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Whenever Rachel thought of her life, she always
started it with "Once Upon a Time," like the stories her mother used to
tell her before she faded off to sleep. In those stories, the damsel or
the heroine always had a perfect prince come rescue them, or did wondrous
things that changed people lives. They also ALWAYS had a happy ending.
Rachel longed for happily ever after.
Who was to know that Rachel would grow up so differently. When her mother
read her those bedtime stories, Rachel would envision wonderful things for
her life. She saw the man next to her as someone she could always share
with. Someone who she would long to reach out and touch, no matter where
they were and what they were doing. Someone who would turn toward her as
they were driving down the parkway and catch her looking at him, and
smile.
Rachel had a man next to her now. But unlike her dreams, this man would
never notice her touch, much less turn to look at her. Rachel wondered
what she'd ever seen in him. How had her dream man become so callous? How
had he become someone who yelled at her for no apparent reason, and the
touch of passion become a slap of anger? Rachel wondered mostly why her
life was nothing like the stories.
As she walked through the local grocery store, her mind wandered freely.
Picking up the staples of which she fed her family, she thought of her
fairy tale man. He seemed a myth. There wasn't such a person. There
couldn't be. Any man she had ever been with always fell short of her
dreams. Perhaps in the beginning there would be a feel of wonder, but it
would quickly fade as she began to realize that the person she was with
wasn't considerate at all, wasn't caring of her feelings. She doubted
herself eventually. She evidently wasn't worthy of Prince Charming.
As she reached for the shining red apple, her mind was elsewhere. As her
hand closed around it, she felt a jolt of electricity flow up from the
floor and tingle through her body. Blinking and shaking her head she
turned and bumped into another shopper. Mumbling her apologies, she looked
at the man who stood so close to her. His green eyes seemed to sparkle
with laughter, and his voice flowed to her ears as would a melody meant to
calm and soothe her. A flush of embarrassment colored her face, making her
seem younger than her 37 years, and she felt childlike all of the sudden.
"Are you going to buy that apple, Snow White?" he said. It was then that
she saw she still had the fruit in her hand. Another shiver went through
her body as she smiled and laughed at his joke. "I had planned to but I
hear apples aren't the best fare for us princesses." She quipped back at
him. It was then that he laughed outright...the most sincere and wonderful
laugh she had ever heard. "Its OK" he said, "If you faint dead away after
eating it, I promise to deliver the kiss that awakens you." It was then,
that Rachel realized that perhaps there were men who might fit her
princely description and perhaps....he was standing in front of her that
very second.
With a kindly nod, he said, "Watch out for witches bearing fruit," and
started to walk away. Rachel was torn by the desire to follow him, knowing
that the hand that held the apple she had chosen also bore the gold band
that held her firmly to this world. But her gut instinct was not to let
this prince get away. As he turned the corner onto another aisle, she
quickly grabbed a plastic bag to put half a dozen quickly chosen apples
into, and then followed quickly. She turned onto the aisle that she
thought he would be on to find no one but a mother and her young child
bickering over cereal choices. Her heart was racing and aching all at
once. She had to find him. She had to make sure that the lifelong dream
she held within her was realized.
She wandered the store, aisle after aisle searching for him, occasionally
stopping to grab something off a shelf. As her basket filled, her heart
despaired of ever finding him. Had he been yet another manifestation of
her daydreams? But looking down into the basket she saw the red apple she
had chosen, and knew he had to be real. Another five minutes of wanderings
failed to turn up this prince and she began to realize that perhaps she
never was fated to have the life she was raised to believe in. Perhaps all
her dreams were unrealistic. She berated herself for even wasting her time
chasing a stranger. She had things to do and if dinner wasn't done when
she got home, there would be hell to pay.
She marched up to the checkout, now determined to keep her mind in this
world and started placing her purchases on the conveyor belt. Milk, bread,
spaghetti noodles all marched by her, much like all the opportunities she
had missed. "Just once," she thought, "just once I wish I had the nerve to
reach out and grab onto something that I know would make my life better."
