Page 38 of Vaughn

For the first time in my entire life, I feel as if something is going to happen to possibly get my siblings out of the situation they're in. "Okay, then I want to tell you my story." I swallow roughly. "There are other children below the age of five in the house with the man who assaulted me, and that man approached me again today."

She pulls out her notebook. "Tell me everything you can."

It's hard. Putting what happened to me into words. For so long I thought no one would believe me, or that I'd anger God for telling my truth, when the truth is I'm honoring Him and myself. I should never be afraid to be honest, and I've been doing a disservice for the past few years doing so. I look over at Vaughn. "You're going to hear more than what I told you about earlier. There was more I just couldn't bring myself to tell you."

"I figured I would." He leans in, kissing my forehead. "None of that matters now. The only thing that does is making sure you're okay."

"Okay..." I take a deep breath and let it out, trying to figure out where to start. It hits me, it probably should be at the beginning. "The first time I remember him doing something that made me uncomfortable was when I was six..."

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Vaughn

"Where are we going?" She asks, even though her eyes are covered with a bandana.

Since she made the police report, things have been a little tense. We've moved from her apartment over Get Baked to my house, and we've been trying to figure out where we go from here. Her uncle was arrested and now we're waiting to see if charges are brought. The only thing we do know is this isn't the end, it's only the beginning.

The fact that she trusts me with this after everything she's been through never fails to humble me. "You'll see."

"We walked a mile into the forest and then I let you blindfold me. I think that says more about me than it does about you." Val laughs. "I trust you more than I probably should."

I never want her to think that trust has been misplaced. "I'll never take it for granted. Okay you're going to go up a few steps here, it's a ladder." I get behind her and put her hands on the sides, showing her where she needs to grip.

Once we get up, I take the blindfold off. "Where are we?" She questions, looking around, her eyes trying to adjust to the light.

"The train trestle." I give her a grin.

"Are we going to put our initials in a heart?" She squeals. "I never thought I'd be able to do that. I can't wait. If we're going to do that, then you're assuming we're going to be together next year."

"Val, I'm assuming we're going to be together forever."

She hugs me tightly, holding on for dear life. I love this woman with every single beat of my heart. "I am too."

As we walk up and down the trestle, we find a piece of metal that's clear enough so that we can put our mark there. "Look, it's Abel and Kara." I point to our friends.

"Let's put it near them, I feel like that's a good omen."

I agree. Now that we've got a spot, I pull out the knife I've had since I was a teenager and start carving out a heart.

"Thanks for today." She whispers as we lay in bed later that night. "It was much needed. Being with you, out in nature, and putting our initials there? It was everything I ever hoped it would be, after you explained it to me.”

"I'm glad. I want to have all of these experiences with you, want to be the man you deserve, desperately need to show you what you’ve been missing.” I reach in, cup her face with my hands, and lean forward. I don't kiss her, not yet. I look at her, notice that her green eyes dilate as she waits for me to make a move. Her breathing speeds up, she licks her lips, her pink tongue sneaking out and leaving a trail of moisture. One of my hands travels back to the nape of her neck, grabbing with enough force to show her I'm in charge of this, but not with enough that it will hurt her. There's a flash of interest when I squeeze tight. Maybe one day we'll be able to explore whatever that is. Bringing my chin up a small amount, I rub my nose against hers for afraction of a second before I pull back slightly. She chases me, and that's when I know we're on the same page.

Finally leaning the entire way in, letting her take my body weight, my lips capture hers. It's a slow kiss, akin to two teenagers fucking for the first time. No tongue at first, we learn how to tilt our heads just right, then we share a breath as we open our mouths. For long minutes we kiss like this, getting to know one another - me taking what she's offering, but not asking for more. Then I feel the change in both of us. She opens her mouth a little farther, a little wider, and that's when I sneak the tip of my tongue in, tasting, remembering how she lingered there after our time together. Her fingers grab at my t-shirt, pulling it up so that my stomach is slightly exposed.

With slight pressure, I push her mouth closer to mine, let my tongue explore, taste every inch, and once that's not enough, I push my fingers up slightly, gripping the strands of hair between them, pulling slightly so that I expose Val's neck. I don't stop, don't take a second as I smear my lips to the left, moving down past her jawline, along the strong column of her throat. She moans, digging her nails into the skin she's exposed, pressing her core tighter against me, rocking to a rhythm only the two of us hear. She moans, digging her nails into the skin she's exposed, pressing her core tighter against me, rocking to a rhythm only the two of us hear. My teeth nip her skin, my mouth sucks, hopefully marking it for anyone who happens to look. She's thrusting against my body, and my cock. Fuck, my cock hurts as it strains against my sweatpants. I haven't felt this way since I was a teenager, uncomfortably turned on by a girl in gym class who massaged my neck.

"Vaughn, that feels good," she moans as she tilts her head this way and that, always giving me new skin to mark, to explore. I could lay here all night, explore every inch. I know without a doubt it won't ever be enough.

Finally I break my lips from her skin, going back to her mouth. Her thighs tighten around my waist, squeezing. My palms cup her ass as I hold onto her, somehow navigating so that I push myself up to lean against the headboard.

I bring her over my waist, letting her straddle my hips, and now, the make out session gets serious. We break apart when her fingers grasp the edges of my t-shirt, pulling it up and over my head. I do the same with the shirt she wears, moaning when I feel her bare skin against the calloused tips of my fingers and palms. Val is soft and untouched from so much of the bad in the world. She cleanses my soul every time she runs her hands against my skin. It's like she's picking up all the shit I've dealt with, all the disappointment, and replacing it with the good that I sometimes can't see.

"Vaughn, please," she gasps out, and even though I don't necessarily know what she's asking for, I vow to give her whatever I can.

Going to the tie of her pajama shorts, I loosen it and pull the material down as far as I can, while her lips and teeth suck and bite on my earlobe. "Fuck." I let the word fall from between my lips. Let my hips push up against her hot middle, searching for some way to satisfy the desire I have to plunge so deep inside her there's no telling where I begin and she ends.

"Oh yes." She bites at the column of my throat when I sneak my hands in the back of her jeans, pushing them down as far as I can. I grasp the globes of her ass before letting go and shoving one palm into the back of her panties. She lifts up on her knees, and given the position we're in, it's easy for me to reach her clit from behind. "Shiiitttt," she moans the word out in one long syllable as my index finger goes right where she needs it. It's the first time I've ever heard her cuss, and a part of me shines with pride.

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