Sponging off the Hero

In 3 parts, By SDes. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.

 

At

five o'clock the next day, Sarah didn't come. It was crushing to Jeff,

although a part of him expected it. He sat quietly, hoping she'd show up

and pretend he hadn't screwed everything up. He knew it probably

wouldn't work. He had put her in an impossible position and nothing she

did would satisfy both of them. If she tried to apologize, he'd feel

like a cripple. If she said she wanted to go out with him, he knew it

would be out of sympathy. If she still said no, he'd be too embarrassed

to act the same around her. He felt lonelier than he ever had in his

life.

He

drifted off to sleep while thinking about his situation. He was

awakened some time later by the feeling of a wet sponge moving on his

chest. As he woke, he grumbled about wanting to do this later.

"Sorry, it's time for your bath," came the hushed reply.

Jeff

was startled at what he thought he heard, then decided it was just his

imagination. He relaxed, hoping this would be over quickly. He wasn't in

the mood for the normal small talk the nurses made, trying to make

sponge baths less uncomfortable for the recipient.

He

sat still, wondering why this felt different tonight. The way the wet

cloth dragged across his chest, slowing at his nipples, made him a

little uncomfortable. Whether it was intentional or not, he was getting

turned on. He had been lying there for more than three weeks without any

chance for a normal sexual release. As he felt the soft cloth slide

down his stomach, his erection became uncomfortably hard. It wasn't the

first time he'd had this problem.

He tried to joke, "Sorry, I; uh think I've been here alone a little too long."

The nurse just shushed him and kept at her work.

She

seemed to be dwelling on more sensitive spots of his body than normal

and the whole thing was definitely moving slower. He was really getting

agitated about his condition, but tried to relax and focus on something

else. That changed when he felt her slip his covers lower and run the

fabric slowly down his erection. He knew this was completely

inappropriate.

"Listen, I'm sorry but;"

"Just be quiet and let me enjoy myself," he heard Sarah scold.

Jeff tried to push himself up, "Sarah?"

She

pushed firmly against his shoulder so he would lay back down. "Listen

buddy, I had to bribe the nurse to let me give you your bath, so I want

my money's worth, all right?"

He

felt a flood of emotions. After believing he had ruined everything,

there wasn't any way for him to process what was happening. He wanted

her so badly, but this sudden turnaround was stunning. He couldn't

imagine what could have happened to trigger this.

Sarah

was trapped in her own emotional confusion. She never intended it to go

this far, she wanted to tease him a little and then apologize for the

way she acted yesterday. It was supposed to be a little joke. As she ran

the rag across the scar on his chest, she couldn't help thinking about

how he got it, and the irony of her being the one to lose control over a

guy. That was normally something her little sister would do.

There

was something about Jeff that she couldn't get out of her system. It

was something she never could have anticipated and something she thought

she'd never feel again. The more she tried to keep her feelings about

him in check, the more completely out of control she felt.

The

touching started something tingling inside her that quickly became a

rush of emotions she just wasn't equipped to deal with. She watched his

body with a detached fascination, the damp cloth leaving a glistening

trail across his muscles as she moved it down his chest to his stomach.

When she reached his waist, she noticed him becoming erect; it was

impossible to ignore under the flimsy hospital garment. Then she did

something so foreign to her character, that before tonight she would

have sworn it was impossible. On an impulse, she found herself moving

the cloth lower, using her free hand to pull his gown and blanket out of

the way so she could touch him.

The

fabric grazed his sensitive skin along with the tips of her fingers.

Her skin brushing against his warm flesh caused a surge to run through

her body, making her to lose what was left of her will. Jeff spoke,

almost breaking the spell she seemed to be under, but she told him to be

still, unable to bring herself to stop touching him. The wall that

normally protected her was nowhere in sight. The only thing she could

think about was trying to bring him pleasure.

Jeff

had given up trying to understand what was going on. Sarah's touches

felt so amazing that he pushed everything else out of his mind. There

was an unexpected consequence to his condition. Without being able to

see what was going on, he found that her every touch seemed far more

intense than normal.

He

could feel her leisurely dragging the rag up and down the underside of

his shaft. The fingers of her other hand slowly stroked a spot on his

chest. She moved the wet cloth down and let it travel lower, then back

again. His hips came off the bed as the pleasure was almost more than he

could take.

