Chapter 8

 

Kaitlin poked her head out of the bathroom to make sure no one was in the hall.

“Don’t worry, the hall’s empty.”  Kaitlin jumped, she hadn’t seen Jonathan standing next to the door.

“What are you doing?” she hissed.

“I was making sure no one came into the bathroom.”  He was standing guard? That’s kind of cute.  “The hall’s empty now, but I can’t guarantee it’s going to stay that way, so you better hurry.”  Kaitlin ducked back in, only to reappear moments later.  Her hair was slicked back and still dripping, her arms and shoulders were speckled with water droplets, and all that she had covering her was the towel that she had borrowed from Jonathan, wrapped tightly around her body.  Jonathan chided himself for even looking, but then again he couldn’t count the number of times that he had wanted to see her like that.

Then went back into his room and Kait looked down shyly, “I didn’t want to put my dress back on, it was covered in dirt and…” a sob escaped her lips.

Jonathan pulled her against him in a tight hug, “Shh…ohh…its okay, just let it out.”  Jonathan sat down with her in his lap and just rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair soothingly.  He held her while she cried, and cried, and cried.  Eventually her heats subsided.  Jonathan continued to hold her until she pulled back whipping at her eyes. 

“I should be getting back.”

“Okay,” they both stood up.  Jonathan looked down at her and realized she was still dressed in only a towel.  “Hold on a second.”  Jonathan went over to his dresser and started rummaging around, while Kait stood watching him curiously.  “You might want to put these on.  They will bring a lot less questions than you showing up in only a towel.”  Jonathan tried to make light of the situation, to put Kait at ease.

Kait knew what he was trying to do and she was grateful, but no amount of jokes would put her at ease.  She took the sweats and T-shirt that he offered her.  He turned his back to her so she could change in relative privacy.  “Okay, you can turn back around.”

I better drive her back to her dorm myself, I wonder if she brought her car here?  Well if she did I’ll just have to drop it by tomorrow.  Jonathan’s next look at her almost brought him to his knees.  There she was dressed in his cloths, way to big for her, and looking utterly defenseless and vulnerable.  Clearing his throat to give his head a moment to clear he tried to remember what it was he was about to ask her.  Getting her home, that was it, right!  “Umm, did you drive here?”

“No, I had Stacie drop me off.”  Kait answered him softly.

“Okay, then I’ll drive you back myself.”

The drive back was a silent one.  Even though Kait protested that it was past the time that boys were allowed in the girl’s wings, Jonathan would not rest until he had walked her to her door.  Jonathan stood like a watchdog, alert and weary of any and every noise while Kait unlocked her door.  She opened the door and turned back around to face him.

“You better get going before you get caught and get me in trouble.”  She whispered.

“I’ll go, but not until you promise to call me before you go to the police tomorrow.”  He paused, seeming to weigh his words carefully.  “If you don’t mind, I would like to go with you.”  Jonathan couldn’t read her expression for a moment and he feared that he had overstepped his bounds. 

Then as if given a precious gift a small smile spread across her lips, “I was kind of hoping you would come with me.” Kait confided shyly.

Jonathan returned her smile, “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then.  And again, if you need anything call me, please.”  Jonathan insisted, then gave her a quick hug and left.

Kait was still standing holding the door open staring after him long after he had turned the corner and vanished from her sight.  With his departure, the warmth of the hallway left too, and Kait was left feeling somewhat cold, as if his presence brought her warmth.

Shacking her head Kait slipped into her room and made her way through the dark to her bed, she didn’t bother changing, she felt comfortable in Jonathan’s sweats and T-shirt.  Once she was curled up in a protective ball in her bed it hit her why.  They smelled like him, they smelled of Jonathan’s cologne, the sweet smelling soap that she had given him, but mostly they just smelled like Jonathan.  It was his own unique sent, it wasn’t just one thing but everything and nothing at the same time, it was just Jonathan’s sent.

She closed her eyes and was quickly enveloped in darkness.  Just as quickly as her sleep had found her, it was gone, she was still asleep, but all at once she was walking on the path to Jonathan’s dorm…

Everything was the same.  She knew what lay ahead if she continued to walk but she couldn’t sway her steps from their direction.  Then all at once that strong hand had her and she was pulled into a blackening fear.  For the second time that night she felt her body hit the ground, branches and rocks poking and jabbing her.  “Careful little Kitty…”

Kait shot up from her bed, her body shaking, and tears streaming down her face.  Then warm arms were around her, cradling her as she cried. 

“Shhh…Don’t cry.  It was only a dream.”  Gretta sat on Kait’s bed, rocking her back and forth murmuring soothing words that didn’t seem to have any affect on Kait.  She had awoken to Kait thrashing in her bed whimpering and crying out for help.  Her first reaction was to leave to let her find her own way out of the bad dream, but quickly she realized that Kait’s cries for help were not made in just fear but in desperation; desperation that went beyond the realm of dreams into reality.

Gretta sat with Kait like that for over an hour until Kait had settled down and had stopped crying.  Finally Gretta found her voice, “Kait what was that?”

Kait found that she couldn’t lie to Gretta.  She was going to know sooner or later and better that she found out from her rather than read it in the paper.  As Kait told her what had happened she saw her friend’s face got from disbelief, to shock, to dismay, then it settled into anger.  “If I ever get my hands on that creep…” Gretta left the threat hanging, for even she didn’t know what she would do.

Gretta continued to hold Kait and talk soothingly to her until she was asleep again, and she stayed with her the whole night.  Kait seemed to do better when she had someone near her that she trusted.