Chapter 4: The Truth Shall Set You Free

Chapter Cast:

Darren, Male, 53
- Narrator, retired, father of Gwen and Victoria (Vic)
- 5’11, beige skin, 195lbs, cropped greying brown hair

Audrey, Female, 15
- High school student, daughter of Duncan and Theresa
- 5’9, pale skin, 135lbs, light-green eyes, straight auburn hair over her shoulders

Duncan, Male, late-60s
- Father of Audrey, husband of Theresa
- 5’7, pale skin, 175lbs, dark-brown cropped hair

Theresa, Female, mid-50s
- Mother of Audrey, wife of Duncan
- 5’7, pale skin, 150lbs, shoulder-length auburn hair

I woke, alone, in the darkness to a loud bang. It startled me and I jumped to my feet. I called out, “Audrey?”

There was no response.

My nerves tingled with adrenaline rushing in. “Audrey?”

Her head poked around the corner and she said, “Sorry...”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. I was making brownies and I knocked a pot off the counter.”

“Making brownies ... what time is it?”

“Almost six.”

“You do get up early,” I said, yawning.

“Got up almost three hours ago. We fell asleep before seven, so...”

“Long day yesterday.”

“Yeah,” she replied.

I walked down the hall and hugged and kissed the young woman, telling her again that I loved her. She smiled at me, still in her nightshirt, and told me the same.

I sniffed the air. “You already made coffee.”

Audrey smiled and tossed her hair. “Just for you. I don’t drink it.”

“You are so sweet.” I kissed her again.

The teen showed me where to grab a mug and I poured myself a full cup of the bitter liquid, savoring the hot coffee while I watched her return to her brownie-making.

I sat on a stool along one side of the kitchen and considered things. I felt guilty for enjoying the company of my young ... girlfriend? I guessed that was the right word. I felt guilty for not flying immediately to Aruba to see my daughter. Perhaps I’d let Viv talk me out of going too easily, my selfish desire to spend as much time as possible with Audrey letting me too quickly agree to stay in Buffalo while my daughter suffered in a hospital.

The guilt mixed with emotions both strongly wonderful and sharply worrisome. Whatever Audrey and I had together, in that moment, was not going to last. I knew it deeply. When I returned to Houston, and she stayed in Buffalo, the kissing and the hugs would be gone. The whispered sweet words would be much, much harder to pull off. Even if we tried to keep things going, it was bound to come out to someone what was going on. I could go to jail. I’d lose my daughters. Audrey would be hurt. It seemed like there was no good way to move forward which didn’t include putting a stop to what we were doing.

But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I missed being in a relationship, even one as oddly and rapidly put together as the one which had quickly blossomed with Audrey. I’d fallen in love too quickly to be certain it was more than just an infatuation, but I did love her. Maybe it wasn’t the long-and-hard-won love like those I’d known before, but it was love. And I knew she felt that way for me, even as I recognized that, at fifteen, her emotions could spin on a dime and she might move on from me to some other guy, someone her own age.

I didn’t want to let go so easily. It felt too good. It burned just right. Even without having sex with the young woman, I felt more intimately close to Audrey than anyone I’d ever known other than my dead wife. I’d forgotten how good it made me feel to love and be loved like that, to fall in love and feel it returned. I’d missed all the good that came from knowing she missed me when I wasn’t in the same room, and she treasured the understanding that I felt the same. It had only been a few days. Less than a week. Too quick to be real, maybe, but it didn’t feel that way as I sipped my coffee and watched Audrey slide the glass baking dish into the oven.

She turned and smiled, her auburn hair a bit tangled but silky and beautiful to me. I pulled her to me and kissed her again, her body slender between my legs. We shared lips and an embrace that I didn’t want to lose. I felt her love of me in every movement, heard it in every sigh. I kissed her cheek and slowly drew my lips down her neck. Her breath came quicker as my hands moved over her back. Even with my cautions, even though I knew it still wasn’t the right moment, it was very difficult not to take Audrey’s hand and lead her to the bedroom.

