"Black-Dove January"
Chapter 10
                Kevin had decided now was the time. His feelings for Raegan
had grown so much in the past three weeks and it killed him not knowing much
about her. He tried to be patient and wait for her to open up and talk to
him about her past, but it hadn't happened yet. He didn't want to do it this
way,but right now he couldn't think of any other way to get her to open up.
              Stopping outside her room door, he knocked softly. "It's
open", she called. He opened the door and stepped inside. She was sitting on her
bed, folding laundry. Closing the door and locking it behind him, he walked over
to the bed and sat down beside her. She looked up from the shirt she was
folding."What's up?" "Raegan, we need to talk." "OK. About what?" "About you." "What
about me?" "About your past. I hardly know anything about you." She went
back to folding the shirt. "There's nothing to know", she told him, not wanting
to get into it. "Yes there is. Now talk." He took the shirt from her hands and
placed it on the bed. She glared at him. "Why is it so important for you to
know?" "Because. I don't feel right not knowing. I'm interested in your
life. I want to know more about you. And I've told you all about me. Now come on."
          Raegan looked into his eyes. What was it she saw there? There was
something but she couldn't put her finger on it. Love maybe? No, that was
just wishful thinking. He didn't love her. But she loved him. She had finally
admitted it to herself that she loved him. She had never been in love before
but she knew what she felt had to be it. Breifly thinking back to her
birthday, Raegan realized that Kevin deserved to know about her. She tried
to keep from smiling as she remembered the nice cake the guys had gotten for
her, and the way they serenaded her with "Happy Birthday." It was honestly one of
the best birthdays she had ever had.
          "What do you want to know?", Raegan asked. "Start from the
beginning." She took a deep breath and before she knew it almost her whole
life story came tumbling out of her mouth. Kevin listened as she described
her relationship with her grandfather and how her mother left when she was just
three. And he pulled her into a tight hug as she recounted the first time
her father had hit her. As she finished talking, tears were streaming down her
face and Kevin held her close once more. Raegan didn't see it, but Kevin was
crying silently himself. How could someone do this to her? And how could she
have lived this way for so long? He was eternally grateful for whatever had
compelled him to stop her on the street that day. If he hadn't, she wouldn't
be here now.
        Kevin sat at his piano in the little studio that was built into the
house. He was messing around with a few notes for a song he had just
written As he finished trying it one way he heard a voice behind him. "That was
beautiful." It was Raegan. After she had calmed down he had thanked her for
finally telling him and had let her be, thinking she needed some time alone
again. "Thanks", he replied.
        She walked over to the piano and Kevin motioned for her to sit down
next to him. "Didn't you say your grandfather taught you how to play?", he
asked. She nodded. "Well, by all means, let me see what you've got", he said
teasingly. "I don't think so." "Aww, why not?" An idea suddenly came to her.
"Will you do 'Heart and Soul' with me?", she asked. "Sure."
        Kevin started to play and then Raegan joined in. He looked over at
her and smiled. She smiled back at him. It was only the second time he'd seen
her do that. The first time was when the guys sang to her on her birthday. 'She
has such a beautiful smile', Kevin thought. Little did he know that Raegan
was thinking the same thing.