Romance Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction ❯ Sukuru Deizu ❯ Chapter Twenty ( Chapter 20 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
Jun's hand went up and cupped her face as she kissed him. Her hand on his flesh gave him goosebumps. While they kissed, he thought about what he had just told her. Reisha had told him to be careful of saying things such as that. That he should wait until he was certain. Anna was his first girlfriend, and he cared about her more than anything so why shouldn't he say it?
His tongue pushed past her lips as he deepened the kiss. His hand snaked down to her waist as he slowly laid back, pulling her closer to him in the process.
Anna sat up on him and said nothing as she looked down at him. Slowly, her shaking hands went to her night shirt and she pulled it over her head. Nothing shielded Jun's eyes from her open chest and she couldn't help but blush. Again, she moved her lips over his, feeling her chest rub against his.
Jun tried to keep himself calm and composed, but that faltered when her night shirt came off. His eyes took in her naked upper torso and he felt himself get excited. The touch of her chest against his, the way it rubbed against him as she kissed him. It made him shudder. His hands went up her back, rubbing it as he nibbled on her flesh. Biting and licking her neck and shoulders.
Anna took deep breaths, trying to keep calm. She sat up once more and moved her hands to his pajama pants. She pulled at the strings on his pants until they untied. Loosening the rim of them. She moved off him slightly to pull them down. Her eyes fell on his boxers then trailed their way back up to his eyes.
Jun felt exposed as he lay there in his boxers, but as he saw her face he just smiled. Caressing her cheek he pulled her back down so that he could kiss her. Hesitantly, he let his hand slide down and rub her breast, his thumb ruling over her nipple. Anna shivered lightly as his touched her. It had been awhile since she had fooled around and it had been even longer when she had done it out of something more than just a good time. Moving away from him once more, she pulled down her pajama shorts, leaving her in nothing but panties. She didn't want to fool around. She wanted his first time with her to just be able love making. Jun looked at her panties, his hands sliding down to the rims of them, his fingers dancing over her thighs. He looked at her, wondering how far they wanted to go. As his hands slid to her inner thighs, his finger rubbed against her through her panties. Anna bit her lip. She was already wet by just kissing and his touch. Her hands moved to his boxers and pulled at them lightly.
Jun felt how moist her panties were, but before he had time to do anything else she tugged at his boxers. Raising his hips lightly, he let her tug them off, freeing his already erect cock. Anna moved away from his touch. She was shaking so bad now she was scared she was giving him the wrong message. Her hands went to her panties and she pulled them off. She swallowed then crawled on top of him. Her lips washed over his as their hips met, the tip of his cock rubbing her clit.
As she took off her panties and he was finally able to see her naked, his breath caught in his throat. She was shaking as she crawled on top of him, and he soon felt the tip of his cock rubbing against her moist clit. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her. "We don't...if you don't want to." She was shaking. Why else would she be shaking? Had he done something wrong?
"No, I want to," she said. "I...just never really cared about anyone as much as I do you...I'm a little nervous," she admitted. She moved off him and pulled at his arms until he was on top of her. "I just want your first time to be remembered."
"Just seeing you like this is memorable," he told her. "You're breathtaking." Literally. As he soaked in her image, he kissed her. Taking a deep breath he looked down and spread her legs. He was about to enter her. He was about to be with her in a way he had only dreamed. He was....
Suddenly his phone rang and he heard someone knocking on the door downstairs. He could hear Rei. A soft whimper escaped his lips. The gods hated him.
Anna sat up on her elbows. "Please tell me this is not happening..."
Jun's face turned blood red. "I...Rei was suppose to bring food." God, why now? He honestly didn't want to get up. He didn't want to leave her because he was afraid she'd never want to do this again. Finally, after Rei called his phone again he sighed and grabbed his pants. Going downstairs he grabbed the food from her.
"Umm..everything okay? You seem upset and flushed."
"Everything is fine," Jun told her. "Just you came at a bad time."
"Huh?" Rei's eyes took in his demeanor, lack of shirt and finally the most obvious sign between his legs. Her face went blood red."Jun-chan!" she gasped. "Y-you're...I mean...you b-but you're just a baby!"
Jun groaned and shut the door as she continued to lament outside.