I resisted. Barely. The timer going off caused the teen to break from me. Had we really been making out for half an hour? It felt like mere seconds, over too soon. I watched her stick a toothpick into the dessert and pull it out clean, then she quickly removed the pan and set it on a pad to cool.

“So,” she said, eyeing me, “brownies for breakfast?”

“Sounds great,” I replied. My stomach growled. I’d forgotten to eat anything the day before.

Moments later, me with my coffee and Audrey with a glass of cold milk, we devoured half the pan before we slowed. They were delicious. Chocolaty, swirls of caramel and chunks of hazelnut. She’d made them from scratch rather than from a mix, and the care she showed in her cooking mirrored the way I’d seen her draw close to me and give me her love. It was a passion of another sort, but it seemed that whatever Audrey did, she took it personally that things were done beyond expectations.

I kissed her again, her lips and tongue a rich chocolate. She giggled and noted the same flavor in my mouth. I felt a bit better, having finally eaten. Audrey let out a quick belch and laughed. I tried to do the same, but nothing followed.

“So,” Audrey said slowly, “what do we do now?”

Her eyes, the tilt of her head, the slight curve of her frame, said she wanted me to take her hand and lead her to her first time. I almost did.

Her phone rang on the table and she picked it up.

“Mom?”

I watched her listen a moment, then Audrey said, “Okay. I will. What time?” A moment later. “I will.” She looked at me with a grin. “He’s putting up with me for now. I can’t make any promises he won’t get tired of me.” Audrey winked and I chuckled. “I made brownies for breakfast. I’ll bring some for you and Dad when we come.”

The call ended and she told me, “Dad’s feeling okay. The doctors want to keep him around one more night, so he might get out tomorrow. What is that, Thursday?”

I nodded.

She looked down a moment, her voice turning plaintive. “Are you leaving when Dad gets home?”

I shrugged. I hadn’t exactly thought about it. I’d planned to stay until Saturday if needed, but once Duncan was home, it would be odd to stay, especially with the temptation of Audrey ever-present. “I don’t know.”

“Please don’t go.”

“Audrey ... I may have to, you know. My daughter is hurt, too ... If she needs me—”

“Then go to her if she needs you, but if not ... Please stay ... at least another day or two. For me.”

I drew down my chin and looked into her eyes. “We have to be very, very careful, Audrey...”

“I know. I know.”

“It’s not that I want us to hide our feelings, but...”

“They’d kill us...”

“Me. They’d kill me. Or at least call the cops.”

“But we haven’t done anything ... illegal, have we?”

“Not yet, no. But still...”

She watched me a moment. “Not ... yet...”

I tried to change the subject to something I’d been considering asking her for a day or two. “Your mom, and dad ... they still believe the whole Audrey-is-a-slut thing?”

She shrugged. “Kinda. I mean ... around here, I’m just myself, but ... They get told things. Mostly lies I told someone else that someone’s parent passes on, but ... That’s why Mom put me on birth control. She thinks I’m sleeping around...”

“Tell them the truth.”

“What?”

“Tell your parents the truth. That you aren’t sleeping around. That you’re a virgin. That you made it up to try to be cool and it backfired. I think they need to hear that from you.”

Audrey stared at me a moment. “What good would that do?”

“I think you know.”

She stared off beyond me a few seconds. Audrey chewed her lip, then said, “Okay. I’ll tell them today.” Her eyes narrowed a bit. “Why does that matter to you? You already know the truth.”

“Because ... you’re fifteen. You’re way ahead of the curve on so many levels, Audrey. Your school. Your relationship with me. Your cooking. You’re going to graduate from high school two years early. Now, academically,” I told her, “you’ll do just fine. But emotionally ... you’re going to be sixteen. And letting this lie hang out there ... that’s something a teenager would do. I think you like to see yourself as someone older. Someone more mature. Am I right?”

