The ride to the Bradley brother's apartment was quiet. Tori hadn't
said one word and kept putting her hand to her face whipping away tears
that wouldn't stay back. Blake couldn't stand to see her in pain. He kept a
tight grip on the steering wheel as he thought about how he had seen that
asshole put his hand on her. How she stood there and didn't fight back. She
was truly a brave and strong person, but that image was quickly erased as
he glanced over to the blonde hair beauty that was sobbing beside him.
The pulled into the parking lot and made their way up the stairs to the apartment. Blake found a note from Hunter saying that he was staying at Dustin's for the night.
'Good' he thought. ' that way I can have a good talk with her and try to get whatever she's keeping inside out.'
"Where's your bathroom?" she asked as she entered.
"First door on the left down the hall." He motioned with his hand.
He watched her as she silently made her way down the corridor into the bathroom.
Tori looked up into the mirror. "Oh shit" she said aloud. The left side of her face was very red and swollen. ' That son of a bitch' she thought to herself. She ran cold water in the sink and tried to make the swelling go down. She took one last look at the red splotch on her cheek, sighed, and went back out into the living room.
As she entered the room she saw that two candles had been lit on the coffee table. She went over and sat on the couch. Blake came out of the kitchen with two bottles of water and saw her sitting there. She was absolutely beautiful in his eyes. His gaze glanced over to the red mark on her face. He went over to the couch and sat next to her.
"Oh my god. Tori. Did he do that to you?" he asked as he gently placed his hand on her face.
The feel of his hand on her face made butterflies in her stomach. She just looked into his eyes, and then lowered them as tears started to fill her eyes again. She replied, almost in a whisper, "Yes."
Blake felt the warmth of her tears as they trickled down her cheek onto his hand. He moved his hand behind her head and slowly pulled her into an embrace. Tori just stayed there, crying like she hadn't cried in a long time. All the years of suppressed emotion came surging through her like a tidal wave.
"Tori," Blake whispered. "It's okay" he said as he gently stroked her hair. "You can tell me. What happened? Why did that guy do this to you?"
Tori regained as much composure as she could and moved way from Blake. She was looking straight into his eyes- those warm brown eyes. She took a sip of water and began her story.
"His name is Charlie." She began through her sobbing. He's my stepfather. After my mom died, I had to go live with him. Right before my mom died she gave me an amulet that held a great power. After she." Tori paused as more tears started to come. "After she died, Charlie came after me. He wanted the amulet and tried to take it from me. He beat me up a few times before, but this one was the worst. He punched me, and kicked me until I couldn't take it anymore. I kicked him in the balls and ran away. The Sensei found me and taught me how to harness the power." She was now looking him straight in the face.
"How old were you?"
She paused for a second thinking back. "I was eight years old." her tone changed to one of anger. "I was only eight years old!" she cried as she slammed her fist into the couch. She put her head in her hands and sobbed. Blake reached over and held her close again. This time she returned the gesture as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her crying slowed as she felt the warmth from his body. Her head was buried deep into the nook of his neck and shoulder. She breathed him in as the sweet scent of his cologne enveloped her.
His arms were around her small frame trying to comfort her. They had never been this close. A few small hugs, but never like this. He could feel her warm breath on his neck, sending goosebumps down his body. He turned his head and found himself surrounded by her blonde locks. He could smell her vanilla perfume casting a spell over him. 'God Tori I love you so much. It kills me to see you like this.' He thought.
Tori thought about the person she was with. 'Blake, why can't I just tell you? I love you so much. More now than ever. You're so kind and gentle.' her thoughts drifted away as she felt soft lips meet her neck.
Blake couldn't control himself anymore. He saw a spot of her sweet skin peeking out from her hair. He slowly moved his lips onto her neck.
Tori removed her head from his shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. Knowing he'd been caught he quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry Tor. I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to." he was cut off by Tori's finger on his lips.
"You don't need to apologize," she said as she put her hand on his cheek.
He pulled her close again and gently laid his lips on hers. His heart was beating very fast now as he felt her return the kiss with an invitation to go deeper. He pulled away from her and kissed her again, this time with all the passion he had kept inside for her. Their tongues rolled over each other inside the warmth of their mouths. Blake's hands were roaming around her muscular back, as Tori was running her fingers through his hair. They came up gasping for air, their foreheads still touching.
"Wow," Blake said.
"We should have done that a long time ago," Tori replied. "Thank you. for everything you've done." She whispered.
"Tori, I would do anything for you." As he said this he placed his hand under her chin and brought her face to his. "I love you Tori."
Tori's heart skipped a beat. "I love you too Blake," she said as he brought her in for a long, gentle kiss.
They pulled away and held each other. The candlelight played on their features. Blake looked at the beauty he held in his arms. She was everything to him. He leaned in to kiss her forehead and realized that she had fallen asleep. She was drained, emotionally and physically. He smiled at her and slowly moved away. He picked her up and carried her down to his room. He gently placed her down on the bed and covered her with his navy comforter. He sat next to her on the bed, watching her sleep. He pushed a small piece of hair out of her face, and got up to leave.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I was going to let you sleep. I'll be on the couch."
"No- this is your bed, you stay here and I'll just go."
"Tori- you stay here, rest, and I'll go sleep on the couch."
"Why don't you just stay here. with me?" she asked. "I don't want to be alone."
"You sure? I don't want to.I dunno. I guess I just don't want to take advantage of you. I love you too much to do that."
"You wouldn't be. I just need you to be with me. I really don't want to be alone right now."
"Alright. do you want something more comfortable to sleep in? I think I have a shirt you could wear." Blake asked.