Anna came downstairs completely dressed again. She opened the door. "Come in, Rei. I can't believe he shut the door on you."
Jun looked at Anna and then to Rei. His cheeks were blood red as he went and put the food on the counter. He felt ashamed. He felt upset. He felt like he was still aroused. Suddenly he wished he could go back to being numb to everything again. Grabbing himself a drink, he grabbed his pills and downed them quickly. He was going to need them to fall asleep tonight.
Reisha looked from Anna to Jun. She looked uncomfortable. "Umm....I'm sorry?"
Anna blushed brightly. "You told her!" Anna screamed as she looked at Jun. "Why did you tell her!?" Not that she wouldn't tell her as soon as she saw her in school...
"I didn't say anything," Jun protested, keeping his voice calm and collected despite the ever increasing blush on his face.
"It's true...but he didn't have to. He's half naked. He was blushing and hot; and well...parts of him were rather excited," Reisha said, now she was blushing.
Anna pushed her hand over Reisha's. "Hush!" she said. "Don't say those kind of things!" She was dying of embarrassment. "Nothing happened!"
"Really? Nothing?" Reisha almost seemed disappointed. Then it hit her. "You mean I stopped Jun's first time!? Jun I'm sorry!"
Jun groaned. "Please...just stop," he begged.
"Reshia!" Anna yelled. She looked at Jun then opened the front door. "Thank you for the food, Rei. I'll see you at school sometime," she said as she pushed Rei out the door. "Have a safe drive home," she added before shutting the door.
Jun just downed his bottle of water and sighed. "Well, I think I've had more than enough embarrassment for today. I think my heart was literally trying to kill itself." It was hard to tell if he was joking or not because he kept the same facial expression the entire time.
Anna sat down. "It was one thing to ruin the moment but then she just kept talking. I'm going to kill her," she said.
Jun walked over to her and kissed her. "Maybe it's a sign that we should take our time," he told her. Then again, saying that and doing that were two completely different things. Just thinking about her without her clothes was already starting to get him bothered again. He had to mentally reprimand himself otherwise he'd end up doing things that he'd regret.
Anna nodded slowly. Maybe he was right. They had all the time in the world. And...he said he loved her. She smiled.
A month later, Anna's dad had Jun's room built and Jun's cast was off. Her dad left after building it to find work and before he was gone, her mother was gone to help her friend's sick husband. Though Jun and Anna had the house to themselves, they did nothing more than kiss and stay up late to watch movies while holding each other. They went back to school the day after the funeral but school was anything but normal. The girls still gave Anna hell, but they multiplied it because of the pictures of them kissing in the papers. The one of Anna sitting in Jun's lap now had the guys giving her looks that made her feel uncomfortable. The pranks the girls pulled on her only got worse with time until they drew the line one afternoon.
School had just ended and Anna was getting out of the shower since she just had gym. She wrapped herself in a towel and walked out to the locker room. Surprisingly, there were no girls in the whole room which was odd since it usually took at least twenty minutes for them all to clear out. Reisha had piano practice to go to, so she was checked out before gym ended.
Anna walked to her locker and opened it. She paled and felt like crying. The girls had been mean, but nothing compared to this. They had taken everything of Anna's. All her clothes, books, shoes, even her cell was gone. All she had was the towel she was wearing.
Jun struck out at the target again. His right hand throbbed every time he did, but his instructor told him that it would be best if he worked on regaining the strength and mobility in his hand. After thirty minutes of that and another forty minutes of sword training, he was exhausted. Going into the showers, he grabbed his towel and let the hot water cascade over him. All the guys had been giving him a wide berth as of late. He wasn't certain if it was because of everything that had happened or if it was the murderous intent which seemed to seep from him whenever they tried to hassle him about Anna.
The girls acted the same, which greatly surprised him. They were sweet as sugar around him and cold as ice around Anna. He didn't know what game they were trying to play at, but he didn't like it. Wrapping a towel around his waist he sat down and grabbed his clothes. The day was almost over and he'd be glad to get back to Anna's house and relax.
