Love Story

Chapter 10

"Valleri, are you alright?"

She closed her eyes and took a breath. Fuck she thought. I am so dead.

"Yes Daddy I'm fine."

"Why is your door closed?"

"I'm getting ready for bed"

She quietly moved the chair from under the doorknob and opened it just enough to poke her head out. "Did you need something Daddy?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were alright, and to tell you I'm sorry for how I acted earlier today."

Valleri saw David roll his eyes out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah well, you can tell me that after I stop bleeding, and you learn self-control."

She slammed the door and leaned against it. David opened his mouth to say something and she held up her hand in a wait gesture. He watched her grip the door handle with her good hand and she closed her eyes.

Before he had a chance to ask her what she was doing her dad's fist pounded on the other side of the door.

"Valleri, you have three seconds to open this door"

"And what if I don't?"

"So help you god if you don't."

"You're gonna have to do better than that Daddy; I gave up on god years ago"

She felt the handle turn against her palm and gripped it tighter. David stepped in front of her, putting his hand over hers on the door handle.

"No David," her voice was a harsh whisper as his hand closed over hers on the door handle. "You promised me"

He sighed giving her a look.

"You promised" she whispered again. "He's drunk, he'll give up in a minute"

As if on cue, she heard his footsteps disappear up the hallway. She relaxed against the door letting go of the handle. "See?" She put the chair back underneath, just in case.

David shook his head in disgust. "He makes me sick"

Valleri sighed, walking over to the bed and climbing under the covers. "I just want to go to bed"

David pulled the covers back on the other side and climbed in behind her. Valleri giggled as he wrapped his arm around her.

“What?"

"I'm just very aware now of how small my bed really is"

"We'll just have to snuggle closer" he whispered in her ear and she smiled taking his hand in hers playing with the ring on his finger.

She closed her eyes feeling the heat of his body against her back. She was so exhausted from the day that she fell asleep almost immediately. For the first time in a long time Valleri slept dreamlessly. She felt safe for the first time since Mommy died, and she was counting the days until they could get out.

Valleri woke the next morning, she jumped when she felt the bed sink behind her, she had forgotten David had stayed the night. She turned over carefully to face him.  He smiled at her and she could feel herself blush.

"Good morning" he smiled brushing a piece of hair back off her face.

"Couldn't get much better than this"

He kissed her before she rested her head on his chest drawing invisible patterns with her fingers. His hand rubbed her arm gently, her bruise still a grotesque shade of purples and blues. None of that mattered now though, Valleri absolutely loved how she could just sit with David, just be with him and the two of them could go hours without speaking and it was an okay thing. With anyone else Valleri felt compelled to make small talk about mindless things she didn't really care for; but with David, even before they were together the silence was comfortable.