by Alex Riordan
Jessie nodded. “Yeah, I’d actually thought about renting the place out at one point, but I decided I didn’t need the hassle of dealing with renters.”
“Jessie,” Nancy said, “I’d like to thank you again, for everything you’ve done. It’s very kind of you to invite me to stay here. It means so much to me to be able to stay close to Stephanie right now.” She smiled sadly at Jessie, remembering what had brought her here in the first place.
“It’s my pleasure, Nancy. Anything I can do to make this easier on Steph, I’d gladly do. Now,” she hugged Nancy and kissed Stephanie. “I’m going to go back upstairs and hang out with Theresa so you two can talk.” Turning to leave, she added, “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Stephanie watched Jessie walk back up the stairs, before turning to her mother and smiling sadly. “Well, I guess we can’t avoid this conversation any longer.”
Nancy sighed, eyeing her daughter critically. “Come sit down, Stephanie. I want to hear everything, from beginning to end. But…only if you think you can talk about it.”
“I can talk about it, Mom,” Stephanie said, walking over and sitting crossed legged on the bed. “I’m sorry I was such a mess this morning. I really thought I was ready to talk to you, then.”
Nancy sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. “Stephanie, you were attacked last night. No one would expect you to be over something like that so quickly. Of course you were a mess. I’d be worried if you weren’t.”
Leaning into the hug, Stephanie started to cry. “Oh, Mom…it was awful! I thought Jessie forgot her key, when he knocked on the door. It didn’t even occur to me to look to see who it was!” Wrapping her arms around Nancy’s neck, she forced herself to go on. “I fell and hit my head before I even realized what was happening. He started dragging me toward the bedroom and I screamed. That’s when he hit me.” Crying harder now, Stephanie stopped until she could calm down.
Holding Stephanie as tight as she could, Nancy closed her eyes as her daughter related the events of yesterday evening. It had always been one of her biggest fears that Stephanie would be attacked by a rabid fan. Now…that fear had become a reality, and there was nothing she could do about it. Sitting there holding her as she cried, Nancy felt herself growing more and more angry about what had happened. Shoving it down in order to comfort Stephanie, she began rubbing her back, hoping to calm her down. It had always worked when she was a little girl.
Eventually, Stephanie sniffed and pulled back a little. Wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, she went on with her story. “He drug me into the bedroom and…and threw me onto the bed. Then, he…he pulled out some rope, and he…he tied…tied me down. God, Mom! I tried to fight back, I swear I did…but he had a knife…and he made me say things. It made me sick to say them…I just wanted to throw up, but I was so afraid.”
Nancy pulled Stephanie to her again, running a hand through her hair. “Shh, it’s okay, Sweetheart. It’s okay.” Having no desire to ask what she needed to know so badly, Nancy forced herself to do it anyway. “Stephanie…I need to ask you…did he…?”
Understanding what her mother was asking, Stephanie shook her head. “No. He had my robe open…I was getting ready for a shower, when he attacked me. God…he was on top of me…with that knife at my throat…he was starting to unzip his pants, when Jessie walked in…”She started crying again, remembering what he’d made her say. It had made her sick, saying those things about Jessie.
“Stephanie…hush. Hey, whatever Jessie heard, I’m sure she understands it wasn’t you, saying those things.” Nancy said, trying to make Stephanie feel better.
“That’s what she said…when I tried to apolo…gize last night,” Stephanie whispered. “I still feel horrible, though.”
Nancy felt the anger floating to the surface again. Anger over what had happened to Stephanie, and how this one incident had marred the happiness and excitement of a new relationship for her daughter. Anger at the fact that no one had realized this man had a serious problem. Anger at the fact that Stephanie was blaming herself for what had happened. Everything about this was just so wrong! Still, for Stephanie’s sake, she refused to let it show. There’d be time for that later. Right now, Stephanie needed her.
“So…Jessie walked in and caught him attacking you. How did she keep him from hurting you?” Nancy asked, needing Stephanie to get the whole thing out in the open.
“She…she made fun of him. She told him…that if he hated her so much, he should…come after her. He got…pissed off and tried to…stab her,” Stephanie managed to stammer out. “I was so scared she was going to get hurt. But she…” shaking her head, still amazed at how quickly Jessie had disabled him, she finished. “She had him on the floor and popped his arm out of joint so fast I couldn’t tell what had happened.”
“And? What happened next?”
“Theresa followed her into the room and called for an ambulance. Jessie…Jessie came over and…Mom, she was so scared. She was shaking so bad…I could see how scared she was for me. Still….she never left my side all night,” Stephanie said, still amazed that Jessie had insisted on staying with her through everything. “Even at the hospital, she stayed while they did the exam, and sang to me. Just hearing her voice, made it all…bearable.”
“She loves you, Stephanie. Even I can see that, and I just got here,” Nancy said gently, wiping a tear from Stephanie’s cheek. “I’m glad she’s been here for you. I feel better knowing she’s taking care of you.”
