The Valentines Day Proposal

by Bella Winters

  Alex shook his head. “That makes absolutely no sense.”

  “It doesn’t have to,” I said. “Just let the local authority deal with this shit, and enjoy the summer, would you?”

  Alex stood up. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  I collected the cotton and Betadine, carrying back to the kitchen as he followed me. “Nothing,” I said. “I just want you to be safe. I want Kelly to be safe.”

  “Okay, first of all, I can handle myself just swell, thank you very much,” Alex chastised. “Secondly, no one’s going to care about my daughter’s safety as much as I am.”

  I whirled around. “Right, and you have the bullet wounds to prove it?”

  Alex stopped and stared at me, his eyes locked on mine.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, turning away. “That’s not my place.”

  “No, it’s not,” Alex replied, his voice calm yet firm.

  I looked up at him, nodded and dropped the cotton and Betadine onto the counter. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.

  “Listen, tonight was fun, despite everything,” I said. “Thank you for driving me home.”

  Alex looked at me a moment longer, his eyes searching mine. “No problem,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess.”

  I gave him a weak smile and nodded.

  “I’ll let myself out,” he said. He leaned in, kissed my cheek, and walked out.

  I listened to him open the front door and called out, “Alex!”

  I hurried out of the kitchen. He was standing by the open door, looking at me, waiting. I walked over to him, slowly, hesitantly. I placed a hand on his chest, leaning into him as I closed the door and locked it. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, and when I looked up at him, I immediately lost all restraint. I kissed him, softly at first, wavering for a second before I felt his lips move against mine as he kissed me back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing into his hold, pressing tightly against him as the kiss quickly turned into a heated lock of lips that sent shivers up and down my spine.

  I felt my entire body go flaccid, his hands running up and down my back, his lips kissing me hungrily as we moved away from the door, locked in each other’s embrace. I led him to the couch, not breaking the kiss as I fell back onto it and brought him down with me. I loved the feel of the weight of him on top of me, and our kiss intensified as his hands explored every inch of me. I gave into his touch, feeling tingles everywhere, shockwaves shooting up and down my body. His lips kissed along my jawline, then down to me neck and my collar.

  His hands found their way under the hem of my shirt, pushing it up as he continued to explore my body, gently cupping my breasts as he kissed me. The heat in my body rose, and I could feel every inch of me begging to feel the touch of his lips against it. I laced my hands in his hair, pulling him closer, feeling like I wanted to crawl up inside him, his embrace like a warm blanket around me.

  He looked up at me, our eyes locking, my chest rising and falling in deep, heated breaths. He pushed my shirt higher, and I raised my arms as he slipped the fabric off me and tossed it onto the ground. I kissed him deeply, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off. I ran my hands across his chest, the perfectly chiseled body I had imagined finding finally under my fingertips. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling his breath against my neck, moaning softly as he pressed up against me. I could feel every inch of him against me, the touch of our skin driving me crazy and making me want him even more.

  I sat up, grabbed him by the hand and led him to the bedroom. Before we even got to the bed, his arms wrapped around me, and his lips kissed the nape of my neck, sending shivers through me. I pushed back against him, feeling him hard against my ass, his fingers expertly unbuttoning my jeans. I slipped out of them quickly, turned around and kissed him. His touch felt like heaven, is strong hands holding me tight, the heat emanating from him mixing with my own as we fell back onto the bed.

  His kisses traced lines down my chest, across my breasts, down the side of my body and across my stomach. I raised my hips against him, opening my legs as he adjusted himself between them, kissing his way back to my neck. His hands flicked at the front clasp of my bra, and he bent down, hungrily sucking at one nipple after the other. His tongue swirled, his teeth nibbled, and it was all I could do to not jump him right there. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the feeling, his lips everywhere, his hands squeezing my breasts. I could feel him rock hard through his pants, pressing against me, grinding slowly.

  I gasped as he pulled my panties down, sliding them off my legs slowly and kissing the inside of my thighs. I curled my fingers in his hair, and held my breath as he made his way up higher. I was gushing, his touch and kisses driving me insane, and when his lips locked onto my pussy, I arched my back and moaned out loud. His hands grabbed my ass, pushing my hips up, his tongue lapping at my pussy, moving up and down slowly and sliding into me. My legs shook as he sucked at my clit and nibbled at it, his hands squeezing my ass as his tongue expertly worked at me. Before I knew it, I was pressing his face against my pussy and exploding with an intense orgasm that shook me to the core.

  My hips fell back, and I clutched at the sheets, breathing heavily, my eyes closed and my head spinning. The bed shifted as he stood up, and I could hear him unzip his pants. I opened my eyes just as he crawled back on top of me, pushing his hard cock against me, burying the width of it between my pussy lips and rubbing against me. I grasped onto his arms, the muscles there flexing against my touch as he moved against me. I locked my eyes onto his, waiting for him, grinding against him and letting him know I was ready.

