I start to well up and tears brim over, running down my face. “Mom, I’m not a whore and he does love me! We’re going to be-”
“Shut up! I can’t even look at you right now. This is what you’re doing? My perfect little Susie Cue is actually a dirty, shameful SLUT!”
I twist my arm away and run out of the room. My dad is standing at the bottom of the stairs, confused and in shock.
“Susie, what’s going on? What is your mother talking about?”
I push past him and run out the door. I don’t stop running and crying until I’m standing on Brady’s porch, pounding on the door desperately. I keep beating until I hear footsteps and a click as the door unlocks and opens.
“Susie, are you okay? What’s wrong?” my handsome soldier asks, immediately concerned.
I rush into his house and he closes the door behind us. I run and embrace him, a rush of emotions pouring out of my heart in a torrent. He holds me close and murmurs soothing words into my hair.
“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” he whispers. “Everything will be okay.”
And I know, in that moment that he’s right. Brady Firestone is my future, and I just need to take the next step.
11
Brady
* * *
I stand there and rub Susie’s back gently, trying to console my lovely girl. I was shocked to hear someone banging on my door and rushed over when I realized that it was this beautiful, curvy woman, distraught on my porch. We stand there for a few moments longer while she calms down. I keep holding her tight, running my fingers through her hair.
“Susie, take a seat, and let me get you some water.” She sits down, wiping the tears from her face. I make my way to the kitchen and fill up a glass of water. Then I bring it back to her and she takes a sip before letting out a deep, shuddering breath.
“Thank you,” she says in between sniffles.
“Of course, sweetheart. Now what happened?” I ask, putting my hand on her knee gently. “What’s got you like this?”
She looks at the water, and then seems to relax into the sofa. After taking another sip, she says, “My mom found my secret shoe box with all of our letters and pictures in it. She was vacuuming and I must have left it in the open. Usually, I hide the box under my bed, but sometimes I read your letters before going to sleep. They make me feel safe and warm, and I guess I forgot to re-hide them last night. God, I’m so stupid!” She smacks herself on the forehead and falls back into the couch.
I rub her knee sympathetically and stroke her arm with my other hand. “Hey, no, you’re not stupid. It was a mistake. Everyone makes them. How did Jackie take it?” I ask, already knowing the answer from her reaction.
Tears come to Susie’s eyes again.
“She went ballistic. She called me a whore and a prostitute. She said you were just using me like all the whores you’ve probably fucked when you were away, and all this crazy stuff. I thought she was literally going to hurt me she was grabbing my arm so hard,” she explains.
I briefly look over her arms and notice they are a little red. Oh shit, someone set hands on my beautiful girl? Immediately, anger swells up inside of me. I stand up abruptly and pace around the room, shaking my head. My heart starts pounding and I’m breathing heavily. I walk around my living room, and can feel Susie watching me, nervous.
“She called you a what again? What the fuck?” I demand, smacking the wall. I see Susie jump, her eyes wide and frightened. Immediately, I apologize.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. It just makes me so angry that anyone would talk to you like that. You are a caring, passionate, smart, and driven young woman. You have so much ahead of you and you’re so disciplined. How many other women would have waited that long and saved themselves for someone? Don’t let anyone make you think that you are not special, not even your parents. I will never let anyone disrespect you like that.”
She looks up at me with those addictive, soul searching brown eyes. I can’t help but love this woman.
“You mean it?” Susie asks. Her voice is so small and precious, and I can’t help but laugh a little.
I push her hair back and wipe the tears from her face. “Yes Susie, never again. I love you. I knew I loved you from the moment you sent me my favorite passage from the book you were reading back in January. Do you remember what it was?”
She’s smiling and leaning her head into my hand. “Was it the kiss paragraph from Cyrano de Bergerac?” she asks.