Chapter Twenty- one

“Alia!”

My body jerked which caused me to loose my momentum and slip underneath the water. I swallowed a mouth full of water as my head slipped under the water. Panic hit me full force. I knew it was only making it worse but I couldn't stop it.

My eyes were burning and my limps felt like lead as I tried to push myself back to the surface. Something closed around my arm. I screamed jerking but it only seemed to tighten even more.

I'm loosing oxygen. Black dots appeared in my vision and slowly everything started to fade.

***

“Fuck Alia breath! Come on baby breathe for me.”

Something pressed against my chest. My lungs burned. Voices echoed around me. From far away my senses started to return. The voices were drowned out by intense ringing. I started coughing, water filled my mouth making me choke.

“That's it baby,” Stephen's voice reached my ears.

Someone turned me onto my side as more water filled my mouth. My lungs were burning and my body ached. Cold hands cubed my cheeks.

“Open those beautiful eyes for me baby.”

I blinked rapidly and then slowly opened my burning eyes. Stephen was hovering above me dripping wet. Behind him Nathan stood looking extremely worried. I glanced to my right to find Sebastian kneeling there.

My eyes darted back to Stephen and that's when it hit me. I almost drowned. I couldn't died.

“Shh baby,” Stephen whispered. “I've got you.”

“S-Stephen,” I managed to croak out.

“I got you baby,” he repeated.

I pressed my face against his chest as he pulled me against him. He said something to Nathan before standing with me in his arms. The events repeated in my head as he walked towards the house. Apart from my lungs burning and my body aching, I could feel the dull throb of my arm where I was gripped and pulled deeper into the water. Why did he call me? Was it Stephen? Who called me?

Stephen carried me up the stairs and straight into my bedroom. He walked onto the bathroom and stepped into the shower. Lowering me gently to my feet, he reached past me for the valves. Seconds later warm water started beating down on us.

“What happened?” I glanced up at him. “One minute you were floating and the next you were gone.”

Swallowing, I winced as the action burned my throat. “You called me.”

He shook his head, stepping closer to me. “No baby. I was busy in the kitchen. I watched you through the window. Nathan was talking to me so I turned towards him and when I turned back you were gone.”

“Someone called me and then I slipped under the water and I couldn't get back up.” My vision started to blur as tears filled my eyes. “I didn't imagine it Stephen.”

Without saying a word he pulled me against his body. For a few minutes he only held me, but then he stepped back. I watched silently as he pulled off his wet clothes. He reached for me and untied the strings of my bikini, allowing the it to drop to the floor. Next he grabbed the soap and started to wash me. He stopped briefly at my throbbing arm before moving on.

Ten minutes later I was laying on the bed. Stephen took a seat next to me on the edge of the bed. He leaned forward and stroked the hair from my face.

“I'm going to get you some ice water and something for the pain,” he whispered.

I shook my head, gripping onto his arm. “P-please don't leave me.”

“I'll be right back baby.”

I watched helplessly as he stood and walked to the door. The white towel was still wrapped around his hips but it didn't seem to bother him. It certainly fucking bothered me. Kate was down there and she'll see him half naked.

She's already seen him naked, the little voice pointed out.

I curled my body into a fetus position under the sheets. With my back to the door I allowed the tears to stream down my cheeks. She already had sex with him. What if he compares me to her? What if she was better at sex than me? 

With that last thought running through my mind, I drifted off into a troubled sleep.

***

I snuggled deeper into the cool body behind me. The arm around my waist tightened instantly stilling my movement. I frowned but then realized why he wanted me to stay still. His dick was hard and trapped between my thighs. My body heated.

“You talk in your sleep,” he whispered against the back of my neck.

“What did I say?”

When he didn't answer me, I glanced at him over my shoulder. His face looked grim and that worried me.

“Stephen?”

Letting out a sigh, he pulled away from me to turn onto his back. I turned around to face him. My eyes trailed over his tattooed chest and lower. He used the sheet to cover his lap but the dent was still obvious.

“It was hard to make out what you were saying.”

I bit my lip as I debated on whether I should trust him or not. What if I revealed something that was suppose to be a secret? What if I said something that made him so tense?

“Derick said he saw someone from the window.” He turned onto his side and reached out to touch the skin of my upperarm. “I thought it was me who gripped you too hard when I pulled you up. You were right– someone called out to you and when you went under he tried to keep you there.”