  He slid in effortlessly, and I felt my pussy stretched to the limit against how hard he was. He filled me up, slowly, completely, pressed against every inch of me as I reflexively clenched down on him. He closed his eyes and groaned, settling inside me. He sucked at my nipples, and slowly began to move, out and then in. I wrapped my arms around him, my hands tracing the lines of his muscles, my nails digging into his back as he began to pick up the pace.

  My moans filled the room, Alex rocking against me, moving in and out, driving me crazy with every stroke. I moved my hips against him, meeting every thrust, feeling his cock hit parts I didn’t think could be reached. He sent me into a frenzy, and I buried my face in his shoulder to muffle my screams of pleasure. His hips slammed against me, and when he’d grind, his pelvis pressed against my clit and shocked me into one orgasm after the other.

  “Oh God!” I screamed as he fucked me, fast and hard, pressed against me with his strong arms wrapped around me. He held me close, breasts pushed up against his chest as he rocked me. I clenched down, his groans against my neck only making me want him more. I wrapped my legs around his waist, forcing him in harder, deeper, begging him to fuck me harder.

  I could feel his cock expand inside me as he moved faster, and I held him tight, biting into his shoulder and screaming with pleasure. I felt his body stiffen, the muscles under my fingertips flexing, and I clamped down, squeezing against his cock. His groans of pleasure were like music to my ears, and he exploded inside me, his arms squeezing me against him, holding me so tight I felt like he would smother me. His body shook against mine, and just the feeling of him coming inside me made me shake all over.

  He collapsed on top of me, breathing hard, the warmth of his breath against my neck. He rolled off me, arms wrapped around me as he pulled me to him. I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath, feeling like every inch of me was on fire. I could hear his heartbeat hammering in his chest, and as I lay there in his arms listening to it slow down and return to a gentle rhythm, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

  Chapter 15: Alex

  I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing, groaning as I opened my eyes and turned to look at the blinking screen on the bedside table. Jenni shifted against me, her eyes fluttering open for a second before they closed again and she resettled in my arms again. I leaned over and grabbed the phone, silencing it as I squinted in the bright light t
o see who was calling.

  I winced when I realized it was three in the morning and Kelly was calling me. They were probably worried sick.

  “Kelly?”

  “Where the heck are you?” Kelly yelled.

  I sat up quickly, her tone taking me by surprise. She was crying, gasping into the phone, and there was the distinct sound of sirens in the background.

  “What happened?” I was already rolling out of bed and pulling my pants on. Jenni was wide awake, watching me, concern etched across her face.

  “I called you seven times!” Kelly was yelling. “Seven times!”

  “Kelly, where are you?” I demanded, already feeling my body shake with worry. I had never heard her this hysterical, and the shrill sound of the siren wasn’t helping ease my worry.

  “I’m on the way to the hospital,” Kelly cried. “That guy from yesterday came by again.”

  “Heath?”

  “Grandpa went out to talk to him, and that bastard kept hitting him,” Kelly explained between tears. “I tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t stop. Grandpa’s not waking up, dad!”

  I almost dropped the phone. The world around me quickly began to swim in and out of focus. I could almost see myself there with her, in the ambulance, sitting next to her unconscious grandfather, desperately trying to reach me. I felt a sudden lurch in the pit of my stomach, and I wanted to reach through the phone, tell her everything was going to be alright. I wanted to apologize for not being there when I should have been, for letting her down yet again.

  The emotions washed over me like a tidal wave, and my mind blanked completely.

  “Dad!”

  Kelly’s shrill scream brought me back. “I’m on my way, Kelly, I’ll meet you at the hospital.”

  “Hurry!” she yelled at me, then hung up.

  I pocketed my phone and grabbed my shirt.

  “What happened?” Jenni asked, already half-dressed herself.

  “They’re taking Samuel to the hospital,” I said, feeling a dark rage build up inside me.

  “Oh god, what’s wrong?”

  “Apparently, Heath thought it was a good idea to cross the line and attack my father.”

  “Kelly?”

  “Shell-shocked,” I replied. “Hysterical.”

  “That son of a bitch!”

  I didn’t answer her, pulling on my shoes as I searched the room for my car keys.

  “I’m coming with you,” she said, rushing into the bathroom.

  “That’s okay,” I said. “Stay here, I’ll be fine.”

  “That’s not a choice you’re going to make for me,” she said, rushing back out and pulling on a t-shirt. She found my keys and tossed them to me. “Now hurry up.”

  We were out the door in seconds.

  * * *

  “He’s going to be okay.”

  I hated hospitals. The last time had not been the best of experiences, and every time I even drove past one, my body would stiffen and my head would swim. There were too many memories linked with it. Shitty food, the smell of detergent and disinfectant, and of course, the endless pain. That was the worst of it.

  Which made the sight if my father in the ICU even worse. He was lying on a bed hooked up to enough wires to light up an entire block. The constant beeping of the heart monitor filled my head, and I struggled just to keep my concentration on what the doctor was telling me.

  “Luckily nothing’s broken,” he said, flipping through the pages of my father’s chart. He looked like a med student, and a part of me wondered if he even knew what he was doing. “At his age, that would have been the biggest problem. He’s stable for now, and once he’s awake, we’ll run an MRI.”

