12 - Weekend Away
Over the next weeks, there was calmness. I tried hard to show my support and not make Brent angry, keeping the house spotless and tidy the way he liked it. He was patient, showing me the way he wanted me to keep things including how to fold the shirts and underwear, joking it was one of the few useful things his father taught him who used to be in the military before joining the FBI. Once, I accidentally mixed up his color coordination in the closet and feared he would lash out but he was in an exceptionally good mood that day and only scolded me lightly while getting things back to the way they were supposed to be.
Some of those days, he opened up to me, crying in my arms for hours while telling me gruesome tales about his childhood where his father had even beaten his mother sometimes with the poker from the fireplace though the belt had always been his favorite weapon. Brent had hidden in the closet for many years while they were fighting, covering his ears to block out his mother's screams. When he was older, his father had made him watch to teach him what would happen if he continued to mouth off. Brent admitted that he had wetted his bed and sucked his thumb until he was well into his early teens, feeling lonely and scared.
Those were the times that motivated me to continue, firmly believing I could fix him. I didn't realize that this would have required many years of serious professional help, convinced if I loved him enough and helped him through this, he would become the man I wanted him to be. I felt so sorry for him and justified that his beating was only related to his trauma – he had just been unable to control himself and it was as much my fault as his for provoking him with my messiness. I wanted us to work through this and not lose him under any circumstances.
We settled into a new routine. Every day after school, I would come home and clean for several hours before going to the grocery store and fixing dinner. I made sure I was done well in advance of Brent arriving home to get everything back into order. He was pleased, complimenting my cooking and how well I was coping with my housework. It was still early in the school year with little homework and I had no problems keeping up. I had always been a good student and was flying.
He managed his course load and things were looking promising in his criminal case. There had been a series of murders in the Chicago area and other violent crimes were on the rise and the cops had better things to do than harassing a statutory rapist. Still, we laid low and didn't have sex which really didn't matter to Brent since I was on my period anyhow and according to him, in a constant state of 'dirtiness'. He showed me different ways of pleasing him, some of them very revolting and when I gagged and almost threw up during one of the affairs, he at least didn't expect me to continue with all of them. Besides kissing, I wasn't touched.
At the end of September, Brent surprised me with a weekend at an exclusive spa resort in Geneva in celebration of our first anniversary. He had booked the full package, massage, manicure, pedicure, facial – you name it. I felt like a princess when we arrived and were shown to one of their best suites. I was really looking forward to a few days off, not having to do anything but being pampered.
Brent was back to being most charming, fulfilling every wish I had. He sneaked in after the masseuse finished with me while I was relaxing, listening to some mood music.
"Can I get you anything?" he whispered, starting to cover my shoulders with featherlike kisses. "Tea, juice."
"I'm fine," I mumbled. "You can stay if you want."
"Oh, I am intending to," he grinned.
I took a deep sigh and just enjoyed the silence when all of a sudden, his warm hands glided over my back. I moaned by the gentleness of his touch.
"You like that," he muttered hoarsely, desire in his voice.
"Uhum," I admitted, feeling my body reacting. He continued his sweet assault, his hands moving under the towel.
"If you only knew how much I love you," he said, starting in dangerous territory.
"Stop," I protested. "The lady will be back any minute and you will be caught."
"Doing what?" he smirked. "It's not a crime to satisfy the needs of the girl you adore more than life itself."
His words made my heart jolt and the last bitterness that had lingered in me after his attack just evaporated in thin air. I wanted him more than ever. At that moment, I was certain that there would never be anyone else for me.
The fairy tale weekend continued. Brent bought me a new cocktail dress and together with the new pearl necklace and murderous heels that got me to his height, I looked absolutely stunning. We went to dinner in the restaurant and chatted away, forgetting for just one night all the strain and problems we had been under. We took a long walk by the water, our arms intertwined and no one would have suspected that we were ever anything but happy.
When we got back to the hotel, he started a pillow fight and I giggled like a little girl while he chased me around the room. We fell onto the bed, kissing until he had the crazy idea of going swimming in the moonlight. Though the pool was already closed, no one bothered us when we slid into the warm water.
He pulled me into his arms. "We should go away more often."
I wholeheartedly agreed. "I'm having such a good time."
