give him a little scare... I bet he'll give us anything without any protest after that. Clyde said he'll call a friend."

"Wouldn't the three of us be enough to scare some kid?"

"You never can be too sure. But that's not it, Clyde won't be with us for that part. Bad for business he said. We'll make it look like he has nothing to do with it. That's why he called that friend of his, to go instead. Said he's not from around here but that they are friends from way back when they were kids. So we got nothing to worry about if things go down somehow. You know, if the kid turns out to be more stupid than expected or, you know, I might get tired." His smirk getting bigger.

I decide to ask him. It bugs me all day long. "What's up with all the good will anyway?"

"What do you mean?" He's looking confused.

"You don't do shit for people, not without them paying. What's your angle here? You trying to get in her pants or something?"

Merle chuckles at that. "I already got in her pants." 

I shot him a look. Not funny. 

He doesn't even pause though. "I wouldn't mind if she'd let me into them panties too. But no. That's not it."

"What then?"

He looks like he's thinking about the answer and he sighs in the end. "It's nothing alright? I just thought I'd try to not to give her shit like you asked. And what can I say? I like the girl."

I take the last drag and put the smoke down. "Yeah, right, whatever. Don't tell me then, I don't give a fuck."

"Sure you don't." He chuckles again.

Just then we see Clyde's car pulling up. He gets out and with him a huge black guy. 

I look to Merle who has a deep frown on his face which slowly transforms to the biggest grin. There is the brother I recognize. Shit! He's yelling at them before I have a chance to do anything.

"What the fuck is that? That's your childhood friend? How the fuck that happened? Didn't you say your dad was with the KKK or something?"

Clyde makes a face and replies sarcastically. "Very funny."

But of course, Merle goes on. Looks like his changed self-applies to Lumen only.

"Who said I was trying to be funny? I can't have him hang out here, I got a reputation, you know?"

The guy's looking around, he seems to be prepared for this and try to keep his calm, but then his eyes land on Merle's bike and I know the second he spots the two S there because the zen is broken in that moment and he charges at Merle, who shoots to his feet. Racist or not he's blood so I step closer to him ready to step in, but Clyde stops the guy easily just by putting his hand on the guy's chest. Shaking his head. It looks like a familiar common gesture between them, because the guy stops, although still fuming.

Clyde then turns to Merle. "You want my help with this or not?"

You can count on Merle to make things worse because he starts to laugh again. "You got him trained well. Does he play catch too?"

I decided it's time for me to try to calm the situation "Shuddup Merle! Your reputation is worth shit without anyone helping to it." I turn to Clyde "He- we do want the help." I turn to the still fuming but otherwise silent guy. "Just ignore him, he doesn't have a filter between his brain and his mouth. He's just talking shit, doesn't mean anything by it." I offer my hand to him. "Name's Daryl."

The guy eyes me then Merle. "Right, just talking shit, that's why he has his bike decorated so pretty?!"

I let my hand fall. I tried! Can't do more than that. 

But then Clyde steps in. "Hey man, I wouldn't bring you here if it was like that. It's just a pose. Helped him when he was doing time. That's all. He's alright."

Merle opens his big mouth again. "Hey Clyde, he's right here and he can talk for himself!"

"Shut your mouth, Merle!"

"Shut the fuck up, Merle!"

Clyde and I shout at him at the same time.

I'm not sure how much of a pose it actually is, but the guy seems to be okay with Clyde's explanation. Maybe he's been in jail too? Everyone who did know how hard it can get without some backup. Anyhow, eventually he nods at me. "Oscar." He's acting like Merle isn't there though as he continues to talk to me. "So it's your girl we are helping out?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "My roommate."

I see Oscar and Clyde exchange a brief look. "Sure, whatever you say. So what's the plan?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

An hour later Merle, Oscar and I are sitting at the bar Clyde's using for his deals. It's kinda in the middle of nowhere. Merle asked why he doesn't have him to come to his house like Merle does. More privacy and less trouble with moving the product. Apparently, it's because A) those stupid punks don't know how to behave, which leads to B) his girl is there.

Merle takes a swig of his beer. "I still call it bullshit. There is no girl in that house. I've been there." He turns to Oscar. "Hey, you've known him long enough. Tell me, am I right?"

But Oscar is still skillfully ignoring him. He turns his eyes to me. "So, why are those books so important? First editions or what?"