As she stood there mesmerized by the parade of food, her mind drifted once
more to the stranger from the vegetable aisle. How could someone have such
an immediate effect on another person, and how could that person just
disappear?
After paying the cashier for her groceries, she left the store. Once she
got to her car she began searching through her purse for her keys. Her
husband always snarled at her for never having then ready ahead of time.
He hated waiting while she fumbled through her belonging looking for them.
Just the act of waiting for her seemed to irritate him lately. As her hand
closed around the keys, she felt herself despair of ever having a healthy
relationship with him. That thought led to the next one which was even
more depressing, that being that she truly never had a healthy
relationship with him at all. Sure he was good looking when they met, and
she had been flattered that someone like him would even consider dating
her. But even in the early days, she recalled herself always being the one
to cave in on any issues of importance to her. He never once saw her point
of view as valuable. As she loaded the grocery bags into her trunk she
felt a tear of frustration roll down her cheek.
Just as she reached up to close the trunk lid, she felt a hand tap her on
the shoulder. Turning quickly to see who it was, she was surprised to see
the Prince of Fruit standing before her. He looked into her face and saw
the sadness there, and said "What's wrong Princess?" and at the same time
lifted his hand to her face to wipe away one of the tears. As his hand
connected with her cheek, she once again felt the jolt of electricity run
through her. She tried to step back and away from him but found herself
pinned between him and the car. She stammered out some inane excuse, and
quickly covered her disquiet by asking him "What can I do for you?"
His reply came as a complete and utter surprise to her. Her heart even
seemed to skip a beat as she heard him say "I couldn't help but come over
here. When I saw you in the store I seemed drawn to you, and for once in
my life, I decided to act upon my impulse and reach out to grab that which
seemed so perfect." Rachel couldn't believe his words, the very words she
had wanted to use so many times before but never had the nerve for. She
knew her next statement would be one of the most important ones she ever
uttered. She fought her usual response to turn from anything that seemed
too perfect, and instead she found the courage to say "I know, me too."
His eyes seemed to light up upon hearing her words and his smile stretched
across his face, so pleased that she hadn't turned from him. "Hi," he
said, "my name is Justin." Justin, Rachel thought, what a perfect name for
a prince. "Hello Justin," she said, a flush of pink heating her skin, "My
name is Rachel." He shook his head and as he reached for her shoulders, he
said "No...you will always be Princess to me."
Rachel could feel the heat of his hands through the thin cotton fabric of
her shirt. She looked up into his face, and without thought, stepped
forward toward him, into his embrace. With her head pressed shoulder, she
brought her arms up around him, and whispered softly into his ear, "Where
is your white horse, Prince Charming." He then stepped back, now holding
her at arms length, looking into her face, and said "Let me show you how
life should be Princess Rachel...Let me take you to my castle." In
response, Rachel stepped back into his arms and kissed him. The world
around her faded as her lips touched his. The heat of his mouth radiated
through her, and as she pressed herself to him, she knew that for a
moment, for a short time, for eternity, this was her fairytale.
She walked with him across the parking lot. His hand was against the nape
of her back, guiding her toward his car. As they came to it, he pulled her
back into his embrace, and between kisses, he murmured, "Princess, are you
real? Will you disappear on me at midnight?" She answered his queries with
kisses, her knees growing weak from the intensity of passion that was
gripping her. She had never known anyone to have this effect on her.
Breaking away from her, Justin opened the car door, and as he motioned for
her to be seated, he looked straight at her, green eyes glowing, and said
"Are you sure?" Rachel paused only for a second, and as she sat in the
passenger seat looking up at him, she said "How can I fight a fairy tale?"
The drive to his place seemed to take only moments, the entire time filled
with caresses. He seemed unable to keep from reaching over and touching
her. He seemed to want to keep one hand on her at all times, and Rachel
could almost see that he too, was afraid she might vanish...the product of
his deep longing for the same dream she held close for all these years.