"You better not move too much or you'll pull out your stitches. I'd like to see you explain that to the doctor."

He

heard her softly chuckle at the idea of that meeting. Although the

thought was amusing, he couldn't concentrate on anything except her

delicate touches. He felt her fingernail softly trail around the head of

his penis. It was an unusual sensation. He couldn't remember a woman

touching him quite like that. There was an awkward, almost innocent

quality to her caresses.

"Are

you sure this is what you want?" Jeff asked, suddenly afraid that if

she went too far, it could push her away again. "I don't want you to; oh

shit," he groaned, as he felt her warm breath.

It

caused him to break out in goose bumps and he grabbed the edges of the

bed. She continued teasing him, making the experience even more erotic.

He kept flexing his fingers, balling his hands into fists anticipating

her mouth touching him. For what seemed like an eternity, he felt like

he was undergoing sort of wonderful torture, his body desperate to find

release.

When

the touch finally came, it was so soft and quick, he thought he

imagined it. He held his breath, afraid he might miss it a second time,

trying to almost will it to happen again. When it did, he couldn't

remember ever feeling that aroused. It was soft, leaving a wet feeling

on his shaft. She started dragging her tongue up the length like he was a

Popsicle.

"Oh Sarah," he moaned, "that feels so good."

His

hips lifted slightly off the bed, and she took his reaction as

encouragement, beginning to make small biting motions up and down the

underside. When she reached the tip, she tentatively took it in her

mouth, sliding down an inch or two, then grabbing the base with one

hand. Jeff put his hands on her shoulders, resisting the urge to pull

down, instead stroking softly.

He began to move a hand up her neck when she reached out and stopped him. "Uh, uh," she mumbled, returning his hand to the bed.

He

took the hint and let her continue what she was doing. It seemed like

her confidence was growing because she was becoming more aggressive. Her

hand began stroking him and she moved her mouth down a little further.

She let his cock fall from her lips and returned to the earlier

technique of licking and biting his shaft. Her mouth moved up and down

the entire length, letting her tongue dart out, touching every inch of

the underside of his erection.

The sensation was too much for him and Jeff cried out, "Sarah, I'm cumming."

She

continued the same motions, pushing her mouth harder against him. Jeff

closed his mouth tightly to avoid yelling as he came, feeling his cum

shoot onto his chest. His body jerked hard, followed by trembling that

seemed to go on forever. As his breathing settled into a regular rhythm,

he felt the cloth she was using move across his chest. He assumed Sarah

was cleaning him up. With a last, deliberate lick that drew another

shudder from him, she moved up his body, kissing him lightly on the

lips.

She

laid down against him, with her head on his shoulder. They sat together

silently for a short time. Finally Jeff couldn't take the uncomfortable

silence.

"Sarah,"

he spoke softly, "That was wonderful. I just don't understand what

happened. You said; well, you know," he trailed off, unable to find

words to express his feelings.

He

heard her take a deep breath, knowing she wasn't sure what to say.

Whether she was looking for the right words, or the right lie, he

couldn't tell.

"Jeff,

I don't know how to explain it. I wanted you to know how I really feel

about you. I guess I got a little carried away. I hope you don't mind,"

she finished with a chuckle. She kissed him on the cheek, then pulled

away.

Jeff couldn't see her smile, but he could tell it was there. "I guess that wasn't the worst surprise I've ever had."

He

tried to sound jovial and confident, but couldn't shake his confusion.

He had no idea where this left them and was afraid to ask. The last

thing he wanted was to make things awkward again. They held each other

quietly until she excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Slowly,

he sat up while she was gone. His chest still hurt, but it was better.

He leaned back and relaxed, trying to figure out his next move. He

didn't want to say the words, even in his own head, but he knew exactly

how he felt about her. She seemed to feel the same, but there was

something wrong. Was she afraid this was some sort of Florence

Nightingale crush? If that's what she thought it was, how did her

actions make sense?

"I need to stop being a pussy and just be myself," he quietly scolded himself.

"What's that Jeff?" he heard her voice back in the room.

