The Need to be Needed

The Police

"Lydia, please... you've got to wake up!"

I hear Diane's whispers, and my eyes fly open. She's hovering over me with a panicked expression on her face. I open my mouth to speak, but she grabs my wrist and pulls me out of bed. 

She leads me quickly into her bedroom. I hear a car door slam outside as she opens her closet door. "Diane, what's-"

"Shh," she whispers, pulling out a panel of the back wall of the closet. Behind it is a tiny crawl space, which she pushes me inside. "Stay there," she says.

Diane replaces the panel and closes the closet door. I hear the doorbell ring, and Diane's feet pound down the stairs to answer it. The voices are muffled, so I can't make out what they're saying, but I think it's the police. I listen as closely as possible, trying to make out their words. 

"Given your history... probable cause... if you cooperate..."

They're going to search the house. And Diane has to cooperate, otherwise they'll know I'm here. I hear their footsteps approaching, and hold my breath.

They're in Diane's room. I shut my eyes, praying they won't find me. I hear Diane say, "I'm sorry it's so messy, I wasn't expecting anyone." Then, the closet door opens.

And, after a few seconds, it shuts again. I open my eyes, and hear the footsteps go back downstairs. 

After a few minutes of silence, the closet door opens again, and so does the panel. I crawl out of the closet and into Diane's arms. She embraces me, and plants a kiss on my hair.

"Thank you," I say into her sweater.

After a few minutes of this, I retreat to my room. I sit down on the bed, and a wave of worry washes over me. Oh, god... what have I put this woman through? She should have just turned me in. I feel terrible for putting this kind of burden on her. 

I stay in my room for several hours, laying in bed. If I'm going to impose, I might as well stay out of Diane's way so I'm not bothering her. Soon enough, though, the door opens.

"Lydia?" I hear Diane ask.

I roll over to face her. She smiles, walking over and sitting down on the bed. "Did I wake you?" Diane asks.

"No, I wasn't asleep," I say.

"Then why were you staying in here all alone?"

"I didn't want to bother you," I said. "You've done so much for me already, and I just wanted to stay out of the way so I didn't annoy you more than I already have."

She gently caresses my cheek. "Sweet girl, I love having you here. For me, the best feeling in the world is when someone needs me to take care of them."

"Is that why you drugged Chloe?"

She straightens up, her face hardening. "Chloe needed me... she just didn't know it. You, on the other hand... you know that you need me."

I nod. "It's just that no one has ever wanted to take care of me before. I don't know how to let you do things for me without feeling guilty," I say.

"Can you just trust that I'm doing this because I love you?"

My face freezes as I take in what she just said. Those three words have never been said to me in my life. 

"Y-You do?" I ask. "Why?"

She chuckles. "I don't know, sweetheart. I just do."

I just stare back at her, not blinking.

"Lydia," she says. "Has anyone ever told you they love you before?" I shake my head. 

"Oh, my sweet girl," she says. She wraps her arms around me, and holds me tight. I was still laying down, so she's sort of on top of me at this point, but I hug her back.

I hear a muffled sob, and feel one of her tears drip onto my neck. "Diane?" I ask. She rolls off of me, laying on the bed next to me instead. She wipes the tears off of her face. "Are you alright?" I ask her.

"I'm fine. It's just... when I think about the wonderful, sweet girl you are, it makes me so sad that you've never been loved before. I need you to promise me something," she says.

"Anything," I reply.

She holds my face in her hands. "Promise that you'll let me give you all the love you've never gotten, but always deserved."

I smile at her. "I promise," I say. She kisses my nose lightly. "Oh, and Diane?" I say.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I think I love you too."