Adam sat in the corner of the sectional couch, Valerie in his arms, her head on his shoulder. Something about the way they were just felt so right to him. Never had he gone so far in a relationship emotionally while barely doing anything intimate. He had never abstained from even trying anything this long before. There was just something about her that he couldn't shake. When he wasn't thinking about her, he would think of something that would remind him of something she would say, do, or wear. Up to this point they hadn't even shared a kiss. She was snuggled so close, her legs pulled up next to her. The entire length of her body next to his the warmth going through him making the room well over 100 degrees. He felt something in his gullet that he couldn't register at first. It was a tightening in his stomach every time that she moved closer to him, or sighed. Sometimes he would catch himself staring at her and she would look at him and he'd quickly avert his eyes.
When the movie was over she turned her head and looked up at him. She had a big smile on her face, and he looked deep into her eyes. Without realizing it his face went closer to hers and gave her a light kiss on the lips. She looked surprised, but didn't pull away; instead, she came back and kissed him again. This time the kiss was more intense, more passionate. She put her hand on his face as he turned and put his hand on her hip. She unfolded her knees as he dipped her back against the couch, his hand sliding up her shirt.
Then, as suddenly as it had started she shoved him off and jumped up from the couch. She stood for a second as Adam lay in shock. He could hear her heavy breathing, and it was not from excitement, it was from fear. He stood up and walked towards her, and touched her shoulder, at the touch she yelped and took off for her bedroom. He heard the door lock and heard her crying through the door.
"Valerie? Hey, Val, are you okay," she couldn't stop crying, both from fear and embarrassment. She hadn't expected anything, but when he had kissed her the first time it was so sweet and innocent, and felt so good as if it was something that she had been missing for a long time, but as she had begun to lay back, and the feeling of entrapment began to take over she panicked. She had shut her eyes looking at Adam, but when she opened them all she saw was the ferocity and hatred of Tyler. She knew she wasn't ready for this, but she also didn't want to lose Adam. In such a short time he had begun to mean so much, but she had probably just scared him so bad that he was already peeling out of the parking lot.
Adam stood outside of the door waiting for her to stop crying because whatever he had done, if he didn't wait for the tears to stop he was going to get anywhere, only cause more tears to fall. He hadn't meant to offend her, hell he wasn't even sure what had come over him. He had come in with no intention of doing that, but something about her drove him mad. Once she was in his arms and began to kiss him back, he found that he had lost all control, and now he might have ruined something with this beautiful, wonderful woman. Why couldn't he control himself? He sat on the floor in front door running his hands through his hair staring at the floor in front of him, waiting for her to come back out. He'd wait all night if he had too.
She had been sitting on the floor against her bed when she knew who she wanted to talk to, so she stood and walked to the cordless phone by her bed.
"Beth?" she cried into the phone.
"Val, Sweetie, what's the matter? Are you okay?"
"I need to talk to you."
"Do I need to come over there?"
"No, I just need to talk."
"Okay, tell me, what did he do to you?"
"He didn't do anything. It was me. We were making out on the couch, if you would call anything under a minute making out, and I was fine, then it started to go from making out to something more. I started to lie down on the couch and he was on top of me," she began to cry again, "then I made the mistake of shutting my eyes. I was fine as long as I was looking at Adam, but when I opened my eyes, and his hand was on my side I opened them and in that brief second I saw Him. All of a sudden the world stopped spinning and I was terrified. So I stood up and tried to collect myself, but every time I looked at Adam, I saw well, you know who I saw."
"Well Kiddo, it seems to me that if you want to make things right with him you only have one choice. You have to tell him what happened."
"But I'm not sure I'm strong enough," she sobbed fresh tears going down her face.
"If you want him in your life bad enough you'll find the strength."
She swallowed a large intake of breath and then slowly blew it out. A minute later she replied, "Okay."
Adam could hear her talking through the door and could hear the terror and sadness in her voice as she spoke with Beth. He knew he shouldn't listen, but he couldn't stop himself. What if she decided that he wasn't worth a second chance? He needed to know what he had done, and then he heard her say that he hadn't done anything. Then what had made her so upset? Beside himself trying to think of what could've made her so upset if not him? He hadn't been paying much attention to what she had been saying until she said the words, 'I was looking at Adam, but when I opened my eyes I saw Him.' Adam was filled with something new; anger because whatever this person had done had made her so sad, and insecure. He stood up the adrenaline pumping through his system like an intravenously administered drug. He walked to the living room and began to pace back and forth, trying to walk off the anger. He didn't want her coming out and seeing his anger because he'd know she'd think it was meant towards her. All he knew is if he ever found this guy, and found out what he did to her he would tear the bastard limb from limb. He walked out to the balcony and stood in the cool wind that was blowing, slowly bringing his temperature down, but only in the smallest amounts. He was screwed if she saw him angry, because even he knew how crazy he looked when he got mad. Part of his gimmick and part of his life.
She and Beth had stopped talking five minutes ago, the newest tears were dry, but her cheeks were stained from where the tears had fallen. She decided that she should call Adam and see if he would be willing to talk. She figured not because no one wants to someone who goes crazy when you barely hit second base? Plus, she knew when he found out what happened that he wouldn't stick around, nobody wanted to be with a tainted woman. She picked up her cordless phone and dialed Adam's number it rang once over the phone, then she heard the familiar sound a phone ringing out in the living room. She hung the phone up and walked to the door.
Adam stood overlooking the apartment complex his arms crossed over his chest. His anger was still at a simmering temperature when his cell phone began to ring. Nothing was important enough that it couldn't be handled in the morning. He had better things to take care of tonight. After one ring the phone stopped, and then a second later he heard the bedroom door open. He turned and saw her. His arms fell to his side at the sight of her. Her eyes were red, and blood-shot from crying. Her cheeks had trails of tears down them, even her hair had lost its normally brilliant luster. He choked back a tear of his own at the sight of her as all of the anger he had just been feeling melted away and all he wanted to do was hold her until she no longer knew how to cry.
He began to walk towards her, crossing the room into four strides, but as he went to hold her, she put her hand up and in a fading voice she said, "Please just have a seat."
He did as she asked, then she stood across from him.
"What I'm about to tell you is not easy for me. Actually, except for the night it happened I've never told another living soul. The only people who know this story besides me is Jeff, Beth, Matt, and Shannon. Try not to stop me because I don't think I'll have the strength to start again. Okay?"
Adam nodded his head, and then she told him the story, holding back the tears as best she could. After she finished telling him about how Beth had taken her to the hospital and that Tyler had left, never to be seen again, she took a short pause. Then went on to say, "I don't except you to stay, but I have never felt the way I feel about you for another person, but I know you can have any woman you want. The last thing you need is a girl with so much emotional baggage." With that she collapsed to her knees on the floor holding her midsection. Having to relive that night for the first time in six years and all she could feel was Tyler's breath on her neck, and his unwanted hands on her body.
Adam sat on the couch in shock, but only until she collapsed. He jumped up and went to her side. He knew she didn't want to be touched, but he grabbed for her hand anyways. She looked up at him, her eyes glassy. He pushed the hair that was glued by the tears away from her face and wiped away the salty droplets. "I promise you, for as long as I am by your side, nobody will ever touch you again. I swear to God." She closed in and wrapped her arms around his midsection crying into his shoulder. He engulfed her in his own embrace patting her hair, realizing that this is where he belonged. Holding her tight, telling her that everything would be okay. He held her until the tears stopped. He looked down and she was asleep in his arms.