Page 16 of Liberty

All I could do was watch this small disaster as it unfolded. I flicked a few from my arm and followed her out. Most of them had come from the box she had been digging in. Before I even knew what was happening, she was tearing her skirt off.

“T-they are in my clothes!” she screeched. “Oh, my God!” Bent over while in heels, she was batting at her long hair in lace panties and a lace bra. Purple of all colors.

All I could do was stare. I mean I couldn’t help her really and not get slapped as she was waving her arms in the air andeven slapping her arms and legs. Part of me was entranced by all that creamy skin while another part of me wondered what the hell to do.

“A-are they gone?” she asked breathlessly.

I stepped closer and looked at her hair while nodding. “It looks like it.”

“What in tarnation?”

We both looked over to see Ma Walker standing a few feet away.

“Wow, Liberty,” Fate said as he came in through the double door. “You didn’t waste any time, did you?”

I shook my head at him as I took off my sweat jacket and held it in front of Belle. “She was being attacked, you moron.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” He snickered.

Ma came over and asked, “What was it?”

“We were in the storage room,” I told her. “Then there were like a hundred baby spiders.”

Belle put on my sweat jacket and it came to her knees. “They were in my hair and my clothes!” She was crying. “I hate spiders!”

“Now, now.” Ma wrapped her arm around her. “We’ll get the room sprayed and clear it all out. Come on, little Belle. I’ll get you some tea. Liberty, bring her clothes along.”

When we got to the kitchen, Ma waved her hand at the small kitchen table. “Sit,” she ordered, then headed to the stove.

I shook out Belle's blouse and skirt then hung them over the back of my chair before I sat down. “Well, that didn’t go as planned,” I commented.

Belle sniffled and shook her head. “I must have looked ridiculous.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

She raised her head to stare at me.

I chuckled.

She smiled at me. “Well, thanks for not laughing at me.”

“Oh, I will be.” I grinned at her. “Just not in front of you.”

She blinked at me then laughed. “I bet it was a sight. Me screaming while batting at my hair.”

“And stripping,” I added. “Don't forget the stripping.”

Her face went pink. “Oh, my God. I did do that!”

“You had to, really. They were all over you. Then Fate got the wrong idea entirely. Thinking we were…” My voice trailed away.

“Like I would be out in the middle of the ballroom hallway, making out with you.” She shook her head. “He’s nuts.”

I shrugged. “Been saying that for years but no one listens.”

“You and your twin are not so different, I be thinking,” Ma said as she set the tea tray down on the table.

“Oh, we are though,” I disagreed. “I’m a fighter by trade. Competitive as all hell. I live to kick ass.”