Anna held her towel closer to her. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't give those bitches the satisfaction. The only option she had was to find Jun so she could borrow his jacket long enough to get home. She opened the locker room door and peeked out. The gym was empty. She prayed the boys would be gone by now as she made her way over to the boys locker room. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and walked in. Instantly the guys were whistling and yelling at her to drop the towel. It was so hard not to cry and her eyes were already clouding with water.
"Jun!" she screamed as loud as she could.
Jun heard the guys whistling as he started to get dressed. He'd just put on his boxers and pants when he heard Anna. He froze and walked around the locker room to see her standing there in nothing but a towel. Quickly going back to his locker he grabbed his coat and then proceeded to wrap her in it. The instant he looked back at the guys they all fell silent as if they hadn't been trying to get his girlfriend to drop her towel.
Pulling the coat around her, his eyes narrowed. "What happened to your clothes?" He was fairly certain he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.
Anna was shaking by now. She moved closer to Jun while holding the coat around her. "They took them. They took everything. My books and my cell...all my clothes. I came out of the shower and they were all gone. I didn't know what else to do..." she said. She was forcing the tears back with all her might. "Can we please just go home?"
A few of the guys gathered up the courage to snicker at Anna's predicament. Jun made a mental note of who it was. They would be hearing from him. His face softened as he looked at her. Nodding, he didn't even bother to stay and finish getting his shoes or the rest of his clothes. He just proceeded to lead her out of the locker and toward the front door.
As soon as Anna stepped out of the building, she wanted to scream. There were her things laying out in the lawn of the school. Her books were scattered about and her clothes were no different. Looking around she noticed her bra and panties were hanging off the statue of the founder of her school. Anna turned around and everyone started laughing. It was cold out, mid October, and she was freezing, but nothing compared to how she felt. Their laughter burned her as she stood there in nothing but Jun's jacket. She shook because of the cold and of sadness. Telling herself to suck it up and swallow her tears, she turned back around. Slowly, she made her way over to her things and went to the statue. With tears clouding her eyes, she started climbing it, reaching for her bra and panties while everyone took pictures on the camera phones and laughed.
Jun's hands balled into fists as he watched this display. It actually made him sick. Walking up beside Anna, he placed his hand on the small of her back and helped her get down her underwear. He then took his keys and handed them to her. "Go to the car," he whispered. "I'll get the rest of your stuff."
Anna shook her head and started picking up her things. Finally the tears came. "I have to show them, Jun. I have to show them that I can take it. I have to prove to them that..." She stopped. Why did she have to prove herself to them? Why did it matter? They weren't going to stop. The teachers didn't even care. No one said anything to the girls. You can't suspend that many girls without proof of them doing it. She just had to take it.
Jun watched her, and he watched the kids around her laughing and taking pictures. They were humiliating her just because of him. Because she was going out with him was the only reason the others didn't like her. The teachers couldn't do anything to that many girls other then scold them and warn them. No, the teachers couldn't help, but Jun certainly had a plan on how to fix it. Picking up the rest of her stuff, he cast one final glance back at everyone. A smile toyed on his lips, and those who saw it felt a shudder run down their spines. He would teach them a lesson they would never forget.
Anna hugged her things to her body as they got into the car. She cried the whole way home. Once inside her house, Anna dropped her things on the floor and sat on the couch. She had dealt with many schools that hated her. She had dealt with her things missing, with her name being ruined, with her friends turning on her. But this...this was too much. And all of it was because she cared about someone. She placed her head in her hands and cried harder. It was unfair. How could someone just be so cruel?
As soon as they got inside, Jun sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he told her. "If it wasn't because of me, they wouldn't hate you."
Anna moved closer to him. Moving her arms around him, she buried her face in his shirt. "Please...don't blame yourself. I don't want you to feel guilty for the way I feel about you, Jun. Don't regret how I feel..." she whispered while crying. "I would have this done to me everyday if it meant I could keep you forever."
Despite the fact that she was crying, he smiled at what she said. Rubbing her back, he finally managed to get her to look up at him. "You can keep me forever, as long as you want me," he told her as he tried to kiss her sadness away.
She pulled back, his jacket moving high on her thighs. With tears still streaming down her cheeks, she moved her hand to his face. Her thumb moved across his cheek. "You're...the most important person in my life too, Jun."