“You didn't see anyone?”

“No, we were too focused on you to worry about it. Derick said he saw the man walking on the beach and yell something. Then he pulled something over his face and ran into the water.”

“Is Derrick okay?” I whispered. “If he saw..”

“He's worried about you but he's doing better. Nathan decided to take him out with them to the mall,” Stephen said. “It's just us here.”

His eyes caught mine as he brushed the side of my breasts. His hand trailed down my side and to my hips where he pushed the sheets aside. I didn't wait for him to make the next move. I leaned up and smashed my lips onto his. One of his hands buried in my hair while the other slipped around my waist. He rolled onto his back and pulled me onto of him. How easy it would be just to let him slip inside me.

Our kiss became more intense as our touches became for fanatic. I was grinding against him, moving higher up his body until the mushroom tip hit my clit. A moan fell from my lips. The fact that he wasn't wearing his piercing made my plan even better. I braced my hands next to his head and pushed down.

My mouth fell open as his mushroom tip stretched my walls. He slipped in a little deeper.

“Alia,” Stephen groaned, gripping my hips. “Fuck baby stop. Stop Alia.”

I lowered myself more. Apart from the slight burning his entrance caused, the pleasure was there. My muscles clenched making him moan. His hips thrust upwards and that was all it took for him to enter me all the way. My arms gave way beneath my weight making me fall onto his chest. Stephen was breathing just as harshly as I was.

His hands trailed up over my back to my shoulders. “I'm not wearing a condom Alia.” 

“I. Know,” I breathed, shuddering. “Stephen.”

I shifted my hips just to test it. His cock moved against my inner walls. Our moans filled the otherwise silent room. Stephen shifted slightly– he spread his legs a little more before bending them. His hands trailed down my back to my ass. He gave my ass a squeeze as he thrust his hips up.

“Sit up baby,” he said hoarsely against my ear.

I sucked in a breath and then used my hands to push myself up into a sitting position. He shifted inside me. My legs were quivering in pleasure. Stephen gripped the back of my knees and tugged my legs a little forward.

“Lean back against my thighs to support your back,” he ordered. “Then move your hips.”

I leaned back but kept my hands pressed on his abdomen. His hands moved to my hips again. Just as he ordered, I started moving my hips. My head dropped back as my eyes fluttered close. Unfamiliar sounds fell from my lips– embarrassing sounds– but all I could focus on was the pleasure. It increased making my stomach and pussy muscles tighten.

The brush of his thumb against my clit made me explode. My body jerked, slumping forward as my orgasm flashed through me. Stephen kept thrusting up into me prolonging the orgasm. Then he groaned and turned us around. He pulled out of my body and gripped himself. I watched as he jerked himself off until he exploded on my stomach.

His head dropped onto my chest as he sucked in a shaky breath. I could still feel him inside my pussy even if he want there anymore. Reaching up, I pushed my hand through his hair.

Stephen pushed himself away from me and then got off the bed. He bend down and pulled on a pair of shorts before moving towards the door.

“Stephen?” I sat up pulling the sheet up and over my body.

He paused with his hand on the doorknob and then he slowly turned to face me. He looked murderous.

“What were you trying to do?” I opened my mouth but not a sound escaped. “I fucking got boxes of condoms so we could use them. If I wanted to fucking knock you up I would never have bothered to get it! I don't ever fucking want childe Alia, I told you that and then you pull this shit. If I hadn't pulled out–” he broke off. “Don't ever fucking pull this stunt again!”

My eyes dropped from his in shame. I wanted to apologize to him.

🚫🚫🚫

I should’ve paid more attention to my surroundings. One minute I was walking, and the next I was airborne. A hand was clasped over my mouth and nose. Some strange smell entered my nostrils. It was only when I realized that whomever had grabbed me was walking towards a van, that I started to panic. I struggled against the man. Screaming wasn’t an option. The more I tried to breath, the woozier I became. My nails were the best option I had to freeing myself.
I held my breath, then reached up to scratch at his hand. When that didn’t work I reached for his face. The man cried out and stumbled. His hand on my mouth loosened so I took that opportunity to pull it away.

A hoarse scream fell from my mouth but it was cut short when I was thrown to the ground. My hands made contact first, then my arms and head. The sharp pain shooting up my right arm left me dazed.

