A Unique Mark

Chapter 3: Does She Regret Last Night?

A/N: Sorry for how long it's been since I've updated! I've been pretty busy and so I just forgot to update, but as an apology here's a triple update!

Rafael POV:

Last night was one of the best nights of my life! Hope Marshall not only actually noticed me but she noticed me in a romantic way. Such a romantic way that she had sex with me. Sadly, Landon was asleep when I got back last night and woke up before me. So I haven't gotten the chance to tell him yet, or ask him about my weird scar that I noticed while getting dressed, but I will as we set-up for Commonwealth Day. We can both share how our nights went, since I haven't had the chance to hear about him and Josie yet either.

As I walked up to set-up I saw Hope laughing and talking with that football player from Mystic Falls high. Is she flirting with him? He definitely is, but I don't think she is.

Maybe I should figure out exactly what we are before telling Landon. He gets really excited about my relationships, because he wants me to be happy, and I don't want to potentially scare Hope off. So yeah, probably best to keep last night on the down-low until Hope and I know what we are and are secure in our potential relationship.

"Hey Lan! How's it goin'?" I asked.

"Eh, It's going," he said as we grabbed a table to set up.

"What happened?" I was really concerned. He was so happy last night, on cloud nine at the thought that Josie loved him enough to want to have sex with him. What could have happened to make him feel this way?

"Josie's been acting off. Last night she was super excited and incredibly sure about sex, but when I got back after grabbing a condom she was asking if we could wait cause she's not feeling like it anymore. Which of course was fine by me, but it was the sudden change that worried me."

"I mean maybe the time between gave her time to think more about it and faced with the actual reality of it she was nervous," I suggested to ease his worries.

Landon then continued worriedly, "Yeah I totally get that, but then she continued acting strange. Like we were laying on her bed chatting and she was giving me one word answers, refused to look at me, and even wasn't listening to me half the time. This would be fine if it wasn't Josie, but you know Josie. She never spaces out in a conversation, she is like pained if she isn't giving people the attention she thinks they deserve."

"Okay that is strange, but she probably just had a lot on her mind."

"Yea maybe, but she didn't apologize. At all."

"Okay what? Josie Saltzman did not apologize for ignoring you? Josie always apologizes to people; it's like her most predictable reaction to hurting someone."

"Nope! That's why I'm worried. When I called her out on ignoring me she was like yeah okay. No 'sorry', little acknowledgement of what I said. Something's up with her."

"Yeah there is. I'll help you dude, but can I also get your help with something?"

"Thanks man, and sure. What do you need?"

"So, I got this bite mark last night-"

"Bite mark?" He interrupted, worriedly.

Thinking about how I don't know where Hope and I are relationship wise, and not wanting him to get too excited over something that might not happen, I told him, "Yeah, but it's fine. A girl I hooked up with last night gave it to me-"

"What girl? What happened to being interested in Hope?"

"Who she was doesn't matter!" I snapped. "What does matter is that the bite mark hasn't healed right."

"What do you mean hasn't healed right?"

"I mean, it healed, but I have a scar," I explained as I tugged my sleeve down to show him my left shoulder.

"Oh damn, that is weird."

"I know!"

"Do you want help doing some research to figure out how this happened?"

"Yes please," I said, relieved. "I don't even know where to start and I just wanna know why I'm healing weird. It doesn't make sense."

"I got you man."

"Thanks," I told him.

Since we finished setting up the table, I looked around for Hope. I couldn't see her anywhere, but then she appeared crawling out from under a table with Lizzie.

"Since when are Lizzie and Hope friends?" Landon asked me, like I was supposed to know the answer.

"I have no clue," I answered, very confused.

Hope and Lizzie looked worriedly at each other while having a conversation. Hope looked around and saw me, then quickly looked away. She barely met my eyes, and it seemed like she wished she didn't. Her and Lizzie then rushed away quickly. Does she regret last night? Is that why she refuses to look at me and literally ran away after making eye contact with me?

"Hey guys," I heard MG say behind me, snapping me out of my self-deprecating trance.

"Hey MG, since when are Hope and Lizzie friends?" Landon asked.

"Oh, I don't know when they got close, but last night Hope and Lizzie were dancing together at the dance. They seemed to be comfortable with each other so maybe at the beginning of the dance or sometime earlier," he responded.

"Okay, so if they became friends just recently, maybe that's why Hope is acting weird around you now," Landon suggested awkwardly.

Even though I knew why she was acting weird around me–she regretted last night–I was curious as to what Landon came up with, "And why is that?"

"Well, Lizzie and Hope are friends, and friends tell each other things," Landon said, acting like I should be catching on.

"And?"

"And they especially tell each other things about men they've dated," he paused, expectedly, hoping I would catch on. He sighs, "Including men they've had sex with who the next day told them 'it's not gonna happen' at their birthday party they ditched the first half of."

"Oh damn," I said as realization dawned on me. Hope didn't regret last night because she didn't want to do it, but felt pressured in the moment. She regretted it because she wanted to, but learned that I had sex with her friend and then ditched her. I can't even remember how I came to the conclusion that was the best idea. I feel like there's a hole in my memory about that decision. Back to the point though, my stupid decisions regarding Lizzie have ruined any chance I had with Hope Marshall. The woman of my dreams, that I swear I had been having premonitions of, will be gone from me forever because I screwed over Lizzie. Stupid me! I couldn't just wait till the day after her birthday to tell her there's nothing happening? No, I had to be a dick and tell her at her birthday party that I showed up late to!

"You good Raf?" Landon questioned worriedly.

"I need to ask Lizzie what she told her, and if she told her what I think she told her then I need to ask her to do damage control for me."

"More like beg her," MG joked, nudging Landon with his elbow.

"Okay, well MG's joke aside, you handle Lizzie and I'll handle your scar," Landon told me happily.

Landon and I left to go back to the school, letting MG and Kaleb, who had just exited the Salvatore School van, take over our set up. Hopefully Landon can figure out what's up with my not healing mark, and I–praying to any god in existence–can convince Lizzie Saltzman to put in a good word for me with Hope.