"Me too." He kissed me again before all of a sudden, he pushed me under water and when my head popped back up, a full load of wetness pelted down on me.
I squealed. "You will pay for this." I took two handfuls of water, splattering it full force in his direction.
He dived under, just to resurface with a boisterous smile and trying to catch me. I tried to get away but he was much better trained and pulled me back into his arms just moments later.
He planted a kiss on my mouth. "I don't remember ever doing anything even remotely that childish. It feels great."
He looked so young, his eyes glowing with life. I never wanted this night to end. He pulled me by my feet through the water and I shrieked every time I went under. I was surprised that no one stopped us, our laughs must have been heard through half the hotel. It was well after midnight when we called it quits and strolled back to our room, wet footsteps were left behind on the carpet.
The next day was spent mostly in the whirlpool and he fed me with little pieces of fruit and chocolate. Other older guests watched us longingly, obviously remembering how it was to be young and in love. For everyone around us, we were the perfect couple.
But all good things come to an end and we had to leave our magical world and return to the cold hard reality. Yet, this weekend had been good for us and we got along great. It was just as it was before, maybe even better. I was sure we had put the past behind us, the weekend had been a new start and things would just be perfect.
A couple of days later, his court case was resolved. The district attorney dropped the charge to a misdemeanor and Brent pled guilty, paying a $100 fine. If he stayed out of trouble, his record could be expunged in three years' time. That night, we went to Coco Piazzo, the restaurant where we had our first date, to celebrate. He gazed at me all night with loving eyes, all tension and problems forgotten. We had our whole life ahead of us.
As soon as we got home, our long time of abstinence was finally over and we couldn't wait to get into bed. Things were just heating up and we were clinging to each other, my breath already quickened in anticipation of my reward when he stilled. He sat up straight on my hips, his manhood inside me, looking down with dreamy eyes.
"You are so beautiful," he said longingly, his finger running down my belly. I gave him an affectionate smile, enjoying how much my body excited him.
"You know." He tilted his head to the side. "You are mine forever. No one will ever be allowed to touch you."
His eyes had turned from the dark glowing blue into that charcoal gray that signaled danger.
"If you ever decide to give yourself to someone else....." He paused, his voice low and daring. "I will hunt you two down and trust me, I will find you even if you ran to the end of the world."
I gasped slightly in surprise. He bent forward and started to kiss my neck. His mouth was close to my ear when he continued.
"And when I find you, you don't have to worry about him. I will kill him quickly," he promised between little kisses. He straightened up again. I was frozen with fear, biting my lip to prevent it from quivering. My heart was pounding in my chest so hard that I thought it would jump out any second.
"You, on the other hand, will die slowly." His eyes were as dark as coals. "I will cut you up..." His finger ran down my shoulder like he was cutting it off.
"Piece..." He did the same along my elbow.
"By Piece.." His finger sliced along my neck from ear to ear.
"While you are still alive." His lips twitched, all warmth vanished from his face. His eyes burned with a mixture of pure lust, sadism and violence and there was no doubt in my mind that he was dead serious.
"Do you understand?"
All I could do was nod, totally rigid, afraid to move or make a sound. My mouth was as dry as sandpaper and the blood was rushing in my ears like a river sucking me in.
And then he started to move, this time hard and demanding. There was nothing loving any longer about the act, it was strictly designed to bring him pleasure and me hurt. His eyes stayed fixed on me, his face now contorted into a diabolic grin and when I cried out in pain, he found his release, his fingers entangling with my hair, pulling so hard that my scalp was throbbing. He shouted 'Rena, you will always be mine' while his body shivered before he collapsed on top of me, temporarily knocking the wind out of me when the weight of his body crushed me.
He panted, still covering me almost completely and it took him minutes before his breath became even while I wanted nothing more than getting him off me. He finally rolled over and pulled me into his arms.
"Go to sleep," he ordered while holding me tightly in front of his body. I wouldn't have dreamed to disobey him. I stared into the darkness half the night, careful that my hot tears didn't trickle onto his arms and wake him. I was terrified. It was the first time I realized that if I ever left him, I would have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life.
Brent strikes again - not in his usual violent fashion but with very deliberate intimidation. What did you think about that, especially after such a carefree weekend? Were you shocked?
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