by Kylie Walker
There was a chair that sat next to the bed and it was embroidered in fine green silk and a bookshelf that sat next to it with books that ranged from early reader and Dr. Seuss to Romance novels and Classics. Chloe went over and picked up a few up. They were titles that she’d read herself. It was so strange, like being in a parallel universe where another person…the exact duplicate of you, had lived your life.
There were photos on a shelf on the other side of the bed. Framed memories of her sister that she would never know. Chloe walked over and looked at them. They ranged from when Sarah was probably about four or five until adulthood. There was one of her and Derek there with her parents, the same one Chloe had seen that morning on the yacht. She reached up and took one down from the middle. It was a picture of Sarah in a cheerleading uniform in an antique silver frame. The teenaged girl in the photo was smiling broadly and if one were to guess, she didn’t have a care in the world.
Her long blonde hair was tied up in a bow at the back of her neck and the look in her eyes was pure confidence. She looked happy, something that Chloe probably never looked at that age. Chloe found herself suddenly cursing her luck and wishing that she had been the one. As soon as she thought it she realized with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach what that would have meant. She was wishing that her sister had to endure Tom and Jesse. With a trembling hand, she sat the picture back where she’d gotten it from and before she left the room she whispered, “I’m sorry, Sarah. I didn’t mean it. I just wish that I could have known you.”
She made her way back out to the veranda and was greeted by three pairs of anxious eyes. She smiled at them all to put them at ease, but she wasn’t ready to sit back down just yet. They politely went on with their conversation as she walked over to the edge of the patio and looked out at the peaceful surroundings. She really loved it out here. It was like being on the other side of the world. She would like to live in a place like this someday. It would be a nice place to raise children. That thought reminded her why she was here. She should have been raised here. She felt a swell of anger in her chest. She was cheated out of so much and thrust into a world of nightmares…for what? So that some greedy man could line his pockets with cash. Who was that callous over a human life? She tucked that thought away as she began to feel the tears well up once again. She didn’t want to cry again. She didn’t want to have to explain why. She started to turn back towards the others when a glint of something on the hillside caught her eye. She stood and looked in that direction for several seconds. Nothing seemed to be glinting now, or moving. She was just being paranoid. The thoughts of Jesse never went away.
“You okay?” She heard Derek’s voice behind her and she turned around, “glint” forgotten.
“I’m good,” she told him.
He took her hand and led her back to the table. Samantha had taken out the book with all of the mementos she’d save during her pregnancy. She found an ultrasound picture that she didn’t even realize she still had. It had been done at five months when they suspected multiple births. The babies looked like two little dark peanuts. The photos then were much less detailed than they are today. They didn’t actually even look human, but to a parent…or the other half of a set of twins, it was an amazing sight.
She laid it down in front of Chloe and said, “This is the only picture I have of the two of you together.”
Chloe picked it up and looked at it with a smile on her lips, with more tears in her eyes. She wanted the tears to stop, but she was sure there would be much more where those had come from. “We were beautiful,” she said.
Samantha got up and hugged her again and once more, they cried together. They eventually went into the kitchen and Chloe helped Samantha make dinner. That was nice. No tears for either one of them. It almost felt real to her then. While they cooked, Samantha asked her more about what kind of teacher she wanted to be and what grades she would like to teach. She told her that she had an aunt who was a teacher and had been for over thirty years. When she talked about other relatives she’d say, “Your Aunt so and so,” Chloe knew they had to have struggled with the idea of her as much as she had…but they were doing such a wonderful job of making her feel comfortable.
Chloe and Derek ate dinner with them and then dessert. Samantha and Trevor seemed to be looking for ways to drag it out. They stayed until just after the sun went down and finally Derek looked at Chloe and then back at the Whitemore’s and said, “We should get going. It’s been a really long day.”
“Why don’t you stay here? We have plenty of room and it’s such a long drive back to Rhode Island. It’s late. Derek, you’re tired. You don’t need to drive that far tonight.” Samantha’s eyes looked terrified and Chloe wondered if it was memories of Sarah’s late night accident, or that she was concerned if she let Chloe go, she’d never see her again.
“We have a room in the city for tonight,” Derek told her. “We won’t be driving back until tomorrow. I think we’re much too exhausted for that.” Samantha looked relieved by that, but still disappointed that they were leaving.
“Since you’re not going home tonight anyways, you should just stay here,” Trevor said.
“I enjoyed the day,” Chloe said, “Very much. I surprised myself because I was very skeptical that I would. You’ve both made me feel so welcomed and so comfortable. But, I hope you can understand that I need some time to process all of this. It’s overwhelming to say the least and Derek’s right, I am truly exhausted.”
“Of course,” Samantha said, “I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to be selfish. It has been exhausting. We’re just so sorry to see you go.”
Chloe smiled at her. She doubted either of them could be selfish if they set out to be that way. “You weren’t being selfish. You were being concerned.” she said. “It’s just going to take me some time to wrap my head around all of this.”
They both nodded and Trevor said, “Take all the time you need, Chloe. If you have any questions or you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to call. We’re going to hope…and pray that you choose to see us again, but we’ll leave that up to you.” He looked on the verge of tears now too.