Stephanie smiled, this time a little brighter. “Mom…she…she makes me feel so…” shaking her head, she was temporarily at a loss for how to explain what she felt. Blowing out a breath, she finally managed to whisper, “I feel so safe…so loved…when she holds me. I love her, Mom.”
Nancy tucked a few strands of hair behind Stephanie’s ear and smiled affectionately at her. “I know you do, Stephanie. I could tell when you called and told me about her.” Glad to see that the worst part of this conversation was over, Nancy decided to steer it toward a happier topic while she had the chance. “So…I’m assuming you two have slept together? I know you’d said that you were sleeping here, but…is it safe to assume that things have progressed?”
Ducking her head, Stephanie blushed, but didn’t try to deny it. She’d always told her mother everything. Nodding, she said, “Yeah, we have…had sex, I mean.”
“Well?” Nancy asked. She’d always encouraged her girls to be honest with her. In return, she’d always made sure to respect their choices in life and not degrade them or make them feel bad. “Is she good to you, Stephanie? Does she treat you right?”
Licking her lips, Stephanie grabbed Nancy’s hands. “Mom, she’s amazing! When she touches me…it’s like…I don’t know how to describe it. She’s so gentle and tender…reverent even, like making love with me is a…a sacrament. You know, she cried…the first time.”
“Cried?” Nancy furrowed her brow. Was crying a good thing?
“She said it was just so beautiful. She cried.” Stephanie explained. “I don’t think she’s ever actually made love to anyone before.”
“Steph, you don’t mean she’s a…?” Nancy began to ask; sure that Jessie had slept with people before this. After all, she was a grown woman.
Stephanie laughed and shook her head. “No, Mom, she wasn’t a virgin.” Rolling her eyes, she said, “Jessie’s far from innocent. What I meant was…I don’t think she’s ever really been in love with anyone she’s slept with before.”
Nancy nodded in understanding and listened quietly as Stephanie told her everything about the last few weeks; from Jessie’s uncertainty, to the night of her birthday. When she was finally finished with her story, Nancy squeezed her hands and pulled her into another hug. “I’m so glad you’re happy, Steph. It’s obvious that Jessie loves you and adores you. When you first talked about her I was afraid she was just after you because you’re a celebrity. I’m glad that’s not the case.”
�
�She’s not like that, Mom. As a matter of fact, I think that’s one of the reasons she tried to stay so distant, at first,” Stephanie said. “She didn’t want me to think that.”
“Well, it certainly sounds like she’s a keeper, Sweetheart,” Nancy said, yawning hugely.
“I should let you get some sleep, Mom,” Stephanie said, unfolding her legs and standing up. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She leaned down and hugged her mother. Quietly, she said, “Thanks for coming, Mom. I really needed to see you.”
“You’re welcome, Sweetheart. I needed to see you, too,” Nancy answered as she returned the hug. As she watched Stephanie leave the room and head upstairs she shook her head. Stephanie had fallen hard for Jessie. She just hoped the two of them would be able to work out the difficulties of a long distance relationship; for both their sakes.
* * * *
After leaving Stephanie and Nancy in the basement, Jessie had returned upstairs. Heading to her room, she changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Then, making a detour through the kitchen, she grabbed a Diet Coke and met Theresa in the living room to watch a movie.
Two hours later, the movie was finished and Theresa was falling asleep on the couch. Jessie, noticing the way her head kept dropping to the side, woke her up long enough to make sure she was comfortable for the night. Turning off the TV, she flipped out the light in the living room and headed for bed.
Stephanie still hadn’t come back upstairs, so Jessie decided to just go on to bed. Even though she hadn’t worked today, she was still worn out. She figured it had to be all the emotional things happening.
Making sure there was nothing on the floor for Stephanie to trip over when she came in to go to bed, Jessie turned out the light. Crawling into bed, she pulled the covers up and tried to go to sleep. Unfortunately, tossing and turning seemed to be the only thing she was capable of, and she determined to just lay there until she finally drifted off.
An hour later, still lying there staring at the ceiling, she realized that she couldn’t go to sleep because Stephanie wasn’t there. She’d gotten so used to the feel of the redhead in her arms at night, that the lack of her body in bed next to her was keeping her awake. Sighing, she rolled onto her right side and let her mind wander for a while. Eventually, she did manage to drift off into a light doze, but that was it.
* * * *
Stephanie entered the bedroom quietly, trying not to wake Jessie up. Grabbing her sleep shirt, she went into the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. When she was done, she padded back out to the bedroom. Flipping the covers down, she slid into bed and was just about to pull them back up, when Jessie pulled them up for her.
Rolling over onto her left side, feeling Jessie’s arm wrap around her, pulling her close, she whispered, “I was trying not to wake you up.”
“You didn’t. I wasn’t asleep,” Jessie’s voice whispered back. Snuggling closer and enjoying the feel of Stephanie in her arms, she asked, “How’d the talk with your mom go?”
“Good, but emotional. I really wanted to talk to her without crying,” Stephanie answered. “But I started bawling like a big baby.”
