Softly walking towards them, I was able
to distinguish their voices. I heard Jack
first.
“I don’t know what to do; I am
really worried about her. This has
devastated her something fierce. When
she told me what he did, I didn’t believe
her.”
Shepard spoke next, obviously
growing tense, his volume louder.
“Who did what to her?”
There was a pause in the room. I
knew Adam knew, but Jack didn’t stop
to think that maybe I didn’t tell Shepard.
The silence caused him to become more
agitated.
“Who did what to her?” he
repeated.
“Shep, the Doc attacked Violet in
the parking lot the night he disappeared.
She screamed loud enough that the cops
came before anything serious happened.
The campus police called me to come
and get her. I didn’t believe it. I trust
her, more than anyone besides Adam, but
it doesn’t make sense.”
I sank to the floor with my back
against the wall, trying my best to stay
quiet. He knew I was off, but now he
really didn’t know what to believe. I
heard the wooden legs of a chair drag
against the tile. Shepard walked right
past me into the den where I was asleep
before.
“Violet,” Shepard yelled.
“I’m right here.”
My voice was hoarse from holding
in my sobs. He rushed over to me and
dropped on the floor, pulling me close.
He knew instantly I heard every word.
“I’m taking you home now,” he said
softly.
His strong arms guided me back to
a standing position and into an embrace.
I was too tired to fight; home was the
only place I wanted to be. Adam and
Jack stood watching; there was nothing
to say. They both walked us to our car,
making sure I was situated. Jack shook
Shepard’s hand and told him, “Take
good care of her.”
Shepard looked to me and slightly
smiled.
“I planned on it.”
Chapter 4 - Tying
Knots
Shepard followed me up to the
bedroom silently. He sat on the edge of
my bed, while I walked into the
bathroom to change into some sleeping
clothes. I came back out to find him
looking at the pictures on my dresser.
“It’s my grandparents’ ranch in
Colorado; I grew up on it. It’s my
favorite place in the whole world.”
His fingers lightly touched the
edges of the frame before picking it up to
view it a little closer.
“It’s beautiful. You can see the
mountains right there.”
I traced along the ridge outlining
my grandma’s beloved Pikes Peak in the
background.
“I love the mountains. It’s hard
finding my way here because I don’t
have them to guide me; I never know
which direction is which.”
I
laughed
at
my
backwards
compass, but it was how I was raised,
and it came in useful most of the time.
“Do you want to stay here with me
tonight?” I watched his face to gauge his
reaction to the question. He simply
nodded and removed his coat, placing it
across the rocking chair in the corner
and his shoes next to it. I turned down
the patchwork quilt comforter and
flipped on the television. He crawled in
next to me, still wearing his suit pants
and dress shirt. I knew it wasn’t
comfortable because he kept trying to
settle in.
“I don’t know how you sleep, but
you don’t have to wear your clothes. I
promise I don’t bite, unless you want me
to.” I giggled a little, but I didn’t want
him to be restless all night.
He sat up, unbuttoning his shirt
before sliding off his pants. He was
wearing sexy black trunks and a white
ribbed tank. I couldn’t help but stare at
the way his sinewy muscles rippled as
he moved back into the bed, laying on
his side to face me.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he
lightly thumbed my hairline, speaking
softly.
“I am now. Thank you…for
everything.”
I reached up and held his hand
against my cheek, closing my eyes and
breathing deeply.
I felt him shift just before his lips
grazed mine with feather-light softness.
“Again,” I whispered.
This time his lips pressed slightly
harder, but just as briefly.
“Again.” My heart rate started to
increase.
His body moved to hover over
mine as he propped himself up on his
elbows just above my face. A slick
tongue licked gently along my lip line
from one side to the other, causing me to
gasp. My fingers went into his hair,
pulling him down over my mouth.
“Please kiss me,” I begged.
I waited for him to devour me, but
he continued his slow taunts. My hips
arched up in a hungry response. He
bravely dragged his nails down along
my side and over the thin fabric of my
shirt, flushing my skin as blood rushed to
the surface.
“Oh my, who taught you how to do
that?” I widened my eyes between the
breaths that were now rocking me.
He laughed mischievously.
“No more tonight, Violet. I
shouldn’t have done that; I won’t take
advantage of you.”
“What if I want you to? Do you see
me fighting you?” I tried scooting closer
to him, but he started to back away to get
off the bed.
“I should probably go home. I can
come back tomorrow if you want me to.
I’m sorry.”
I grabbed his arm before he was
able to stand, pulling him gently back
towards me.
“I wasn’t expecting anything by
asking you to stay; I just would prefer
not being alone tonight.”
He sat on the bed and watched me
for a while, appearing to be deep in
thought before finally speaking.
“This is probably the wrong time to
say this, but I like you. I always have. I
know you don’t see me that way and
most likely think I am too young for you.