Audrey nodded slowly.

“Then ... in this thing ... act like it. Tell them the truth. Own up to it. Let them see, and perhaps more importantly, let yourself see, that you are more mature than someone your age. It isn’t easy admitting a lie, especially to your own parents. But you can do this. And it will help you do the right things when you go away to college and you have to make harder choices on your own.”

For a moment, there was no reaction to judge. She stared at her feet, then looked up at me evenly. Her lip quivered, and I saw her eyes watering. “You’re right,” she said, rushing to me and throwing her arms around my neck. “I love you...”

“I love you, Audrey.”

And so, she told her parents the truth. All of it. Well, not about me and our new relationship. But about the lies she’d told, the persona she’d invented to try to be popular at a new school. How she was still a virgin and had only ever kissed one boy. I was that boy, and I wasn’t mentioned, so it wasn’t a full, God’s-honest version of the truth, but even so. Her parents listened in the hospital room while I waited down the hall. Audrey returned after almost an hour. She’d been crying, but a sincere smile was on her face when she hugged me.

“I did it. They know everything.”

“Everything?”

“Not about you, silly. But the rest of it. I feel ... so much better.”

“How’d they handle it?”

“Mom was so relieved that I think she rubbed my neck raw from hugging me. And Dad ... he just seemed as stoic as ever. Said he appreciated that I told him the truth. And then I got the sex talk. Again.”

“Oh, boy.”

“I’ve heard it, like, a dozen times already. But Mom insisted that I knew about condoms even though I was on birth control and that I should really like a boy before I gave him my ‘special gift,’ her words.”

I chuckled.

Audrey eyed me. There was a hunger, a nervous-eagerness on her face. “Tonight, Darren ... I’m not sad any more. I’m not saying everything is perfect ... but ... when is it ever?”

“Never.”

“Right?” She whispered in my ear. “I love you with all my heart. I want you to make love to me tonight. I want you to be the person I really like, the man who gets my ‘special gift.’”

I knew she was right. “Tonight.”

She shivered and her smile was as broad as I’ve ever seen. “Mom said that I should probably just head out for the day. Nothing much to do here, and Dad needs to rest if he’s going to come home tomorrow, so ... we have the house to ourselves.”

“How about I drop you off there so that I can go pick up a few things first...”

“Condoms?” she said quietly.

“Well ... yes...”

“Oh...”

“You would prefer I didn’t?”

Audrey didn’t respond a moment. “Not the first time ... not my first time. If you’re ... you know ... safe...”

“I’m clean...”

“Then ... I’m on the pill...”

“Promise me that, whatever happens in the future, this is the exception ... Condoms keep you from picking up—”

“God,” she said, chuckling and shaking her head, “not the sex talk again...”

“Sorry.”

“S’okay.”

I stared at her light green eyes a moment, then said, “I’ll drop you off at your house, and then go pick up a few other things.”

She replied, “Deal.”

In the driveway, I could tell Audrey was nervous. Her hand shook slightly and a sheen of sweat had started to appear near her brow. The excitement, the anticipation, had my pulse racing, as well. “So,” she said, pausing before opening the car door, “is there anything I should ... you know ... do? To get ready?”

“Take a nice bath and relax. Don’t overdo it with the perfume or scents. Less is more. None is best, but it’s up to you. Wear something that makes you feel sexy, if you want. I’ll be back shortly to clean up, as well.”

She smiled but didn’t respond.

“Nervous?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“In a good way?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you, Audrey.”

“I love you so much.”

I kissed her slowly then parted from her. Her hand moved unsteadily to the handle and she stepped out of the car and disappeared into the house before I drove off.

