Love Story

Chapter 4

She stepped gingerly across the weathered shingles. She had only seen this done in movies, and now here she was about to do it herself, shimmy down the drain pipe, scale the wall, something, but she sure as hell wasn't staying here.

She noticed the lattice on the far side of the house. She climbed down keeping her footing on the decor. Climbing down a few feet she let go of the top letting herself fall, landing on her feet in the grass below.

She rolled the bottoms of her pants up to keep them from getting wet and walked back towards the tiny house in the field. Being careful not to have another incident like she had earlier she walked down the hill with a side step and jogged up to the front door.

She knocked before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

"David?" Valleri slipped her shoes off and closed the door, unrolling her pant legs.

He came around the corner from the kitchen looking slightly confused.

"Valleri? What are you doing here?"

"Shhh" she whispered turning off the porch light.

David watched her walk around the tiny house turning off all the other lights. She smiled at him as she pulled candles down off the bookshelf and set them on the coffee table.

"What are you on the run?"

She smiled as he leaned over the table to light the candles. "Something like that"

They sat down on the couch together, watching the shadows dance on the living room walls.

"I'm sorry I slapped you earlier, I kind of got a taste of my own medicine when I went back home"

"He hit you?"

She nodded. "I got mad and swore at him and he hit me, told me "I wasn't to use that kind of language under his roof"

"Oh Valleri"

She shook her head. "I'm fine David, really"

"Where does your Dad think you are?"

"Sleeping"

"You snuck out? How?"

"My bedroom window"

"VALLERI!"

"WHAT!?" She couldn't help giggling at the look on his face.

"You....how did you!? You could have killed yourself!"

"I hardly think I would have killed myself"

"You could have broken something, or gotten seriously hurt"

"Sorry Daddy"

He wrinkled his nose at her and shook his head. "Don't call me that"

"Sorry"

She sighed leaning back against the couch watching the flame of the candle move slowly back and forth.

"Valleri?"

"Huh?"

"I asked what you were thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing really" she ran her fingers over the smooth silk of her pajamas. "Where did you get these?"

He shrugged. "A store in town"

"They aren't your sisters?"

He shook his head. "No, I.....I got them for you, for your birthday"

"My birthday? That's months from now"

She could see him blush even in the dimness of the candlelight. "I know, I just...didn't know when I would see you next, or...when we'd-" he paused. "Have time alone"