Safe With Me, Part 8 (The End)

by Shaina Richmond

  Susie insisted on carrying her tote bag herself. We went through the lobby to the elevator in silence. She leaned against me, her forehead touching my chest as I held her tight. I hoped she was thinking about how hard it would be to leave me. Her face seemed downcast. Sullen. Yes, come home with me. I'll make you happy. I'll keep you safe.

  When we got to my room, she looked around at the kitchenette, surprised.

  "Holy shit, I thought you said it was a small fridge," she said.

  "Smaller than I'm used to at home. But yeah, I guess it's bigger than your average hotel refrigerator. I figured I'd be here a while so I had to be prepared."

  She opened the door to the fridge and peered inside. "How long ago did you get my address, anyway?"

  "It was Monday, about dinner time."

  "So, like, two days ago?" She looked at me over the door.

  "Less than two days ago. I got here this morning. Didn't expect to find you so fast but I'm glad I did."

  "Huh." Her face took on a dazed expression. She closed the fridge. "Okay, well, I need to go to the bathroom." She hurried to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

  I took the opportunity to prepare the room like I wanted. I hadn't done much besides put away the few small bags of groceries I bought, so it wasn't difficult. Basically, I just turned the bed down and went to work making us both sandwiches. Ham and cheese with mayonnaise and mustard. I hoped she'd like that.

  She finally came out of the bathroom, clutching her tote bag, a few minutes after I finished making the sandwiches.

  I stood up from the bed. "You okay? You were in there a while."

  "Yeah, I'm good." She flashed me a smile, which quickly dissipated as her eyes darted around the room.

  "I made sandwiches. We can order pizza or something if you want that instead." I pointed at the plate on the small table.

  She wrinkled her nose, sniffling. "No, I'm good. Really."

  "Your eyes are bloodshot."

  "Oh." Susie stared down at the floor and walked past me to the bed. She put her bag down, opened it, and immediately started to shuffle through its contents.

  "Am I making you nervous?"

  "No."

  I walked up beside her and put my arm around her shoulders, keeping my voice calm. "What would I find in that bag? Something you don't want me to see?"

  She focused intently on the bag. "No."

  I took a deep breath and moved my arm down to her back. "I'm not stupid. I can tell you're high."

  Her movements slowed just a little as she shook her head.

  I continued. "Look, it's okay. Just come over here and eat. I'm not gonna yell at you." It wasn't my intention to embarrass or shame her. The most important thing was getting her to come home with me. After that, we could work on her sobriety.

  Her pupils were completely black when she looked up at me. "It's recreational, I swear. It's not like it's crack or meth. I can quit anytime I want."

  I nodded and tried not to show my concern. "Okay. Come on. Let's eat."

  A grin passed her lips for a moment before I coaxed her over to the small table. I scooted my chair beside hers and watched her nibble at her sandwich. No wonder she'd lost so much weight. She switched from marijuana to cocaine. I asked her if she wanted something else but she said no, she just wasn't hungry. I told her the food would still be there if she wanted it later, then took her hand and led her over to the bed.

  There was so much I wanted to say and each second was precious. For months, I'd imagined what it'd be like to see her again. I dreamed of the things I would say, but all of those rehearsed conversations had abandoned my thoughts. Maybe the scene was different in my head. I guess I thought she'd be eager to see me too. And maybe she was eager, in her own way. One second, she glowed like the happiest woman in the world. The next second, she was timid, unable to look me in the eye. I had to get inside her head, somehow. There was no way in hell I was gonna let this be the last night I'd ever spend with her.

  I sat on the bed, my legs spread wide, as she stood in front of me. Her hands were around my neck. My hands lingered on her hips, my fingers anxiously slipping in and out of the back pockets of her denim shorts. Neither of us had spoken a word aloud in probably a minute. I wondered if her thoughts were as chaotic as mine, and maybe that's why she wasn't talking. It felt like there were three or four different people in my head, each of them screaming clever things to say to her that would possibly secure our future together. Their voices all blended together into pandemonium.

  Finally, looking into her eyes, I asked, "So, what're you gonna do after tonight? You gonna change your name and move again?"

  "Huh? Change my name?"

  "Yeah. It said, 'D. Jones,' on your mailbox at your apartment complex."

  "Shit." She closed her eyes and whined incoherently. "How do you always find everything you're not supposed to find?"

  I laughed. "I love you, that's how. I always do my research."

  She smirked and whispered, "You stalker." Then she gazed into my eyes, smiling.

  "So? You gonna change your name and move again?"

  She sighed. "I have to. They're all gonna come looking for me."

  "You don't have to. You could always just stop running and give your stalker a break." I winked.

  Her response was a cute chuckle. I hoped it meant I was finally getting through, but I knew better. She'd fooled me before.

