Love Story

Chapter 5

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, no.” He grabbed her hand before she could run off over the hill.  "What did you mean it doesn't matter?"

She turned around not having any other choice. "Exactly that, it doesn't matter"

"Valleri"

"DAVY! I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT! IT DOESN'T MATTER! JUST LET IT GO!"

He was taken aback, more by the fact that she had called him Davy than anything else, as long as he could remember Valleri had only ever called him David. She pulled her wrist free and disappeared over the crest of the hill, but he didn't let her get far.

A quick jog and he caught up behind her grabbing her wrist a second time, turning her around to face him, he said nothing; just wrapped his arms around her and she broke down in heart wrenching sobs against his chest.  She sank to her knees in the grass and he followed suit pulling her into his lap.

Valleri wrapped her arms around him pulling herself as close as she possibly could.  Davy held her until she pulled away herself, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. He just sat quiet, waiting for her to talk.

She took a deep breath and looked at her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry"

"Don't be" he reached out and touched her hand and she flinched away, almost like she was afraid of him. "It's okay to cry Valleri, don't apologize for something we all do" He reached for her hand again and she took his, linking their fingers.

She leaned against his chest and sighed, his other arm wrapping around her. "He always makes me feel so....awful about myself"

"Valleri, you can't let him make you feel this way, it's tearing you apart"

"I know I shouldn't, but he-" she paused trying hard not to cry. "He does it in such a way, that he....wraps an insult into a compliment"

"What do you mean?"

"He...he'll say something like he's proud of me for something, followed by an insult like" she paused. "Oh I don't know something like I never thought you would be able to do it on your own"

"I'm sure he doesn't mean it that way Valleri"

She sighed. "You don't know Daddy David, it's just what he does; he just builds me up so far so he can have the pleasure of knocking me back down again."

They both sat silently in the grass for a few minutes before she shivered, the wind picking up around them. David got to his feet and held a hand out to her.

"C'mon, I've got an idea"

She peered at him curiously through the darkness, but she couldn't help the smile as he pulled her to her feet. "What are you planning David?"

He just winked at her giving her hand a squeeze. "Valleri?"

"What?" She giggled when he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Where are your shoes?"

She looked down at her bare feet and shrugged. "Back at the house I guess"

He scoffed shaking his head at her. "Come on," he knelt down in front of her "Can't risk you damaging those Cruise feet, they could be worth millions someday you know"

She laughed but jumped on his back anyway. "Shut up, Cruise feet are no better than Jones feet"

He straightened up boosting her up higher; "Tell that to your father"

 she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned forward shaking her head. "Oh no David, Daddy thinks Cruise is always best"

A few minutes later the soft glow of the house appeared in the blackness. Valleri pouted, she hadn't realized they were that close already.  David let her slide off his back into the grass at the base of the stairs to go inside. Valleri didn't even get a chance to take a step forward before she felt the ground disappear again.

Her breath caught in her throat before her arms took their previous position around David's neck. "What are you doing?!"

"You could get a splinter in the steps"

She gasped in shock. "Well we can't have that! Daddy would have your head"

He rolled his eyes and chuckled pushing the door open.  "Here you are Miss Cruise, home safe and sound"

David let her down but she kept her arms around his neck; that smile that made his heart flutter looking back at him.

"I wouldn't exactly say she was home Mr Jones"

David watched the smile on her face vanish as quickly as it had appeared. Her mouth dropped open a fraction of an inch and all the colour drained from her face; she spun around facing the living room.

"Daddy!"

"What are you doing here Valleri, you told me you were going to bed"

He took a step forward and she swallowed the lump in her throat taking a step back, bumping into David.

"I..."  She stammered, silently thanking David for not moving, if he had she would have just surrendered and taken whatever punishment she was going to be dealt.

"You lied" He said bluntly moving closer. "You lied to me so you could sneak out of your bedroom to come here"

Valleri felt David squeeze her arm gently, but before she could reply he spoke again. "You're coming home, now"

She folded under his scrutiny and nodded. "And you..." Valleri looked up to see his gaze had moved to David standing behind her. "You've just put a lot of things in jeopardy"

Valleri's mouth fell open. "But Daddy he-"

"Home" he interrupted pointing through the door.

She sighed turning to the door, giving David an apologetic look.  He winked at her as her Dad came between them, his back to David. He caught her eye and nodded towards the back of the house mouthing the word 'tomorrow'

He watched as they disappeared, hoping Valleri had figured out what he had meant. He closed the door letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. There was something Valleri wasn't telling him, that much was obvious, he just had to figure out what.