When his hand came to rest on her thigh, she placed her own hand over
it...pressing down, feeling the solidity of him...holding it firmly to
keep from letting him slip away.
Upon arriving at his home, she sat for a moment looking out the window of
the car, as he came around to open her door. She was almost surprised to
see him standing outside the open door, so lost in thought she had been,
gazing out the windshield. His home was well cared for. She could see that
he was a man who paid attention to detail, who cared about minor things.
The fern on his front porch was moist and had new tendrils opening that
indicated careful watering and tender nurturing. Her husband barely knew
where the hose was kept. She climbed from his car, wondering what she was
walking into, but no longer caring. She had been scripted for this
adventure and she played the scene out with wonder and anticipation.
As he struggled with the bags of groceries, balancing them, and trying to
open the front door, she stood back watching him. All at once, one of the
bags tipped and a cascade of food tumbled from it. Rachel jumped forward
to try and catch what she could as it fell to the ground. As she looked up
at him, she could see a broad smile on his face, and hear him laugh.
Looking confused for a moment, Rachel too, began laughing. In her hand was
a red apple, the only thing she had managed to catch. Setting the
remaining intact bag down upon the table at the entry door, he squatted
down before her, and as he leaned toward her, gathering the scattered
food, he kissed her. Arms now full of groceries, he somehow managed to
stand, drawing her up with him, their lips still locked together. Pressing
against him, Rachel could feel the cans and fruit that were in his arms
crushed against her chest.
As he stepped back, entering the house, she followed closely. She had no
idea what to expect upon arriving but she knew that whatever it was, it
would be perfect. He broke from the kiss, smiling, and said "Could you
grab that bag? My hands are a little full." Rachel laughed, and gathering
the brown bag in her own arms, followed him to his kitchen where he had
allowed the armload of sundries to spill across his countertop. He then
turned and took the bag from her, brushing aside things to make room for
it. That done he once again reached for her, gathering her up into his
arms, and kissed her passionately. His lips pressed against hers, and
Rachel could feel herself melting against him. Her mouth opened to his
questing tongue, and as they kisses, the heat of the moment spread through
Rachel's body. Her arms went up around his neck and she ran her hands
through his hair.
All of the sudden she felt herself lifted off the ground, and kissing
still, Justin carried her from the kitchen into the living room of his
home. He gently sat on his couch, carrying her down with him, and she
found herself sitting in his lap, his arms around her. His lips now kissed
softly over her face. Tenderly he kissed her eyelids, her forehead, his
hands now cradling her head. He pressed her back against the arm of the
couch, laying her there. She was filled with desire as he carefully began
unbuttoning the front buttons of her blouse. She watched his face as he
unbuttoned the last button. He seemed as amazed with her as she was with
him. As his fingertips brushed along the edge of her unbuttoned shirt, she
was breathing deeply, shivering as his fingers brushed her skin. He slowly
traced upward until his fingers held the shirts top edge and pushed it off
her shoulders. She felt the soft cotton spill down her arms as his hands
followed, palms down, sweeping down her arms.
She now sat before him, shirt tossed to the floor beside their feet. He
swung around to kneel beside her now. He lay his head upon her stomach.
Kissing it lightly then just resting it there. He looked up past her
breasts and into her eyes. She was enthralled by his eyes. They were
filled with longing, passion, lust, but also something else. She had never
seen another man look at her with the wonder that Justin now did. She
reached down to touch his face, tracing her fingers lightly over the
bridge of his nose. Trailing over his eyebrows. Running the back of her
hand over his cheek. All the while he stared up at her. What should have
been disconcerting was so natural, so right. She felt that in his eyes she
held no secrets, nor did she need to.