I shrug. "Don't know. She said something about her dad giving her some of them. I think he's dead, she told me she doesn't have a family."

Oscar frowns at that information. "So emotional value, alright."

After few hours of Merle's stupid remarks and uncomfortable silence which followed them, we got the 'that's him' signal from Clyde. Finally, I can't wait to get out of here. We move to wait for him outside. I take a look at him before we leave. He doesn't look like a junkie to me. He looks more like he got lost on his way here.

We don't have to wait for long. Looks like a pretty boy doesn't like the place. As soon as he steps out Merle grabs him and drags him to the corner where dumpsters are placed. He shoves him against the wall, causing the guy to lose his breath for a moment.

"Hey boy, heard you have something that doesn't belong to you!"

"What? What are you talking about? I paid for everything!" He's looking around, confused but when he spots me and Oscar staying behind Merle his look turns nervous.

Merle gives him one of his fake smiles. "Not the drugs you stupid shit. Something you've got at home. Something that belongs to Lumen. What? That name ring a bell?"

The guy now looks more annoyed than anything else. He puts his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Look, I don't want any trouble. I don't know what the bitch told you, but she has a right to nothing. What did she do? Pay you to scare me? Oh right, she doesn't have the money for that. So what did she do? Let you each have a turn with her? I always knew she was just a piece of trash. So how much do you want to leave it be?" He starts to tap his pockets probably looking for his wallet, chuckling. 

What a dumb arrogant dipshit this is. I start to chuckle too, he's in for a little life lesson.

Merle looks back at me and Oscar, who looks taken aback by our reaction and my brother's big smile. Not me, I know what's coming. Merle turns back and punches the guy in the process, then again, and again, and again, and again. Then he pulls him up, pins him to the wall, keeping him up by grabbing his hair and presses a knife, that came seemingly out of nowhere, to his neck. The guy doesn't move an inch after seeing it. He doesn't look so confident anymore either.

"So, since you seem to be kinda slow. I say it one more time. I heard-" Merle starts, adding a bit more pressure with the knife and I see a faint trace of blood forming "-that you have something, that doesn't belong to you." 

He smashes his head against the wall again, but not as hard for the guy to lose consciousness.

"So here's how it will go. Tomorrow you'll be home, waiting for us at seven. You seem stupid enough, so I will be more specific. You'll be waiting there at seven in the evening, alone, with her stuff ready, or, we will be waiting for you, somewhere else, some other time, and we won't be so very nice to you. Understood? Just blink if you do."

The guy blinks quickly, his eyes wide and I can see the swelling forming already. Merle shoves him one more time against the wall, losing his hold on him in the process.

"Alright then. I was hoping you give us little more trouble than that. My friend here-" He motions to Oscar "-certainly was looking forward to having his turn with you." He makes the move with his hips and winks at the guy who is now sitting on the ground groaning. "It was a real pleasure meeting you," Merle adds with that fake smile.

We leave him there after that and go back to my truck to leave, just in case the little shit decides to cause some trouble. 

Once we are in the truck Oscar turns to Merle for the first time that evening. "Why the hell did you make me the sick-homo-rapist?"

Merle just laughs. "Trust me, nothing scares a little white boy like him more than a big black guy having his way with him." He continues laughing and I see Oscar shaking his head. 

Well, at least they seem to be getting along, sorta.

In the truck, I look at Oscar. "So where am I taking you."

"I have my car at Clyde's. I'm staying there for the night." I nod and turn that direction.

"You'll be there tomorrow, right?" I glance at him seeing him fishing for his phone.

"Yeah, sure. I just have to let my wife know that I'll be back later."

My head snaps to him and I see Merle doing the same.

"A wife?" Merle asks. "You have kids too?"

Oscar looks somewhat between offended and guarded. "Yeah, I have two, what about it?"

"Nothing, you just don't seem like a family man," Merle replies and then turns back to the window.

Oscar is writing something on his phone when he says. "Yeah, well, you all don't seem like guys who take the trouble to get books back for a girl either. What's your point?"

Neither of us says anything to that. He's right.

When I get home that night, Lumen is still on the couch but she looks much better than she did when I was leaving. I brought dinner for us since Merle ate almost everything we had in the fridge. I put it on the table and sit next to her.

