Free Waiting For You by Natalie Ward

pretty sure I would say and do just about anything right now.
    “God, that feels so good, baby,” I moan, my head falling back on the couch.
    Evie laughs, her mouth at my ear, her breath soft against my neck. “Pretty sure that’s what you said the first time I ever did this. Do you remember that?”
    “Mmmm,” I murmur, having no clue about anything except what she’s doing to me right now.
    “You okay with this form of payment?” she asks, her voice breathy and sexy as hell as she slides my sweats down. I lift my hips a little, helping her out, knowing I am perfectly okay with this form of payment.
    “Oh yeah,” I say as Evie lowers her head to my lap. “Oh fuck, yes.”

 
 
    25 December 1992
    Dear Evie,

 
    Merry Christmas, baby. I’ve just gotten off the phone with you and we’re hundreds of miles apart and I really wish you were here with me. But you’re not and seeing as we’re apart, I thought I’d write to you again.
    I miss you, so much. And I especially miss all the things I could be doing to you right now. God, Evie, all this stuff that’s been happening between us. The touching, the fooling around…it’s driving me fucking insane.
    I want you so bad!
    My bloody sister and all her interruptions.
    But it’s got me thinking, well thinking more than usual. Of course I can’t stop thinking about you and all the things you’ve been doing to me, but there’s something else too.
    Two things actually.
    The first involves getting you away from those so-called parents of yours. And the second involves us finally getting some alone time together. I didn’t say anything on the phone because I haven’t worked it all out yet, but I promise you I’m trying. And if they both work out, my god…everything is going to be amazing.
    So amazing…
    Shit…sorry, I gotta go babe, Dad’s calling, some family thing again. Hold tight, ok? I hope your Christmas really has been good and you weren’t just saying that to me on the phone to make me feel better. I hope those arseholes have kept their hands off you and you are happy.
    Spend as much time at Sarah’s or our house as possible. I need to know you’re safe.
    Love you, so much.
    I’ll see you soon…
    Ben x

10:33 pm - 29 February 2012

 
    “You cheeky shit,” she says, smiling up at me.
    “What?” I ask, grinning.
    “You knew at Christmas that you were coming home early?”
    I laugh, sinking back into the couch and pulling her closer. We’re laying down the length of the couch now, our clothes once again back on and the blanket over us. I’m starting to wonder if maybe we shouldn’t have just done this in bed. At least there would be more room and no chance of getting caught by our daughter.
    “Ben?”
    I kiss the top of her head. “Like I said in the letter, I was working on it. I’d spoken to my boss at work and begged him for extra shifts. I just didn’t know if it was going to pan out,” I tell her. “Obviously it did.”
    “Obviously,” she says, grabbing my arse. I grin at her and raise my eyebrows suggestively. “You still could’ve told me that you were trying,” she adds.
    “What and ruin the surprise?”
    “Surprise?” she says. “I thought I was dreaming when you showed up!”
    “I was just glad you were at my house and I didn’t have to wait until I’d finished work the next day before I could come and see you.”
    “Yeah, and we can thank my parents for that again¸ can’t we?” Evie says.
    I let out a deep breath, pulling her closer so she’s laying half on top of me. “I know, but at least it was the last time. And thank fuck it was, because I’m pretty sure I would have killed them had they laid another hand on you again.”
    Evie slides her hand under my t-shirt so it’s resting on the skin of my chest, right over my heart. “I thought you were going to kill them that night,” she says.
    “Yeah, I know,” I say, staring up at the ceiling. “Me too.”
    We lie in silence, both of us thinking