“Of course you cried, Steph. What happened wasn’t just some random accident, like falling down and skinning your knee,” Jessie said, comfortingly. “You don’t have to be strong all the time. It’s okay to cry about it. It’s the healthy way to heal.”
Stephanie found herself sniffing back tears again. “Did you cry, Jessie? You know…when you were attacked?”
Jessie nodded. “Yeah, I did. Steph, I can’t even remember what happened, and I cried. Sometimes, I still do,” Jessie admitted. She would never tell anyone else that, not even Theresa, but it was true.
“How did you get over it, Jess?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Time passed, and it didn’t seem so bad, anymore. You’re braver than me, though.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” Stephanie said, quirking an eyebrow up at her.
“Last night…asking me to love you the way you did…it was months before I could sleep with anyone, let alone have sex. It takes a lot of guts to do that,” Jessie whispered. The admiration in her voice was obvious, as she finished, leaning in to kiss Stephanie lightly.
“That’s not bravery, Jessie. It’s trust and love.” Pulling back slightly as the kiss ended, she stared into Jessie's eyes. “I love you and trust you not to hurt me.”
Jessie reached over and stroked the smooth skin of her cheek. “I love you, too, Steph.” Pulling the redhead closer still, she curled around her and sighed in contentment. “I love you so much.”
Stephanie closed her eyes and relaxed into Jessie’s embrace. It felt so good here, she couldn’t imagine any place on earth she’d rather be. Within minutes, she had fallen asleep to the rhythm of Jessie’s soft breath and the steady rise and fall of her chest.
* * * *
Theresa woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Fumbling around with her hand, she finally managed to find the damn thing on the coffee table. Clearing her throat, she answered. “Hello?”
“Ms. Halloran, is that you?” the voice of James Mason came over the cell phone.
“Oh, Mr. Mason, yes sir. What can I do for you?” She asked, sitting up immediately.
“Well, I was calling to speak to Ms. Winters. Is she available?”
“Actually, she’s in the shower right now, sir,” Theresa lied. “I’d be happy to let her know that you called.”
“There won’t be a need for that, Theresa. I was actually planning on stopping by today, to check on her. If you don’t mind?”
“Oh, uh…no sir. Not at all. What time were you planning on coming by?”
“Around noon, if that’s a good time?”
Theresa glanced at her watch. It was only nine. “Noon would be great, Mr. Mason. I’ll let her know.”
“Wonderful. And Theresa? If Jessie’s going to be around, I’d like to speak to all of you.”
“Absolutely, sir. I’ll call her and let her know.”
“Good. Well, I’ll see you at noon then,” he said, hanging up the phone.
Closing the phone, Theresa let her head fall back to rest on the arm of the couch. Damn! Why did he have to come by to check on Stephanie today? Shaking her head and sighing, she forced herself up off the couch. As she stood up, she spent a few minutes working the kinks out of her back. Jesus! She could remember a time when it didn’t bother her to sleep on the couch.
Making her way down the hall, she stopped outside Jessie’s bedroom door. She really hated to knock and wake Jessie and Stephanie, but she had to tell them about Mr. Mason. They’d have to get up and get going soon, if they were going to make it back to her place before he arrived.
Still, regardless of the reason, she hated to interrupt them. At least she’d learned her lesson and wouldn’t just go barging in like she did a couple of weeks ago. Catching Jessie and Stephanie in the middle of something wasn’t in her game plan for the day. Besides, she didn’t think Jessie would be so forgiving, this time. Steeling her resolve, she raised her fist and knocked lightly on the door.
Jessie heard the knocking on her bedroom door and tried to ignore it. But when the knock came again, only this time, she heard Theresa’s voice call, ‘Jessie?’ she rolled her eyes and sighed. Good God! Couldn’t Theresa let her have one uninterrupted private moment?
Finally, trying to be civil…After all, Theresa might actually have a very good reason to knock on her door, she called, “The door’s open.”
Theresa pushed the door open very carefully, really not wanting to do this at all. “Jessie, I’m really sorry. But…Mr. Mason just called on my cell. He’s planning on coming by my place to check on Stephanie.”
Jessie looked up and noticed that Theresa was trying to avoid looking at her, or the bed, as she opened the door. Finding that somewhat amusing, considering all the things about Jessie’s life Theresa had witnessed over the years, Jessie almost laughed at how shy she seemed. Next to
her, Stephanie stirred awake, snuggling a little closer, and she smiled, hugging her tighter. Finally, taking pity on the blond, she said quietly, “T, we’re both dressed. You can come in.”
“Jessie, are you sure? I don’t want to…”
Jessie cut her off. “You’re not interrupting anything. It’s okay. Come on in and sit down.”
Still feeling like she might be intruding, Theresa stepped further into the room but remained standing. The only place to sit was the bed, and even though it was a king size, she didn’t feel right, plopping down.
“So, Mr. Mason’s coming by to check on Steph?”
Next to her, Stephanie cracked an eye and, realizing someone else was in the room with them, she whispered, “Jessie?”