(I'm glad there is still interest in the story despite my long absence, which again I apologize for, I really should have finished this before I took my leave.)
Dare took me in his arms, but said nothing more. What I wanted was impossible, and Dare knew it.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I love you Ashley, and we both know what we did, we forgave each other."
"I still feel jealous of the girl you were with, and I feel so dirty and so sorry for what I did with Mark."
"Don't think I don't feel jealous and sorry too Ashley. What we did will always be there and I blame myself, I shouldn't have cheated on you when we were dating just because we had a fight. We can only try and forget, but that comes slowly Ashley. There's not a day that goes by that I feel sorry for what I've done." Dare said seriously.
Tears streamed down my face and I kissed Dare. His lips moved slowly at first then it worked up into a passionate kiss, and soon he pulled me so I was sitting with my legs curled around his back and I was in the center of his lap. For a moment I thought of nothing but his lips on mine, but when we pulled away panting for air it flooded back to me. He stared at me like I stared at him, in surprise.
"I..." I looked down and my face burned as I uncurled my legs from around his body, but Dare wouldn't let me move from his lap.
"We aren't dating anymore Ashley. No one is going to walk in on us, why are you so embarrassed?" He asked for once sounding a little hurt.
"I, I... Dare, please... 6 months ago I was taken, and held against my will, I'm a little more protective..."
"Not in the hall when I-"
"That was different!" My voice raised and my lip quivered as I stared at Dare.
He narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing.
"I need my family. I need Kim. I need to get away, I feel so..." I took in a deep breath, but instead of calming me I felt like I was suffocating. "Smothered..."
"No you don't." He growled. "It's what Jake said. I'm going to fucking kill him." Dare snarled as he gently pulled me off of his lap and then left the room in a hurry.
"Dare..." I said. "Please don't!" I begged as my eyes began to water. "Dare, you'll make everything worse!" I cried, sobbing.
"What do you want me to do Ashley? You would not think of feel this way if he didn't call you!" Dare yelled as I came into the kitchen and he was searching for his keys.
"Dare!" I cried.
He turned to me his eyes wild, his whole body shaking.
"Go, away, Ashley." He said slowly in between heavy breaths.
I knew I should have listened, but I slowly came closer to him, his eyes warned me of the danger as I stared into them, trying to calm him. It was when I touched him that he flinched and grabbed me desperately like something was trying to take me. He pulled me to his chest and kissed my neck forcefully until I was crying out for him to stop, even though it hurt just as much as it pleased me. When he did pull away he kept me close to him, and I lifted my hand to my neck as tears of pain filled my eyes again. He said nothing, just held me. We stayed like that for awhile until finally I pushed him away from me and just walked away. I didn't believe Dare would go after Jake anymore and when I didn't hear him opening drawers and searching anymore I knew it was safe to fall asleep in the bed, which I did.
"So you can sleep with Mark, but you can't even talk to me?"
"I didn't mean that."
"Then what did you mean?"
"I don't think I married the right person."
I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night with my body on fire. I sat up and looked to my side. Dare didn't sleep in bed with me. My mind was cloudy and I could not think straight as I got out of bed. I stumbled when I tried to walk, but I was able to reach the wall of the bedroom to steady myself with.
"D-are." I coughed as I choked on his name.
My throat was so dry, and I desperately needed water. I walked to the doorway and then let go to get to the staircase, where I fell and despite a severe lack of strength I inched over to the stairs, and slowly descended, crawling with my legs behind me so if I passed out I would not fall down them. When I got to the bottom I continued to crawl into the kitchen where I used a chair to get me on my feet again. When I finally got to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water I was completely exhausted. I drank the whole bottle and ended up with about 5 empty bottle nearby.
"Dare..." I called, my voice sounded better, but I was not strong enough to be heard.
I sat propped up by the fridge itself and drifted in and out of consciousness. When my fever broke and I woke up completely, I was staring at a familiar and welcome figure kneeling down in front of me.