Forgive Me by Kateri Stanley (reading strategies book TXT) 📕

“H-Heather. What’s yours?”

“Laurie. Short for Laurence.” He munched on the shards of shredded carrot, scraping the tub. “What do you do for a living, Heather?”

“I’m-I’m a model.”

No, you’re not. Not with those marked arms. “Oh, really? What type of modelling do you do?”

“I’ve-I’ve done all-all sorts.” Her confidence had shrunk within a manner of seconds. “What do you do here?”

“I'm a lab technician.” Laurie checked his watch as he stuffed potato salad into his mouth. “It's been over an hour since you called, and the support still hasn't come. Are you gonna give them another call? Something could be up. Feel free to use the phone if you want.”

She looked apprehensive for a moment. “I’m going to wait for a little while longer. Road services can get delayed.”

“I'm just saying with the rain and all, and you don't want to be stuck with me all night surely.”

Heather shrunk on the couch. “Do you have a cigarette?”

“I don’t smoke,” he said, staring at her.

Oh-kay, I've had enough of this bullshit. There’s something shady going on here. Laurie was becoming increasingly impatient. “Is there something you're not telling me?”

She didn’t respond.

“You’re not in any trouble, are you?” he asked.

Still no response.

Laurie plonked his dinner on the coffee table in front of him. “There’s no broken-down truck, is there. You would have used the SOS phones on the road side. This place is in the middle of nowhere. And there’s no road services coming is there. So why are you really here?”

“I need your help,” she whispered, there were tears in her eyes.

“What do you mean?” Laurie asked. “I have friends who got into drugs at college so I know some stuff but I can't give you any money. That’ll just feed your problem.”

“I don't want your money and this isn’t about drugs.”

“Then what do you need?”

“I need…you.”

His heart leapt. “Me? What? Heather, I don't understand. Why do you need me?”

“Do you think I’m beautiful?”

“What?”

“Kiss me…”

“Heather...”

“Shut up,” she whispered, pushing her mouth up against his.

Her kiss stunned him, blowing Laurie’s mind, he didn’t understand what was going on. He hadn’t been charming to her; he hadn’t flirted or done anything remotely romantic to beckon that kind of behaviour. One thing he noticed was her desperation, the way she clung to him, her fingers clutching and pinching at his clothes. What was driving it?

It took a while before he began to respond, his hands trembled, stinging when they touched her skin. Heather rolled her tongue into his mouth and he heard a moan curl from the back of his throat. She ripped at his lab jacket, pulling at his pants. Her kiss was suffocating, her body urgent and she pushed him against the couch. She was like some rampant ravaging animal.

Laurie looked up at her, panting. “Hey, hey. What’s the rush? W-What are you doing?”

“Something I need to do,” she stood up, sliding off her underwear. “Just relax. You'll enjoy it. I promise.”

“But I don’t understand.” He tried to protest but it was a fight between pleasure and standards. He was losing majorly when she unzipped him, letting his erection free.

Laurie gasped as she slid onto him, he had a hard-on the moment she clambered through the window. The lab jacket had been a huge help protecting his modesty. Heather was wet and tight. He watched her slide off her shirt and he got a closer glance at her arms. The bruises were hideous. She must have caught him inspecting the injection wounds and she grabbed his face so he was staring into her eyes.

“Tell me I'm beautiful,” Heather said, her damp hair falling into his view.

“What?” Laurie breathed.

“Say it.”

“But-”

“Say it. Please.”

“You’re, you're beautiful.” And I mean it.

Heather began to move back and forth up and along his lower body, grinding her hips against his. Laurie grabbed the back of her head, pulling her into his kiss; her urgent lips were knocking him sideways. He hadn't felt intimacy quite like it before. He'd fooled around in college but when it came to this, all of that previous stuff was amateur level. It feels so good being inside her. The way she was holding onto him, kissing him, making love to him was astonishing. She really needs me...

Pleasure bloomed in his belly and it ran up into Heather. Her blue eyes shined, piercing his heart. Her movements grew faster, more urgent, she never broke eye contact. She really is beautiful. Laurie’s fingers touched her soft cheek; cupping her skin as she rode him.

“I wish I’d met you somewhere else,” she panted. “You seem like a nice guy.”

He didn't understand the meaning behind her words, he could’ve questioned it but the pleasure was taking over and it was getting too much. He grabbed her hips as he squirmed beneath her. They both came in unison. Heather fell on top of him, her breathing in a heave as if she'd ran a mile.

“Rest now,” Laurie whispered. “Lie back in my arms.”

She did so, her head lolling on his chest. “I love you,” she uttered.

Laurie didn't feel scared, maybe he should’ve been but something in his chest warmed to those words. He relished the way she nestled against him. “I… love you, too,” he whispered back.

She began to cry softly. Laurie moved her hair from her fragile face.

“Come here,” he whispered, holding her when she fell asleep, listening to the rainfall outside.

By the morning, Laurie’s body ached as he rose from his sleep. He saw the blend of green and brown from the trees. He smelt the acid aroma from the rain wafting under his nose. The cold snap kiss of the wind shot him awake when he blinked from the couch in the staff room.

His arms were empty when he looked around, there was no warm beautiful girl by his side. Laurie zipped up his pants and checked his coat. A flooding wave of embarrassment swamped him. The staff window was open, enough for a body to squeeze out and into