Fear of Honesty
Natalie Kostecka | Terri Kelleher
“We’re going to have to tell him eventually, love. One way or another.”
Sophie sighed in reluctant understanding, swirling the whiskey around in her pleated glass. The strong scent of liquor wafted to her nostrils from the depths of the cup and she cringed her nose, frowning. “I really don’t want to, Rory. It’s more complicated than it seems.”
“We have to. We can’t keep it a secret forever.”
“And why not?” She set the glass atop the table and faced her lover with anguish. “Why can’t we just run away? Fake my death, travel across the country and disappear from this place? It would be easier. It would be less dangerous. Telling him could kill both of us.”
“You know I won’t let anything happen to you.” Rory reached across the table, taking her fragile hands in his. They were so large in comparison, as everything about him physically was to her. “They’ll understand. They have to.”
“They won’t.” She lifted sky-colored eyes to him. “Nobody will. Do you think they’re just gonna sit by and let their teenage daughter run away with an older man? We can’t tell them. We just have to go.”
Rory shook his head. “You’re nineteen. No one can stop you, by law. Why are you so afraid of them?”
“They have everything,” she replied, eyes filled with tears. “My social security number, my credit cards, my ID, my sanity.”
“You think we can’t replace those when we’re gone? Not the social security of course, but the other things. They can’t come after you if you leave by choice.”
“I don’t know.” Sophie bit her lip. “What if they call the police?”
“You think they would?”
“Probably. My father hates you.”
“Not as much as I hate him, I can assure you of that much.” Rory’s face turned sour, and Sophie knew she had struck a nerve. “He can burn in hell for the things he did to you. I love you, Sophie. You hear me? I love you.” He stood, moving across the table to kneel before the redhead with eyes preaching the love of his heart. Rory cupped her face in his massive hands, pressing the sweetest of kisses to her gentle lips. “I love you. Nobody can stop that, not ever. And no one can take it away either. Please, leave with me.” He kissed her again. “Get away from these people, I beg of you. We can start a life on the west coast, in Seattle or Portland or LA, maybe even BC. Anywhere but here. Anywhere with me.”
A little sob escaped her lips. Sophie placed her hands over his and smiled with great affection before the feelings were too great to bear, her arms thrown about her lover’s neck and kiss after kiss planted along his skin. “I will,” she tearfully agreed. “I’ll go with you, I promise. And I won’t ever look back to this hellhole my family’s created for me. I love you.”
“And I, you.”
Rory scooped up the girl in great, thick arms, hoisting her legs around his waist as their lips reunited in the heat of passion. He fell atop her on one of the hotel beds as they reaffirmed their promises together. No one but God could keep them apart.
