Stolen Hearts (2012 Wattys Finalist)

Chapter 20 - So In Love

Robert was woken up by Georgie screaming his name. He rushed to her room, terrified the bastard was with her. When he got there, she was on the floor next to her bed, tangled in her bedding screaming in agony. He knelt on the floor and shook her shoulders, calling out her name, trying to wake her.

When saw him, she cried out, "Robert!" and grabbed onto him, locking her arms around him like a vice, nearly pulling him over on top of her. He managed to sit on the floor while she clung to him and pulled her into a tight hug. She held his t-shirt in her fists and sobbed against his chest, shaking while he rocked her, making shushing noises. He could tell this was a bad nightmare, and there was no doubt he'd been part of it.

It was several minutes before she stopped crying with a shuddering sigh, and he helped get her up onto her bed. Once they were settled with her in his arms, she relaxed against him, molding her body into him, her head resting on his shoulder. He rested his cheek on her hair and closed his eyes, listening to her breathe, smelling her special scent and rocking her a little.

It felt wonderful to be in that moment again. The quiet time when he could just enjoy holding her after he'd beaten her nightmare and made her feel safe. He marveled that he could've done this night after night and not known he was in love with her. It was obvious to him now what he was feeling in his heart as he held her.

Georgie said quietly against his shoulder, "Robert? If you want to stay with me tonight, you can."

He couldn't help gasping a little when she said it.

"You – you mean the whole night? It's safe?"

"Yes, after my dreams we can be together until it's time for me to get up in the morning."

The thought of getting to have her with him for an entire night, every night, made him unbelievably happy. Then he remembered how nervous she'd been earlier that evening. He knew Georgie well enough to know she'd do whatever she thought he wanted, even if she didn't want to do it, maybe even if it hurt her to do it. If he was spending entire nights in bed with her, he was going to have to be careful. He'd have to make sure she took the lead in everything.

He said into her hair, "We'll just sleep, yeah? We don't need to do anything else. I'll be happy just being with you."

She squeezed him, saying quietly, "I know, Robert," but he could tell she was grateful he'd said it, because she relaxed a little more in his arms.

He thought of something else. In their passionate rush to have sex the other night, there'd been some huge holes in the discussion they should've had about contraception. It'd bothered him afterward, but since he hadn't intended for it to happen again he didn't bring it up. It went against everything he believed not to take care of a girl he was planning to have sex with, and he didn't want to take the chance he wouldn't be prepared before it happened again with Georgie. He wasn't going to make that same mistake with her again.

He asked her quietly, "What kind of birth control do you use?"

"I take a pill every night."

That took care of part of it, he thought grimly. She'd claimed she didn't know what a condom was and he didn't even want to consider what it could mean if the bastard wasn't using them. He'd never had sex with a girl without one before Georgie, and he didn't like the idea of going without, especially when he knew what was going on when he wasn't around. He suddenly felt overwhelmed with how awful the situation was, knowing both of them were having sex with her. As much as he didn't want to, he had to deal with it head on.

He asked her, "Do you know what a condom is?" hoping there'd been a misunderstanding and she'd say 'yes'.

She whispered, "No," and he could feel her body tensing.