Twelve Years

by S. L. Adams

  “We can’t stay here, Alex,” she says, shaking her head vehemently. “I need to get out of here. Memories of my sisters are everywhere in this house and it’s breaking my heart that they’re gone. I have to get as far from here as possible. To distance myself before the guilt eats me up.”

  “I know, baby. I booked us a room at The Super 8. It’s nothing fancy but it’ll only cost us sixty bucks each if we split it. And I asked for two beds.”

  “Okay,” she says, staring up at me with wide eyes. “But I’m paying for the whole thing. This trip shouldn’t be costing you a cent.”

  “I want to pay my share. And I don’t want to hear another word about it.” I tousle her hair. “Now what can I do to help?”

  “Is there a Walmart around here somewhere?” I ask as we exit the housing complex and cross the tracks.

  “Yeah. It’s actually on the same road as the motel. Turn left at the next lights.”

  “Thanks, babe. I’d like to grab a toothbrush and a clean shirt. Then I figured we could get settled at the motel and order a pizza.”

  “Sounds good,” she says. “Sorry about all this.”

  “What are you sorry for, doll?”

  “Getting you involved in my family drama, costing you money, making you spend the night in a crappy motel.”

  “Are you going to be there?” I ask as I find her hand in the dark and squeeze it.

  “Well yeah,” she says with an adorable little giggle.

  “Then I consider it time and money well spent. I mean, c’mon. I got to spend all day with you and now I get to be with you all night.” I glance over at her but I can’t make out her reaction in the dark. “In separate beds, if that’s what you want. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”

  “I trust you, Alex.”

  My body floods with warmth. Yep. I’m fucked. Gone for this girl.

  I turn into the Walmart parking lot and score a spot near the doors. Good thing too. The rain is coming down in buckets. “Ready to make a run for it?”

  “Yeah,” she laughs. “Let’s do it.”

  We bolt for the doors, leaping over puddles and laughing like a couple of school kids. It’s nice to share a moment of fun after a long, depressing day. I grab a basket and take Shelby’s hand as we head into the store. After we pick up toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash and deodorant, I grab a cheap t-shirt for tomorrow. “Wanna grab some drinks?” I suggest.

  “Sure. Maybe a couple of bottles of water,” she says. “I don’t drink soda.”

  “I meant alcoholic drinks,” I say, chuckling as I pull her toward the liquor aisle. “After the day you’ve had, it might not be a bad idea. Help you relax and get some sleep.”

  “Um, Alex,” she whispers. “I’m only eighteen. I can’t buy booze.”

  “I’m twenty-one, silly girl. I can buy it.” I can’t help but smile at her as she scans the liquor display and glances around nervously. She’s so sweet and innocent. “What do you like to drink?”

  “I, ah. Um. I have no idea. I’ve never had a drink in my life.”

  “What?” I stare at her, waiting for her to crack a smile at her joke. But she doesn’t. She’s dead serious. Fuck me.

  She shrugs. “What can I say? I’m a good girl.”

  “Oh my. You are so not ready for college life. It’s all about sex and booze, sweetheart.”

  She stares at the floor, biting at her lower lip.

  “Hey,” I say, bumping her playfully. “No worries. You'll be fine. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s fine. It’s all stuff Gretchen nags me about whenever she gets a chance.”

  “And just for the record, in regards to the sex part, I hope the only guy you’re planning on doing that with, is me.” I tilt her chin up with my thumb and plant a soft kiss on her lips.

  “How are you planning to do that when I’m in New York and you’re in Michigan?” She looks up at me with sad eyes.

  Oh boy. That is the burning question that I don’t have an answer for. “I don’t know, baby doll. Let’s save that discussion for another time. Preferably not in the middle of Walmart after you’ve just lived through the worst day of your life.”

  “Okay,” she concedes with a small smile as she runs her thumb along my jaw. “Thanks again, Alex. You’re a pretty great guy.”

  “I know,” I say with an exaggerated sigh.

  “Oh stop,” she laughs, punching me playfully in the arm.

