Bullied (18+)

 

Chapter 21: Weird and Confusing

 

Just when I thought I calmed down from the episode of ridiculousness with Helen, a certain someone had to go and make me jump. And what had given me the panic attack was an unexpected knock on the door.

It had to be Adam. I should’ve expected him to have hopped in and out of the shower within reasonable time, but I left his mom’s room in what I could describe was a weird moment for me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been leaning back against the door.

Stepping away from the door, I opened it for him. Unsurprisingly was him being still glistening wet from the shower. And what else I saw was him in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

His brown hair was all over the place from an apparent rough attempt at drying his mousy top. I wanted to comment on how he should care for his hair better than that, but I was distracted by his near nakedness.

There was something about how the hall light reflected off of his body that I found attractive, and I couldn’t figure out why. Strangely enough, I kept being drawn to his chest and arms. If I wasn’t myself, I knew I would’ve reached out to touch him right where his heart thumped.

Then my eyes dropped down to where the towel had covered, but further my gaze went to inspect that of his thighs and the length of his legs. I gradually noticed he had no hair on his body, or if he had, they were fine enough that I would have to feel along his skin to find any.

As I looked his trim figure, I thought about what his mom had said about him. I had thought she meant her son didn’t act manly, but I wondered, ’Is there more to him than that?’

Whenever I was driven into a sexual frenzy around him, I believed that was because I had been under my daughter’s influence. I no longer felt that was the case.

This confused me in more than one disturbing way. I was not sexually into guys at all. And here was a man who was my height, age, roughly my build, and maybe a little heavier than me by now.

Ever since Helen took me for a car ride, I’ve been stumped on my excuse for wanting to be with him. I tucked the thought away until this moment when he stood right here in front of me in nothing but a soaked through towel.

He glanced over his shoulder, then at me, and pointed behind himself to the hallway as he asked: “Ahmm, okay, what did I just see out there?”

That snapped me out of wherever my mind had been. Because of not fully paying attention, I had a delayed response. So I had to clarify his meaning.

“You mean, between your mom and me?” He nodded in response. “Well, we were being a little silly. That’s all.” He raised his brows high, like this surprised him for some reason. “Hey, it’s not that big of a deal. I can be weird once in a while.” I only mentioned myself because I wasn’t certain on how often his mom had ever let loose like that. So I shrugged and stated: “At least we had fun.”

He held his hands up to ward me off and said, “It’s all good. I came out of the shower and saw you doing a, a -- ahh…?” He started to laugh, caught himself, and said, “Okay, I need help here. What were you two doing?”

I glanced off to the side, then looked over his shoulder at the master bedroom’s closed door, shifted my attention back to him, shrugged again, and said, “Acting like kids, I guess?”

“Okay.” He quietly said and nodded. Then just walked by me.

Once again, I shrugged, and turned away from the open door to follow him. Other than his short moment of laughter, I got the impression he wasn’t happy. He wasn’t smiling, and had been averting his eyes to look only where his bare feet took him. I went by him to go sit on the bed and watched him pace for a moment.

I watched him go back and forth in just a towel. It was kinda interesting to me. I had expected him to get dressed or address what was on his mind, but I supposed he was still mulling over whatever all happened outside with his mom. Or I thought, ’Maybe he’s wondering what to do about me?’

At least he’d gotten me in the right mood to have that serious talk now.

Directly at him, I said, “Adam?”

His name being mentioned had stopped his circling. I gestured to my side of the bed for him to sit with me. Just a gentle pat of my hand where he could come down and relax.

“Would you sit down with me?” I gave the bed another pat and offered him a reason to give me his attention. “I’m going to try and tell you what I can about what has been going on with me.”

Once he heard that, Adam ensured the bedroom door was shut before he came over. I supposed that meant he wasn’t comfortable with Helen being in the know.

But he spoke before I had a chance to. “About school, I’ve got good news and bad. Which do you want to hear first?” 

“Adam, I really…” I wanted to explain to him how I was done with school and had no interest in what all had happened there. But since he brought it up, I was curious what was going through his mind. “Go ahead and start with the bad. I like ending everything with a good note.”

