Virgin Romance by Penny Wylder
13
I open my eyes a few hours later when the sun is barely rising. It’s one of those rare moments when I’m fully awake almost as if I never went to sleep. The barest hint of light is touching the walls, and everything is still a mess. The same thoughts enter my head, paralyzing and insidious. I sigh. I’m not sure what to do now. Andrew is asleep beside me, his arm slung across my waist. A feeling of warmth spreads through my chest at waking up next to him, but the next moment it’s gone. Because isn’t being with him what cost me everything? If my uncle hadn’t seen us together, everything would be fine. I’d still have my job, and a place to live.
A smaller voice tells me that it’s not true, that my uncle would never have been happy regardless of what happened with Andrew. I wish it was true, but I can’t bring myself to believe it.
I look at Andrew in the half-light. He’s beautiful. I like his openness and his willingness to try new things with me. I like the fact that he knows what he wants. I like that his favorite color is silver. I like that he is kinder than he appears. I smile, just for a moment able to forget what happened. I shift closer to him, and Andrew opens his eyes.
“Hi,” I say.
“Hey.” His voice is deeper than normal, edged with sleep. “How are you?”
“I’ve been better.”
His hand slides up my side, curling around the back of my neck to pull me closer. “Not one of those things he said was true.” I feel a wan smile appear on my face; Andrew can talk all he likes, but it won’t change the fact that my uncle’s words are true. Andrew looks at me deeply, as if searching for something. “You believe him,” he says.
“Of course I do.”
His brow creases. “Why?”
“Because you haven’t been there for the rest of it, Andrew. You don’t know what I went through, you don’t know what happened to make him say those things. They are true.”
“No,” he says. “I refuse to believe that. You are smart, beautiful, and kind. You are not a failure.” He kisses me and adds, “Let me make you forget what he said, and show you that it doesn’t matter. Let me show you how much I want to be with you.”
He kisses me again, and rolls over me. I close my eyes and let him make me feel. His cock entering me feels familiar and comforting, a solitary and precious connection. This time he doesn’t fuck me. Everything is long and deep, a slow build to the end. His mouth never leaves mine, and I think I could live an eternity in his kisses. He stays deep inside of me, rolling his hips in time with our breathing, and I feel my orgasm coming from far away. It’s not bright and loud, but expansive. I come apart underneath him, my body shaking as pleasure rolls over me like a tide. He’s not far behind me, and without a condom he finishes in the sheets.
Andrew doesn’t move from above me, looking down and holding my gaze. “I want to be with you. Not in secret. I don’t care what anyone thinks about us. I promise everything will be okay. I am going to make sure that you’re okay. Do you believe me?”
I nod. I do. I do believe him, but it still hurts knowing that I’m about to lose everything.
“Come with me to court today,” he says. “It will show him that you’re stronger than what he has to say to you.”
“I don’t know…”
“Please,” he says, his lips against mine, “I want you there.”
I complete this kiss, loving the sensation of his lips. “Okay.” If he wants me there, I’ll go. I can only hope that it doesn’t make things worse.
The sun is fully risen now, and I get up to take a shower. “Can I join you?” Andrew asks.
I manage to smile at him. “If you do, we’ll never make it to court on time.”
“That’s a fair point.”
Once showered and dressed, I see Andrew again in the kitchen. He’s drinking coffee and eating a granola bar. “I have a question,” he says as I come downstairs. “What did you actually find last night?”
I glance toward the dining room. In the emotional mess I had completely forgotten my discovery. Internally cringing, I go into the dining room and grab the Trident Security file. I pass it to Andrew. “Here. It’s the breakdown brochure for people installing systems with Trident. It describes the services involved in every tier, and Mr. Sterling was in the highest. Look what it says.”
He scans it, and his eyes widen. “Multiple secure data back-ups.”
“I looked into it further, and what they mean is that all records are held on a server that only the highest members of the company can access. It’s not something that shows up in their regular database, and because it’s privileged they would never provide it voluntarily.”
“I’m sure Timothy told the police to check every back-up,” he says, and I can see him working through it.
“I’m sure he did too. But the police wouldn’t have known about the fact that there was a back-up like this. The information is private, and kept in the highest confidence—even from law enforcement. Do you see? If it’s not there, we lose nothing. If it is—”
Andrew is beaming now. “You’re right. This could change everything. If it shows that Timothy left the house, it could vindicate him entirely.”
“We’ll have to subpoena the records.”
“How fast can you get one ready?” he asks, downing the rest of his coffee.
“How much time do we have?”