Swinging herself up she sat before him...her legs straddling his kneeling
body. Tenderly she pressed her body to him, turning her head slightly to
kiss him. As she ran her hand down his back, she grabbed the hem of his
T-shirt and quickly pulled it up over his head. He helped her by raising
his arms, and as the shirt freed itself from them he brought them down
around her back, holding her firmly to him. He knelt there holding her for
what seemed forever, both of them resting against the other, peaceful and
content at one another's nearness. ***
After what seemed an eternity, Justin began sliding his hands over
Rachel's bare back. His palms pressing hot against her skin. She could
feel his fingers pause and quest at the latch of her bra until he finally
freed the hooks and she felt the fabric loosen around her. His hands then
climbed upward to her shoulders and as he pulled the straps off of them,
he leaned back from her, now sitting on his legs in front of her. As her
bra fell from her breasts he stared intently, and a look of ecstasy came
over his face as they fell freely from their confines. She had firm breast
with small rose colored aureolas. Her nipples were already tight and firm.
He reached out tentatively to touch them, seeming almost afraid that she
was a figment of his dreams and touching her would bring him awake.
Rachel sat still, her hands on the couch at her sides. As she watched
Justin, she was amazed that such a man truly did exist. His tender touches
were so much different from the frenzied gropings of her past experiences.
His fingers barely tickled across her nipples, his hand softly caressed
and cradled the weight of her breast in his hand. Just the act of reaching
out to her, made her aroused and excited. Is this what it is supposed to
be like, she wondered? As her breathing starts to deepen and catch in her
lungs, she finds she can no longer ponder things like her past, as the
present is so overwhelming. With quick ease she slips from the couch and
settles herself down upon her knees before him. Taking him into her arms
she presses herself to him. The warmth of his bare skin, and the softness
of the fine pelt of hair on his chest sends a deep charge through her
body, settling in her groin, a twinge of need.
Upon finding Rachel in his arms, Justin envelops her with his arms and
holds her close, kissing her neck. Together they both rise and he stares
deep into her eyes, searching for a sign that she was ready for this.
"Sweet Princess" he asks, "would you let me carry you away from whatever
caused those tears earlier?" Rachel, at a loss for words, merely nodded
and with that, Justin picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and carried
her through the living room into his bedroom. Setting her gently down upon
his bed, he stood before her.
Looking up at this man, this gentle perfect dream of a man, Rachel smiled.
She then leaned forward to kiss above his navel. A soft gentle kiss,
lingering there with her lips pressed against him. She then began
unbuttoning his pants. Tugging him playfully toward her, she maneuvered
the button from the hole. Looking up into his adoring face, she slowly
pulled the zipper down, loosening his pants further. As they start to fall
from his hips, she follows then downward, her hands sliding over his hips
and down the outside of his thighs. Once his pants are free of his legs
and lying in a bunch at his feet, Justin sits down upon the bed and
presses Rachel downward, so she now lies back upon the silky bedspread.
Lying next to her, he rests his arm over her stomach, and turns her toward
him. Pressing forward, his head resting on his arm, he pulls her into a
kiss. Starting slowly at first, then abandoning control and sinking fast
into pure relentless passion.
Justin suddenly breaks free from the soul melting kiss and sitting up next
to Rachel, begins undoing her pants. Pausing to seek her approval, he
unzips her pants and feels her hips lift from the bed as he slides them
off of her. With one quick motion he drags her pants from her body, and
she kicks them free of her feet. Laying there next to him, Rachel feels no
shame or embarrassment. Never before has she been with a man who made her
feel so comfortable. Nakedness seemed a perfect and natural state.
Justin sat beside her gazing at her, eyes trailing over the curve of her
thigh, the soft mound of hair between her legs, the dip of her stomach and
the swell of her breasts. He stopped only when he reached her face, and
there he bestowed a look of utter and complete happiness. Rachel was
amazed to see such love reflected upon her. It seemed like she and he were
a perfect match. No doubts raced through her mind. Nothing but peace and
longing raced through her head.
Reaching out a hand to him, she invited him down next to her. He took her
hand, and instead of laying there beside her, he dragged her upward to sit
beside him. Her legs hanging off the side of the bed, her torso turned
toward him. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into a strong
embrace. In his arms she felt so safe. So welcome. So loved. She would
willingly remain forever there. His lips tickled the edge of her ear as he
whispered "My princess, God, you are a beautiful woman."