“Sure” There was a look on his face as he thought over what I had just said. “Hey, yeah, I can get behind that. Save the good stuff for last.” He looked down and away from me for a second or two, then started with a sigh.

As the seconds ticked by, I wondered, ’Am I supposed to guess what happened?’ I didn’t want to start a guessing game, so I threatened him by saying, “Do I have to tickle it out of you?”

When he tensed up and worriedly looked at me, I cracked a grin back at him. I held my hands up to show I was harmless, but that was just for now. If he didn’t start talking...

“Here goes... Ya know, I think Mom is rubbing off on you.” Once I heard that, I smiled. Then we returned our attention back to this school matter. “There’s some people at school that think you are a crossdresser. Or that Clint is a crossdresser, not exactly you. I don’t, ya know, think they would know who you are anymore. I mean, ahmm… if they look at ya.” With a light shrug, he leaned over and turned to lay himself on the bed, on his back, with another sigh. “Then there’s the good news. The whole teacher’s lounge thing? No one thinks you did it anymore.”

I stared down at him silently and listened, but I didn’t have much of a response in me on either subject. I thought about both of the rumors for a moment and maybe longer. I was glad that the one finally wasn’t hanging over my head. Although, this new one, I didn’t care that it existed, but I was curious about who started it.

“Any idea who accused me of wearing a girl’s stuff?” He spread his arms out on the bed and shook his head. But I had an idea who might’ve said something about me. Yesterday, there had been only one person that suspected who I was. To be sure, I suggestively asked: “It wasn’t Erin, was it?”

“Ah, wait, no. Definitely not her. It was spreading through us, the guys, not the girls.” I quirked a brow and leaned back on my elbows to hear how he figured that left Erin off the hook. He had to pull his arm back and away before I laid back on it. “Look, ahmm… If Erin had started it, then this would have become gossip with the ladies. Ya know, giggle and hushed, I mean -- only the girls would know about it.” He shook his head again. “You see, the guys were the first to know.”

“I still don’t get it. What would stop Erin from telling the guys?” My focus on this school business had started to disinterest me. I was more concerned about Adam’s mood. But I continued on the topic, and explained: “She could have said something to Roger or David, then they could have said something, and that left it up to some jackass who wanted to get a little interest thrown in his direction for having a big scoop on me.”

“That wouldn’t be cool.” There was a look on his face that showed he saw my angle, but wasn’t buying my theory. “I mean, yeah, that’s possible, but I really doubt it.”

Just then, he turned on his side with his back towards me and silently left it at that. I didn’t want to bring back up the one theory he had, about Roger being responsible for the teacher’s lounge incident, but again, I didn’t care anymore.

School was in the past for me. I had greater priorities to deal with right now.

“Adam…” He glanced over his bare shoulder at me. “Thanks for letting me know.” With my mind off of school, I could focus more on what to do about us.

And mostly him. My gaze traveled over the smooth definition of his bare shoulders and down his back. As I watched him take in a slow breath, I became more aware of his figure. It began with my gaze traveling the sculpted line of his spine until I reached the folded edge of his towel.

In a fascination, I traced the raised curve of his hip, then slid my attention back up along the trim waistline. Before today, I had been entirely convinced how masculine he was.

But today, I was awestruck by how much more my uninfluenced mind saw of the man I slept with. I worriedly thought, ’Unless I am making a physical influence on him? Am I changing him?’

From the current view I had behind him, I would’ve been a difficult person to convince that this was the boy, Adam.

Again he spoke up before I could get a word out. “This morning, I was a jerk.”

“Wha…?” I shut my mouth and listened. Since his mom had spoken with him, I was curious to hear which part about this morning he was being sorry about.

“I, really I didn’t mean to pass... I shouldn’t have left you like that.” Remaining quiet, I continued to listen. I wanted to speak up and ease his mind, but this might’ve been what had been bugging him. Letting him get it out sounded like a good idea, so I let him. “What I should have done was talk to you -- with you. Being late for school, I -- I shouldn’t have cared about that. Not more than you.”