"I

was just annoyed with myself because of putting you in that position

yesterday. I'm sorry. I like you, but it wasn't fair for me to put you

on the spot. I'm glad you came back tonight." He paused, then added with

a smile, "Part of me is extremely glad." He hoped she'd take his jest

as a sign that he wouldn't push the issue of them dating, at least for

now.

"Well,

I'm glad I came back too," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Things

are still complicated for me, but I wanted you to know I do care deeply

for you. I just got a little carried away. I never imagined myself doing

something like that," she continued, her tone betraying her sincere

surprise.

There was an uncomfortable silence as they each tried to think of what to say next.

Jeff decided it would be best to take the pressure off of her. "How about if we just listen to the new album you got me?"

"That would be nice," she said gratefully.

His

considerate gesture reminded her of just how special Jeff was. She

thought he'd want to talk about things between them which frightened

her, because she had no answers. Like always, he seemed to know exactly

what she was thinking. There simply wasn't a frame of reference for her

to deal with his insight and compassion.

She

sat next to him and resisted the urge to hold his hand. They talked

quietly about nothing for the rest of the night. When she left, she

still wasn't sure if she did the right thing, but was happy about it

anyway. She wondered if he'd ever understand just how nervous she had

been.

Interrogations

"Hi

Jeff, I was wondering if you'd like some company," an unfamiliar voice

said, rousing him from his thoughts about what to say to Sarah today.

"Well, I guess," Jeff said cautiously. "Who are you?"

"My name is Don Williams. I'm a police officer. I was there the night you were in the fight."

"Are you the officer Paige told me about; the one who saved me?" he said hopefully.

"I don't know if ‘saved’ is the right word," Don said humbly. "I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Paige

told me that you held me together with your bare hands until the

paramedics got there. I'd say saved is exactly the right word," Jeff

said gratefully.

"okay

then, you're welcome," the policeman conceded. "I just wanted to make

sure you were all right and see if there was anything you needed."

"Um,"

Jeff stammered, "I was wondering; about the fight in the alley, no one

has talked to me about that yet. I was kind of nervous, is everything

all right?"

"Jeez,"

Don said laughing, "you think anyone is looking to charge you for what

happened? I've had friends asking me if the story was really true.

You're a; "

"Hero,

I know," Jeff interrupted, with frustration evident in his voice.

"Seriously, if she had gotten hurt or worse, nobody would be calling me a

hero, they'd be saying I was a stupid-assed vigilante. I'm lucky as

hell things turned out as well as they did."

"I

guess," came the reply. "I thought you showed a hell of a lot of guts

going in there. Everybody knows you called 9 1 1 first, and tried to

talk your way out of it. Nobody thinks you were being a hot dog, if

that's what you're worried about."

Jeff

visibly relaxed and the two men slipped into an easy conversation. An

hour later when Don announced he had to leave, Jeff felt disappointed.

For the first time since the alley, he actually felt on even footing

with someone. He was in awe of the stories Don had shared. There was

little about being a policeman that Jeff had really understood.

When he stood up to go, Jeff asked, "So you're sure I'm not going to be in any trouble?"

"Those

guys were human trash with a long record. If you hadn't stepped in,

everyone knows that girl was going to have something horrible happen to

her. Trust me, you don't have anything to worry about."

When

Don left, Jeff realized he felt much more at ease about things. At the

same time, he knew there was something that had been bothering him for a

while. His talk with Don had brought into focus exactly why it had been

upsetting him. The problem now was figuring out if there was anything

he could do to change it.

A Life of Purpose

Jeff

was deep in thought. Sarah had been there a little more than an hour,

but he wasn't in a good mood despite her presence. "Are you okay?" she

asked.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "It's just one of those days. I'm not sure why, but I've been trying to sort things out."

"What sort of things?" Sarah asked nervously.

"Don't

worry," he said, trying to reassure her. "It's about me." He thought

carefully before continuing. "Sarah, why don't you ever talk about what

happened in the alley?"

Sarah was caught off guard. She stammered a reply, "I; I just thought you'd talk about it if you wanted to."

"Okay, let's say I want to. Do you buy into all this 'hero' nonsense?"

"What

you did for Paige was the most unselfish thing I've ever seen," she

said firmly. "You were lucky to come out of it alive. If that's not

being a hero, I don't know what is."