With a tight hug, he released her, then slipped from the bed to come
kneeling in front of her, her legs on either side of him. Placing his
hands upon her hips, he gazed up at her. He then rested his forehead
against the hollow between her breasts, and held it there. Breathing
deeply, she placed her arms around his head, pressing the sides of her
breast against his head. He then dragged his hands along the sides of her
legs, until they both rested upon her knees. Looking up once more at her,
he started to trail tiny kisses down between her breasts, and along the
center of her belly. Pausing at her navel, he slipped his tongue into it,
and sucked upon it, playing with it, running his tongue around the edge
and dipping it in. She sat there still, one hand behind her supporting her
weight as she leaned back some, the other running through his hairRachel
felt his tongue trail across her belly, then feeling pressure upon her
knees, she allowed him to push her legs open further. She laid back upon
the bed, closing her eyes. She could feel his gaze upon her, felt his
fingers as they trailed up her inner thighs. She shivered as he ran his
fingers over the lips of her cunt, playing with the curls of hair there.
He ran his cheek against her thigh, rubbing against her like a cat. His
face was rough from the growth of stubble, not quite the five o'clock
shadow that some men got, but still enough that his cheeks tickled over
her sensitive skin.
"My sweet princess, you are so wet," he murmured as his finger dipped
between the lips of her cunt. Rachel moaned in response, her fingers
digging into the quilt. As Justin began to spread her lips open further
she shuddered in pleasure. His touch was so gently, so careful. Not at all
like her husband who thought nothing of just shoving a finger down there
and rubbing without care of whether she was wet or enjoyed it. The act of
foreplay was foreign to him and he felt that just shoving his fingers into
her dry cunt was enough to get the job done.
Justin's fingers slowly opened the folds revealing the glistening skin,
each fold seemed to cover a treasure he sought to unearth. He softly ran
his finger from the base of her opening upward, until he found the hard
knob of her clitoris amongst the folds there. Rachel could not help but
shudder and shiver under his touch. Then suddenly she felt his tongue
lapping over her, as Justin began exploring her with his mouth. He would
lap roughly over her clit, feeling it swell in response until it stood out
from its hidden den, glistening and red. When it was fully extended he
took it into his mouth and sucked at it, his tongue darting small circles
around it. Rachel's hips pressed upward toward his mouth, pressing herself
tight against his mouth. She cried out in pleasure as he began running his
lips up and down on the small knob. Quickly he would suck it in and out of
his mouth...sucking and lapping at it all the while until Rachel cried
out, "Yes, oh my God, Yes!!" He could feel her body tense and press upward
grinding herself against his face.
As Justin could sense she was nearing orgasm, he slipped two fingers deep
into her. They slid so easily into her, gliding over her velvety walls. He
sunk them in deep until the knuckles of his hand were lost in the folds of
her. He kept lapping at her, his tongue darting over her clit, his fingers
now sliding into her as she pumped herself against them. He felt the
muscles of her cunt gripping and holding his fingers as he slipped then in
and out of her. He could tell she was close to the top when she brought
her legs up off the floor and crossed them around his shoulders, pulling
herself forward, her hands now holding the lips of her cunt open for him.
Her moans were so loud now he could barely hold himself back from climbing
up onto her and sinking deep into her, joining her on her climb.
Her body shook with ecstasy, until finally she grabbed his hand and made
him stop. She lay before him, still shaking, and said "Had I known it
could be like this, I would have hung around the grocery store a lot more
often." He laughed, and climbed up onto the bed to lie on his side next to
her. He caressed her stomach, and leaned in to kiss her. She responded
immediately to his lips on hers, she turned toward him. Wrapping a leg
over his hip she pulled herself in close to him. He could feel her breasts
pressed to his chest. He reached for her and pulled her into his embrace,
holding her tightly, until both of them were resting quietly.
