Redemption

Chapter Forty-Three

"Bobby Manning, I am going to kill you!" She slapped him hard on the arm to show how stupid his decision had been. She could very well have picked up the phone and called them back, but she didn't for a good reason. There was still so much about her life that her parents had yet to discover and she didn't want to tell them about it while they were on this trip. This was their vacation and she didn't want to burden them with facts that didn't matter much to her anymore. The only thing that mattered to her was her life of the present; her job, her friends, and most importantly Bobby. Charlene and Nicholas wouldn't see it that way, though. They would want to talk about college, she just knew it. She just wasn't prepared to destroy their newfound respect for her. It would break their hearts to learn what had happened to her.

Bobby winced as the palm of her hand made full contact with the strong muscles in his arm. He knew she could pack a punch, but this was ridiculous. It really hurt! "Ow! What was that for?" He rubbed the now sore sport, which he was sure would bruise slightly. Of course, he didn't care much about it, because he'd figured he'd done the right thing. From dealing with both Sue and Danni, he'd learned that the woman of their family were certainly stubborn when it came to these situations. They needed a good, swift kick in the pants to move forward and make amends for whatever it was that separated them in the first place.

She crossed her arms over her chest to prevent herself from hitting him again. She cocked her hip to the side and let her foot tap relentlessly upon the floor as she tried to control her anger. It did very little to help. "Bobby, if I'd wanted to fix things, I would have called them and invited them back over or something. You didn't have to go behind my back and try to fix things."

"I thought I was helping," he said innocently with a shrug of his shoulders. "You weren't exactly doing anything about it. I figured this would be a step in the right direction for you and your mother to truly put aside your differences." His tone had hid another meaning behind his words, which he didn't want to say more than express.

She couldn't help but let her eyes soften just a bit. She could see the desperation in his eyes as if he was pleading for them to make peace. She now understood his reasoning, though she might not have agreed with it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she opened them again. "Please, do not try to compare my family's problems with the ones you had with Mac, Bobby." There was no reason to make the comparison and she couldn't figure out why he would even try to.

"Why not?" He wouldn't deny that that was what he was thinking about. He didn't want her and her mother to feel that the only way for them to be civil is if they're a state or two away from each other and never speak. He and his father had been in, not really, a similar situation; though he greatly regretted never knowing what kind of man his father could turn out to be.

"Because, this is different." She made sure to emphasize the word so she could express the meaning of the word. The situation between her and her parents was so much more different than his with Mac. She'd hidden it from them to protect them from it. She feared what they would think of her if they knew.

Bobby saw all of the emotions running over her face and he just wanted to reach out and pull her to him, yet he knew she wouldn't have that just yet. He'd really dug himself in deep. Given that he didn't really understand what the falling-out was about, he might not have had the right to do it, but something had to be done; especially if he was going to propose to her. She would regret it very much if her parents couldn't be there to see her walk down the aisle. Of course, she still had yet to say yes and he still had yet to ask the question.

He saw pain mixed with fear in her eyes and he knew the only time he would see that was if she was thinking about Jessup. The pain that man had caused her was more than enough to scar her for life. What he did was more horrible than he could imagine and he only wished he could erase the memories from her mind. He couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason behind it all. It would make more sense than anything else he could come up with. "They don't know, do they?"

She raised her right hand to her mouth as her left moved itself lower to wrap around her abdomen. The right elbow rested upon the left forearm as she chewed on the thumbnail of her right hand, until she realized there was barely enough nail there to chew upon. She then took both of her lips into her mouth, worrying each of them in turn as she tried to keep the tears from her eyes. They glossed over with the crystal fluid, but she didn't dare let one fall. With a sniffle, she shook her head. "No, they don't and I've done my hardest to have them not find out."

"Why don't you want them to find out?" His voice was tender and he lightly touched her cheek just so she could feel a bit of comfort from this conversation. She looked so broken with just the thought of an argument that hadn't happened yet and very well may never happen. He just wanted to make her feel better, but couldn't if she didn't want him to.

She choked out a laugh. "Bobby, do you know what they'd think of me if they found out? Never mind what my mother would think, because I know what she'll think, but think about my father. He'd be so disappointed in me." She was ready to let the tears spill over, but she was halted from doing so when Bobby burst out laughing. She stared at him incredulously as he walked over to the couch and sat down so he wouldn't fall over. Her arms were once again crossed over her chest, but this time in aggravation. "I don't think it's very funny. Do you honestly know what they'd think of me? They'd think I was…"

"Brave," he finished for her, without a hint of laughter in his tone. He looked up at her with sincerity and took the arm she'd draped over her stomach into his hand, gently pulling her toward him. "If they're anything like me," he reassured her while placing a gentle kiss upon her knuckles, "they'd think you were the bravest woman in the world. You stood up to a man who was willing to put innocent lives in danger just so he could get to you. You didn't do it just once, but twice and, Luv, I couldn't be prouder of you and I believe that that's what they'll think. You have to tell them." He carefully pulled her down onto his lap and held her there, despite her soft whimpers of protest. It was all she was able to get out and her body didn't feel much like resisting the feeling of his strong arms around her.