"I

want to say something, but I don't want you to get the wrong idea." He

paused, trying to collect his thoughts, "I don't think I'm a hero and in

some ways I'm ashamed of myself." When he was greeted with shocked

silence, Jeff continued.

"Firemen

run into burning buildings, the police protect people daily, soldiers

risk their lives. That doesn't even count the people who take care of

the sick, feed the hungry," he paused, looking frustrated. "You know

what I mean."

Sarah had no idea where he was going with this. "So what are you saying, you have to save people a lot to be special?"

Jeff

shook his head. "No, I'm saying people are defined by their actions."

He paused, trying to collect his thoughts. "Sarah, do you believe in

redemption?"

"Sure, don't you?"

"I

don't know. I'm thirty and barely have anything to show for it. I

haven't done any of the things I wanted to when I was growing up. Now

I'm so up to my ears in bills that I'm just trying to make it to the

next paycheck. I get a chance to help somebody one time and everybody's

kissing my ass like I cured cancer. Anybody would have done the same

thing. I was just in the right place at the right time."

Sarah

was indignant, "No they wouldn't have done the same thing!" Jeff was

surprised to hear her voice breaking and could tell she was beginning to

cry. The intensity of her reaction caught him off guard.

"If

you haven't done enough in your life up to now, then change it when you

get out of here. Don't you ever let me hear you put down what you did

for Paige. Did you ever think maybe you were in that alley for a

reason?"

Jeff

was sorry she was upset and didn't want to antagonize her, but he also

couldn't let it go. "What, you mean some 'master plan'? Come on, do you

really buy that? Why would I get to wipe away a whole life of mediocrity

with one good deed?"

She

touched his face gently, trying to soften her tone. "What about that

deed? Have you considered that she could have died if you hadn't helped

her? You want redemption, try thinking about her life after that if she

had survived." She paused and Jeff could hear a quiet sob.

"Nobody's

saying you get a free pass for life because of what happened, but you

damn well better believe we are all grateful for what you did. You know,

I've been here getting to know you for a month and you are a very good

person. I'm not sure why you doubt yourself, but I don't."

Jeff

sat quietly, trying to absorb what she said. Sarah was the only person

who told him what she thought without trying to soften it. He respected

her opinion highly. "Maybe you're right, but it's just so overwhelming.

I'm really happy she's all right and I don't regret anything I did. I

just feel like the media, your family, the hospital staff; it's just so

much to deal with. How many times can you listen to someone say thank

you or tell you how wonderful you are before you just don't know what to

say back?"

Sarah

didn't know what else to say. The doctor warned them that Jeff could

feel overwhelmed. Now that she listened to his concerns, she understood

him a little better than before, and it made her feelings for him even

stronger. Knowing the way he felt made it even harder on her,

considering what she would have to do. Luckily it was time for her to

go. She didn't know how to keep herself together another minute.

She

kissed him on the cheek again and told him that he worried too much. It

would be a couple more days until the bandages came off and then he'd

feel more like himself. She quickly got out before she lost it

altogether.

When the Bandages Come Off

The

next night, Jeff waited impatiently for five o'clock. He wanted to

apologize for his sour mood the previous day. An unexpected voice

startled him. "Hi Jeff, how are you feeling?"

"Paige?

What are you doing here?" He realized how insensitive that sounded and

quickly corrected himself. "I mean it's great to talk to you. It's been

almost a week, but I; "

"Don't

worry, I know what you mean," Paige said with a sad smile. "Sarah

wasn't feeling well so she asked me to make sure you were okay."

Jeff

tried to hide his disappointment, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"Well, I am glad you're here. You can answer a question that's been

bothering me for weeks." He paused for effect. "Did you really have a

crush on the guy who ran the roller coaster?" He heard her outraged

laugh and felt her punch him in the leg.

They

hung out together for the rest of the night. Jeff remembered Sarah's

take on his situation and let Paige spoil him. He could tell it made her

feel good and there was no reason for him to feel bad about enjoying

her attention. He really did adore her. She was a sweet kid. He thought

about Sarah's comment about what Paige's life would have been like if he

hadn't been there and shuddered. He couldn't imagine someone like her

having to deal with that kind of pain.

