Page 38 of Truth

I smiled at his praise. Pressure built in my chest to the point where it was almost painful, but somehow pleasant at the same time.

Headlights broke through the fog that seemed to have enveloped us, bringing us back to the present. Without the interruption, we might have remained there, frozen in time in our own perfect world until morning. Stephan sat back in his seat, sighing. “We should get home before someone stops, wondering if we’re having car trouble or something.”

I didn’t say anything, only nodded.

“Put your seatbelt back on, sweetheart. Let’s go home.”

On Monday morning, before Stephan left for the office, he said he wanted me to think of three things about the weekend that stuck out to me and why. He didn’t have to explain we’d be talking about them when he got home. I knew him well enough to know that.

I avoided coming up with my three things and instead cleaned every square inch of the condo, with the exception of the one room upstairs that was locked. Stephan had never said what was behind that door. I’d never asked. Some part of me was afraid of the answer, even though I knew eventually, if I continued to stay with him, I’d have to find out.

Cal called right after lunch. We talked for almost an hour, which had helped get my mind off the assignment I’d been given. Cal asked if I wanted to go see a concert with him and a couple of friends. “It’ll be fun.”

“I don’t know.”

“Consider it a birthday present.” He paused. “Coleman can come, too, if you want.”

I knew Cal wasn’t Stephan’s biggest fan, but I was glad he was trying. My mom had taken me to a concert right after she’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer, before she’d started getting really sick. It had been fun, but there’d also been crowds of people, and it was really loud.

“I’ll think about it, okay?”

I knew he was disappointed that I hadn’t immediately agreed, but I did need to think about it. While it was getting easier to talk to Cal, to be myself around him, I wasn’t sure I could go to a concert with him and his friends by myself. I didn’t know if I was ready for that.

It was three thirty. Stephan would be home in less than two hours, and I still had to make dinner. Pulling out the ingredients I needed from the refrigerator, I chopped the vegetables for tonight while I thought about the weekend. I couldn’t put it off any longer.

The first thing that came to mind was my panic attack. He’d already said we would be revisiting the subject, so it seemed fitting to include it on the list. Even though I didn’t want to think about it, I knew he wasn’t going to let it go. That wasn’t how he was.

What happened with Samantha and Diane stuck out as well. Her questions made me uncomfortable, but talking to people I didn’t know usually did. What struck me more was why she wanted to know if Stephan had bought me things, and why she perceived that as a bad thing. Did she also think Stephan was hurting me? And if she did, why did she think that?

I was putting the casserole into the oven when I realized what the third thing was. Stephan hadn’t qualified that the things had to be negative, only that they needed to be events that stuck out in my mind. Standing in front of his family’s portrait certainly qualified. He had shared something with me, something special to him. That, in turn, had made me feel special. I was important to him, therefore he shared a part of himself with me. Warmth spread through me, and I smiled.

The table was set. Everything was ready but the food.

It was only a little after five, so I knew I had some time before Stephan arrived. I decided I should surprise him. Practically skipping across the living room to my bedroom, I walked quickly to my closet and retrieved one of my dresses. It was what Lily had called a wraparound dress, and it fell almost to my knees. I thought Stephan would like it, because it dipped low between my breasts and was loose enough to be pushed out of the way.

I left my feet bare as I walked back into the main room. Just as I was nearing the door, I saw the monitor turn on, and Stephan’s image appeared on the screen. In a split second, I made a decision and dropped to my knees.

He opened the door. I heard him take two steps, then stop. There was a long pause, then the sound of the door being shut and locked.

I kept my head bowed and my hands resting in my lap as I waited. Still he didn’t say anything. Didn’t move from his spot near the door. My heart raced as I waited to see what he would do.

Finally, he took a step, then another, before stopping less than a foot in front of me.

He reached out with his right hand and tilted my chin up until I was looking at him. “You look stunning like this, sweetheart. What have I done to deserve such a beautiful gift?”

“I wanted to say thank you. For taking care of me. For sharing with me... about your mom and dad.”

He took his other hand and threaded his fingers through my hair, lightly scratching my scalp. I closed my eyes automatically. A feeling of complete peace and relaxation flowed from my head down to the tips of my toes. I’d missed this.

The sound of the oven beeping startled me out of my trance. He chuckled. “Stay where you are, pet. I’ll get the food.”

Taking a deep breath, I tried not to miss the feeling of his hands in my hair. The way he’d rubbed his thumb along my cheek, my lips. I was beginning to think I could sit for hours while he ran his fingers through my hair.

I heard him moving around in the kitchen, but I didn’t glance up to see what he was doing. Instead, I waited. Waited to see what would happen next. There was a voice inside me screaming, telling me that this was wrong, but it was overruled by how right it felt to be where I was. I was a little nervous, yes. I didn’t know what he was going to do. However, my trust in Stephan kept that small voice from growing louder. I trusted him more than anything, anyone.

Stephan

Once the baking dish was removed and the oven turned off, I took a minute to catch my breath. To say Brianna had caught me off guard was an understatement. I’d missed coming home to find her kneeling, waiting for me, but seeing her that way brought images to my mind that couldn’t come to pass. Not yet.

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