"I don't know how," she said, finally. She wanted to be relieved from his grasp, but the moment he'd captured her in his embrace, she wanted nothing more than to bury her face in his neck and let him hold her. Just the idea of discussing it with her parents was too much to bear. When she'd told Bobby and the team about it, it had been more out of stress than anything else. She was, after all, under arrest at that point and in the hot seat to discover who their perpetrator was. She'd seen such anger in Bobby's eyes that day and that had been what made her crack under the pressure.

But, as much as his anger had made her crack, his soothing voice was just what she needed to relax. He spoke kind, encouraging words into her hair as she rested her head upon his shoulder, her arms draping possessively around his neck. "All you can do is try," he said, placing a kiss upon her temple. "And I will be there every step of the way. Just think of me as your big, muscular shoulder to lean on." He chuckled softly and gave her a wink when he caught her eye.

She managed a meek smile and a chuckle at his joke. She always found it amusing when he teased about his body. He was muscular, though not in the same sense as others would think. They weren't noticeable enough to show, unless he was shirtless and flexing, but they were present enough for him to lift her in his arms and do with her whatever he pleased. "And for that, I will always be grateful." Her fingers moved from around his neck and lightly danced across his cheek as she raised her face closer to his. Her thumb lightly drew upon his skin in a circular motion as their lips inched ever closer and their eyes remained locked.

"So does that mean that you'll go?" His nose lightly brushed against hers in anticipation of the kiss that would ensue. He knew that if they talked about this, she wouldn't be angry for long. That was why this whole ordeal was so amusing. She blew things way out of proportion before and he'd remained just as calm as he was when he made the decision to send those flowers. He only did it because he loved her and boy did he love her when she looked at him like she was at this moment.

Her eyes were narrowed in a sensual glance as she shimmied herself more against him and her lips inched even closer to his. She paused when they lightly brushed together, only to pull back and look him in the eye. "Yeah," she nodded, "I'll go."

"Good," he said before he positioned his hands underneath her and lifted her up into his arms as he stood up.

A squeal of delight exited her mouth as he did so. She loved it when he carried her and she couldn't help but think he had been reading her mind. Wasn't it only a few minutes ago when she had been thinking about this? A light blush dusted her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck for support. She looked into his mischievous blue eyes and couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside that head of his. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked with a husky tone to her voice. It was always an effect he had on her when he looked at her like that.

"I thought I would reward you for being the bigger person," he said as he made his way toward the bedroom.

She glanced at him with a puzzled expression. It was still early in the day; surely he couldn't be thinking what she though he was. But, of course, he was a man in love and a very handsome one at that; of course he would. "And what kind of reward did you have in mind?" She purred, lightly placing a kiss upon his Adams apple.

He moved them into the bedroom, closing the door behind them and letting the only light be from the window welcoming the late-afternoon sky for the time being. He deposited her upon the soft, fluffy white comforter with a chuckle. He kissed her soundly on the mouth, taunting her with ideas of what he could be planning and only pulling away when she began making sounds that made his heart race. Apparently she had other ideas than he did and he wasn't sure he wanted to disappoint her. "Now, that's not exactly what I had in mind," he said a bit breathlessly as he looked down at her as she lay in waiting for him.

"So, what did you have in mind?" A sly grin formed on her lips as she beckoned him to back to her to continue the sensual assault on her lips.

He leaned down, placing another kiss upon her lips before he abruptly pulled away. She was a wonderful distraction, but he'd had other plans. "Turn over," he mumbled with their lips only a breath apart.

"What?" she asked, taken aback by his request.

"Turn over," he repeated, making the motion with his hands to make the meaning more precise. He gave a reassuring smile, signaling that he wasn't going to do what she thought he was.

"Okay," she complied, though unsure of what he was up to. She folded her arms underneath her as she rested her head upon them for support. She waited, her pulse racing in anticipation for whatever touch he may lie upon her. She felt his hands glided down her back in a soothing motion, until he arrived at the hem of her blouse.

"Take this off." He played with the soft fabric as he assisted her in removing the article of clothing. He placed a few soft kisses upon her bare back as he hands resumed gliding over her smooth skin.

She loud out a few moans of pleasure as she felt her muscles relaxing under the ministrations of his strong hands; it had certainly been a while since the last time he'd done this for her. She closed her eyes as she felt the tension being rubbed away. All of her fears and stress were like things of the past as a calming sensation flooded through her. Perhaps she'd just been worrying over nothing.