  “When do you think he’ll wake up?” I asked, looking at Samuel through the large glass window separating the hall from the ICU.

  “Hard to tell,” the doctor replied. “I’m guessing pretty soon. It’s probably just the shock of the attack. What happened, exactly?”

  “That’s what I’m going to try and find out,” I replied, my anger now taking a front seat and pushing my worry over Samuel to the back. I wanted to get my hands on Heath and beat his teeth out the back of his fucking head.

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, the Sheriff’s downstairs, waiting to get a statement,” the doctor said. “If you have anything to say, it’ll be best to tell him.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” I replied.

  “Other than that, I suggest you go home,” he continued. “There’s nothing more for you to do here anyway, and we’ll call you if there’s any change.”

  I nodded, shook his hand, and made my way back to the waiting room. Jenni was sitting on one of the bigger couches, Kelly curled up in her arms and asleep. I sat down next to them, stroking Kelly’s hair and quickly pulling away when her body shook like a leaf. Jenni kissed her head, rubbed her shoulder and attempted to calm her down.

  “What did the doctor say?” Jenni asked.

  “Told us to go home,” I said. “And that the Sheriff’s downstairs if I want to leave a statement.”

  “What do you want to do?” she asked.

  “I want to take Kelly home,” I replied. “I’ll pass by the Sheriff in the morning.”

  “I’m so sorry, Alex,” Jenni said, gently shaking Kelly awake. I watched as my daughter’s eyes fluttered open, her face scarred with tear streaks. She sat up slowly, looked around her in confusion, then stiffened when she realized where she was.

  “Grandpa?” she asked, looking at me with eyes that quickly watered.

  “He’s okay,” I said. “Still asleep, but the doctors tell me he’s going to be just fine. We’ll go home and come back in the morning.”

  Kelly quickly shook her head. “I don’t want to leave him.”

  “It’s not up to us, sweetheart,” I said. “They’re kicking us out anyway. There’s nothing we can do here anyway.”

  “I don’t want to leave,” she sobbed. She leaned into my arms and began to cry again. I held her tight, the fury inside me burning. A part of me knew that if I came across Heath right now, I’d probably kill him.

  “I know,” I said, kissing her head. “Come on, we’ll be back in the morning. That’s only a couple of hours away.”

  Kelly nodded and let me pull her to her feet. She held Jenni’s hand, leaning into her as we made our way to the elevators and rode one down. The hospital was empty this time of the night, the fluorescents casting an eerie glow as we walked down the narrow hallway and turned a corner into the emergency room. A single nurse manned the station there, chatting quietly with a man I assumed was the Sheriff. He was dressed casually and looked like he had been dragged out of bed.

  He caught my eye, said something to the nurse, then walked up to us.

  “Mr. Logan,” he greeted, sticking his hand out. I took it. “I’m Sheriff Baker. I’m terribly sorry about Samuel. He’s an old friend, and when they told me about what happened I came down right away.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” I said. “If it’s okay with you, I need to get my daughter home. She’s had quite the shock for the day.”

  “I can only imagine,” the Sheriff sighed. He looked at Jenni, then quickly back at me. “Any idea who was responsible for this?”

  I nodded. “Heath Collins.”

  The Sheriff frowned and looked at Jenni again. “Are you sure?”

  I turned to Kelly who nodded. “Yes,” I said. “I’ll give you a full statement in the morning. But for now, I suggest you arrest Heath and keep him overnight.”

  “That’s going to be difficult without a full statement,” the Sheriff said, scratching the back of his head, his eyes darting between me and Jenni. He looked uneasy, and I began to understand what Jenni meant by the force’s incompetence. This man should have been in his car by now, calling in the arrest.

  “I don’t see how,” I said, already knowing that I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him. And that only made me angrier. Heath could be halfway across the state by now. “If you want a statement no
w, I’ll give you one. But the longer you wait to make that arrest, the more likely you won’t be able to do it. If Heath has a brain in his head, he wouldn’t stick around and wait.”

  “How about you pass by the station tomorrow,” the Sheriff said, “and we’ll clear all this up.”

  “What the hell is there to clear up?” The anger in my voice was apparent, and the Sheriff took a step back, his hand falling on the holster at his waist.

  “Alex, let’s go,” Jenni said.

  “The fuck I am,” I said. “I don’t know how you got that badge, but this is ridiculous!”

  “Dad,” Kelly said. “I want to go home.”

  My eyes locked on the Sheriff’s, and a hint of a smile played at the corner of his lips. He looked at Kelly. “I’m sorry about your grandfather, but we’ll get this all sorted out, I promise.”

  My fists shook, and I only calmed down a little when Kelly wrapped a hand around mine and pulled me along. I pulled her to me, staring angrily at the Sheriff.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Sheriff,” I said. “But if Heath’s gone by the time you get your ass off your seat, I’m not going to be this calm.”

  “Good night, Mr. Logan,” the Sheriff nodded. “Jenni.”

  “Sheriff,” Jenni replied and gently pushed me along.