Loves Redemption by Kimberly Terry (best books to read for teens .TXT) 📕

and that alone put him on edge. His main thought was he needed to be alone with her and

reassure her there wasn’t any other woman out there for him.

He could think of no other reason for her sudden withdrawal from him. And it scared the

hell out of him the way she’d shut down.

When they reached the lot where her car was parked, Mark asked for her keys and

opened her door.

“I’ll be right behind you, sweetheart.” He gave her a quick kiss, closed the door and ran

back toward his vehicle.

He followed her as she drove home. When she drove into the garage, he followed suit

within seconds. After climbing out of her car, she reached back to retrieve her things and waited for him to join her inside before closing the garage door.

“This door leads directly into my wing.” She allowed him to go in first when he gently

moved her aside. She followed him as he turned on lights and began to look around, making sure nothing was out of order.

“I know it’s getting late, but I think we need to talk.” He followed her into the sitting

room.

“Do you want anything to drink?”

Picking up on her nervousness, he walked over to her and took both of her hands between

his, and then he led her to the overstuffed sofa.

“Maya the two of us have been learning more about the other. I love the fact you’re

beginning to trust me and grant me access into your world. Baby, I know that’s something you don’t do easily and I don’t want it to change. You’ve got to know there was nothing going on at the bar.”

Mark sat back and pulled her with him to a more comfortable and intimate position on the

sofa. He knew it would be easier for her to talk without looking at him. He felt her resistance, and ignored it, forcing her to accept his touch.

“You’re right. One part of me knows that. But I guess for me it seems I don’t have much

luck when it comes to intimate or personal relationships.”

Her words caused some of the tension to ease from his body, the fear that she was

slipping away from him abating as she spoke.

“I know that, Maya. That’s why what we have is so special. Something I wouldn’t

jeopardize for anything.” He closed his eyes and placed a small kiss on her top of her head.

“I had a difficult childhood I guess you could say. It seemed as though I could never do

anything right no matter how hard I tried.”

Mark knew of her childhood and how she’d been the caregiver for her foster sister from

the time she herself was little more than a child.

“I started doing chores and taking care of Ally when I was young, and I thought that was

the way it was supposed to be. Although Ally wasn’t much younger than I was, she always

seemed to be. We settled into the role of mother and daughter. I never did resent it. At least I didn’t think I had. In high school, the girl who shared a locker with me was pretty nice. She would invite me to go to the local hangout a lot. I’m sure you know the type.”

Mark looked down at her upturned face and placed a small kiss on her forehead. He knew

her childhood had been hell, but this was the first time she had gone into details. Lifting his hand, he stroked the side of her face, encouraging her to continue, “I know the type.”

“It was a Friday afternoon, and my locker mate issued her standard invitation for me to

join them. I don’t know who was more surprised, she or I, when I accepted. It was my senior year, and maybe I wanted to hang out for once. I don’t know. Feel normal.” She said with a

laugh that had him tense, not sure what was coming next.

“I went with my locker mate to the mall, and for a couple of hours I forgot my

responsibilities, forgot about what I needed to do at home, and had a fun time.” Knowing there was a ‘but’ coming, his breath caught as he waited for her to continue.

“After a while one of the kids suggested we all go somewhere to eat, and I was horrified

at how late it was. I got on the first bus that would take me near our apartment, and ran the rest of the way home. I had this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew something wasn’t right.”

She paused before continuing with a hitch in her voice. “When I made it home, the door

was opened, and I could hear Allison crying. Danny was standing over her. His shirt was open and his pants were around his ankles. I was stunned. I didn’t know what to think or do, I felt sort of detached. You know when you feel disconnected with your body somehow?”

Her phrasing and the hesitancy in her voice told Mark she didn’t expect an answer. She

was caught up in the horror of reliving her sister’s rape.

CHAPTER 21

“Mark, I can’t begin to tell you how guilty I felt that night. Because of my selfishness,

Allison was brutalized and scarred for life. I’ve always felt responsible.” Her voice was thick with unshed tears.

“Maya, I’m sorry Ally was harmed by that asshole. No woman should have to go through

that. And because she was a young girl that makes it much worse.” He consoled her, hugging her tightly against his chest, refusing to allow her to move away from his comfort.

“But sweetheart what happened wasn’t your fault. No, look at me, baby.” He said when

she tried to turn away from his probing eyes.

“I know I’m not responsible for another person’s actions. I know that. But I also know if

I had been there, then Allison wouldn’t have been harmed,” Maya nearly cried