After Care

97. After Care

🤍🖤💜 Jacob 💜🖤🤍

I wish I had set up the tent before we had sex. It’s too dark even with a flashlight on. It’s taking me longer than usual to set up this damn thing. I want to hold her in my arms, not this damn equipment.

I glance at Natalie. She is wrapped up in a blanket and waiting patiently. After that intense session, she certainly needs cuddles. I don’t want her to get upset again. There was this mood sub-drop thing I read about that can happen if choking or spanking is tried for the first time or if it’s too intense. I hope I was careful enough. I need to ask her.

I set up a tiny lantern after setting up the camp, then I pick her up to take her inside. She doesn’t resist. Usually she is too self-conscious when I try this or even suggest the idea.

I sit there and hold her for sometime. It’s comforting to hold her like this. Despite her above average height, she fits me perfectly. When her breath gets slower, I glance at her and she stirs.

“Natalie.. “I call out to her softly.

“Hmmm..” she is awake.

“I have to clean you up.” She was damn wet today. Juices probably dry on her body. Even my clothes are spoiled.

She doesn’t object.

“Can you sit, or would you like to lie down?” I ask again.

“I… I can do that by myself, Jacob,” she gets down from my lap and says hesitantly.

I touch her chin to make her look into my eyes.

“After that session we had outside… That’s my job.”

She blinks, then nods.

I give her a quick kiss and say, “I am sorry I couldn’t hold you sooner.”

She chuckled weakly and says, “Stop being extra nice… I’m not used to this!”

“What are you used to then?” The question slips out of my mouth without meaning to.

She looks down and says in a low voice, “Assholes…”

My stomach churns.

Is this why she is so self-conscious? I want to beat the shit out of every single guy who made her feel this way. I stay silent at her remark and soak a hand towel in the water.

I take time to clean her long runner’s legs, I always appreciated. I massage her toes and she moans with relief. Then I widen her legs to wipe inner thighs and her privates. She shivers.

Damn!

“I hope you are not upset with me, though.” I ask her.

“No… I am not. It was a nice change…” She takes a pause then says, ”You surprise me, Jacob…”

I raise my brow in question.

“Are you sure that you never had sex with someone else before?” She asks, amused.

That makes me laugh, and she breaks into a beautiful smile.

“Well, we have been experimenting ever since we started… “ I tell her. “I want to try so many things with you.. “

“Me too...”

“I had a vague guess at Ira’s place that you might like this…”

She blushes and turns her face away.

“I never told this to anyone,” she admits.

I unwrap the blanket from her shoulder and move towards her back to wipe her back and torso. I stop in my tracks. There is a nasty bruise on her shoulder.

“Did I do this?” I ask her with horror.

Of course I did this.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!

“Shit Natalie. Why didn’t you stop me? Does it hurt?” I say, examining the rest of her body. There is one on her wrist too.

She looks at her bruises, clearly perplexed. I am too shocked to say anything.

I don’t even have ice with me!

“Not much…” she says, unsure.

There is no way it doesn’t hurt. She had told me it hurt when I held her wrists behind the back.

Guilt washes over me.

“Fuck! I am so sorry.” I say.

She shakes her head.

“It’s fine now. And it’s-“

“You had to say Red! I thought you knew about it…” I say, feeling awful. I thought I was careful.

She breathes out and stresses, “STOP… and listen.” She swallows and says, “W-West did this.”

My eyes darken.

“West!?” I ask her in a hard voice.

“Why didn’t you tell me before? This isn’t something you hide, Natalie!” I exclaim.

This is assault!

“Because it’s humiliating….” She says in exasperation. Then she gets up, grabbing a t-shirt laying on the floor and goes out of the tent.

I pinch my brows in irritation. My tone was too harsh. I didn’t mean to say it like this. I am just so damn angry. Not at her, but West.

My mind is exploding.

Does she face such harassment often?

I am not dumb enough to ask her this… I understand how upsetting it can be.

I get out of the tent and see her sitting by the lake. I walk over and sit beside her.

“I didn’t mean to snap at you. I can’t believe he did this.” I tell her quietly.

When she doesn’t say anything, I scoot closer to her and pull her in for a hug. We stare at the moon’s reflection in water for a while. It’s surreal and calm being here with her.

“It’s beautiful.. Thank you for bringing me here.. “She whispers after a while.

I smile. I always loved this place, but just now it became my favorite.

…..

Constant chirping of birds and the vibration of my damn phone wakes me up in the morning. I groan and take a look at the screen.

Some messages and pics in class group chat.

Who cares!

I can check it later.

Some emails. I open in anticipation.

It’s my own Arizona university. I sigh. I can check it later. Ever since I applied to colleges around Michigan, I have constantly been checking emails. Not even a single damn place has responded to my application.

I put my phone down.

We fell asleep very late last night. We talked a lot by the lake. We shared some memories from our childhood. We told each other what we eventually want from life.

“Do you think we could live together somewhere in the future?” I asked her.

“That would be nice,” she admitted.

She told me Ira will be in college with her. I told her that Norris and I were going to the same college. I felt damn jealous of Ira! I know it’s stupid and I need to calm my horses.

I close my eyes again to get some more sleep.

… .

I am glad Natalie wasn’t furious about my little experiment last night. She had given me vague hints here and there a few times in the past week. It was a risky move. But I am glad we both enjoyed it.