In an moment of selfishness, I wanted him to bring up anything about what I overheard between him and his mother yet. I hadn’t heard enough, but I gathered the gist that he had been accused of rape.

Then there was the subject matter of ’responsibility’ Helen had been hammering into her son. I knew for a fact that was a huge load for him to carry too soon.

“Did she tell you?” When I asked that, I felt more than heard an unusual hum inside of me. I focus on Adam, so I ignored the odd sensation for the time being.

“About not -- Yeah, Mom did. I’m not sure how this is going to pan out, but I know you really wanted to have a kid. I, ah --” He paused in mid-sentence with his mouth hanging open. Then he kinda grinned and said. “This is going to sound bad, but I am sorry for a lot of things that happened recently.”

“Like…” I probably shouldn’t have brought this up, but I wanted to be sure. “Like us meeting again?” That made him turn back around and face me. He laid on his back and stared. “Ever since you saw me by the school gate, I’ve been nothing but a burden --”

“No.” And he rolled onto his side to face me fully. “That’s not true. That is a totally uncool scenario to think about.” For a second, I wasn’t sure what he meant. “If I hadn’t seen you that morning, you would’ve gotten into trouble or hurt.” To clear this up, he stated: “You were blind.”

Now that my thoughts were on how different he looked, I noticed his face was less like I remembered. I bit my lower lip and kept silent.

After I had wanted to tell him everything, I was being confronted with a possibility I had in some way corrupted him. That he may very well be going through what I was dealing with.

He offered me a light smile and stated: “If anyone of us had been a real bother, I’d question the officer that Mom had to fight off our lawn today.”

After I winced at the mentioned memory, I cringed and said, “Mike.” I now needed the distraction from this possibility. “He had a reason for visiting.”

“I heard some of the funky stuff from Mom.” He shook his head one more time and stated: “He sounds like a whackjob to me.”

If Mike had looked that way, it was my fault. And I corrected Adam by stating, “He’s not. I think… I know he’s in over his head.” I confirmed that with myself and nodded. “Way over his head, and I think because of it, he’s confused.”

“On the bright side, at least he didn’t come looking for me at school.” When he said that, I caught the tense expression on his face. “I don’t… I don’t know if I could’ve kept chill if he had.”

“Why?” I was a little confused about that.

“I -- look, first, I don’t know why or how, but I am going to keep telling my mom that it was an accident.” I got the message on what he meant and listened for a moment longer before I’d correct him again. “Ya know, for forcing myself on you and when I tried to toss Mom on you this morning.” A soft sigh left him and he confessed: “I was expecting my mother to... well, kinda take care of the matter.”

In a whisper, I made it clear that, “You didn’t rape me.” But I stared at him and said, ”’The matter?’”

How I had said that, it shouldn’t have sounded like an accusation, but I felt like he had just jabbed me under the ribs. My condition wasn’t just a matter.

I thought, ’If he had actually stayed home, he’d know what I’d gone through this morning, right?’ I already had thought over how he felt and what he knew about Helen’s and my discussion on the matter.

This upsetted me a little, but I left it alone and eased up when I saw how Adam reacted. The way he was laid out and shrinking down, I could have sworn he would have sunk deeper into the bed to hide if it were possible. I supposed he really was a ‘fraidy-cat.

“I didn’t mean it like -- Look, for how I behaved this morning, I would take it all back.” He went on to list all he was sorry for in detail. “I shouldn’t have done what I did this morning, leaving you with my mom. The idea I had was stupid. I thought you two would figure things out, and... I don’t know what I was thinking. I probably wasn’t.” A sudden spark of realization lit his face up and he quickly added: “Ah, that was, me thinking. I wasn’t thinking.”

With the slightest smile on my lips, I told him, “I knew what you meant.”

I closed my eyelids and faced the ceiling. I thought about the incident that took place on this very bed. Adam had experienced my Grandma Satan’s influence, and it was very possible that in comparison to our fiery daughter, she had the ability to take that mind control up a notch. There would be no way for me to verify if that would have had affected Adam’s judgement later or not.

