The Next Day

Chapter 17

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I woke up very relaxed, and the room was dark from the black out shades that were in the room, but I could hear the birds chirping outside. I wasn’t under the covers, but I was still warm laying between the two naked men on either side of me. The events of last night were still swirling in my head. The room smelled very much of sex with a mixture of both boys’ cologne. Hunter still slept like a child holding a toy as he latched onto me. Deacon on the other hand was facing the other way, curled into a ball.

I lifted my head off the pillow and saw my phone lying on the dresser, probably dead. I peeled myself out from between the two and sat on the edge of the bed to assess how I actually felt. From the mirror above the dresser I could see small bruises the size of kisses all below my neck line. There were also hand prints throughout my arms and legs from where Deacon gripped a little too hard. I touched each and every spot gently and a tingly sensation went through my body.

I turned to look at the boys’ exposed back and saw many deep scratch marks from when the sensations were too great. To an outsider it would seem like we had a marital dispute but last was far from nonconsensual. It had finally come down to testing my legs as they felt sore to the touch and it was hard to even move to the end of the bed on my own. I set one foot on the floor then the other, letting myself get my footing before I tried to put my legs underneath me. I was unsure if I would stay on my feet when I finally stood up.

 I pulled myself up as the pain seared through my legs, then I let out a quiet gasp; unprepared for the pain that erupted through my body. I stumbled a little as I took my first step towards the dresser, and stopped in my place as I watched my screen light up and the phone buzz. I turned slowly to make sure the brothers were still sleeping. Hunter rolled over so that his back was now pressed against Deacon’s, and Deacon muttered something in his sleep but stayed where he was.

I continued towards my goal, almost limping the whole way over. I reached my phone and saw that all the girls had been texting in the group chat. They were wondering what had transpired the day before. They also seemed very concerned about me. I continued scrolling through the messages, some were from last night after I left the house and most of them were from this morning. Only one caught my attention, the last one, ‘Elise, we’re coming to check on you over there so you better be alive.’

I began gathering my clothes and dressing myself, then walked out of the humidly, warm room. I walked through the house and settled in the kitchen, then concocted what I would say to the girls when they arrived. I then looked down at my body, taking in the picture of bruises and hand marks painted all over my body showing under my tank top and shorts. I began to panic. What would the girls think? Would they allow me to keep seeing these two? Would they call the police?

My spiral was halted by a loud, urgent knock on the front door. I prepared myself. I crossed the kitchen to the foyer where the front door remained, then took a deep breath and opened the door. I had not quite let my eyes adjust to the daylight while I sat in the kitchen as it took my eyes a moment to focus on who all was standing in front of me. All three of the girls were brandishing something heavy from our house, ready to swing at anyone who wasn’t me. I heard a small gasp from Jessie.

“What did they do to you,” she exclaimed.

“I’ll kick their asses,” Claire followed.

I held up my hands now holding the girls at the door, “I promise, everything that happened last night, even though unplanned, was all okay.” I showed them that they were hickies and grip marks. Sadie began giggling after I explained, then we heard a door close from inside the house. One of the guys was awake. I shooed the girls back over to the house and followed behind them, shutting the door behind me.

Once back in the house, the girls asked for all of the details. I made sure to paint a clear picture of all of the hair pulling, the smacking, the ropes that didn’t seem to be there when I woke up. I was met with a round of applause and high fives. I was finally able to relax. Now that the girls knew I was safe, all they wanted was the tea of everything that transpired the day before. I told them everything.

The whole time I was talking to them I could feel my phone going off underneath my leg. I looked at the screen, Deacon was posted across the top. I told the girls I would only be a second and limped up to my room. Claire thought it would be comical to cat call me from the couch as I struggled up the stairs. I picked up the phone after I heard the door latch behind me.

I could tell he was still partially asleep with his gruff voice coming through my speaker, “Elise, are you okay, I heard voices then the door shut, but I didn’t see you this morning. Was last night too much, too fast?” There was a silence that hung between us for a moment before I could find my voice to answer. “If we need to take a break, then I would understand,” he added, filling the silence.

“No, no, the girls were worried about me so they ‘came and rescued me’, then brought me back home. Last night was definitely not what I thought would happen but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” I pleaded, trying to make sure that he wouldn’t hear the anxiety in my voice. He hadn’t seen what last night had done to my body, so he didn’t have a single clue that they had left remnants of our time together all over me.

“I just wanted to get a shower and then I’ll meet up with you guys later, I promise,” I said, then there was another silence before he was satisfied with what I had to say. We hung up the phone, and I did what I said I was going to do. I walked into the bathroom and stripped off my clothes, and started the shower. I went back to the mirror and took in everything that was all over my body. Luckily, I had some clothes that would cover it all and still keep me comfortable, and makeup would cover the rest.

I jumped in the shower, careful to make sure that I planted myself against the cool of the shower wall so that I wouldn’t fall if my legs decided to give out. The warm water felt nice running down my body in unison with the cool wall to my back. It was hard to wash my legs, as bending down was a hassle with the soreness I was feeling in my legs.

After my shower, I skipped the bra and put on a pair of fresh panties. I threw a hoodie on from my school and a nice pair of tights that just so happened to stop right where the bruises ended. It seemed there was no need to use concealer to try and cover anything that was still showing. I took one last look in the mirror and once I was content with how I looked, I breathed my final sigh of relief. What had I gotten myself into, and why did I like it so much?