At

the end of the evening, Paige got ready to leave. Jeff didn't want to

put her in the middle of anything, but had a bad feeling. "Paige, are

you all going to be here tomorrow when they take the bandages off?"

She

understood precisely what he was asking and tried to sound hopeful. "If

I can help it, everyone is going to be here." She felt terrible for not

telling him more, but she was afraid if she interfered it would make

everything worse. Sarah was so stubborn . . .

A New Vision Prognosis

"All

right Jeff, I don't want you to get too excited one way or another. The

tests show that most of the affected area has healed which is very

encouraging, but it's possible you'll have limited vision or might not

be able to focus correctly for some time. It doesn't mean anything. This

is just the first part of the healing process. Are you ready?"

Jeff

indicated he was, and felt the doctor proceeding. He kept his eyes

closed and felt the bandages being removed. When the doctor told him to

open his eyes, he did so, cautiously. At first, the light was so bright,

he couldn't focus at all. There was a stab of fear, but he held it

together, remembering the doctor's warning. Soon his eyes adjusted and

he tentatively looked around the room.

It

was a little fuzzy, but he saw his sister, the doctor and Paige, who

looked even more beautiful than he remembered from his quick glance in

the alley. "Well?" the young woman said nervously.

"Wow, Sarah wasn't kidding. You really are beautiful."

Paige

gave an excited squeal and threw herself into his arms, crying freely.

Jeff was tempted to tell her it hurt like hell to have her crash into

his chest, but he couldn't bring himself to spoil the moment. As he

looked around the room, he saw her father, a distinguished looking

gray-haired gentleman of about fifty. Although he was older, he was in

remarkable shape. Jeff thought that he looked like the kind of man who

was fully capable of watching out for two daughters. He noticed that

Steven was hugging Katy. The only thing missing was Sarah.

Figurative Scars

"She's not really sick, is she?" Jeff asked, already knowing the answer.

Paige

couldn't look him in the eye. She had argued with Sarah for hours, but

to no avail. Her sister was intractable. "No, she wouldn't come. I'm

sorry Jeff, I tried everything but she wouldn't budge."

Jeff was despondent, "I just don't understand. I thought she; I mean how could I have been so wrong?"

Paige

looked at her father with frustration. Ignoring a warning glance she

shocked Jeff. "She does like you, maybe it's even more than that."

Jeff was confused and more than a little frustrated. "Then why isn't she here? What the hell is going on?"

Katy

looked to Paige, then to Steven and said, "Look, he's my brother. If

you don't tell him then I'm going to. This isn't fair."

Steven

appeared to be having a terrible argument within himself. He looked at

Katy, then at Jeff and finally made up his mind. "She didn't want you to

see her," he said quietly. Jeff looked like that answer made him more

upset than before, so he continued. "Look son, we all were hoping she'd

tell you herself. None of us were trying to hide it from you, but it's

such a difficult situation."

Jeff

started to really get upset as the tap dance continued. "Steven, you're

obviously going to have to tell me, so just do it. This guessing game

is just making it worse."

When

he saw the man cringe, Jeff regretted his words. This was obviously

very serious and incredibly difficult for him to talk about. No matter

what frustration he was feeling, there was no need to make this harder

for him.

Paige

couldn't take it anymore and just blurted out, "They were so happy when

you saved me. No one wanted me to end up like her." She covered her

face and burst into tears.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jeff had a sinking suspicion, but he couldn't bear the thought.

Steven finally spoke again. "Jeff, when Sarah was in High School, she was raped."

Jeff

felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. This had to be some kind

of cruel joke. Then he remembered the wall she would put up when

discussing the past and everything suddenly made sense.

"What happened?" he mumbled, wishing he didn't want to know.

Paige

moved to her father, putting her arm around him for support. Jeff felt

twice as bad for snapping at him earlier. A father having to explain

something like this must be horrible beyond words.

"She

was grabbed off the street on her way home from school. The sick son of

a bitch forced her into his van and; " he stopped and wiped at his eyes

with the back of his hand.

When

she saw he couldn't continue, Paige took over trying to ease his pain.

"When he finished with her, she was furious. She's always been a

fighter. She spit in his face and told him how weak a man he must have

been to have to grab a girl off the street. He was so angry, he cut

her." She stopped, unable to continue.

"What do you mean, he cut her?"