Before they left, Samantha and Trevor both hugged her again. They both acted like letting go of her was the hardest thing they’d ever had to do. After all they’d been through, she doubted it was, but it actually felt good to be the center of that kind of positive attention. It wasn’t something she was used to, and she knew it would bother her more than comfort her if it happened too often…but they seemed more than willing to let her ease into slowly, so that’s what she would do.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Derek left Chloe alone with her thoughts while they drove back to the city. She loved how thoughtful he was that way. A lot of men…namely Jesse…would want to tell her how she was supposed to feel about all of this. He was just content to let her sort it out and be there for her if she needed him. That’s the way she always thought it should be…but didn’t really believe it ever would be for her.
Derek left the car with the valet and the bag with the bell hop once again. They checked into the room and while Derek finished taking care of the bellhop Chloe sat quietly on the bed. When he finished, he came over to her, sat down next to her and did exactly what she wanted and needed at the moment. He wrapped his strong arms around her and held her while the world around her…good, bad and ugly all melted away.
In his embrace Chloe’s world stood still on its axis. Time, wind, rain…everything else ceased to exist. She felt at peace…a feeling that had eluded her much of her life. When she was in his arms she wondered how it had taken her so long to trust him. And then she realized that she really did trust him. She’d crossed that invisible barrier she’d built around herself somehow without even noticing it. All she felt from him was pure, unselfish, undemanding love. She didn’t know if he was in love with her or not, they hadn’t gotten that far. But she definitely felt love when he held her, when he looked at her and when he touched her.
She pressed her warm body into his and realized that this was what home felt like. Home wasn’t a place, it was a state of mind and for the first time in her life, she was in it.
She nuzzled in even deeper and she could hear and feel his breaths quickening along with hers. No words needed to be spoken as his lips suddenly found her neck and began to plant delicate, whisper soft kisses there. She felt shivers run down her spine and her body was limp under his touch. His hand dropped to rest on her hip, her face tilted up towards his and he brought his mouth down to meet hers in a kiss. Her lips had a mind of their own when it came to Derek and she felt them part as her heart fluttered against his strong chest. He started out kissing her slowly, delicately. It quickly turned passionate. The heat was palpable in the room, but before Derek laid her back on the bed he stopped all activity and looked into her eyes and said, “Is this okay?”
She smiled and reached up and touched his face and said, “This is mandatory.” That was the opening he was looking for. Derek stepped forward and possessed her lips pulling her against his body. Picking her up, he placed her on the king size bed before laying tender kisses down her neck. Chloe's blood boiled with desire.
His lips were at her ear now whispering, “You’re so beautiful.”
His mouth reached her collarbone and her head sank further into the duvet under his intense kisses. Derek’s hands slowly slipped off her little sundress as he took in the sight of every beautiful curve and scar on her body. Slowly kneading her breast, he lifted his head to look at her once again; his gaze devouring her like she was his temple.
No man had ever looked at her like this before. Warmth ran up her spine as he removed her bra and ran a thumb over her nipple and watched it harden. Meeting her eyes, he slowly lowered his head to her full breast and began to suck. A moan escaped her full lips at the pleasure that he invoked in her. She instinctively arched her back to encourage him.
Using his tongue, he began to tease her other nipple as it puckered. Unable to resist any longer, Chloe grabbed his hair and drew his lips to hers forcefully. She wanted him...needed him now and she knew she could resist any longer. Kissing him with all she was worth, she explored his mouth with her tongue and felt herself soar when he joined her.
Teasingly, Derek pulled away and ran his lips down her throat, planting a kiss on her breast and she closed her eyes and combed her fingers through his locks. “Derek...”
Chloe felt the bulge in his pants and stroked it with her hand. He groaned moving her hand away. Kissing down her chest, he continued to her stomach and slipped off her silk panties. Parting her legs, he slowly caressed a thumb over her clit. Chloe's body shuddered in longing as her nipples hardened in anticipation.
Derek bent her knees up, kissing the inside of her thighs before softly spreading her delicate lips apart with his fingers. Slowly rubbing her wet pussy with his fingers he circled her clit with his thumb before his thick digit slipped into her wet opening. She gripped the sheets beneath her as she felt his breath across her sensitive flesh.
“Derek, please...”
Chloe moaned as she felt Derek's tongue lick her swollen lips and then slowly lick from the bottom of her slit up to the top, his tongue penetrating just inside her sweet opening.
Her breathing came in pants at the sensation of his tongue lapping at her folds while his fingers dove into her wetness. Chloe grabbed handfuls of his hair as she felt the wave hit her. She couldn’t help but writhe and buck underneath him.
Chloe's body instantly tensed as the orgasm swept through her body like a title wave, crashing into her over and over again. She could feel Derek's fingers curl up, stroking her delicate walls as he continue to lick her pussy. She finally screamed out in pleasure as her body melted into the bed.
After shredding his clothes, Derek's arm slid under her leg hiking it up as he guided his thick cock, spreading her wet lips with the head and entered her pussy with one strong push. Chloe moaned out in pleasure, as her walls stretched to the size of his girth. She was gasping as he slowly rocked into her, never taking his eyes off her.