I can’t help how I feel, so it’s for the
best if I don’t stay.”
I couldn’t believe it. Any normal
hot blooded twenty-one year old would
have me naked on the floor, screaming
his name out by now; it would be so
easy. But here was Shepard confessing
he’s always had a thing for me and being
a proper gentleman about it. Of course,
he is. He’s not a dick. Why am I so
shocked about that?
I shifted up onto my knees,
crawling a little closer. Giving a large
sweet smile, I held both sides of his face
and kissed him lightly.
“You are quite wrong. I never
thought someone like you existed. There
was a time in my life where you would
have never taken a second glance at me.
I suppose I still carry that feeling of
inadequacy;
you
just
mistakenly
discerned it as disinterest.”
I slid off the bed and walked into
the bathroom to start the hot water for a
soak. Coming back out, Shepard was
still sitting there quietly.
“I shouldn’t be so dependent on
you. You don’t have to come back,” I
said.
I turned back towards the bathroom,
only making it a few feet before I felt his
hand grasp my shoulder.
“You don’t listen very well, do
you?”
He
laughed
deeply
while
threading his fingers through my hair.
“Wha…” His soft lips caught me by
surprise.
Stepping back away from me, he
walked over to the tub to check the
temperature with his hand, adjusting the
water slightly. I stood closemouthed,
taking in his movements. Sitting on the
edge of the oversized antique claw foot
tub, he motioned for me to come over.
Standing between his knees, he slowly
lifted the top of my sleeping shirt up past
my ribs and over my head. I rested my
hands on his shoulders for support as his
fingers slid along the band of my shorts
before dragging them down my legs,
leaving me completely exposed. The
cold room made my skin rise with goose
bumps. One hand rested upon my hip
while the other reached over, twisting
the brass knobs to turn off the water.
Looking up slightly to meet my eyes, he
leaned in, placing a single kiss just
above my navel before standing.
“After you,” he said.
I dipped my toes in the water
tentatively before fully letting them sink
to the bottom of the tub. It was perfect. I
slowly immersed myself in the steaming
water that came up to my breasts. There
was plenty of room for another person,
yet no one had joined me before in my
beloved ritual.
Watching him slide off the rest of
his clothes and slowly get into the tub,
facing towards me, my jaw fell to the
ground before I quickly turned away.
“Like
what
you
see?”
His
confidence in my reaction caused my
head to snap up in surprise.
“Who are you and what did you do
with Shepard?” I questioned cautiously
at this new behavior. In the whole two
years I had known him, never once did
he come across as brazen.
“It’s just…this isn’t the first time I
have seen you in here.” He blushed,
giving his confession. When I quirked
my eyebrow upwards, he pointed out the
window towards his house.
“That’s my bedroom, Violet.” He
looked like a kid caught with his hand in
the cookie jar.
My mouth continued to remain wide
open. “I never noticed because it was
always dark. I just assumed it was some
spare bedroom.” I slapped my hand
across my eyes and tried to lower myself
further into the tub. “So you like to
watch me?” I asked suspiciously, still
not looking at him.
“Yes, I do. You’re beautiful,” he
replied softly.
I slid back up a little more and
gazed at him with curiosity. It was
fascinating how much life could change
in
twenty-four
hours
–how
circumstances could draw two people
together in the strangest ways. We’re
often so wrapped up in our own little
minds that we fail to see the very things
happening around us, quite literally.
“So I imagine you’ve seen quite a
bit.” I turned my head to the side in
embarrassment. Private moments where
I had relieved sexual frustration had not
been so private.
“Violet, why have I never seen you
with anyone? My father wonders the
same thing, but for different reasons.”
He paid no attention to the red hues
splashing across my neck and face.
“I haven’t been with anyone in a
long time; it’s complicated. Being alone
is easier.” I started to subconsciously
chew on my bottom lip, although I
wasn’t as nervous as I felt I should be.
His hands felt for one of my feet
and he started to run his thumb along the
instep and sole, causing my head to dip
back.
“Why have I never heard you talk
about anyone or seen you with anyone,
either, Shepard?” I was genuinely
interested now that the conversation had
begun.
He inhaled and exhaled deeply. I
wondered if anyone had ever asked him
this. “I’ve never been with anyone.” He
stopped rubbing to see how I would
respond to that.
I immediately felt sadness because
I knew it was true. The expression on his
face held a thousand emotions, each one
unfulfilled.
“Why?” I couldn’t stop myself from
asking.
“Girls don’t pay attention to me.
They even mock me because they assume
I’m gay. Also, I watch my father treat
women like pieces of garbage, and they
let him do it. It doesn’t matter because
the one’s I am physically attracted to are
emotionally or mentally empty. Being
alone is easier for me, too.”
I slipped my foot out of his hands