Katy

couldn't stand to see either of them continue to relive this. "Jeff

honey, he cut her face. She has a terrible scar all the way from above

her ear to the middle of her chin."

Jeff

thought about the conversation they had about Paige and what her life

would have been like, realizing painfully that Sarah was talking about

herself. He thought about all the clues that had been there, but he had

never noticed. The thought of the kind of pain she must have suffered

was unbearable. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and bolted from the

bed. He almost made it to the bathroom when he began vomiting.

After a moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard his sister's voice. "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not fucking all right. Why the hell didn't you tell me? I feel like such an idiot."

"What

exactly was I supposed to tell you? That the lovely young woman who

looked after you every day had a scar? Would that have made any

difference to you?"

He thought for a moment. "No, but what if I said something to hurt her. Shit, I had no idea."

"That

was the whole point. The reason the doctor wanted someone other than

Paige to look after you is because you weren't supposed to worry about

anyone but yourself. If you had been worried about hurting her feelings,

it would have stressed you out. You needed to relax and heal.

When

Sarah volunteered to take care of you, her family hoped it might help

her come out of her shell. We all hoped this could somehow help both of

you." She helped him up and over to the sink, where she cleaned him off.

Then she said firmly, "Now come back to bed."

After

she helped him, he tried to decide what to do next. "Okay, now that I

know what happened, some of it makes more sense. But I still don't

understand, it's been what, seven years? She still hasn't been able to

find a way to; well, to get past it?"

Paige

sat down next to Jeff and took his hand. "She dates sometimes, but

never lets any guys get close. She was a virgin when it happened to her.

After she recovered, she tried going back to school. She had a really

hard time because she felt so self-conscious. Everyone knew what

happened and treated her differently. She didn't have many friends and

some of the kids even picked on her because of it.

"In

her senior year, one of the most popular guys in school asked her out

to a school dance. She was nervous, but decided to try." Jeff noticed

Steven turn away. "The last few days she got cold feet and tried to back

out, but I stayed on her to go out with him. The day of the dance,

another girl came up to her and told her the guy had been bragging that

he was going to finally get a piece of the 'Ice Queen', now that someone

else had loosened her up."

"Son

of a bitch! Are you fucking kidding me?" Jeff didn't know what to say.

He knew teenage boys could be cruel, but this was too much.

"Don't

worry Jeff, he never said it again," Steven said firmly. He didn't

elaborate, but Jeff had a feeling he knew what happened. He hoped it was

really painful.

"Unfortunately,

the damage was done. Sarah never trusted anyone after that. When she

goes out with someone, it's always the same. They have a nice time, but

she always finds some reason to end it before it can get serious."

"My

wife and I home-schooled her the rest of her senior year. When she went

to college, she refused to stay on campus. After her mother died, she

told me there was no reason for her to move out because I needed her.

The truth is, she's hiding out and I'm afraid the longer she does, the

harder it will be for her to ever get on with her life. She got a good

job, but it's behind a desk talking to people on the phone. I'm afraid

we just don't know how to help her more than we have.

The

problem is that the scar is a constant reminder of what happened to

her. Every time someone meets her, she knows that it's the first thing

they notice about her, and it's tied to the worst memory imaginable."

"I

don't understand," Jeff said, unable to comprehend the pain she must

have been dealing with. "If she had such a hard time coping with the

scar, couldn't they have done something about it with surgery?" Jeff

asked, unsure of how to process the information.

"It

got better with the first couple," Steven replied. "Then she refused to

have any more. She said she didn't care, but I think part of it was her

being scared and part was that financially, it would have wiped out her

mother and me.

Paige

is right. Sarah is incredibly stubborn and refused to consider it, no

matter what we tried. Doctor Wolcott told us it wouldn't be a good idea

to push her. He said she needed to decide to have another surgery or

live with the scar the way it was, but us trying to force her could push

her away from us. Her mother and I were so afraid of doing the wrong

thing, we just let it go." He looked down in frustration,

"You'll never understand how hard it was for me to deal with something like this, I just wanted my baby to be all right again."

Paige

hugged him tightly, wishing there was some way to make him feel better.

Katy put her hand on his shoulder, afraid to imagine anything like that

happening to one of her kids.

