Page 8 of Truth

I stayed where I was, as he had instructed, keeping my focus on him and trying to ignore John. I could tell my father was watching me, but I was trying my hardest not to pay any attention to him.

“I could use some assistance. Mr. Reeves is ready to leave,” Stephan said to whomever he was speaking.

Stephan pocketed his phone and then knelt down to check the restraints. He didn’t untie them, but he did slip his finger inside each of the loops to check them. John twisted in his seat, trying to look at what Stephan was doing, but I didn’t think he could see much.

I was so wrapped up in watching Stephan’s hands that the knock on the door startled me. Stephan stood and went to get the door. Tom and another man I didn’t know were standing on the other side. As they entered the room, I instinctively took a step back, then stopped myself. Stephan ordered me to stay where I was, and I would obey.

Tom and the other man walked directly to John and stood on either side of him. Stephan knelt behind the dining room chair again, this time untying the ropes. As soon as he was free, John massaged his wrists. From where I stood, I could see the red marks where the ropes had bit into his skin.

I’d been in ropes a few times. Ian preferred cuffs and chains, but some of his friends liked to use rope. I knew from experience that pulling against the bindings caused marks and sometimes pain.

It also didn’t get you free.

Stephan removed the ropes from John’s ankles. He leaned back and stood as soon as John’s feet were clear of the rope. Before John could reach down and see the damage, Tom and the other man each took hold of one of his arms, pulling him to his feet. John began to resist.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I still owe you for earlier, and I’d love for an excuse to pay you back,” said the man I didn’t know. There was a devilish smile on his face. John paled slightly.

The two men practically carried John to the door. He looked back at me as they left. There was sadness in his eyes, all the anger from before gone. For a moment, I was reminded of the man from my childhood. The man who’d taken me to the park and pushed me on the swing as high as it would go until I was squealing at the top of my lungs. The man I didn’t know anymore.

The door shut, removing John from my view. Stephan crossed the room and pulled me into his embrace. I let out a sigh of relief. He was home. We were alone. I circled my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

I nodded, letting the warmth and comfort I’d been seeking seep into me.

For the longest time, we stood there, holding each other. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of him, the smell of him. Every now and then his lips would brush against my hair, my temple, and I’d relax a little more. Being in his arms was the one thing that felt right.

I could have stayed there all night, but all too soon, he pulled back. He placed a hand on each side of my face and brushed his lips against mine, giving me the gentlest of kisses. “It’s dinnertime. I’m going to order us a pizza. We can watch a movie while we eat.”

I nodded. He stepped back, and I felt empty and cold when he walked across the room toward the phone. As much as I hated to admit it to myself, I was disappointed. Pizza meant we would be spending the evening on the couch. All I wanted was to spend the rest of the evening curled up with Stephan in his chair. I didn’t care about the movie, and I wasn’t all that hungry. I just wanted him.

Chapter Four

Brianna

He had me select a movie from his collection for us to watch. I took my time, but he was patient with me. In the past, I had stayed away from the romantic comedies I’d used to favor. Action movies didn’t make me think of all the things I could no longer have. As I ran my fingers over the titles, I realized that might not be the case now. I wasn’t sure what one would call my relationship with Stephan, but I knew that I cared for him. I loved seeing him smile, happy. I wanted to do everything in my power to see him look like that as often as possible.

I continued to argue with myself, unsure of what I should select. There was no right or wrong answer, I knew that. He wouldn’t get upset with my choice no matter what it was. I just needed to pick one. The problem was, without his touch to calm me, I was beginning to feel numb. What did it matter what movie I picked?

The telephone rang in the background, and I heard Stephan answer it. The pizza was here, and I still hadn’t chosen. Pressing my lips together, I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate. I could do this. Looking back at the rows of movies, one I had barely noticed before stood out, almost calling to me. It was a movie I hadn’t seen in a long time, one that brought back a lot of memories.

Stephan wrapped his arms around my waist, making me realize I’d been standing there much longer than what I had thought. I leaned into him, letting my eyes drift closed. Feeling began to return, and the numbness started to fade. He hugged me closer, trailing his nose down my hairline to my neck and placing a kiss there. I sighed.

“You seem to be thinking very hard about something. Tell me.”

“I was thinking... I was thinking about my dad.” My words came out not much louder than a whisper, but I knew he’d heard me when his body tensed.

“What about him?”

Even though his tone didn’t show any agitation, his body couldn’t hide his reaction to the mention of my father. I hated that I’d upset him, but I knew better than to lie.

“I miss... I miss the way he used to be. When I would visit him, we would watch movies sometimes. We were always trying to find ones we’d both like.”

He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he reached out to touch the movies, his fingers grazing over the ones directly in front of us. “You found one you used to watch with your father.”

I nodded.

“Which one? Show me.”

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