That train of thought brought me to wonder, ’Maybe it’s her messing with Adam?’ I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea that she was the one behind this, but I felt a little less to be blamed if that were the case.

”Don’t you point that at me.” My eyes flew wide opened and I sat straight up when I heard her voice in my head. ”Before, I told you of this boy. Your lover, an interesting choice. 
An incredible find.”

With tight lips, I struggled on what I should’ve been thinking or saying right then and there. I honestly had no idea what she was getting at with Adam being my choice. I had made it clear with her that I never picked him for anything.

...And she wasn’t giving me anymore hints on this.

It didn’t matter. In the end, I’d managed well, Adam didn’t get into much trouble, and the next time I slept, I knew I’d be having another meeting with these demons. I wondered, ’Will I have to make another deal to stop his transformation?’

“Clint?” With my thoughts broken, I looked back down at him. “How do you know you’re pregnant?” Adam said that in a hushed tone and I kinda wondered why.

I leaned down on one elbow towards him and asked: “Why are you whispering?”

“Ahmm, because I don’t think it’s a good idea to call you Clint out loud.” He smiled a little and continued. “But what makes you think you’re pregnant? If ya do the math, it hasn’t been twenty-four hours yet, and you’re already telling Mom that you know?”

“I do know. A part of -- I know, because of...” I took a deep breath and slowly sighed. I wondered, ’How am I going to explain this?’ “Adam, look at me. I want you to completely understand this: I was Clint.” I favored more of my slight weight onto my elbow and rolled onto my side so I could turn to fully face him. “I was, and now I’m someone else. I’m Clementine.” Shaking my head, I made it clear that, “Not that nympho, out of my mind, Clementine. This one that you see here and now. One where I am in control, but am aware I can never be the Clint everyone knew.” I shook my head and said one more time, “Never again.” I tilted my head up and brushed back the blonde tresses over my long ears. “Look. Other than my ears, eyes, and gender -- Even my face and body… just…”

There was no way I could show him the horns yet. I pulled the fair hair back over my ears and dropped my hand. I wasn’t ready for this.

Before I completely lost my nerve, or if he brought up another topic to delay this important discussion, I announced: “I have changed so much and I don’t know if I’ll stop changing. I grow hot -- dangerously hot. My skin can burn you, you know?”

Adam was quiet for a few moments before he asked me: “You’re Clint right now. As in, you don’t feel -- ya know, the need to do something?”

That made me laugh. Of all the subjects about my less than human transition, he brought up the topic of me jumping his bone.

When I calmed, I nodded and felt sure enough for me to have confirmed: “I’m in control.” I looked over him, and repeated: “I’m in control.”

Even though I was in control, I hadn’t stopped wanting to be with him. And yet, if I were to believe what that voice in my head said, I might be responsible for turning someone I cared about into… I wasn’t sure yet. I wondered, ’If I’m changing him, why is he becoming more feminine? What’s the point to that?’

There was going to be a serious discussion between me and Grandma S.

He stared at me for awhile. I glanced away a few times and wondered if there was something wrong that I hadn’t noticed.

Finally, I asked: “What?” With a big sigh, he opened his mouth a few times as if he wanted to say something, but then just closed up again in silence. “Adam, tell me, what is it?”

He swallowed, inhaled slowly, and spoke at last. “Last night, you told me that you loved me. As Clementine, you said that --”

“No.” I shook my head and sat half up on the bed to look over him. Reaching an arm out, I placed both my hands on either side of him so I was over Adam. “I --” I liked him, cared for him, and never wanted to leave his side. With confidence, I stated: “I do love you. I’m not sure how deeply, but I do.” A smile formed on my lips as I thought about the next thing I said: “I chose you for a special reason. Out of everyone that I could have been with, you were the one I chose to be with.”

“You mean, both Clint and Clementine love me or you’ve loved me this whole time?” I had to laugh at that one. “Ahmm, how should I take that?”

“Adam, if I’d loved you the whole time, that would have meant I was gay before I turned into a girl.” When I finished saying that, he grinned up at me.