  “So, I think maybe some girly coolers might be in order for you. No hard liquor for the newbie and I doubt you would enjoy beer.” I grab a case of four wild berry coolers for Shelby and a six-pack of beer for me, and we head for the checkout.

  Shelby is quiet on the way to the motel, barely saying a word as she stares out the window. I can’t imagine what must be going through her mind. Wondering where her sisters are and if they are okay. They went to emergency foster homes for tonight. Three different homes. At least none of them are alone. For now anyway. I’ll never forget the heartbreaking scene I witnessed earlier at her house. The little ones screaming and crying. The eleven-year old twins begging Shelby to stay. And the horrible, vile words that Mindy Sue spewed before spitting on her. Literally spitting in her face. Unbelievable. That girl is headed for a lifetime of trouble. I didn’t have to spend much time around her to figure that out.

  The motel isn’t actually too bad. It’s clean, which is the most important thing. Shelby sits on the end of one of the beds looking a little out of sorts. Time for a little alcohol therapy. I grab one of her coolers and a beer for me and stow the rest of the booze in the mini fridge.

  “Hey, baby doll,” I say as I sit down next to her. “Ready to try your first drink?”

  “Sure,” she replies, smiling up at me as she accepts the bottle. She brings the tip up to her mouth and takes a small sip. A happy grin spreads across her lips. “Mmm! That is really good.” She takes another drink, chugging back a long swallow.

  I throw my head back as a deep, hearty laugh erupts from my chest. “Pace yourself. Remember there’s alcohol in there. And you probably have a very low tolerance. It won’t take much for you to get wasted.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You’ll care tomorrow when you feel like shit.”

  She shrugs and takes another drink before licking her lips. “That is really good.”

  “I know. You mentioned that already. I’m glad you like it.” I shake my head as I bring her hand up to my lips, planting a kiss on her knuckles. “What do you like on your pizza?”

  “Everything,” she says. “I’m pretty easy too please. Not too fussy.”

  “Okay, then. One pizza with everything on it, coming up.”

  I wipe my face with a napkin and lean back in the desk chair. “Did you have enough to eat, Shelby?”

  “Oh yeah,” she says as she leans back against the headboard. “I think I’m gonna change into my pajamas before I fall asleep.”

  “Where did you get the pjs from?”

  “I borrowed them from Mindy Sue’s drawer. She has a lot of nice stuff. My sister doesn’t mind taking gifts in exchange for sexual favours. And it's usually older men that have jobs and money to buy her things.”

  I nod but refrain from commenting. I’m not sure if she would appreciate hearing my opinion of her sister. And I’m a little distracted by the thought of Shelby prancing around in some sexy sleepwear. She stumbles a little as she climbs off the bed. I really need to cut her off the wild berry coolers. She’s halfway through the third bottle.

  I grab another beer and settle onto my bed with the remote, flicking through the TV channels until I find a baseball game. My palms are sweaty and it's not related to the temperature in the room. I’m terrified and excited about seeing Shelby in her slutty sister’s sleepwear. She’s tipsy, buddy. And she’s emotional. Vulnerable. You care about her too much to take advantage. Yeah. Try telling that to my cock. I’m sporting a semi just thinking about her on the other side of that wall taking her cloth
es off.

  When I hear the bathroom door open, I hold my breath as my heart pounds rapidly against my chest wall. She prances across the room to her bed in a tank top and shorts.

  Whew! I can handle pg rated pajamas.

  The shirt is grey and sleeveless with the words, Nighty, Night, scrawled across the chest. The chest containing a perky set of tits clearly not enclosed in a bra.

  Fuck me.

  And the matching shorts are, well, they are short. With some kind of green and blue flowers that match the lettering on her shirt. At least it’s not some slinky nightie, or worse. I can control myself. Or so I think. Until she climbs under the covers and shoots me a naughty grin.

  Uh oh.

  “Wanna come over here?” she asks, patting the empty spot next to her.

  “Sure, baby doll.” Sure! No! Bad idea.

  I crawl in next to her and she snuggles up to my side, resting her head on my chest. “How are you feeling? You okay?”

