Chapter twenty-eight

Sarah sat up and rested against him.
“Tell me how it happened.” He repeated gently.
Nodding gently, she took a hopeful breath. “All of it?”
“As much as you want to tell me.” He answered, not wanting to push her for more either, he just couldn’t let her hold it in and make herself feel bad.

She nodded again; she didn’t know where to start but wanted to share. He was right, she shouldn’t keep it all inside, it needed to get out, maybe that would help.

A little helpless she looked up at him, searching for some help on how to start talking.

Richie wanted to comfort her first and pulled the blanket from behind him and wrapped it around them, holding Sarah in his arms.

Once the sheet was all snugly around them, he asked, “When did it happen?”

At least now she had somewhere to start from, it helped.

“It was around when Noah was two, so things weren’t so bad yet.” She sighed, better to be straight forward and say it. “It was the first time he raped me.” She confessed.

His arm holding her tighter, gave her the courage and comfort to keep going.

“Before that it was only beating-”
“Don’t say only, don’t make it like it was acceptable.” He said a little strict.
“I know it’s not but it was, before that he only beat me, nothing more.” She explained and Richie nodded his understanding.
“What happened then?”
“I’d been denying him sex for almost three months. Every time he came home, he stank of beer, it was just so repulsive, I couldn’t.” She continued to explain. “Luckily the boys were always in bed before he got home. I’d gone to bed too but he woke me up and started to pull at my clothes. He ripped my pajama pants.” Her voice cracked before she could go on.

Uncomfortable, she wanted to move but Richie held her. Instead, she moved in his arms and rested her head against his solid chest.

He understood it wasn’t easy for her to tell him but she had to, it was the only way to process it.

“What did he do then?” He asked so she would go on.
“He smelled so bad.” She remembered the smell well; he had always smelled of beer. After rehab and during her marriage she found it the most repulsive smell. “I noticed where the smell was coming from; he was holding a beer bottle.”

She took another deep breath as she remembered.

“I kept telling him to stop but he told me to shut up and kept trying to hold me still but I wouldn’t.” She smiled a little; proud she didn’t undergo it without fighting back. “He got mad and smashed the bottle against the headboard.”
“Wow.” He said amazed.
“Yeah, there was one big piece, he held it right here,” her hand moved to the side of her face where the scar was, “and told me to stop moving.”

Richie pulled her hand down and held it.

“He tore my underwear off.”

He could feel a wet tear on his chest and squeezed her hand.

“I got cut on the glass when I flinched as he… you know…” She ended.
“I know.” He confirmed and wrapped his arms around her to hold her, feeling more tears falling down.

Sarah buried her face in his chest, letting the tears falls now that she didn’t have to talk anymore.

He let her cry and just like last time, he stroked her hair and held her until she could calm down again.

It didn’t take her as long as last time she had told him something about her marriage, last time at the rehab center. Her telling him back then had changed so many things.



A few minutes later she calmed down and wiped away the remaining tears.

“How do you feel now?” He asked gently.
Sarah looked up at him; she did feel better now that she had told him. “Relieved, better.”
“That’s good. I love you, thanks for telling me.” He gave a small smile before bending to kiss her.

He was glad that she had told him, that she didn’t hold it all in. The one thing he didn’t understand was how someone could do that to the person they loved or any person for that matter. It was something he’d never understand, instead of understanding he wished Jonathan would someday be punished for what he had done to her. If it wasn’t a federal law that would, he wouldn’t mind beating some pain into him, the pain he had caused her.



After their kiss Sarah let go of his hand and raised her hand back to the side of her face where she knew the thin line was.

Richie could see the worried look on her face and knew what she was thinking. He raised his own hand and covered it over hers.

“It’s why I hardly ever put my hair up.” She said when she felt his warm hand on hers.
“It’s not noticeable. I’ve known you two months and didn’t see it ‘till I got a really close look.”

He turned her head towards his and tilted it to reach her lips for a sweet kiss.

Sarah’s hand moved away from under his to rest on his chest. The hardness of his muscles there was always a good support.

His kiss didn’t fade but continued to start over, his hand still curled around the side of her face. So he wouldn’t lose claim over those sweet lips of her.

Sarah enjoyed their kissing but most of all wanted to just be held now, some comfort. His comfort and a sense of protection.

She kissed him one more time before she pulled back. “I’m so thankful to have you. I still don’t know how I deserve you.” She smiled at him, truly amazed at how she could be so lucky to find a man like him.

He hugged her then. “I told you before sweetheart, it was long overdue. Sunshine after the rain, right?”
“Yeah, I guess.” She agreed.

She’d been through enough bad events in her life, it was only fair to finally have something good that she never wanted let go of again. She had him and wasn’t willing to give him up ever again.

“I love you so much.” She looked him in the eyes so she was sure he truly understood how she felt.

Richie saw so much love, trust and hope in her eyes. He hadn’t thought something like this would ever happen to him again, especially after the last few years but here she was. Like she was the one. The one for him. Could she be?

Right now he knew he wasn’t letting go of her, maybe she could be the one.

“I know, I love you just as much.” He hugged her again instead of kissing.

Carefully he began to move so Sarah got off his lap and followed him to lie down on the bed again, where they were before.

Just like always Richie wrapped his arm around her, pulling her to his side. He stared up at the ceiling as Sarah rested her head on his shoulder, her hand in the middle of his chest.

He pulled the cotton sheet back over them. Secretly he didn’t want to, he loved seeing her naked and so far she hadn’t covered herself up, he dropped the sheet just below their chests even though he couldn’t see her breasts from the position they were in, but he could feel them.



“Can I tell you something?” Sarah hoped he hadn’t fallen asleep yet.
“That’s what you should, isn’t it?” He asked back, teasingly.

She smiled to herself, he was right, why did she even ask? She didn’t need his permission to say something.

“This feels weird and right at the same time.”
“Why does it feel weird?”
“Because,” she twisted her fingers in his chest hair, “I never thought I could trust someone again and here I am with you and it’s just so right. To be here, it feels like I shouldn’t be anywhere else.”

It wasn’t easy to tell him her feelings but it felt good once she had, she knew she could trust him.

With telling him she knew she could tell him what she wanted to do. She had a feeling that he would be disappointed but proud at the same moment.

With knowing that, she knew she had to tell him her plans, he’d be leaving in three days, maybe two by now, depending on what time it was.

“So, it’s a good kind of weird?”
Sarah smiled brightly and snuggled into him. “Definitely.”