chapter 21
“Why not?
It’s kinda…well kinda…”
“Awful!”
Leah finished for him.
Jeff replaced
the item and took Leah’s hand. She returned his grip and followed him across
the shop. “Well how about this then?” he asked as he pointed at the huge
naked blow up doll that was hooked on the wall.
“I don’t
think so Jeff. It just wouldn’t fit under the tree.”
“We could
always get a bigger tree.” Jeff joked as they walked around the joke store.
“You really think we are going to find him something in here?” he asked as
he looked down at Leah.
“Nope!” she
said as she kept on laughing at Jeff.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“What are you
laughing at?” he asked again.
“Nothing,
honestly.” She lied.
“Out with
it.”
“Ok. For the
last ten minutes you have been walking around with your fly undone and I think
some little girls over there are getting an eye full!!” She said as she
laughed again.
“Gee, thanks
for telling me.” He said as he turned towards a shelf and did them up.
“No
problem.” She said as she took his hand back and pulled him from the shop.
Leah and Jeff
had finally finished their shopping and where no back in Jeff’s room wrapping
them. Leah was lying back on the bed as she watched Jeff wrap his, he would do
hers later, and right now she was too tired. He noticed her looking at him and
got of the floor and walked to her. He sat on the bed beside her and ran his
fingers across her forehead.
“You tired?”
he asked softly. Leah nodded in response. Jeff then carefully pulled her body up
the bed so her head was resting on the pillow. He undid her trousers and slid
them of her legs. Which Leah no longer felt embarrassed about, well not around
Jeff. He then carefully pulled the covers from under her so she could get into
the cool black silk sheets. He then recovered her. Leah closed her eyes and felt
herself drifting to sleep when she felt Jeff get of the bed. She could here him
trying to be quiet as he continued to wrap his gifts.
Leah awoke three
hours later feeling a bit better after sleeping. She noticed Jeff wasn’t in
the room with her. She scanned the room and noticed Jeff’s piles of presents
and then her carrier bags of unwrapped presents. She sighed heavily as she sat
up, wincing as her ribs hurt. She pushed the covers of her bare legs and she
dropped onto the floor where Jeff had left the paper, scissors and sellotape for
her. She slowly pulled the first of eight bags to her and took out the contents
and began to wrap them.
When she finally
finished writing the label for the last one she smiled. She noticed her pile was
smaller than Jeff’s but much neater wrapped. She then heard footsteps coming
along the hallway and she folded the unused paper back up and placed them to the
side along with the remaining tags, sellotape and scissors. The door crept open
and Shannon slowly poked his head around the door. He looked at her on the
floor. “Is it ok to come in?” he asked her.
“Sure. Then
you can give me a hand up.” She said with a smile. He obliged. He carefully
helped her to the bed where she sat down and he sat next to her.
“The others
went for a walk. Jeff came and checked on you but you where fast a sleep so we
convinced him to go.”
“It’ll do
him good.”
“Yeh it
will.” Shannon paused. “Can I ask you something, just tell me if you think
I’m just being nosey.”
“Ask away.”
Leah said. She felt comfortable around him, maybe because he was one of the ones
who came looking for her.
“Why did you
stay with him?”
Leah paused.
“Because I had no way out. It was like I was drowning and I had no life belt.
I didn’t have a reason to get out. If I had had friends or family who wanted
to help then maybe I would have had the courage to leave him, but he had me
brainwashed I guess. He told me I deserved what I got and that I was a worthless
whore, a bitch, a slag, and a slut.” Leah stopped as she realised she was
crying.
“Hey come
here.” Shannon said softly as he very gently took the small frail red head
into his arms and held her as she cried freely into the crook of his neck.
“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked.” He said into her ear before placing
a soft kiss on her hair.
“It’s ok.” Leah managed in between out burst of tears. “I had to tell someone.”
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