He could feel her body next to him go relaxed as she faded off to sleep.
He lay there beside her holding her. He looked across at her sleeping
face, the soft hair cascading over her forehead, the light fringe of
eyelashes, the slope of her nose, and the perfect shape of her lips. He
longed to reach out and touch those lips but dared not in fear of rousing
her. Rachel turned slightly and snuggled her head closer. He felt the soft
puffs of her breath on his neck. He lay there like that for a while, until
he could see the sunlight fade.
Reaching across her, he gently rubbed his hand down her arm. She awoke
with a start, and upon seeing him, smiled. She was surprised to see that
he was there and that it hadn't been a dream. Her hand went up to his lips
and traced them, and she then leaned forward to kiss him. It seemed
impossible to her that someone she has just met could cause such a sense
of arousal within her.
While kissing him, she maneuvered him onto his back, following with her
body to rest astride him. Her body leaned forward, resting on his chest,
both arms supporting her as she kissed him passionately. She could feel
his cock stiffening under her as he responded to her advances. She pressed
herself tight against him, feeling his cock slipping into the folds of her
pussy. Once she felt it there, she started to rock back and forth upon it,
feeling it slide over the folds of skin, feeling the head of his cock
gliding across her clit. She continued slowly sliding his back and forth
within the folds of her pussy until she felt him start to moan and thrust
upward. It was at this point that she sat up, raising her body up
slightly, and as his cock slid past her opening once again, she shifted
her hips and felt the tip dip inside her.
Looking down at Justin, his face tensed in pleasure, she slowly rose and
lowered herself over his cock, now sitting astride him. Teasing him and
herself at the same time. It took all her control not to slam down upon
his cock, driving it deep into herself. She was dying to feel it pound
into her, and grind it against the back wall of her hot cunt. Rachel
wanted this man more than any man she had ever been with, and denying
herself immediate pleasure was a test of will.
She could feel the tip of his cock enter her, feel the lips of her cunt
close around it as it slipped into her, and as she lowered herself down
onto him, she shivered with intense pleasure. It was something new to her
to be in control, and she felt that Justin was a special man to allow her
this. She could feel his body shudder with pleasure and feel his hips lift
slightly trying to press more of his cock into her, but she could also
tell he held back, allowing her to set the pace. Slowly she lowered
herself down upon him...each stroke would take his cock a little deeper
into her, until finally, she succumbed to the feeling and in one fell
blow, sunk his cock all the way into her. She felt the back walls of her
cunt stretch as his cock filled her.
It was then that Justin lost control of his composure and grabbed her
hips, holding her on him as he drove his cock deep into her. She felt it
grind deep inside her, and as he fucked her, she met his thrust with her
own. They slammed together in a rhythm of pleasure. Her body arched
forward to rest on her arms, her breasts swaying back and forth as she
slammed his cock deep into herself. Lost in animal like passion, she and
Justin drove one another to the brink of orgasm, until suddenly Rachel
felt a wave wash through her, and she groaned in pleasure. Justin could
feel her pussy tighten and grip at his cock as she came. He continued
sliding it into her, holding it deep inside her for a moment then dragging
it out, to start the process again. He fucked her through her orgasm until
she collapsed on top of him, still grinding her cunt onto his cock,
breathing in huffs of pleasure. He wrapped his arms about her, and held
her to him. Her body shuddering with bliss as he drove his cock deep into
her.
Swinging her to the left, he rolled her over onto her back, hooking his
arms beneath her knees, he drove his cock deep into her. Over and over he
pounded it deep, feeling it slide against the silky slick walls, feeling
the heat of her, the wetness sloshing around his cock. He could feel his
passion peak as his balls tingled. The first arch of cum spurted from him
deep into her, as he slammed himself over and over into her. Pulse after
pulse of hot cum spewed from him bathing the walls of her cunt. He groaned
as he shot the last bit of cum deep into her, grinding his cock tight into
her. He then collapsed over her, his weight pressing her into the bed.
