Damage Repaired

Chapter 39

"Nate, you here, man?" An unfamiliar voice was calling out Nathaniel's name, disturbing my sleep, followed by the sound of doors opening and closing. "Don't tell me you forgot about our plans," the voice continued talking, sounding closer than before.

I groaned and shifted to bury my face in the pillow but didn't budge an inch. I forced my eyes open, squinting against the sun shining brightly through the window, and looked down to find a muscular tattooed arm draped across my body. The arm belonged to none other than Nathaniel himself. My back was pressed against his chest, and I felt his head in the crook of my neck, the sound of his breathing even and rhythmic. My eyes darted around, and I saw that I was still in the guest room, which meant I didn't somehow manage to sleepwalk to his room, and into his bed, so it was only logical to assume that sometime after we both went to bed separately, he snuck in here to sleep with me. Nathaniel's arm tightened around my body, and I found myself snuggling deeper into his embrace instead of kicking him out, which resulted in me drifting off again.

"You are a piece of shit, Nate," the voice that I heard earlier was now in the room.

I couldn't even lift my head if I wanted to; sleep overwhelmed every bone in my body, rendering me useless. But without opening my eyes, I could tell Nathaniel, and I had changed positions. We were both lying on our sides, now facing each other. My head was buried in his neck this time, with my leg hooked around his hip, locking him in place. My body tensed when Nathaniel's hand started trailing up my thigh, slowly making its way to my bare ass since the only article of clothing I had on was the oversized t-shirt he gave me. His hand continued upwards and eventually slid up to my back. Suddenly I wasn't so sleepy anymore.

"All this talk about wanting Stazi back just for you to take another woman to bed, while she's literally living in the apartment above you, is a low blow even for you," the voice continued speaking, and being that I wasn't drowsy anymore, I was able to focus and piece together that it was Carter who was in the room with us talking to Nathaniel.

"Is it?" The smile in Nathaniel's voice could be heard from a mile away. He was clearly enjoying the fact that Carter didn't know it was me in his arms.

"I thought you were better than this, Nate." Carter sounded distraught and disgusted at the same time. "I hope it was worth it because you just ruined the small chance you had left of getting her back."

"Oh, it was," Nathaniel told his friend smugly, then pressed his lips against my hair. "Now would be a good time to make your presence known before he destroys something of mine in your honor," he whispered so only I could hear.

I giggled and lifted my head from Nathaniel's neck just in time to see Carter a few steps away from leaving the room. "Good morning Carter."

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around slowly, jaw dropped. "Stazi?"

I untangled myself from Nathaniel's body and sat up against the headboard. "In the flesh."

Carter's eyes darted from his friend, who was now sprawled out on his back, then back to me as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "How is this possible?"

"We're...friends now." It sounded weird saying it out loud, but there was no other word to describe the complicated relationship Nathaniel, and I had.

"Friends," Carter repeated like it was the first time he ever heard that word before.

"He's going to need more than that, love," Nathaniel told me as he got out of bed and stretched, unashamed, of the bulge straining against his boxers.

When he left the room, Carter turned back to me, waiting for an explanation.