"That would be great. I can't sleep in jeans." Tori replied.
Blake wandered over to his closet and pulled out a FOXY racing t- shirt and threw it to Tori.
"Thanks. I'll go in the bathroom and change." Tori said. She walked out of the room and down the hall.
The pulled into the parking lot and made their way up the stairs to the apartment. Blake found a note from Hunter saying that he was staying at Dustin's for the night.
'Good' he thought. ' that way I can have a good talk with her and try to get whatever she's keeping inside out.'
"Where's your bathroom?" she asked as she entered.
"First door on the left down the hall." He motioned with his hand.
He watched her as she silently made her way down the corridor into the bathroom.
Tori looked up into the mirror. "Oh shit" she said aloud. The left side of her face was very red and swollen. ' That son of a bitch' she thought to herself. She ran cold water in the sink and tried to make the swelling go down. She took one last look at the red splotch on her cheek, sighed, and went back out into the living room.
As she entered the room she saw that two candles had been lit on the coffee table. She went over and sat on the couch. Blake came out of the kitchen with two bottles of water and saw her sitting there. She was absolutely beautiful in his eyes. His gaze glanced over to the red mark on her face. He went over to the couch and sat next to her.
"Oh my god. Tori. Did he do that to you?" he asked as he gently placed his hand on her face.
The feel of his hand on her face made butterflies in her stomach. She just looked into his eyes, and then lowered them as tears started to fill her eyes again. She replied, almost in a whisper, "Yes."
Blake felt the warmth of her tears as they trickled down her cheek onto his hand. He moved his hand behind her head and slowly pulled her into an embrace. Tori just stayed there, crying like she hadn't cried in a long time. All the years of suppressed emotion came surging through her like a tidal wave.
"Tori," Blake whispered. "It's okay" he said as he gently stroked her hair. "You can tell me. What happened? Why did that guy do this to you?"
Tori regained as much composure as she could and moved way from Blake. She was looking straight into his eyes- those warm brown eyes. She took a sip of water and began her story.
"His name is Charlie." She began through her sobbing. He's my stepfather. After my mom died, I had to go live with him. Right before my mom died she gave me an amulet that held a great power. After she." Tori paused as more tears started to come. "After she died, Charlie came after me. He wanted the amulet and tried to take it from me. He beat me up a few times before, but this one was the worst. He punched me, and kicked me until I couldn't take it anymore. I kicked him in the balls and ran away. The Sensei found me and taught me how to harness the power." She was now looking him straight in the face.
"How old were you?"
She paused for a second thinking back. "I was eight years old." her tone changed to one of anger. "I was only eight years old!" she cried as she slammed her fist into the couch. She put her head in her hands and sobbed. Blake reached over and held her close again. This time she returned the gesture as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her crying slowed as she felt the warmth from his body. Her head was buried deep into the nook of his neck and shoulder. She breathed him in as the sweet scent of his cologne enveloped her.
His arms were around her small frame trying to comfort her. They had never been this close. A few small hugs, but never like this. He could feel her warm breath on his neck, sending goosebumps down his body. He turned his head and found himself surrounded by her blonde locks. He could smell her vanilla perfume casting a spell over him. 'God Tori I love you so much. It kills me to see you like this.' He thought.
Tori thought about the person she was with. 'Blake, why can't I just tell you? I love you so much. More now than ever. You're so kind and gentle.' her thoughts drifted away as she felt soft lips meet her neck.
Blake couldn't control himself anymore. He saw a spot of her sweet skin peeking out from her hair. He slowly moved his lips onto her neck.
Tori removed her head from his shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. Knowing he'd been caught he quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry Tor. I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to." he was cut off by Tori's finger on his lips.
"You don't need to apologize," she said as she put her hand on his cheek.
He pulled her close again and gently laid his lips on hers. His heart was beating very fast now as he felt her return the kiss with an invitation to go deeper. He pulled away from her and kissed her again, this time with all the passion he had kept inside for her. Their tongues rolled over each other inside the warmth of their mouths. Blake's hands were roaming around her muscular back, as Tori was running her fingers through his hair. They came up gasping for air, their foreheads still touching.
"Wow," Blake said.
"We should have done that a long time ago," Tori replied. "Thank you. for everything you've done." She whispered.
"Tori, I would do anything for you." As he said this he placed his hand under her chin and brought her face to his. "I love you Tori."
Tori's heart skipped a beat. "I love you too Blake," she said as he brought her in for a long, gentle kiss.
They pulled away and held each other. The candlelight played on their features. Blake looked at the beauty he held in his arms. She was everything to him. He leaned in to kiss her forehead and realized that she had fallen asleep. She was drained, emotionally and physically. He smiled at her and slowly moved away. He picked her up and carried her down to his room. He gently placed her down on the bed and covered her with his navy comforter. He sat next to her on the bed, watching her sleep. He pushed a small piece of hair out of her face, and got up to leave.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I was going to let you sleep. I'll be on the couch."
"No- this is your bed, you stay here and I'll just go."
"Tori- you stay here, rest, and I'll go sleep on the couch."
"Why don't you just stay here. with me?" she asked. "I don't want to be alone."
"You sure? I don't want to.I dunno. I guess I just don't want to take advantage of you. I love you too much to do that."
"You wouldn't be. I just need you to be with me. I really don't want to be alone right now."
"Alright. do you want something more comfortable to sleep in? I think I have a shirt you could wear." Blake asked.
"That would be great. I can't sleep in jeans." Tori replied.
Blake wandered over to his closet and pulled out a FOXY racing t- shirt and threw it to Tori.
"Thanks. I'll go in the bathroom and change." Tori said. She walked out of the room and down the hall.