They both laid there for a while, locked together, his cock still within
her, breathing heavily, recovering. He then rolled off of her, and
snuggled up close to her, kissing her shoulder. She looked over at him, as
he tenderly caressed her hip. Rachel had never had a man who was so tender
and loving. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving his embrace. As she
thought of going back to her sorry life, he sensed her sadness. He lifted
her chin and kissed her, as he said," Princess, you deserve a castle, you
deserve to be loved and cherished. Don't ever settle for less. Promise me
you won't, Princess. Promise me." Rachel heart skipped a beat and she
swallowed back a sob. She knew that it was time for her to go.
Slowly she rose from the bed, her hands caressing him. She wanted to
remember the feel of his skin under her palm. He rose to stand next to
her, and pulled her close, holding her until both of them were ready to
part. They dressed quickly, knowing that if they paused, neither of them
would have the strength to go.
On the drive back to her car, he reached across to hold her leg, and once
more she held her hand over his. She tried to memorize the feel of his
hand on her. Nothing had ever felt so right as this moment. As he pulled
in next to her car, and turned off his engine, she turned toward him in
the carseat. "Will I see you again?" she asked. He smiled at her, "Of
course Princess, I am your knight in shining armor, remember?"
He got out and walked around the car to open the door for her, and it took
all of her will to get out. She stood there in front of him, tears
dripping down her cheeks, and he once again lifted his hand to wipe away
the wetness. "I found you crying, and now I leave you the same
way...Princess, don't ever let anyone make you cry." He then pulled her
close to her and kissed her. Her knees went weak as their lips met, only
his arms around her kept her from sinking to the ground. With a sob she
broke free of his embrace and turned. "I have to get home, Justin. It's
late." She walked over to her car and opened the door, not even realizing
she had left it unlocked all this time. As she climbed into the car and
seated herself at the drivers wheel, Justin handed her a scrap of paper.
On it he had written his phone number. "Call me Princess, if you need
rescuing. I will be there in a heartbeat" and upon saying that he turned
away from her and got into his car.
Rachel drove home in a daze. She pulled into her driveway and parked her
car behind her husbands. Walking up the path to her door, she could still
hear his words in her ears. Opening the door to the kitchen, she was
greeted by the snarling face of the man she married. "Where the hell have
you been, Rachel?" he snapped. She walked past him setting a bag of
groceries on the counter and calmly said "What do you care? I could have
been home hours ago and you wouldn't have noticed." Reaching into the bad,
she pulled out the bag of apples. She took one out and turning to her
husband she bit into it. She looked at him with indifference and thought
to herself that she had been wrong all along. Like the sweetness of the
apple she now chewed, there were men out there whom she was deserving of.
The man standing in front of her fuming wasn't what she would have to
settle for the rest of her life. He continued to yell at her, accusing her
of things which in fact were now true, but she no longer cared. His words
were nothing to her anymore. Finishing the apple and tossing it into the
trashbin, she put her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Her right hand
fingered the scrap of paper that had Justin's number written on it. As her
husband started to approach her in anger as he had so many times before,
she picked up the phone. He paused confused at her non submissive stance
and she turned to him "You ever lay another hand on me and you will be
arrested, I suggest you get your things together and get out."
Rachel then turned from him and walked from the kitchen. She felt
empowered now. She was the heroine in the fairytales. She was someone's
princess, and she loved knowing that a new life was beginning for her. As
she climbed the stairwell to the second story of her house, she thought of
her child who was asleep upstairs. She entered the room where Melissa was
and leaning on the doorjamb she saw her stir in her sleep. Melissa woke
and saw her mother standing there. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she
said "Mommy, where were you? You weren't here to read to me." Rachel
walked over to her and sat next to her on the bed. Melissa snuggled up to
her as Rachel reached for the tattered book on the table next to the bed.
She opened the book to the beginning and began to read, the story one
Melissa had heard so many times before. "Once Upon a Time..." Rachel
began. |
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