Jun looked at her, as if making certain that he heard her correctly. "Are you...saying what I think you're saying?" His words echoing hers from what seemed like a lifetime ago.
Anna pulled her hand from his face. Her heart was beating fast. "Yes," she finally said. It was a month late, but it was said.
His tongue pushed past her lips as he deepened the kiss. His hand snaked down to her waist as he slowly laid back, pulling her closer to him in the process.
Anna sat up on him and said nothing as she looked down at him. Slowly, her shaking hands went to her night shirt and she pulled it over her head. Nothing shielded Jun's eyes from her open chest and she couldn't help but blush. Again, she moved her lips over his, feeling her chest rub against his.
Jun tried to keep himself calm and composed, but that faltered when her night shirt came off. His eyes took in her naked upper torso and he felt himself get excited. The touch of her chest against his, the way it rubbed against him as she kissed him. It made him shudder. His hands went up her back, rubbing it as he nibbled on her flesh. Biting and licking her neck and shoulders.
Anna took deep breaths, trying to keep calm. She sat up once more and moved her hands to his pajama pants. She pulled at the strings on his pants until they untied. Loosening the rim of them. She moved off him slightly to pull them down. Her eyes fell on his boxers then trailed their way back up to his eyes.
Jun felt exposed as he lay there in his boxers, but as he saw her face he just smiled. Caressing her cheek he pulled her back down so that he could kiss her. Hesitantly, he let his hand slide down and rub her breast, his thumb ruling over her nipple. Anna shivered lightly as his touched her. It had been awhile since she had fooled around and it had been even longer when she had done it out of something more than just a good time. Moving away from him once more, she pulled down her pajama shorts, leaving her in nothing but panties. She didn't want to fool around. She wanted his first time with her to just be able love making. Jun looked at her panties, his hands sliding down to the rims of them, his fingers dancing over her thighs. He looked at her, wondering how far they wanted to go. As his hands slid to her inner thighs, his finger rubbed against her through her panties. Anna bit her lip. She was already wet by just kissing and his touch. Her hands moved to his boxers and pulled at them lightly.
Jun felt how moist her panties were, but before he had time to do anything else she tugged at his boxers. Raising his hips lightly, he let her tug them off, freeing his already erect cock. Anna moved away from his touch. She was shaking so bad now she was scared she was giving him the wrong message. Her hands went to her panties and she pulled them off. She swallowed then crawled on top of him. Her lips washed over his as their hips met, the tip of his cock rubbing her clit.
As she took off her panties and he was finally able to see her naked, his breath caught in his throat. She was shaking as she crawled on top of him, and he soon felt the tip of his cock rubbing against her moist clit. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her. "We don't...if you don't want to." She was shaking. Why else would she be shaking? Had he done something wrong?
"No, I want to," she said. "I...just never really cared about anyone as much as I do you...I'm a little nervous," she admitted. She moved off him and pulled at his arms until he was on top of her. "I just want your first time to be remembered."
"Just seeing you like this is memorable," he told her. "You're breathtaking." Literally. As he soaked in her image, he kissed her. Taking a deep breath he looked down and spread her legs. He was about to enter her. He was about to be with her in a way he had only dreamed. He was....
Suddenly his phone rang and he heard someone knocking on the door downstairs. He could hear Rei. A soft whimper escaped his lips. The gods hated him.
Anna sat up on her elbows. "Please tell me this is not happening..."
Jun's face turned blood red. "I...Rei was suppose to bring food." God, why now? He honestly didn't want to get up. He didn't want to leave her because he was afraid she'd never want to do this again. Finally, after Rei called his phone again he sighed and grabbed his pants. Going downstairs he grabbed the food from her.
"Umm..everything okay? You seem upset and flushed."
"Everything is fine," Jun told her. "Just you came at a bad time."
"Huh?" Rei's eyes took in his demeanor, lack of shirt and finally the most obvious sign between his legs. Her face went blood red."Jun-chan!" she gasped. "Y-you're...I mean...you b-but you're just a baby!"
Jun groaned and shut the door as she continued to lament outside.
Anna came downstairs completely dressed again. She opened the door. "Come in, Rei. I can't believe he shut the door on you."