“Ah, Clint? That makes no sense.” I tilted my head and looked down at him curiously. “Lemme explain. When you were the out-of-control Clementine, you couldn’t help it, but now you are in control and, ah… Let’s go over this one more time.” He snuck his hand up between us and pointed at his chin. “You. Love. Me. You have feelings for another guy: Mwah.”

I just stated: “Yeah? I’m a girl.”

“No, I mean, ahmm... How should I put this?” He took a moment to put some thought into his next words. “You’re Clint right now. Maybe not in body, but the same Clint as when you used to be a boy. Am I right?”

In a pause, I confusedly tried to comprehend who or what we were discussing. "...Wait, who are we talking about?"

"Well, you." That sounded very matter-of-fact from him.

"Right, me." Just to confirm, I stated: "Clem."

"No, you're Clint." That earned him a pinch. "Ow!"

"Look, I was Clint." I could've sworn I told him this already. "I'm kind of Clem from now on, though."

"No, you're not lusting after my trouser snake anymore. You're Clint." With a relented sigh, I nodded. I only conceded because this was becoming a pointless argument. “Then, if you were to change back into a boy right now, would you still have feelings for me?”

As if distracted, my gaze shifted around him nervously in search of something to focus on other than the male beneath me. What he’d said had hit a sore spot in any trace of masculine pride I had left in me.

To me, the thing he was getting at; I wasn’t just female, but apparently I’d had some attraction to men before I changed. I didn’t believe that, but he had a point. At least, before the final transition from boy to girl. I’d never felt what I had with Erin when I was around other guys, but Adam did make me feel something every time I had been with him.

Our daughter’s influence had done that. But this was different. And because of the hard object I felt under me and beneath his towel, I couldn’t excuse myself for the subtle changes he was going through.

He was obviously still a man.

Softly, I told Adam. “Yes.” Focused back down on him, I told him again. “Yes, I would. If I were a boy again, I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. Just you.”

His hands lifted and stroked up my sides. I shifted a leg over his legs and laid down on top of him, and we just stared at one another in silence. I enjoyed his touch, the scent of the soap he’d used in the shower, the radiant warmth of his body pressed up against mine, and his willingness to remain still in this moment.

He was still broader than me in the shoulders. I could squeeze in against his chest and rest easily on top of him.

Just being together and nothing more. If he had been any other man, like myself, I wondered, ’Would he have shown the same restrained patience? Or would he have jumped me every chance he got?’

I smiled and laid down my head to rest a cheek onto his bare shoulder. In a soft whisper, I asked: “You have me curious now.”

Adam adjusted himself a little under me as he asked: “Curious about what?” I felt the warmth of his breath in my hair when he asked me that. His hands slid up and held me down against him with a hug.

Having him this close was nice and thrilling. Nice to know he wouldn’t do anything, but thrilling to feel his body react this way towards me.

Pleasantly, I sighed and said, “Please don’t take offense, but are you gay… Er, I guess bi?” I was confused about him, so I thought I’d bluntly ask. I still recalled what he’d said yesterday morning after my attempted suicide. “You mentioned liking me before, but why? You’ve been avoiding me for years, right?”

“Ah, yeah, about that.” He cleared his throat, which sounded weird right next to my long ear. “I have, but that wasn’t because I didn’t like ya. You were just unapproachable. Scary, too… Okay, that I didn’t like.”

I could understand that. The way I used to be made me feel a little sick.

If he had come up to me, I’d have played my game with him and -- if he refused to cooperate -- have had David and his cronies come deal with Adam while I left the scene. This year was the big difference: I’d lost everything, and it made me welcome anyone’s company.

Then I realized something about Adam. “Is this why your family has been hounding you to get a girlfriend?”

“What do you mean?” He sounded legitimately confused.

Brushing my cheek down to his chest, I lowered my head and voice to quietly clarify. “You just said that you liked me as a guy for years. You are gay. That’s why your family has been pushing you. Am I on the mark?”

“Oh, just hold on.” I held my tongue, and as I listened to his racing heart, I waited to hear what he had to say in his defense. “To clear this up: not gay. At least, I kind of like whoever I like. It’s not -- Well, ah, ya know… I’m not looking for men. You just, well, ahmm…” He sighed, raised his hand up to the back of my head and began brushing my hair with his combing fingers. “You were pretty.”