“Stupid fucking bitch!”

Something slammed into my stomach– over and over. I curled into a ball to try and stop the attack on my stomach.

The man kept yelling above me but I could barely hear his words anymore. I was aware of the him finally stopping, but then I faded into darkness.

***

My senses were starting to return. One thing was for certain, and that was that I was in the hospital. I couldn’t smell the disinfectant. Hear the steady beat of a machine near me.
My body was starting to ache in this position but I was too scared to move. The pain in my abdomen, my arm and against my temple was a dull throb.

“Did you call her parents?”

“And tell them what exactly?” Stephen asked. He was close by, I hear it. “We don’t know exactly what happened.”

“It looked like someone mugged her,” someone else said.

“No,” Nathan spoke up. “If it was a mugging they would’ve just grabbed her phone and some money. Alia didn’t have any money and she still had her phone.”

“I’ll speak to the police officer handling the case once she wakes up.”

Fingers brushed against my hand. It was the last thing I felt before sinking into darkness again.

When I woke again, it was to a silent room. I risked the chance to open my eyes. Surprisingly the room wasn’t filled with bright light like I expected it to be.
 
I glanced to my left and saw the machines and wires. I had a drip in my left arm. My eyes fell on my other arm. A wave of shock and dismay washed through me.

I threw the sheets back, and then raised the hospital gown to glance down my body. A whimper fell from my lips when I took in the dark discoloured skin around my ribs and my lower stomach.

How many ribs did he break? How much internal damage did I have?

“You don’t have any broken or cracked ribs,” Stephen said softly. “No internal damage.”

My eyes filled with tears as I stared at him. His face seemed to soften as he closed the door and made his way towards me. He placed a cup of coffee down before reaching for me.
Without saying anything, he pulled the gown back into place. Stephen gently covered me with the sheet again.

“It’s looks worse than it is.”

I stared at him with tear filled eyes. That familiar guilt started clawing inside me. How could a man as sweet as him be accused of killing.

“Hey,” Stephen said softly. “You’re safe now baby.”

“I’m sorry,” I cried, allowing the sob to escape my quivering lips.

“It wasn’t  your fault,” he whispered, as he wiped the tears away from my face. “It could’ve happened to anyone.”

I shook my head and clasped his hand tightly. I squeezed my eyes close as I tried to fight the guild off. He would hate me if he knew what I thought of him.

“Alia.” Stephen leaned closer to brush his lips softly against mine. “Don’t cry baby.”

“S-Stephen,” I whimpered. “What if t-that was the m-man that answered m-my add?”

  🚫🚫🚫

Chapter Twenty-four

Our little vacation was cut short after the incident. After giving my statement to the police officer, I was forced to call my parents. I briefly explained why happened. The hospital released me after I was given a list of instructions to help relief the pain.

Stephen hasn’t said much after I told him about the other guy that messaged me. I liked to think that he was worried but somehow I felt like it was something else.

I risked a glance at him. Stephen was gripping the steering wheel tightly. His body was tense and his jaw clenched tightly.
Pushing away the unwanted thoughts, I shifted slightly in on the seat.

“Do you want to stop?” It was the first time he said something to me since we left the beach house.

“I’m fine,” I said softly.

Silence surrounded us once again. I was itching to turn the radio on just to break it. I was almost kidnapped and that would leave me scared for a few more weeks. The anxiety that came with thinking of what could’ve happened made me feel sick.

“Pull over,” I managed to get past my dry lips.

My breathing sped up. It felt like someone was pressing down on my chest and cutting off my air. The more I tried to suck in air the more pain flashed through me.

“Alia.” Stephen gently pulled me onto his lap. “Hey, you’re okay baby. Try to relax and clear your mind.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the memories to go away. Stephen was stroking my back with one hand, and his other hand was running through my hair.

“Do you remember when we wanted to have sex in the shower?”

A giggle fell from my lips as the memories of my birthday filtered through my mind.

“That’s it. Clear you mind,” he muttered. “Where are you going to put the teddy bear?”

“O-on my bed.”

“Lucky teddy bear. Are you going to think of me when you hold him at night?”

I nodded against his chest. The pain was fading into a dull throb. My breathing had returned to normal; as normal as it could be being this close to him.

Panic was forgotten as my body heated up. Memories of our night in the hotel flashed through my mind. I could remember every single thing. From his lips against my skin to his dick inside me.