  “I’m feeling a little better. The alcohol really helped me relax. Thanks, Alex. That was a good idea.” She runs her hand across my chest, grazing my nipples with her index finger. Thank God the sheet is pulled up to my waist. My semi is now a full on erection. “Aren’t you hot? You should take your shirt off.”

  I am very warm. The little voice of reason in my head warns me to leave it on. But I don't. I sit up and pull my shirt over my head, tossing it onto the other bed before lying back down. She snuggles up to me again and nuzzles her nose into my bare chest.

  Jesus. I’m in trouble now.

  She runs her fingers across my belly, tracing the line of my treasure trail down to my waist When she reaches for the button on my shorts, I grab her wrist and stop her. “What are you doing, Shelby?”

  “What do you think I’m doing?” she asks with an innocent pout. Okay. I have no idea who this girl is, but she is not the same Shelby that I’ve been hanging out with for the past month. And I’m positive it's the alcohol talking. Which is why I can’t let this go any further.

  “You’re drunk and you aren’t thinking clearly, sweetheart.”

  She crawls on top of me and presses her lips to mine, sliding her tongue into my mouth as she presses her breasts against my bare chest.

  Fuck. I’m so fucked right now.

  My control shatters. I kiss her back, hard, sweeping my tongue along hers in a dirty waltz. My hands encircle her tiny waist before I roll her over and lower my body onto hers. She spreads her thighs, allowing me to settle between her legs with my hard cock grinding against her pussy. I feather kisses across her jaw and down her neck while she moans and writhes underneath me.

  All logical thoughts leave my head as I push her shirt up and over her head.

  She’s drunk.

  She’s sad.

  She’s a virgin.

  You don’t have any condoms.

  I bring my mouth down to her breast, drawing the little pink bud into my mouth. My hands cup her, massaging the soft swell of her tits as I flick her nipple with my tongue, licking and sucking it into a hard peak. She whimpers and squirms, pressing herself against me.

  That nagging voice of sense gets louder and louder until I snap out of my lust induced haze. “We can’t do this, baby,” I say as I pull away and roll off her.

  “Why?” Her sad, disappointed voice stabs through my chest like an ice pick in the centre of my heart while my cock throbs angrily inside my shorts.

  I turn onto my side to face her. “Because you’re drunk and you would regret it in the morning and I’d hate myself. I want to make love to you more than anything, but not like this. When we do it, it has to be about us and our feelings for each other. If we do it tonight, you will always associate your first time with this horrible day in your life. Is that really what you want?”

  “No, I guess not.” She reaches up and brushes my hair off my forehead. “You are a pretty nice guy, Alex Benson.”

  “I care about you, Shelby. I’d never want to hurt you.”

  “Will you stay? Hold me til I fall asleep?”

  “Of course, baby doll.” I give her gentle kiss. “Turn over and we’ll spoon.”

  “Okay.” She turns on her side and I snuggle up to her, trying hard not to press my raging cock into her backside. As soon as she falls asleep, I untangle myself from her and head to the bathroom to deal with the problem between my legs.

  Chapter 11

  Shelby

  I brush my hair and put the final touches on my make up. Maybe I should put my hair up? I need Gretchen. She's the expert on this stuff. But she’s working the evening shift.

  I choose a paisley print sundress with shoulder ties and a respectable neckline showing just a hint of cleavage. The dress is short, falling well above my knees. Alex will like it. He has mentioned, on more than one occasion, that he loves my long legs.

  Shivering with excitement, I think about what might happen tonight. Alex is taking me out on a real date. He wouldn't tell me where we’re going. I don’t even know if we’re leaving the resort. All I know is that we’re eating somewhere. After dinner, we will probably come back to my cabin. Gretchen is spending the night with Blake since his family is away for the weekend. I’m pretty sure that Alex purposefully planned a special night when he knew she would be gone. He’s been patient, but I know he’s hoping that we can take the next step.

