Masked

XIX

I could tell I had caught her off guard, and excited her too. She let me take control as I guided her to the bed. Pulling her hair from the ponytail, I let her hair fall around her face. She slide her hands to where my jeans were and pulled herself closer, looping her fingers through the loops. Her body heat was extremely hot and it felt nice being this close to her warm body.

I felt her fingers pull at my shirt, and she opened her eyes to marvel at my chest once again. I always wondered what went through her head when I was shirtless, but i didn't bother to ask. She slid out of her pajama top and laid down with me holding onto her.

"Taran?"

"Hmm?" she said leaning in closer to me.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but how is it you've never had a boyfriend before. You're utterly amazing! Which is what I find hard to believe that you've never dated."

Taran stayed silent for a moment, "I have dated another guy, Derek. He was the best basketball player at our school. I was one of the luckiest girls to be dating him, or so I thought. Well anyways he said one day he wanted to take me to a certain movie that was showing in only select theatres. I believed him and went with him in his car. We went to ta part of town I wasn't too familiar with. When we pulled into an alleyway, he claimed the theatre was down the block but was crowded so we would have to walk or something. I followed him and he told me to close my eyes for whatever reason. I did and when he led me up to what I thought was the theatre, i instantly heard loud music and smelled alcohol. Opening my eyes, I saw myself at a strip club and Derek went to get us drinks. Well I tried walking out but the security guy running the place wouldn't let me leave, without tipping him. I turned around and slapped Derek in the face before yelling at him to take me home. He just thought it was funny that I was scared and said he would. So we went out a back door and into what I thought would be the street but was a room. It was pitch black and Derek pretended to apologize. I tried to slap him again, but he restrained me and then proceeded to rape me."

She ended the story for a moment and sighed, "my parents heard about it later and were really upset with him. I broke up with him and didn't want to date anyone after that, or at least an immature guy. He had only wanted me for how I looked not how I acted. Everyone else seemed to know that except me. I switched schools and met all my friends at Huntington High."

"Taran I can guarantee you that looks don't matter to me. I won't and have never used a girl in my entire life. I'm so sorry that your life has been miserable for  the longest time."

"Michael it's been better since I've switched schools and met you."

I could tell that she meant it and I pulled her on top of me.

"I love you Taran," I whispered.

"I love you too Michael," she traced her finger on the edge of my wing.

I extended it all the way as she pulled it around her like a blanket. "Does it hurt?" she tapped it.

"The change?" I asked hoping she wasn't about to be curious like Lacie.

"Yea."

"Yes... and not everyone lives after it happens. I learned that the hard way," I said ending the topic.

Taran stayed silent and tried to meet my eyes. When I finally looked at her I could tell she was only curious about it and wasn't wanting to go through with it.

"I'm sorry Taran, I misinterpreted what you meant by the question. Man I keep screwing things up today."

"Michael don't blame yourself okay. We all have our days, and today just happens to be one of them. Honestly I think it's cute in a way," she blushed.

I laughed at the comment, "well as long as you think it's cute, I guess I'll be fine with it. I think whatever you do is adorable so... we're even."

She giggled and laid her head on my chest while wrapping her long tan arm around me and fell asleep. I laid perfectly still and content while pulling my wings over her as a blanket. She was irresistibly hot and I wished things that I had never considered doing to her before when she was like this. It explained why Taran was scared to date someone in fear of being harmed, but it didn't make sense why she was so comfortable around me to be nearly naked?

She probably just trusts you that much, or is testing you. I thought and liked the first idea better. Deciding not to dwell on it further, I let her breathing lull me to sleep.