Chapter 20

“Sarah?” She heard on the other side of the door. Why wouldn’t that nurse go away? She didn’t want to talk, was that so difficult to understand? Trying to ignore it, she clutched her pillow closer.

“Sarah, please?” But that wasn’t a nurse unless they started hiring male nurses now. She knew that voice.

“Can you please let me in before they see me and send me away.” What would happen when she let him in? It’s not like there was much to explain, it was pretty obvious.

Trust him. That little voice in the back of her mind said once again, she’d been ignoring it since she turned around in the living room. Maybe she just should.

“Come in.” She whispered, loud enough for him to still hear it.

He quickly opened the door and leaned back against it with a big sigh of relief when he closed it. Finally he could explain that it was nothing, just a misunderstanding.

Richie pushed himself off the door and walked over to Sarah but saw how she clutched her pillow closer and moved away on her bed. He took a step back, looking around her room; he saw her desk and pulled out the chair to sit on. He wanted to sit next to her but she obviously didn’t want that. Had she lost trust in him that fast? Richie turned around his chair and sat down, leaning forward towards her with his arms resting on his legs.

“Sarah.” He said her name for the so manieth time that evening. “Are you going to tell me it’s not what it looked like?” Sarah asked before he could say anything more than her name. “Yes.” Richie said. “Because it wasn’t what it looked like.” He sighed when she shook her head in disbelief.

“You know what I do. My job has some downsides. It happens that girls do that.” He tried to explain. He couldn’t deny it, it happened, not as much as it used to but it still happened.

“Why didn’t you tell her to go away then?” Sarah asked, still not believing him. “I did but then she followed me to the living room and she wouldn’t listen.” Richie explained.

Sarah relaxed a little maybe he was right. People idolized him, people fantasize and some people grab opportunities, literally.

“It happens.” He repeated. “You don’t like her?” Richie laughed. “No, I told you, I like you.” He understood it wasn’t easy for any woman to see that, especially for Sarah, but she was the only one he was interested in.

He got up from his chair and sat down next to her on the bed, this time Sarah didn’t move away from him. “I’d never do that to you.” Gently he stoked her back, trying to comfort her.

Sarah sat up and moved to sit next to him, putting her pillow back where it belonged at the head of her bed. “I’m sorry, I should have trusted you.” She took his hand and held it tightly.

“You have to trust me Sarah, because it will happen again.” He wouldn’t like it but it always happened. “So you have to trust that I like you and only you and I would never do that to you.”

She knew she had to trust him and it was part of his job. Every relationship is built on trust; she had to trust him to be able to have a relationship. And she really wanted a relationship with him. It almost scared her that she did, she hadn’t had any man get that close to her in 10 years, and she just had to trust that he’d be there for her and only her.

Sarah looked up at him to see him looking back at her. She had to trust him.

No man had ever been so caring, sweet and gentle with her, at least not in the last 20 years.

That he was handsome and beautiful were a definite plus to the package.

How could she risk losing what she had? For two weeks she had trusted him, why stop now? They have a good thing going.

“I trust you.” She reached up as he bent down, they kissed gently. Then, with that kiss she really knew to trust him.

“At least it wasn’t a guy.” Sarah joked after neither of them had said anything in half an hour.

Richie chuckled. “Luckily those don’t happen as much but even if it was a really hot guy, I’d still only want you.”

He wanted her, Sarah just hoped that the way he had her now was enough for now. The rest, she wasn’t sure about yet. They’d only known each other for a few weeks, it was important to work on their emotional relationship first before working on the physical part of it. Hopefully Richie understood that too.


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