I returned less than an hour later. I’d bought a bottle of wine, a dozen roses, and a lavender-vanilla creme candle. I also got a box of imported chocolates. Maybe it was cliché, but I didn’t care. It was the first time anyone would be intimate with Audrey, and I knew it would make the moment that much more special to her. And, sure, she was fifteen, so the wine might seem odd, but I’d seen her throw back scotch and brandy. A glass of wine would be a nice, warm touch on what I hoped would be a very lovely moment in her life. And mine.

“I’m back,” I said into the house after closing the door. I got no reply, so I assumed Audrey was in her bathroom or bedroom. I put the wine in the fridge. There was a guest suite down the end of the opposite hall where I had stuck my suitcase, so I carried the other items I’d purchased in and sat them on a dresser. I pulled out my shaving kit and quickly scraped away the stubble from the past few days, using scissors to trim a few stray hairs which had outgrown the cropped line near my forehead.

Satisfied with my face, I turned my attention to my pubes. They were wild and overgrown. I hadn’t even bothered to notice them in years, but I thought for Audrey, it would be nice to trim them down a bit and make that area more presentable. Plus, I liked that a trim made me look longer. That wasn’t for Audrey, it was just a personal thing. I was pretty average-sized all around, but with the hairs trimmed down to a light covering, everything looked more prominent and powerful. I’d long had that view of things, so I set about to trim away the excess hairs and soon had my groin looking neatly groomed.

I showered and then dug through my bag for a nice button-up shirt and dark slacks. I hadn’t exactly brought clothes for anything fancy, so I did the best I could to look nice. I did have a tie with me, so I got it in place quickly. I could hear movement down the hall, so I knew Audrey was looking for me. “In here. Almost ready,” I called to her.

“Okay ... I’ll ... I’ll, uh ... wait in the living room.”

I finished my look with a white belt and tucked my shirt inside my slacks, checking myself in the mirror to ensure everything looked sharp. I eyed the man I saw there. I looked my age, I supposed, but I didn’t feel that way. I couldn’t have said that a week earlier, when I very much felt like a guy in his early-fifties. Sure, I was in decent shape and felt fine, but when I saw the middle-aged man staring back at me, what I felt inside didn’t match this time. It felt more like being a teenager. I was nervous, excited, the future suddenly feeling wide open. Maybe it was arousal for what was to come, or new relationship energy, or maybe just the whirlwind of bad and good I’d experienced the previous few days. Whatever it was, I liked the way I felt in that moment.

My fingers felt electric as I straightened my tie then picked up the items I’d gathered for this moment. I stood in the doorway a moment to gather myself.

I’d never been anyone’s first time. I had lost my virginity at sixteen to my high school girlfriend. She’d not been a virgin when she rode me in the back seat of my car that first time, her previous boyfriend having that honor. Virgins were never something I thought much about. It didn’t matter to me. If you have sex with anyone more than once, the first time is only a single event, and in my experience, the more times I made love with a partner, the better it got anyway.

But to be a first time for Audrey had a special significance. I got to ensure that the first time she was intimate with anyone was wonderful. So many people I knew, especially women, had mediocre first times. Not necessarily bad, just awkward or unfulfilling. Exciting and fun, sure, but not the sex they would experience later with practice. I had the chance to really show Audrey how much fun it could be, how much love could go into each touch, each movement. I wanted to make sure this night would be all about her, even as it would be an amazing experience for me, as well.

I went into the kitchen to grab the wine, an opener, and two glasses, then stepped down the hall confidently, my nerves settling a bit. I saw Audrey rise from the couch and she took my breath away.

Audrey’s auburn hair was a like a bouquet of soft curls instead of held straight over her shoulders, the silky strands framing the beauty of her youthful face. She wore dark eyeliner, blush on her cheeks, and a rich, red lipstick that screamed desire. Her lips were parted slightly, a smile on her face. I knew she was wondering what I thought of how she looked in that moment.

“My god...” was all I could utter.