"We go for your books tomorrow. We're supposed to be there at seven and he's supposed to be there waiting for us." I tell her while watching TV.

She looks at me, her face pure surprise and disbelief.

"Really? Thank you! How did you manage to get him to agree to that?"

I turn to her then, feeling a smirk breaking on my face. "We asked nicely."

She frowns but says nothing. What did she think we'll do exactly? Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's done, and we'll see tomorrow how it worked.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Next evening at seven we see it worked just fine. The fucker had all the boxes by the door ready for us. Merle gives him his charming fake smile then turns to Lumen who is nervously fidgeting by the door. Not looking at the guy at all. What up with that?

"Hey sweetheart, go look around, see if he didn't forget anything, he doesn't mind, right?" He directs the last part to the guy.

Lumen glances at Merle and then to her ex, who's staring at her, not looking pleased, at all but he gives her a nod regardless. She moves to the apartment and we start to carry the boxes to my truck. Between the three of us, it doesn't take that much of a time to get it all down. I have to say, when she said a book collection, I didn't expect a whole town library. But whatever. 

While Oscar and Merle are taking down the last two boxes I go look for Lumen to let her know we are done. I find her in the bedroom, the door is slightly open but she didn't see or hear me coming. I see her packing some books from a shelf by the bed, she looks furious. I'm about to go in when I see the guy comes to the view. I find myself actually wanting to find out what's going on with them. So I stay hidden.

"...You know Anthony, I don't expect much from you these days, but to hide these, just to spite me? What the hell are you twelve?" She has the same tone she used when I pissed her off the first time I tried to talk to her about herself.

He laughs at her. "Me? I'm the immature one here? You left without a word, without a note, without a fucking text? Very adult Lumen, very adult!"

"You know very well why I left.  Don't you try to pretend it came as a surprise to you!"

"Oh please, you should be thankful, not running away. Besides, I bet you secretly like a little rough handling."

"Stop it! Even if I did, there is a difference between little rough and what you did!"

He snorts at her reply. "How would you know that? But hey, seeing the charmers you get yourself now, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough just how rough you like it. Both of those white trash assholes there look like they can do the job just fine. So which one is it? Which one is the one you live with now?"

"None of your business!"

"Ha, so it is true, that's just precious! Do you all live together? You left me for some redneck hicks? You like playing their trashy wife. Hard to believe, if you ask me, with how prudish you are."

"No, I left you because you've been treating me like shit lately. Do you even listen to what you are saying? You changed," she snaps back. I'm starting to get an idea about what happened here. With the drugs and all. I'm starting to get an idea about what a snobby asshole he is too. Keep talking you piece of shit, see where it'll get you.

I hear his sarcastic laugh. "Oh really, well let me laugh at you up front for what's waiting for you with these guys. Do you even know who you live with? You've been avoiding looking at me the whole time so you might somehow miss the state of my face? Their work! They even put a knife to my neck and for what? Some stupid fucking books? Get real! I have an important family dinner this weekend and because of you I'll have to cancel or go like this!"

"Stupid Fucking books? Are you serious right now? You know what those books mean to me. You know what Anthony? I actually felt bad about letting them help me when I saw you. I wanted to apologize, but hearing you now? I don't care what they did to you. I almost wish they did more because it looks like this still wasn't enough to knock some sense into you!" 

I hear a dull sound  and a yelp, then him hissing something at her. Okay, time to go in. The first thing I see is him pointing his finger at... Lumen who's against the wall by the door.

"... just stupid fucking bitch with daddy issues, I'll show yo-" He stops talking when he notices me standing in the door.

"You ready to go? We got everything in the truck." I ask Lumen while staring this Anthony guy down.

She takes a deep breath, it sounds a bit shaky, but she doesn't move otherwise. 

I look down at her. "Lumen?"

The dipshit doesn't say anything more with me in the room, he just snorts again and leaves. At that point, I hear Merle calling for us. "All ready! You coming?"

She points at the bed. "Just this one bag. Then it's all."

I nod and call back. "In here, we're coming!" I take the bag and grab Lumen by her elbow to lead her out since she still looks a little shell-shocked.

Outside Oscar asks if we need the help with unloading it all from the truck too, but we send him home. To his wife. I still find it as believable as Clyde's little girl.

I hope you enjoy the story. If you do, feel welcome to push that little star to let me know, or better yet, leave me a comment ;)