chapter 2

He cut her off. "And I want to believe you. But you're being incredibly stubborn about the whole thing. "She hung her head and mumbled under her breath. He raised one eyebrow at her "you're going to have to do better than that."

He could almost hear her snap. Her eyes blazed with tears and anger as she reared her head. "I killed him ok?!?! I killed the sunnovabitch for what he did to me!!"

At this she dissolved into tears and collapsed to the floor. Bill stood there for a moment, stunned. But only for a moment. He rushed to her side and, with a little difficulty, lifted her shuddering form of the floor.

Bill held the girl in his arms and feeling her go limp, sank to the floor with her, somehow both wrapped in the huge down comforter. "It's ok," he whispered holding her, "tell me the story and we'll figure this out together."

It took her several minutes to calm down enough to talk. "I come from a small town a couple of hours away. I was happy there. And then he happened..."

He stroked her neck watching her, he felt her hand slide against the soft bulging side of his belly as if drawing courage from his warm bulk.

"His name was Matthew. And I loved him...maybe too much..."

Bill sat leaning against the wall and pulled her over him so she was straddling his thighs, in his lap face to face. He dabbed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, holding her face in his big warm hands.

She took another moment. It seemed that each sentence took a new wave of courage. "I....I didn't mean to....it started out so amazing. We were in love. But he changed...." her fingers lightly touched places on her face as if they still hurt. Bill felt his blood start to boil.

"I wondered about those bruises," he answered concerned for this beautiful young woman, "I assumed they were from a stumble and fall in the woods before you found me...no?"

She looked at him and then looked away...."no."

He held her head in his big hands and forced her to face him. "I don't care what you've done. I"ve known you long enough that whatever the reason is a good one. But if you don't want to tell me, I can't really protect you other than to keep you safe."

She sighed... "I know..." She got up and started to pace back and forth. As she walked she told a story of love, romance and joy. But it started to change into one of pain and suffering....and violence.

He watched her, loving her, saw the anguish and agony in her carriage and tone of voice. He slowly began to understand and grew angrier, his blood pressure rising. Standing he wrapped the comforter around her nakedness, and unmindful of his, and guided her back into the bedroom where he tucked her into his oversized bed.

She continued her story muffled by the bedclothes. "...but I dealt with it. Always remembering him the way he was. Then there came the night he forced himself on me...he put a pillow over my face and had his way with me. Forced me cruelly. His parents were in the next room and he wanted to keep me quiet. Afterwards, as I was bleeding and crying on his bed he pulled a gun. Said the only reason I was bleeding was because I was a whore and whores deserved killing. I'd had enough...I grabbed the gun and as I struggled with him it went off....I watched him fall. And then I ran. I didn't stop until you found me."

He stroked her, laying next to her on the bed, resting his head propped up on his elbow. He saw there was no guile in her, only the truth. "That answers a lot of questions for me. You were clearly provoked and it was obviously self defense. And you don't know if you filled him or not. My best friend is an attorney of some reknown, let's turn this over to him. You must submit to protocol, and receive justice...I guarantee it. He will let the authorities know where you are and have you placed in my custody."

She shuddered.. "please no...I just want to disappear. I have no family to miss me. Just let them believe me dead. Killed in the woods. I never have to leave it. I can leave here if you want me give. I understand. But I don't want to see another human ever again."

He sighed...this was a dilemma. If she was ever found they could both go to jail for the good part of their lives. He lay back against the pillows and rubbed his eyes thinking.

She nestled down in the covers. "If you let me sleep here just another night or two I can be on my way. I'm pretty reliable in the forest. I was just so upset the other day when you found me. And then there was that giant spider..." She was visibly shaken by the memory of the spider. He couldn't help but smile at that. All she had been through and done and she couldn't handle a spider...

He made up his mind...this woman had become too much a part of his life to let her go...and he knew she would never make it on her own despite her self proclaimed reliance. He turned back toward her, unconscious of his belly filling the space between them on the bed. "I've decided Amanda, you belong here with me, safe and secret. I want you to stay here as long as you like. I will build a comfortable hideaway for you in the basement that no one will ever find. It does mean you will be virtually a prisoner here, not being able to set foot outside or into town without some sort of disguise or as a last resort some sort of plastic surgery."

She smiled at him. "I don't want to leave. There's nothing for me there. But instead of a hideout, I'll work on a house further back into the woods on your property. I've always wanted such a home and this way no one can get to me without passing you first. It will take time but with your permission I can do it. And someday I'll pay you back for your kindness."

He thought for awhile. "Ok, if that's what you want we will make it happen. There's a spot up the creek I think you'll like, my entire property backs up to national wilderness area...and the terrain is so steep and uninviting I doubt a human foot has set on it in hundreds of years."

"You would do that for me? Really? Oh Bill!!!!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.