Audrey wore a beautiful, somewhat-shiny light-green dress hanging from thin straps over her shoulders. The color brought out the bright-green of her eyes. The neckline plunged moderately down her chest, not enough to show much cleavage, but low enough to hint at the loveliness just below. Her breasts were obscured below the fabric, but the curves were still there. Her hands held nervously at her sides, she shifted her weight from foot to foot as she blushed and watched my face. The dress hung down to her mid-calf, mid-heels covering the sheer-black hose running down her legs and over her feet. Sparkling, dangling earrings and a silver necklace completed her look.

I was blown away by her beauty.

“My god...” I repeated. “Audrey ... you are so beautiful.”

She blushed more and smiled broadly, biting her lip a moment in that way I’d always loved. She twisted around her hips, shimmering in front of me, her dress swaying slowly from side-to-side. “You like?”

“I like.”

“You look so handsome,” Audrey told me, her eyes moving up and down my body. “I didn’t expect you would look so fancy.”

“I had to look decent enough to be in the same room with someone so lovely.”

I sat down the items I carried and took the teen in my arms. Our lips met gently. I didn’t want to smear her lipstick too soon, but I had to kiss her in that moment. She shivered as we slowly twirled our tongues, first in her mouth, then in mine. When we finally broke, it was like she’d taken my breath away. We stood smiling at each other, neither of us able to speak or move.

Finally, I said, “So ... if you would like, I have a few things to set the mood ... not that we really need it, you know.”

Audrey looked eagerly at what I’d brought and nodded. “I’d like that...”

I guided her to the couch and eased her down. Then I turned and pulled out the candle, setting it on the coffee table and lighting it with a match. I dimmed the lights in the room, leaving flickering shadows to dance across the walls. Next, I brought over the vase of roses and set them nearby, pulling one out and offering it for Audrey to sniff. She inhaled and grinned, “Lovely.”

I snapped the stem a few inches down from the flower, then carefully pushed the rose into Audrey’s hair, letting it catch there and add a red highlight to her auburn locks. She seemed to like the gesture.

Next, I pulled the wine over. It was a Riesling, and reasonably chilled, so I popped the cork and poured us each a glass, then handed one to Audrey. I offered a quick toast, “I love you Audrey. Whatever the future holds for us, tonight is ours, together.”

“Oh, Darren...” She sipped and I did as well.

I sat next to Audrey and stared into her eyes. There wasn’t really anything else to say or do. The moment was here. She was ready. I was ready. Whatever nerves we each had were good nerves. Excitement and anticipation meeting to make us each flush and grow aroused. I could see it in her eyes, in the way her lips parted when she looked at me. My flesh had grown rigid even without touching her. Audrey was so beautiful even without the dress and makeup. But she looked simply magical to me in the candlelight.

I sat down my glass and Audrey did the same. Bringing a hand to her face, I guided us together, and we shared a slow, passionate kiss like no other. I could taste her innocence and her maturity at once. Audrey was a young woman, not so far from her young girls days, so much ahead of her, so much potential. She was in my hands fully, inviting me into her life, her movements pleading with me to explore her body.

And I did. Slowly. I touched her cheeks and neck, softly stroking her lovely, smooth flesh. She wore just a hint of perfume, but mostly, I smelled Audrey. It was a scent indescribable. Warm. Buttery. Lightly-floral. Maybe that was the rose, I didn’t know or care. Her skin smelled unique and filled me with desire. I shuddered as I kissed her neck and slowly worked my way down to her shoulder. Audrey shivered, her hands on my head, her breathing already coming faster.

I slipped one strap down from her shoulder and let it fall to her arm. The other was soon down, as well, and I leaned back as the dress slipped lower. Two round, fleshy breasts, pale, lightly freckled near the top, tipped with small, light-pink areolae. Pointed slightly upwards. Somewhat puffy. They had a weight but didn’t sag. They were full yet still had room to grow. Youthful but maturing. Firm but soft. Audrey bit her lip as she showed me her breasts openly for the first time.