Thrusting into her harder and faster, she could feel every nerve ending in her body going haywire. The size of him felt like he was ripping her apart, but the pleasure was overbearing and she wanted so much more. Her hands came to rest on his back as her nails dug into his skin. Gliding in faster, he was hitting her most tender spot, almost at her back wall.
Chloe could feel her orgasm coming as she curled her toes and clung to his biceps with her nails. Her heart was pounding and her pussy was buzzing with pleasure as he continued to ram her.
“Jesus Christ.” She screamed as the wave hit her. Bolts of pleasure ran through her body as Derek pushed in again. Breathing heavily, she felt dizzy from the pleasure ripping through her. She looked up to watch Derek ram into one more time, his eyes close and his face twisted with pleasure as he finally reached his own wave. He continued to pump her lightly and slower when he finally collapsed on top of her, planting a light kiss on her lips.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jesse was not happy. First he had spent hours in Albany in the middle of freaking nowhere while Derek Stark and Kelly had afternoon tea with a couple of old folks. These were the same people Derek had visited before and from Jesse’s vantage point on the side of the bluff that surrounded the property, there was as much crying going on today as there had been the other day. Since the first time he was here, he’d been able to find out these people were Derek’s in-laws. They were his dead wife’s parents and he seemed to be very attached to them still.
What Kelly had to do with it all was still a mystery. The only saving grace to this day was that he enjoyed having the time to watch her. She didn’t look exactly the same as she had, but he recognized a lot of her mannerisms. The way she held her mouth when she talked, or brushed the hair off her shoulder as she turned her head to the side were all familiar to him. You can dye your hair and sculpt your body…but you’re still the same despicable slut you always were.
There was one point when he got a little worried. Kelly walked over to the edge of the patio and looked up into the bluffs. He was in a patch of deep brush but he started to become paranoid that she was going to see him and he was going to have to kill them all. It wasn’t that he’d really mind killing the others…it was just that he so badly wanted to take his time with her. Besides, his private war didn’t involve the rest of them…not even that pussy, Stark. Kelly was his target. Killing her was his goal. He’d been looking forward to it for so long now. He sat still as a rock with sweat beading down the sides of his face. After a few minutes when she’d gone back to sit with the others and he realized no one else was coming out to look, he breathed a sigh of relief.
When Kelly and Stark finally left the house, he’d followed them into the city where they went straight to an upscale hotel. He wasn’t surprised. She’d always been a slut. She used to try and dress up and seduce him when she knew he was mad…like offering up her skinny, scarred body could make up to him for anything. Jesse fucked her because she was there, but he could have had any woman he wanted and he knew it…and so did she. Stark was probably only using her while he was between real, classy women. He didn’t seem like the trailer trash type. Get your fill of her man because soon that newly seductive body was going to be worm food.
Jesse sat in his car all night. He had to get out several times to stretch his legs. The fucking Prius was built for a fucking midget. He had to pee on the wall in the back alley and he ate a nasty sandwich during the night from the twenty-four hour gas station across the street. By the time the lovers emerged hand in hand in the morning, he was almost ready to kill them both right then and there. He followed them back to Rhode Island and when Stark dropped her off at the condominium, he stuck around.
He once again parked the car a good distance away and took off his shoes for a stroll along the beach. The big guy didn’t seem to be around anywhere that he could see, but there was another big, bald guy that looked like
a bouncer standing near the back porch. He was obviously watching the house…watching for him. Jesse even knew there was something twisted about it, but he took a great deal of pleasure in knowing that. If people were watching her that meant she knew he was coming. If she knew he was coming, she was living in terror. He couldn’t wait to get into the same room with her and see the look on her face when she realized he had her. It was going to be priceless. For now, he was going to have to figure out how to get past the watchful eye of big and bald. Exhausted and in need of re-fueling and clearing his head, he called it a day and went back to his hotel room.
He drove towards the little hotel he’d rented a room at. It was a few blocks from the marina where Stark lived on his boat. He was about to pull into the lot when he saw them. There was one marked state trooper car and three big SUV’s, one black and one white. Fuck! Somehow they’d tracked him here. It had to be through that damned debit card!
He’d taken out as much cash as he could before he left New York, but he’d had to use it to pay for the room. But if they used that to track him that would mean his own father had turned him in. That couldn’t be possible. Even when they told Vince that he’d taken a knife to Kelly, Vince had been his staunches defender. He’d told everyone that Kelly had to have done something horrible to provoke him and he’d blamed it on the alcohol…he’d done everything in his power as D.A. to keep Jesse from spending his life behind bars. There’s no way he would have turned him in unless…Shit! They found Chantelle. That had to be it. His father would want him brought in so that he could clear his name and assure him that he didn’t have anything to do with the bitch’s death. That didn’t make sense either though…if she was dead, what made them suspect him? He knew for a fact that he didn’t leave any traces of himself behind. That bitch better be dead. If she’d survived that beating somehow…Shit! He kept driving, imagining what he would do to her if she had lived. If she thought the other night was bad, she hadn’t seen anything yet.