After

things calmed down, Jeff asked everyone but Paige to leave. Once they

were gone, he asked softly, "Paige, no more stalling, I want to know

everything. I'm not going to sit here and let her walk out of my life."

Paige

looked at him uncertainly. She felt incredibly torn between her loyalty

to her sister and the debt she felt she owed to Jeff. "Before I say

anything else, I need to know how you really feel about her. She's

really tied herself in knots about this and I don't want her to get hurt

again."

He took her hand in his and looked deeply into her eyes. "Paige, I wouldn't do anything to hurt her, I think I love her."

She pulled him close again, giving a relieved sob against his chest. "Tell me what you want to know."

Paying Back A Visit

Jeff

had the cab take him to the address Paige had given him. He was going

to go to the door, but decided to run into the small grocery store

across the street to get some flowers. This wasn't going to be easy. He

went through the store and found a small section with some roses. He

bought a dozen and went to the counter.

There

were three open registers, so he jumped in the shortest line and

waited. He wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around him

as he ran through what he might say in his mind. It terrified him.

Anything he said could make things worse.

The

information about the scar or the story didn't change his mind about

anything. He felt deeply for Sarah and the only thing on his mind was

that she was in pain and he had to help. It had only been a week and he

already missed her more than he could stand. He couldn't imagine what it

would be like if he blew this chance.

He

was deep in thought when a woman's laughter caught his attention. Even

though he hadn't been paying attention, there was no doubt who it

belonged to. Jeff looked from person to person, afraid he had imagined

it. He finally settled on a blonde woman standing at the register, about

four customers in front of him. She was about his height, thin, with

straight hair that reached the middle of her back. He couldn't see her

face.

As

he tried to listen in on the conversation, he heard the young man at

the register ask her what was wrong. She said something he quite make

out, but he recognized the voice.

"Sarah?" he said, cautiously.

The

woman spun around to face him. She was beautiful with green eyes, high

cheekbones and luscious, full lips. There was a softness to her features

that he found appealing. Her looks were in stark contrast to the faded,

but still prominent scar that ran all the way across one side of her

face.

Suddenly Jeff realized that if he had passed her on the street a few months ago, he would have noticed the scar and thought, What a shame' The

idea embarrassed him as he confronted the shallowness that would have

cost him the chance to meet such a spectacular woman. Maybe he needed

that time in the hospital to grow up. Suddenly he wanted to believe in

Sarah's theory of a master plan.

Sarah

heard Jeff call her name and turned so quickly that the bottle she was

holding slipped from her hand. It hit the ground, smashing into dozens

of small pieces. While she tried to recover from the shock, she realized

that all activity in the store had ceased.

The

activity around them stopped to as the people waited to see what was

happening. The young man at the register saw her reaction and tensed,

ready to step in if this was unwanted attention.

Jeff

pushed past the other people in line and gently grabbed her by the

shoulders. He studied every detail of the face he had waited weeks to

see. There was a tear falling down her cheek and he couldn't stop

himself from wiping it away. He pulled her close slowly, afraid he might

frighten her away. When she didn't resist, he closed his eyes as their

lips met. She tilted her head back and her hand involuntarily moved

behind his shoulder.

Jeff

slowly savored their embrace, in no hurry to have it end. She returned

his kiss a little shyly, but he couldn't sense any reluctance. Their

kiss intensified as he held her with one hand and ran the other through

her hair. He was just beginning to lose himself in the feeling of her

soft lips when they were both startled by the sound of applause.

Jeff

broke away first, finally realizing that they were the center of

attention. He turned back to Sarah, intending to ask her to go somewhere

more private.

To

his dismay, she pushed away. "Jeff, I'm sorry, I can't," she said, as

she turned and ran from the store, pushing past the people in front of

her.

It

took him a second to recover. By the time he reached the door, she was

crossing the street and running up the stairs of her apartment building.

"Sarah, please stop," he yelled.

Jeff

had to wait for several cars to pass before he could cross. When he

finally saw an opening, it was too late and she disappeared into her

building, pulling the door shut behind her. He buzzed her apartment for

fifteen minutes, but she refused to answer.

Dejectedly, he turned and walked back to his car, not knowing what to do next.

To be continued, on Part 3

By S Des, for Literotica