Chapter 15

“Oh Seth,” Tara sobbed, “you don’t know how much that means to me. I needed to hear you say that you understood. I was in such a state of shock that I was, in some ways, unable to form rational thoughts. When Zeke rammed his fingers inside me and got ready to enter me, I sort of snapped. It was so surreal. I was almost outside of myself, experiencing the whole situation not only as a victim but also as a spectator. I don’t know how to put it into words. I guess that now I have to work on coming to grips with it, convincing myself to forgive myself for what I did. Can you ever forgive me, Seth?”

“Tara, I already have. I’m pretty sure that what you did would not even stand up in court as a prosecutable offence. I’m not the most religious person in the world, but I know that God was there, and under the circumstances, He knows that you did what had to be done, and does not blame you for your actions. I know I now only feel gratitude to you for helping to save us. I have forgiven you completely for anything you did last night. In fact, I have forgiven you completely for anything you have ever said or done to me. You are an amazing girl, Tara, someone who should go forward with her head held high.”

Tara grabbed me hard and buried her face in my shoulder. Her wracking sobs shook me to the core. I hugged her tightly, gently stroking her beautiful blond hair, letting her break down with the emotions that had been overwhelming her. After a long time, she pulled back from me so that she could look at me.

“I feel so awful for the way I’ve treated you, Seth. Daddy’s right. I can be an insufferable, miserable, bratty, spoiled bitch, and by being that way, I drove away the bravest, noblest, and most sensitive man I’ve ever met. Having you forgive me means more to me than I can tell you.”

It was at that point that she first kissed me. It was not a gentle “just friends” peck, but it was not a kiss of physical passion, either. It felt like a kiss of love, like the kiss of an angel. We kissed each other again and again, and each kiss became a little hotter than the one before. Finally, she broke from my embrace and looked at me with an expression on her face that I couldn’t read.

“I remember one thing from last night that, in a different situation, I would have enjoyed,” Tara said.

“What was that?” I asked.

“The look in your eyes when I was getting undressed. I did it slowly to give you more time to untie yourself, but when I saw the way you were looking at me, I wanted to please you. Now I want to see that look in your eyes again,” Tara said.

She stood up and moved a few feet away from me, removed the clip from her hair and shook it loose. Then she started gently swaying in front of me. She slowly slipped off her shoes, and then began to move her hands gradually up and down her body. Still swaying, she turned her back to me and very slowly pulled her sweater up her body and over her head, tossing it onto a nearby chair.