Love Story

Chapter 16

When she woke it was dark, they were still driving, the headlights of passing cars flashing by.  She sat up rubbing her neck, turning to look at David.

"Where are we?"

"Almost there"

"Where is there?" Valleri asked with a smile.

"It's a secret"

Valleri scowled at him.  "I don't like surprises David"

"You'll like this one"

"Daviiiid"

"Shhh" he squeezed her hand. "Go back to sleep"

"David!"

He laughed turning off the main road onto a dirt path. He drove along the path, the further they drove, the darker and quieter it got.

"Don't laugh at me" she pouted.

He pouted back, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

He pulled into a small driveway, putting the car in park.

"Mum used to bring me here when I was small, she used to tell me you should never run from your problems, but if you ever needed a place to think, we would come here"

She smiled, she loved hearing the way he said certain things, his accent was stronger in some cases,  "Where is here?" She asked again as he opened his door. She opened hers too, stepping out, realizing she was still in her wedding gown.

She sighed as David took her hand.

"You can change inside"

It was like he read her mind; she squeezed his hand as he led her into the house.

She stepped inside and David flipped on the lights. The house was small, similar to the one on David and his mom shared on Daddy's property.

"This is cozy"

"It's no Cruise mansion, but I like to call it home"

She laughed shaking her head. "Unzip me would you?" She asked turning her back to him.

David tugged the zipper on the back of her gown; sliding his hands under the heavy fabric he pushed it off her shoulders.

"This feels familiar" He whispered against her bare shoulder. Planting kisses on her warm skin.

"David"

David said nothing, just lifted her out of the pile of fabric now on the kitchen floor. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders with a giggle. She rested her head on his shoulder, he was always so warm, Valleri took comfort in the fact, and he was so different from Daddy, safer.

David hadn't even gotten half way up the stairs before he noticed Valleri had fallen asleep.  He chuckled with a shake of his head. He carried her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He shook his head "Leave it to you not to wear shoes on your wedding day"

He pulled the covers over her and turned off the light. He walked quietly down the stairs locking both the back and front doors before picking up her dress off the kitchen floor. He rolled it in a ball and tossed it on the couch, turning off the lights he climbed the stairs again, pulling his shirt off over his head. He threw the shirt in the laundry hamper in the corner of the room; he kicked his pants off and threw them in the hamper.

Pulling the covers back he climbed in bed on the other side. Valleri turned over in her sleep and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead before drifting off into sleep himself.

David was jolted awake sometime later in the night, Valleri was screaming in her sleep. He sat up quickly turning on the lamp on the night stand.

"Val!" He shook her gently "Baby, wake up"