  I pulled her a little closer and spoke gently. "So, aside from finding a way to live forever, or maybe kidnapping you, what do I have to do to get you home with me?"

  She groaned and pushed her forehead against mine. "Can we please just have this one night?"

  "Oh, Susie." I puckered my lips and gave her a quick kiss. "You know, you're the one who always said I'd run away from you, screaming, but you're the one who always wants to run away from me."

  "I could make a long list of reasons why we can't be together."

  "Yeah, I got lists of my own."

  Before she could respond, I kissed her again, then leisurely guided her to down to the bed with a soft landing beside me, on her back. I wouldn't let her speak. I just kept on kissing her in a deep embrace until I found my hand between her legs going back and forth across the fabric.

  Her hips rocked slowly against my arm as she widened her legs, welcoming me. In the back of my mind, I planned to make love to her in the shower and then again on the bed until the wee morning hours but now was no time for planning. If she wanted me inside her, that's where I wanted to be.

  I unzipped her shorts, then stood up. In seconds we were both naked from the waist down. I stood on the floor and leaned down over her, my elbows planted firmly against the bed, my forearms under her shoulders. I held her tight and looked in her eyes as I inhabited my favorite place once again.

  She let out the most beautiful moans, her eyes never leaving mine. I moved slowly and gently, resisting the urge to pound her like I had in the car. This time it felt so final, like there was something more at stake.

  I stopped for a second and reached down to the bottom of her T-shirt. "Why are we still wearing clothes?"

  She smiled as I pulled it up over her head, then she reached down and tugged at my shirt. Next was her red, lacy bra, which I thought I heard rip from my hasty attempt to unhook it.

  In moments, we were both nude, our clothes scattered around the room. And I was inside her, my face inches from hers as we made love.

  I whispered, "Sorry. I promised you foreplay this time."

  She laughed and wrapped her legs around my waist. "It's okay. I want this."

  I dipped my head down to give her a kiss, then rose up and said, "I love you."

  Her face beamed. "I love you, too."

  I wanted to smile, but couldn't. I thought back to a time when all I wanted was to hear her say she loved me. I thought it would mean something permanent. And maybe it did, but not in the way I'd hoped. She loved me, but it didn't mean she wanted to stay with me.

 
The idea of taking her by force crept into my thoughts. What could she do? Would she scream for help? Break free and call the police?

  Was I actually capable of something like that? Shit, I wouldn't have to do it forever. Just until she realized she was right where she needed to be.

  Entertaining those thoughts made me feel like a psychopath, but the thought of losing her was too painful to bear. How could I get her to stay?

  My mind was so clouded, I was afraid I couldn't keep going, but then I felt her legs squeezing me, pulling me toward her.

  Her arms wrapped around my back, fingers digging into my bare skin. I usually loved that, but tonight I needed something else. I needed to be the one in charge.

  I stopped moving for a second and took both of her wrists, pinning them over her head.

  "Ooh!" Susie's eyes got big. "I like that."

  I got down on my elbows, trapping her tight underneath me. Yes, she was mine and she couldn't get away. Every part of her belonged to me.

  After a while, she spread her legs apart. Even though I loved the closeness of her body wrapped around mine, I needed more room to move. Soon, I was ramming her hard on the edge of the bed. The mattress made a funny sound like it was breathing as hard as I was. Susie started screaming, telling me she loved me.

  It was hard to get the words out, but I said, "Stay with me."

  She gazed up at me. "I love you."

  "Stay."

  Her eyes looked sad. "Tah-ler…"

  "Please stay."

  "I love you," she said.

  "Then don't leave me." I let go of her wrists and stood up straight, then put my arms under her thighs, holding her there to fuck her as hard as possible.

  Her eyes were fixed on mine as she screamed my name. Screamed her love for me. I watched her grip handfuls of the bedspread as she closed her eyes and let out a long, desperate moan. Her body writhed around but I held her legs tight in my arms, quickening my pace as her climax ended. When she finished, I came, holding nothing back. Every thought in my head burst forth. I loved her. I needed her. I wanted to be with her forever.

  There was no way I was gonna let it be my last night with her. I glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand as I fell on top of the bed beside her. It was already seven-thirty. The evening was slipping away fast and I didn't have much time. I put my arm around her and held there as I caught my breath. It was good practice for later that night.

  I decided then and there that she was undoubtedly going home with me. There had to be a way, even if it meant holding her down.

  Well, shit. Maybe I've finally lost my mind.

  Susie

  Wednesday, June 8, 2011

  8:30 PM

  It was the most fun I'd had in a shower in months. Tyler pushed me into the corner, kissing me as my hands went up and down his soapy body. I stopped to squeeze his firm, sculpted ass, and he kissed me even harder.

