wrong?”
“Nothing,” I
replied quickly.
He lowered his
head, staring at my middle for a second before raising my shirt. He cringed
when he spotted the bruises on my belly. He turned me to the side and tried to
tug my jeans down so he could see the others, but I placed my hand over his,
stopping him.
“Don’t,” I
whispered.
“I want to see
them, Katie, all of them.”
I started to turn
my head. I couldn’t bear to look at his face and remember the things he had
done to me, but his hand shot up, grasping the side of my face, stopping me.
He spoke in a low
firm voice, “Either you show me yourself, or I’ll take your pants off to see
them.”
I took a deep
breath and unbuttoned my jeans. I folded the waistband over so he could see all
the bruises.
He brushed his
finger lightly over one. “I’m so sorry, Katie. I won’t do it again,” he
whispered.
He leaned over and
kissed every bruise. He turned me to the other side, doing the same before
kissing the two on my belly. Even though it felt wrong, it still melted my
heart to see him do this, to know that he really was sorry for what he’d done.
I buttoned my pants as he stood up. He pulled me into his arms, giving me a
gentle kiss.
“I love you,” he
said, his voice ringing with sincerity
“I love you too,” I
replied, meaning it with all my heart.
As we got into his
jeep, he gave me his cocky grin. “I’m glad your parents trust you,” he said and
winked.
I looked at him,
suddenly uncomfortable, as I wondered what he meant by that. Seth was different
now, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
Chapter Six
Over the next couple
of weeks, things seemed to go back to the way they were before the incident at
his jeep. Seth was gentle and kind, walking me to class and holding my hand.
He didn’t have
a game that week, so we were going to hang out at my house on Friday night. I
warned him before he came over that my dad would probably want to talk to him.
He’d laughed, and said he could handle it. He arrived at seven, and Mom ordered
pizza for everyone. We sat at the table and Dad said grace. I peeked over at
Seth and saw that he had his head bowed. I closed my eyes and smiled,
remembering what he told me when we first started dating. He’d said that he
prayed before every football game. I smiled and told him I did the same.
“So Seth, I hear
you’re in love with my daughter,” my dad stated, a bland look on his face.
Really Dad!! I thought,cringing. Seth swallowed
his bite and took a long drink of his water. I tensed, afraid of his reply. He
set his glass down and met Dad’s piercing gaze.
“Yes sir, I am.”
“Well, we have
certain expectations for whomever Katie dates. She’s told you how she feels
about a physical relationship, and I want to make sure you understand how
important it is that you respect that.”
I groaned, covering
my face with my hand. “Daddy,” I whispered and shook my head. I wanted to crawl
under the table. Seth reached over and squeezed my leg gently.
“Yes sir. She told
me, and I totally respect that. I will follow whatever decision she has made.”
Dad smiled, pleased
with Seth’s answer. “Good. I’m glad to hear it, son.”
Dinner continued
with casual conversation flowing between my parents and Seth. I was too
mortified to join in. Dad had already quizzed him during his last visit about
his faith, plans for college, and what he wanted to do with the rest of his
life. Seth had been accepted to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and I
had been accepted to Union University in Jackson. It was sad that we weren’t
going off to college together, but I wasn’t going to change my mind no matter
how much he or Hallie pressured me. She was very upset because she was going to
U of T also and didn’t understand why I wasn’t, especially now that Seth and I
were a couple. I explained to her that I knew from the age of twelve that I was
meant to serve the
“Nothing,” I
replied quickly.
He lowered his
head, staring at my middle for a second before raising my shirt. He cringed
when he spotted the bruises on my belly. He turned me to the side and tried to
tug my jeans down so he could see the others, but I placed my hand over his,
stopping him.
“Don’t,” I
whispered.
“I want to see
them, Katie, all of them.”
I started to turn
my head. I couldn’t bear to look at his face and remember the things he had
done to me, but his hand shot up, grasping the side of my face, stopping me.
He spoke in a low
firm voice, “Either you show me yourself, or I’ll take your pants off to see
them.”
I took a deep
breath and unbuttoned my jeans. I folded the waistband over so he could see all
the bruises.
He brushed his
finger lightly over one. “I’m so sorry, Katie. I won’t do it again,” he
whispered.
He leaned over and
kissed every bruise. He turned me to the other side, doing the same before
kissing the two on my belly. Even though it felt wrong, it still melted my
heart to see him do this, to know that he really was sorry for what he’d done.
I buttoned my pants as he stood up. He pulled me into his arms, giving me a
gentle kiss.
“I love you,” he
said, his voice ringing with sincerity
“I love you too,” I
replied, meaning it with all my heart.
As we got into his
jeep, he gave me his cocky grin. “I’m glad your parents trust you,” he said and
winked.
I looked at him,
suddenly uncomfortable, as I wondered what he meant by that. Seth was different
now, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
Chapter Six
Over the next couple
of weeks, things seemed to go back to the way they were before the incident at
his jeep. Seth was gentle and kind, walking me to class and holding my hand.
He didn’t have
a game that week, so we were going to hang out at my house on Friday night. I
warned him before he came over that my dad would probably want to talk to him.
He’d laughed, and said he could handle it. He arrived at seven, and Mom ordered
pizza for everyone. We sat at the table and Dad said grace. I peeked over at
Seth and saw that he had his head bowed. I closed my eyes and smiled,
remembering what he told me when we first started dating. He’d said that he
prayed before every football game. I smiled and told him I did the same.
“So Seth, I hear
you’re in love with my daughter,” my dad stated, a bland look on his face.
Really Dad!! I thought,cringing. Seth swallowed
his bite and took a long drink of his water. I tensed, afraid of his reply. He
set his glass down and met Dad’s piercing gaze.
“Yes sir, I am.”
“Well, we have
certain expectations for whomever Katie dates. She’s told you how she feels
about a physical relationship, and I want to make sure you understand how
important it is that you respect that.”
I groaned, covering
my face with my hand. “Daddy,” I whispered and shook my head. I wanted to crawl
under the table. Seth reached over and squeezed my leg gently.
“Yes sir. She told
me, and I totally respect that. I will follow whatever decision she has made.”
Dad smiled, pleased
with Seth’s answer. “Good. I’m glad to hear it, son.”
Dinner continued
with casual conversation flowing between my parents and Seth. I was too
mortified to join in. Dad had already quizzed him during his last visit about
his faith, plans for college, and what he wanted to do with the rest of his
life. Seth had been accepted to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and I
had been accepted to Union University in Jackson. It was sad that we weren’t
going off to college together, but I wasn’t going to change my mind no matter
how much he or Hallie pressured me. She was very upset because she was going to
U of T also and didn’t understand why I wasn’t, especially now that Seth and I
were a couple. I explained to her that I knew from the age of twelve that I was
meant to serve the
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