Only thing that stings me is the truth that I finally coaxed out of her. I wanted to go back and kick his ass last night. If Natalie wasn’t with me, I would have. But that’s ok. I will get even with him today.

Natalie stirs in her sleep and I scoot closer to her to spoon her again.

I want to stay with her for a few hours before going home. But my stomach is growling. Once she wakes up, she will be hungry too.

“Morning,” I coo in her ear when she stirs again.

“Good morning,” she mumbles.

I lean in for a kiss and she covers her face.

“NOOO… I haven’t brushed my teeth!”

I chuckle and lie back.

My phone vibrates once more, and she says, “Looks like someone is missing you.”

I snort. “Yeah.. Just some damn university emails and messages in class chat.”

She frowns. “University emails?” She gets up and asks, “Did you-”

“No… It’s an invitation for a campus tour.”

“Oh wait! What date is it?” She gasps. “Oh Fuck! My tour is on Monday….”

“You mean tomorrow?” I ask her.

She exclaims. ”Yes! tomorrow!! I haven’t even told Dad!”

I laugh.

“God! So careless Natalie.”

She scowls. “You are not better than me, either.”

“Really?” I raise my brow at her.

“Yeah! Don’t forget my room was way neater than yours when you visited me”

I flush.

“Leave it already!” I grumble.

My phone vibrates again.

“What the hell are they gossiping about?” I exclaim and pick the phone.

My eyes widen, and my jaw goes tight when I read the messages.

“What the Fuck!” I say.

“What happened?” Natalie asks, getting up.

We both stare at my phone screen. I scroll up to the oldest message to understand what I am reading.

–High School Senior year 2022–

Unknown: ‘Guys apparently two senior students were caught having sex in school’

My heartbeat quickened. We stopped doing that. The message makes me realize how much risk we were taking.

“Do they know the name?” Natalie asks.

“It can’t be us! We would know if we were suspended.” She laughs nervously.

I nod and scroll.

Unknown1: ‘What? when did that happen?’

David: ‘Last evening!’

Unknown: ‘Now make a guess. Who it could be?’

Unknown: ‘No, it’s not that infamous girl from our class.’

I grit my teeth in anger. It’s a jibe for Natalie. I make a mental note to teach this boy a lesson when I attend class tomorrow.

Unknown: ‘It’s Millie!’

Unknown1: ‘Who’s the guy?’

Unknown: ‘That’s the funny part. It’s not her boyfriend.’

Fuck!

I hadn’t realized Millie wasn’t at the party last night. I hadn’t paid much attention to Norris, but now I can remember he did seem lost after the match.

Unknown: ‘Apparently Millie was caught fucking Andrew in the library.’

Unknown1: ‘Kudos Andrew! Good job!’

Unknown2: ‘Both of them will be suspended tomorrow.’

Unknown: ‘Yup!! let’s make a bet how long they will get?’

The useless chat continues…

“Those assholes!” Natalie says in anger. “Why doesn’t the school do anything about these chats?”

“Millie will be harassed endlessly,” she adds, her eyes almost wet.

“They will probably delete this chat within minutes, so nobody can report it.” I say, rubbing her back.

She grabs the phone out of my hand and starts taking snapshots of the chat.

“I will report it and will make sure these assholes are suspended too.” She says in anger, wiping her eyes and nose.

I look at her. She isn’t on good terms with Millie. But she is still doing this. She does have a big heart.

I am damn proud of her.

“Just imagine how Norris must be feeling.” She says, furiously checking the snapshots she just took.

I nod. ”I guess I should meet Norris today.”

She bites her lips and says, “I am not close with Millie… I wonder if she will like or hate me being around…”

“Riley is close to her…” I state. “Maybe talk to her…”

We lay there for a while, then I say, “We should head home now.”

“Few more minutes,” she mumbles.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah…”

“What do you plan to do about West?”

Break his jaw maybe.

“Don’t worry about that… But please don’t stop me.”

“It’s my fight, Jacob. I want to deal with this my way. Let me do what I wanted to do last night.”

I clench my fists to control myself.

“I will tell Riley,” She says when I don’t answer her.

“That’s not enough for what he did.”

She nods. “Maybe… But I need to do this my way… I need to face this myself, Jacob…”

I take a deep breath and say, “Ok.. I am not sure if I can control myself. But I will try…”

“Thank you…” she says and hugs me tighter.

My phone rings and I see Norris calling.

“You talk to him… I pack our stuff…” she says, tying her hair.

I walk out and pick the call.

“Did you hear the big news?” He says with bitterness in his voice.

“I am sorry Norris!”

He stays quiet for a moment then asks, “Can we catch up? I don’t think I can be alone today.”

“When do you want to meet?”

“Could we meet now? At your place? Millie might visit me and I don’t wanna see her face.”

“Oh... Ok.. I am outside I will be there in 15 minutes.” I tell him and cut the call.

I see Natalie has wrapped up all the stuff and has mostly dismantled the tent.

“Are you going to meet him?” She asks.

I nod and ask, “Will you see Riley today?”

“Yea, but I will call her first...”

“Just make sure West isn’t around if you visit her.” I warn her.

When we reach our neighborhood, I see Norris waiting by my house.

“Drop me here.. he probably wouldn’t want to see me… or anyone else..” Natalie says and gets out of the car in front of her house. I drive away from her without throwing much glance at her when she walks inside. Little did I realize it might be the last time I would see her.