NF Imagine

~Part 17- Nate Meets With Brandon Twice

Nate's POV: I watched Caroline sleep peacefully, but I wondered what she felt being trapped by the guy. I felt tears fill my eyes and I leaned over kissing her head and touched her hand. I stood up and got Sammy's leash, hooking him up taking him on a walk. He jumped up on me barking in my face, but I put my knee up in front of him the second time. I told him to sit and took him out walking up the road pulling him next to me.

As we walked farther away, I saw a guy walking towards us. I felt Sammy pull me to him and he sniffed the guy. He bent down to pet Sammy and I heard him say his name, so I asked, "Are you Brandon?" He nodded and frowned uttering, "I'm sorry, Caroline should not have to had to go through that." I moved my head from side to side claiming, "You don't need to be sorry, it's not your fault." He protested, "I shouldn't have invited her to the party in the first place." I acknowledged the fact he was sorry and I told him, "I think she is very grateful to you." He smiled slightly and scratched his head asking, "Could you tell her I will make sure that guy will leave her alone?" I replied, "I will tell her." Finally, Brandon left walking the other way and Sammy and I walked home.

~Later~*Home*

We came in the door and Caroline walked up to us with a smile. I let Sammy go and when he walked off, Caroline hugged me. I looked at her with a smile causing her to smile back. She giggled and kissed me gently, so I kissed back until her parents came in the door. We pulled away with nervous smiles, but then we walked into the kitchen.

I sat down on a chair and Caroline did the same, making me take her hand. She smiled slightly at me and I sighed, "I met Brandon earlier." She looked at me like she was uncomfortable, so I asked, "What's wrong?" Caroline looked down and said, "Nothing, Brandon is a guy I met while walking Sammy and he goes to college with me." I responded, "I know, but why are you acting so strange?" She shook her head saying, "I just thought you might get jealous." This time I shook my head, "I have nothing to be jealous about do I?" She smiled nervously, "I don't think so, I mean he is just a friend to me." I looked at her confused asking, "Are you sure you are okay?" Caroline nodded shyly, looking me in the eyes. I saw she looked sorry for something, but I didn't want to push her any further because I don't want to upset her.

We talked for awhile about her first time at college, but every time I brought up Brandon she became squeamish and fidgeted in her chair. I told her we didn't have to talk about Brandon anymore and she immediately relaxed, I became so confused that I wondered if it was actually Brandon that hurt her and he made her say it was him that saved her.

I got up from my seat and told Caroline to rest more. She nodded and laid back down on the couch and Sammy came over to her making me smile.

After I went upstairs and went into Caroline's room and grabbed her phone looking through her contacts to find Brandon wasn't in her phone. I searched in her recent calls to find a number she called on Friday, the day she went to the party. I clicked on it, putting it to my ear and after the second ring I heard Brandon say, "Caroline." I responded, "It's Nate, her husband." He said quietly, "Oh, hi." I asked him immediately, "Can you meet me where we were before?" He answered, "Yeah, sure." And hung up right after. I looked her phone confused, but I exited the page seeing she had a picture of us as her front page, I smiled but then I put her phone down and went out to meet Brandon.

~Outside~

I walked around to the neighborhood and found Brandon already waiting for me. I came up to him and asked, "Did you hurt Caroline?" He looked at me confused and said, "No, I didn't." I told him, "She seemed to be scared when I brought you up to her." He looked down saying, "I don't know why she would be scared, I saved her." I breathed deeply and said, "I don't understand why she would react that way then." He shook his head and looked at me solemnly, "She might not want to remember what happened." I said, "But, she became stiff when I mentioned you." He sighed and said, "She could be scared to tell you that I came to her house and hugged her goodbye." I furrowed my eyebrows and asked, "Why would she be scared to tell me that?" He told me, "She maybe doesn't want you to think less of her." I shook my head, "I don't think lowly of her at all, she needs to stop thinking of herself badly." Brandon told me, "She is safe with me, so if someone were to hurt her again I would protect her." I nodded and said, "Thank you, but don't do anything you will regret." He gulped saying, "Okay, I won't do anything." I nodded at him and walked away not looking back hoping he would keep his word.

~Home~

I came in the door and saw Caroline still sleeping on the couch. I walked over to her and sat down holding her hand. I brushed her hair away from her face, seeing how peaceful she looked and knew that I couldn't wake her. I felt her stir, but she didn't wake up making me glad that she continued to sleep.