Being careful on his chest, I glanced away a moment to reflect on being called pretty back then. That was used to insult me and I did take it as one. It would have been a jab at me for how well I maintained my healthy diet and hygiene; how I looked. I used to think that was a part of reason I was targeted at our current school -- envious hostility…

But Adam didn’t mean it that way. I sighed and listened as he continued: “Not your attitude, but I was attracted and kinda dwelled on that for a long time from a distance. I’d imagine what if we would have been friends or, uh, more I guess. I -- I don’t know if that makes any sense.” He laughed a little and I smiled.

“I think I do.” I thought about what he’d said for a moment. “Maybe?” In hindsight, it was odd for a guy to be called ”pretty.” I thought that it would be best to have Adam clarify exactly what he meant. “What about me was pretty?”

“Ah, well, right now --”

”Was.” Quickly, I corrected him. “As in, when I was a boy.”

“Ah, okay. I gotcha.” Adam smiled cheerfully at me before he began to reflect. “Without a doubt, you had the clearest -- ah, I mean literally flawless, skin. Even when you stood in the shade, you shined.”

I didn’t know about the shiny part, but I had tried to keep pimple free while everyone else had the tell-all sign of pinching a harvest of facial breakouts. They disgusted me and I didn’t want to have the experience, let alone the appearance, of being a zit face.

Adam went on. “Your hair and eyebrows were always so neatly trimmed. Never a stray hair. Perfect golden hair.”

My hair was closer to the color of light straw, but I did appreciate the comparison. As for why I had my hair, even my brows, trimmed like that; I hated how bothersome my hair could be when the wind blew it in my eye, or how it annoyed me to death by tickling the inside of my ears. I didn’t like hair getting in my face. Random threads of hair whipping at my skin irritated me.

“Speaking of perfect, you used to smile every time anyone was around.” That sounded more like I was charming there rather than pretty, but I didn’t interrupt to correct Adam. “If I didn’t know what sorta person you were and what could’ve happened to me with your buds around, I’d be compelled to greet and say a hello to you any time.”

I knew why I’d smiled a lot. Smiling and being social with everyone had disarmed them for me to figure them out. Like what type of person they were and if I wanted to involve myself any further with them or find some way to avoid their gaze. Teachers were a big one to avoid, but I sometimes had to perform and act like a good kid in front of them.

That didn’t fly so well this year. But if I hadn’t lost the crew I was with and suffered the humiliation our new school had to offer me, I wouldn’t have been humbled enough to be with Adam.

I’d still be an arrogant prick.

“Ah, Clint? I’m not too sure about this one, but if I’m wrong, lemme know.” I quirked a brow and wondered for a moment what else he would say about me. “Did you used to wear lipstick?”

“Huh?” That came out of nowhere.

He elaborated: “You, ah, had glossy red lips --”

“You mean lip gloss?” I rolled my eyes at that note on my former appearance. “That was because school is always held during the cold seasons. Like you said, I smiled a lot and I didn’t want to split my lip.” I tsked and decided to add onto that. “I also used to use hand moisturizer.”

“How come?” When he said that, I lifted my head up and looked down at him in wonder at how he could possibly be serious not knowing the reason why.

“Because it kept my hands and fingers soft and smooth? Why else?” He shook his head at me, which left me even more confused. “What?”

“I meant... Ah, how should I put this? Why did you want your hands soft and smooth.” I didn’t understand the question and I think that was showing on my face. “I mean… Clint, guys don’t normally do that.”

“Well, I did. I liked it.” I turned away from him for a moment to now be the one reflecting on my past. “I let the other guys be rough and tough. I just...” How Adam had described me, and how I now saw myself, I sounded like I hadn’t just been pretty, but girly.

It was no wonder why he’d had an attraction to me. I stood out and looked good in the spotlight, but not as a handsome boy. I sorta understood why my targets wanted to beat me bloody.