Jun looked at Anna and then to Rei. His cheeks were blood red as he went and put the food on the counter. He felt ashamed. He felt upset. He felt like he was still aroused. Suddenly he wished he could go back to being numb to everything again. Grabbing himself a drink, he grabbed his pills and downed them quickly. He was going to need them to fall asleep tonight.
Reisha looked from Anna to Jun. She looked uncomfortable. "Umm....I'm sorry?"
Anna blushed brightly. "You told her!" Anna screamed as she looked at Jun. "Why did you tell her!?" Not that she wouldn't tell her as soon as she saw her in school...
"I didn't say anything," Jun protested, keeping his voice calm and collected despite the ever increasing blush on his face.
"It's true...but he didn't have to. He's half naked. He was blushing and hot; and well...parts of him were rather excited," Reisha said, now she was blushing.
Anna pushed her hand over Reisha's. "Hush!" she said. "Don't say those kind of things!" She was dying of embarrassment. "Nothing happened!"
"Really? Nothing?" Reisha almost seemed disappointed. Then it hit her. "You mean I stopped Jun's first time!? Jun I'm sorry!"
Jun groaned. "Please...just stop," he begged.
"Reshia!" Anna yelled. She looked at Jun then opened the front door. "Thank you for the food, Rei. I'll see you at school sometime," she said as she pushed Rei out the door. "Have a safe drive home," she added before shutting the door.
Jun just downed his bottle of water and sighed. "Well, I think I've had more than enough embarrassment for today. I think my heart was literally trying to kill itself." It was hard to tell if he was joking or not because he kept the same facial expression the entire time.
Anna sat down. "It was one thing to ruin the moment but then she just kept talking. I'm going to kill her," she said.
Jun walked over to her and kissed her. "Maybe it's a sign that we should take our time," he told her. Then again, saying that and doing that were two completely different things. Just thinking about her without her clothes was already starting to get him bothered again. He had to mentally reprimand himself otherwise he'd end up doing things that he'd regret.
Anna nodded slowly. Maybe he was right. They had all the time in the world. And...he said he loved her. She smiled.
A month later, Anna's dad had Jun's room built and Jun's cast was off. Her dad left after building it to find work and before he was gone, her mother was gone to help her friend's sick husband. Though Jun and Anna had the house to themselves, they did nothing more than kiss and stay up late to watch movies while holding each other. They went back to school the day after the funeral but school was anything but normal. The girls still gave Anna hell, but they multiplied it because of the pictures of them kissing in the papers. The one of Anna sitting in Jun's lap now had the guys giving her looks that made her feel uncomfortable. The pranks the girls pulled on her only got worse with time until they drew the line one afternoon.
School had just ended and Anna was getting out of the shower since she just had gym. She wrapped herself in a towel and walked out to the locker room. Surprisingly, there were no girls in the whole room which was odd since it usually took at least twenty minutes for them all to clear out. Reisha had piano practice to go to, so she was checked out before gym ended.
Anna walked to her locker and opened it. She paled and felt like crying. The girls had been mean, but nothing compared to this. They had taken everything of Anna's. All her clothes, books, shoes, even her cell was gone. All she had was the towel she was wearing.
Jun struck out at the target again. His right hand throbbed every time he did, but his instructor told him that it would be best if he worked on regaining the strength and mobility in his hand. After thirty minutes of that and another forty minutes of sword training, he was exhausted. Going into the showers, he grabbed his towel and let the hot water cascade over him. All the guys had been giving him a wide berth as of late. He wasn't certain if it was because of everything that had happened or if it was the murderous intent which seemed to seep from him whenever they tried to hassle him about Anna.
The girls acted the same, which greatly surprised him. They were sweet as sugar around him and cold as ice around Anna. He didn't know what game they were trying to play at, but he didn't like it. Wrapping a towel around his waist he sat down and grabbed his clothes. The day was almost over and he'd be glad to get back to Anna's house and relax.
Anna held her towel closer to her. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't give those bitches the satisfaction. The only option she had was to find Jun so she could borrow his jacket long enough to get home. She opened the locker room door and peeked out. The gym was empty. She prayed the boys would be gone by now as she made her way over to the boys locker room. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and walked in. Instantly the guys were whistling and yelling at her to drop the towel. It was so hard not to cry and her eyes were already clouding with water.