“Are you okay now?” Stephen asked softly.

“Yeah,” I whispered, as I pulled back to stare up at him.

My eyes dropped to his lips. Soft, pink and very talented lips. I gave I into the urge. Leaning up, I cupped his cheek and the pressed my lips against his. Stephen was shocked. I could tell by his sharp intake of air.

“Stephen.”

I didn’t care that we were parked at the side of the road. I wanted him. I needed him. Shifting on his lap, I wrapped both my arms around his neck. My hands tugged at his hair as my body pressed against his tightly.

He broke the kiss and pushed me away slightly to stare down at me.

“You want to have sex now?” I nodded. “Baby, we’re parked at the side of the road. And you’re injured.”

“I need you,” I whispered, blinking up at him. “I know you need me too.” My lips pulled up into a smile as I cupped the bulge in his jeans.

He groaned. “You’re not playing fair Alia.”

This was it. I had him where I wanted him.

“I’m not going to fuck you at the side of the road. Especially not with you in this condition,” Stephen said without blinking an eye.

I frowned at him. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him, so why was he denying it. Swallowing, he reached out and gently cupped my cheek.

“I know how much you want to forget. You want to have sex to push it all away, but no matter how hard you try to do that, it will never just disappear. You need to work through it and then move on.” His lips brushed mine gentle. “We need to get going.”

And just like that the heat in my body died down. It was replaced with even more curiosity about him.

***

“What the hell were you thinking?”

I winced, pressing myself tighter against the wall. I was itching to reach out and drag the teddy bear closer to my chest. We’ve only been back for a couple of hours and already I was being shouted at.

“How could you have been so fucking stupid?”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“You have no idea how badly I want to wrap my hands around your neck and shake you,” Patrick muttered. He shook his head as he started to pace again.

Michael took my mother to a doctor’s appointment; one that couldn’t be cancelled. So my sister’s were at my aunt’s house, and Patrick waited for me at the house.

We decided on twisting the truth. Stephen wanted to tell them the truth but I begged him not to. I didn’t want my stupid mistake to be thrown in my face every time I did something wrong. The only thing going wrong right now was the fact that Patrick didn’t believe it.

I was forced to tell him the whole embarrassing story. To say he was pissed was an understatement.

“You did this all because of some bullying?”

I nodded. Tears burned my eyes as I thought back to the humiliation I went through at school. The stares and whispers.

“Alia.”

I glanced up at Patrick as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. His face has softened. Reaching out, he gently took my hand in both of his.

“Sweetheart you know I would always be there for you. I’ve told you this a million times. So why didn’t you come to me when the bullying started?”

“What was I suppose to say?” I sniffed. “Hey I’m the only virgin left in high school. They thinks it’s funny and set out to make my life hell by calling me names.”

“I would’ve done something about it.”

“Like what?” I wiped a tear that trailed down my cheek. “You would’ve gone to school and spoke to the principal. All he would have done was talk to Michael. He already hates me. I don’t want him to hate me anymore.”

“Your father doesn’t hate you.”

“He’s not my father,” I whispered.

“Not biologically, but still in every sense of the word.”

🚫🚫🚫

Twenty Three

The rest of our clothes were discarded. Stephen gently laid me down on the bed before coming down next to me. His hands traced my body as his lips trailed kisses over my skin. He nibbled and suck on some spots and lingered longer at others. My body felt extremely hot. I could feel the wetness between my legs. My muscles clenched when he placed a kiss against my pubic bone.

“I like it better when you have hair here,” he whispered, tracing a finger down my slit.

“Why?” I breathed. I raised my head to stare down at him.

“Because then I can smell your arousal better.”

I reached down and buried my hands in his hair. With a gentle tug I told him exactly what I wanted. He placed a kiss over my pussy before moving up and over my body. 

My legs fell open so he could settle between them. His lips captured mine again. I reached up to grip his arms as I felt him at my entrance. He broke the kiss to stare down at me. A second later he slowly entered me.

🚫🚫🚫

“How long have you been seeing him?” he asked softly, his voice deadly.

“I- it was photo shopped.”

“Don’t lie to me Alia,” he said. “I can tolerate a lot of things but lying isn’t one of them.”

“I’m not lying!” my voice cracked.

He grabbed the paper and flung it at me. “Does that fucking look fake to you?”