  Tonight won’t be like the night we spent together at the motel in Missoula. I will be sober and totally focused on us and our feelings for each other, not trying to use sex as a distraction. That’s what Alex said he wanted for our first time. From what I can recall anyway. My memories of that night are hazy, but I remember the feeling of him on top of me kissing my breasts while his hard dick was pressed firmly between my legs. How good it felt. And I’ll never forget waking up in his arms. Safe. Cared for. Maybe even loved. All feelings I’ve never experienced before from anyone in my life.

  He knocks at six o’clock sharp. Alex is very punctual. I like that about him. Tardiness is a huge pet peeve of mine.

  “Hey,” I say, swinging the door open.

  He’s standing on the porch, dressed in a black golf shirt and beige khaki pants. “Hello, baby doll.” His eyes scan my body before meeting mine with a hungry gaze.

  I grab my purse and step outside, locking the door. He takes my hand, lacing our fingers together as we walk toward the lodge.

  “Where are we going?” I ask when he leads me in the opposite direction of the parking lot.

  “It’s a surprise.” He smiles down at me, his emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “Alex,” I hiss as we walk right behind the kitchen. “Where are we going? We can’t eat in the lodge. Penny might see us.” We’ve managed to hide our relationship for almost a month, but this is really pushing our luck.

  “Relax,” he whispers, pulling me toward an employee entrance. “She’ll never know we’re here.”

  I hold my breath when he taps lightly on the door, fully expecting Penny to open it. But an older lady I don’t recognize holds the door open, gesturing us in without saying a word. We follow her down a long hallway past the kitchen and across the back of the main dining room. She opens a frosted glass door and gestures for us to enter.

  I gasp when I realize we’re in the private VIP dining room. I’ve heard about it from other staff, but I never imagined that I would ever get to eat in it. Soft, classical music is playing in the background. A table for two is set up in the centre of the room with candles, a champagne bottle on ice and a beautiful arrangement of purple orchids.

  Alex pulls out my chair and I take a seat at the pretty table. When he takes his seat across from me, his face is beaming with excitement. The waitress pours the champagne before exiting the room.

  “Alex! I can’t believe you did this.”

  He reaches across the table and takes my hand, caressing my fingers softly. “I wanted us to have a real date. And the champagne is non-alcoholic, by the way.”

  “How did you
know I like purple orchids and where did you find them?”

  He shrugs. “I’m resourceful.”

  “What if Penny finds out we’re in here? Oh my God! She’s cooking our dinner, isn’t she?”

  “She won’t find out. It’s top secret. The only people who know are Blake and Gloria. The waitress. She’s very trustworthy. And I don’t know if Penny is making our dinner.”

  “This is amazing, Alex.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” he whispers, gazing into my eyes as he presses a kiss to the back of my hand. My heart flutters, warmth flooding my veins. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

  “No,” I reply softly. “Thank you.”

  After Gloria clears away our salad plates, Alex takes my hand again. “I like you, Shelby. A lot.”

  “I like you too, Alex.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving. What are we having?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he says, his eyes dancing with anticipation.

  “I’ve never eaten in a restaurant before,” I confess. “Unless you count fast food joints.”

  “I know, baby doll.” He caresses my thumb while his eyes hold mine with a loving gaze. “I want your first time to be great.”

  My stomach churns with a mixture of fear and excitement. He’s talking about more than dining out.

  Gloria returns and sets a plate in front of me. I stare down at a long, thick piece of steak, accompanied by a baked potato and steamed vegetables. When I look up, Alex is smiling.

  “It’s a New York Strip. Nothing fancy. But it’s steak.”

  I fight back tears as a myriad of emotions overwhelm my senses. What is wrong with me? Crying over a piece of meat? It’s not really about the food. No. The man across from me is responsible for the storm of emotion coursing through my body right now.

  He pushes his chair back and rises, coming to my side. “Come here, baby doll.”

  I stand up and he pulls me into his arms, planting a gentle kiss on my lips. “Let’s eat before it gets cold,” he whispers, his lips grazing my ear.

  My hands tremble when I pick up my knife and fork. Alex is watching me intently, no doubt waiting to see my face when I take my first bite. I cut a small piece and bring it up to my lips.