"Jun!" she screamed as loud as she could.
Jun heard the guys whistling as he started to get dressed. He'd just put on his boxers and pants when he heard Anna. He froze and walked around the locker room to see her standing there in nothing but a towel. Quickly going back to his locker he grabbed his coat and then proceeded to wrap her in it. The instant he looked back at the guys they all fell silent as if they hadn't been trying to get his girlfriend to drop her towel.
Pulling the coat around her, his eyes narrowed. "What happened to your clothes?" He was fairly certain he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.
Anna was shaking by now. She moved closer to Jun while holding the coat around her. "They took them. They took everything. My books and my cell...all my clothes. I came out of the shower and they were all gone. I didn't know what else to do..." she said. She was forcing the tears back with all her might. "Can we please just go home?"
A few of the guys gathered up the courage to snicker at Anna's predicament. Jun made a mental note of who it was. They would be hearing from him. His face softened as he looked at her. Nodding, he didn't even bother to stay and finish getting his shoes or the rest of his clothes. He just proceeded to lead her out of the locker and toward the front door.
As soon as Anna stepped out of the building, she wanted to scream. There were her things laying out in the lawn of the school. Her books were scattered about and her clothes were no different. Looking around she noticed her bra and panties were hanging off the statue of the founder of her school. Anna turned around and everyone started laughing. It was cold out, mid October, and she was freezing, but nothing compared to how she felt. Their laughter burned her as she stood there in nothing but Jun's jacket. She shook because of the cold and of sadness. Telling herself to suck it up and swallow her tears, she turned back around. Slowly, she made her way over to her things and went to the statue. With tears clouding her eyes, she started climbing it, reaching for her bra and panties while everyone took pictures on the camera phones and laughed.
Jun's hands balled into fists as he watched this display. It actually made him sick. Walking up beside Anna, he placed his hand on the small of her back and helped her get down her underwear. He then took his keys and handed them to her. "Go to the car," he whispered. "I'll get the rest of your stuff."
Anna shook her head and started picking up her things. Finally the tears came. "I have to show them, Jun. I have to show them that I can take it. I have to prove to them that..." She stopped. Why did she have to prove herself to them? Why did it matter? They weren't going to stop. The teachers didn't even care. No one said anything to the girls. You can't suspend that many girls without proof of them doing it. She just had to take it.
Jun watched her, and he watched the kids around her laughing and taking pictures. They were humiliating her just because of him. Because she was going out with him was the only reason the others didn't like her. The teachers couldn't do anything to that many girls other then scold them and warn them. No, the teachers couldn't help, but Jun certainly had a plan on how to fix it. Picking up the rest of her stuff, he cast one final glance back at everyone. A smile toyed on his lips, and those who saw it felt a shudder run down their spines. He would teach them a lesson they would never forget.
Anna hugged her things to her body as they got into the car. She cried the whole way home. Once inside her house, Anna dropped her things on the floor and sat on the couch. She had dealt with many schools that hated her. She had dealt with her things missing, with her name being ruined, with her friends turning on her. But this...this was too much. And all of it was because she cared about someone. She placed her head in her hands and cried harder. It was unfair. How could someone just be so cruel?
As soon as they got inside, Jun sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he told her. "If it wasn't because of me, they wouldn't hate you."
Anna moved closer to him. Moving her arms around him, she buried her face in his shirt. "Please...don't blame yourself. I don't want you to feel guilty for the way I feel about you, Jun. Don't regret how I feel..." she whispered while crying. "I would have this done to me everyday if it meant I could keep you forever."
Despite the fact that she was crying, he smiled at what she said. Rubbing her back, he finally managed to get her to look up at him. "You can keep me forever, as long as you want me," he told her as he tried to kiss her sadness away.
She pulled back, his jacket moving high on her thighs. With tears still streaming down her cheeks, she moved her hand to his face. Her thumb moved across his cheek. "You're...the most important person in my life too, Jun."
Jun looked at her, as if making certain that he heard her correctly. "Are you...saying what I think you're saying?" His words echoing hers from what seemed like a lifetime ago.
Anna pulled her hand from his face. Her heart was beating fast. "Yes," she finally said. It was a month late, but it was said.