  The most fun thing, though, was when he let me shampoo his hair. He used a manly-smelling, spicy shampoo that didn't lather very much, and it was thick and goopy in my fingers. I had to stand on my toes to reach the top of his head, but he held my waist to make sure I didn't fall. It was always my favorite thing about taking a shower with him. It was even better than the soapy, wet sex we'd often have. Hell, we could have sex anywhere, but it wasn't often I got to massage his scalp as he closed his eyes and let his head tilt back into the running water. It was great fun to watch him be vulnerable as I took care of him.

  With his head tilted back in the water, I kissed and licked his neck, then came down to his chest. I pushed the miserable thought of leaving out of my mind for a few minutes as I reacquainted myself with his body.

  My hands were sliding up and down his stomach and chest when he stopped me and said, "My turn." I stood perfectly still as he rubbed the bar of soap in circles over virtually every inch of my body, turning around when he requested. When he finished, he kissed me and put me right under the water, letting me rinse off. He then reached for a dry washcloth and, with a mischievous smile, told me he needed to make sure I was clean all over. He started with my breasts, using the cloth to rub circles around my nipples. The cloth had a different kind of sensation against my skin, and I was quite vocal about how wonderful it felt.

  He went on for a while, then replaced the cloth with his lips. I threw my head back and held handfuls of his wet hair as he sucked hard on my nipple. Then I felt his fingers between my legs, rubbing my clit.

  When I screamed his name, he used the washcloth over his fingers. I screamed again, and he pushed me back to the corner and lifted my leg to the side of the tub.

  I looked in his eyes, scared that I might slip and fall, but he said, "It's okay. I got you, Susie."

  He always amazed me with his ability to do so many things at once like this. How I kept from falling in the slippery tub, I'll never know. He pressed me into the corner and held me there with one hand under my knee, holding my leg up high in the air, his other hand working the washcloth between my legs.

  When I opened my mouth to encourage him, water splashed off his shoulder and onto my tongue. It made me close my mouth for a second, but I immediately opened it and started moaning again. He certainly knew how to use that washcloth. Usually the water in the shower rinsed away my natural lubrication, but not this time. His massive body shielded me from the flowing water as he worked my clit with his covered finger. It added just enough friction to make me come much faster than expected.

  After he finished, he dropped the washcloth on the tub floor, lowered my leg, and kissed me, keeping my body against the corner of the shower. I was still quivering inside from my second orgasm of the evening when he stopped kissing me and said in my ear, "Come home with me and I'll give you that every fuckin' day."

  I laughed. It wasn't what I expected to hear.

  "Come on, baby," he said. "Don't make me do something illegal. Make it easy for me."

  "Shit." I shook my head. No, I wouldn't make him do anything illegal. That's why I planned to slip out unnoticed while he was asleep. I put my arms around him and let my cheek rest against his chest where I could hear his pounding heart.

  No, good things like Tyler Campbell didn't happen to girls like me. Something awful would happen to take him away, just like every other person I'd ever loved. Someday he'd forget about me. And, with any luck, someday I'd forget about him. I couldn't imagine that day, but I could hope for it.

  Scariest thing in my world. How could he be so enticing and beautiful, and at the same time, inject me with such terror?

  He kept his strong, wet arms around me for a while, holding me in silence until he turned off the water and we got out of the tub. Next, he took a fluffy towel and patted my body all over, drying me with care. Of course, I got wet again when his hair dripped all over me. When he noticed, he blotted his hair with a towel and dried himself off, then took my hand. We walked naked to the bed where he helped me get under the covers, then crawled in beside me.

  Instantly, he started to kiss me again. I threw my leg across him and kissed him back. He was just starting to spread my legs open when he stopped and turned his head to his phone as it vibrated against the nightstand.

  "It's a text message. I should check it real quick." He let out a lukewarm sigh as he stretched his arm to pick it up.

  When he read the message he sat up and said, "Shit!"

  "What?"

  He growled, his lips pressed together in a flat line. "You remember my Uncle Alvin? The one who's in a wheelchair?"

  "Yeah."

  "He's gonna have surgery on Friday morning. Double bypass. It was scheduled for next month but the doctor says it can't wait any longer." He rubbed his forehead as he read the message again.

  "I'm so sorry."

  "Yeah, me too. This doesn't sound good." He put his phone on the nightstand and let himself fall onto his back beside me.

  "Does he have insurance?" I wondered if I needed to make a phone call to cover the bill.

  "
Yeah, as far as I know." He paused. "Well, shit, I gotta make sure we get a flight tomorrow, I guess."

  "We, huh?"

  He rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his arm. "Yes. We." He nodded.

  I was on my back, staring up at the ceiling. I couldn't face him, knowing how much I was about to hurt him again. "Let's just make some happy memories tonight, okay? And then you can go back to your family. I'll be praying for your uncle."

  "Praying, huh?" He chuckled. "Would it help if I said I'd go to church with you? Is that what you want?"