To them, I was a weird brat who grew up to be even more confusing. By attracting both genders, I probably disturbed everyone.

With a sigh, I was ever more concerned about what I had to tell him. I wasn’t ready, but if he kept going to school while going through these changes… I decided to drop the subject and move on to a more important topic.

“Anyways, Adam, do you want to hear what I have to say?” I had to ponder where to begin. “What happened to me and why I was so overly enamored with you?”

“I do, but please wait one moment.” I wasn’t sure why, but I held my tongue and waited for him to say or do something. I felt his chest swell, then came the slow exhale from his lungs. When he spoke, it was as if he had to struggle with each word coming out of his mouth. “I, ah, ahmm, would you, ya know, how you’re sure about being, ah, pregnant…” He paused a moment, took another breath and held it in.

His hold around me tightened.

“Adam?” I could tell he had something very important to tell me and it was really taking a toll on his nerves trying to spit it out.

All I could do was press back down onto him and hope I was reassuring him that whatever it was he would tell me; all would be okay.

Finally, he said, “Marry me.”

I stiffened against him. “Huh?”

“Would you?” He asked me if I would, but I was still in mid-thought over what I’d heard him propose a second ago.

I had to clarify this. “Did you just ask me to marry you?”

He cleared up my confusion by saying: “Ah, yeah, if it’s okay?”

My jaw hung for a few silent seconds.

In those seconds, I thought about what he said and wondered, ’Why would he rush to marriage like that? Isn’t he the one who’s been saying how quickly we’ve been taking things?’ We didn’t know enough about one another to be sure our relationship would hold together. I had already stated that I loved him. I wondered and thought, ’Maybe I brought this on myself by telling him that?’

My composure regained, then I asked: “Tell me why first.”

“You said that you’re pregnant. I’m going to believe that, but if that’s the case, I don’t want our child to be born out of wedlock.” I was surprised how clearly he told me his reason for the proposal. “That, and I don’t want you to leave.” That had made me laugh a little.

“So you, hehe… You want me kept tied up and close to you by the ring finger? Is that it?” I lifted my hand up for him to see. “I also thought proposals required those rings?”

The moment I began to talk about rings, my thoughts drifted back to the other world and the talk I’d had with Grandma Satan about my choices in a mate. My fingers curled into my palm slowly and I gently laid my hand down by Adam’s side.

“Adam?” I was sick, and feverish when this hit me. “Do you feel okay?”

“Yeah, why?” I lifted my head up from his chest to inspect him. “What?” He didn’t appear to be sweating or having any other sign that he might be under some influence. I shook my head and laid back down on him. “Ah, so, is that going to be a no?”

I wanted to tell him that I’d like to have time to think about it, but I was very worried about how this had played out. It was too eerily like this had been planned by that demonic woman. If she had wanted this to happen, then I had to follow through with marriage. I could see the benefits of our child having two parents, and knew that being with Adam would be for the best because of him being the father.

I told Adam clearly, so there would be no mistake. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

And all I could think of right now was, ’This went fast.’

In only a couple of days, I went from: losing my dad, being nearly burned to death while I traveled through Hell, emerging from the ashes with an invisible stalker, endured rape and transformation, losing my mind in a sex-crazed fashion, almost committing suicide once or twice, losing my home while possibly being implicated, losing my virginity by rape and getting pregnant, and now being engaged.

With all that on my mind, I wondered, ’What more is going to happen to me?’ I still needed to speak with that Satanic Grandma about the deal we’d made: my cooperation in exchange for finding my dad.

“Hey, Clint?” I snapped out of my inner place and perked up. “You wanted to tell me about what’s happening?”

I opened my mouth, then shut it. I felt mentally drained with all that I had thought about.

Taking one deep breath, I told him instead: “I’ll explain after dinner. Can we…” I felt like kicking myself for what I was about to suggest. “Could we just rest for now?”

“Yeah, sure.” His hand smoothed my hair back away from my forehead and his palm laid across the exposure. “Do you feel okay? Do you want to crawl in bed?” I lifted my head up and away from his hand. I smiled down at him, looked at how we were lying on top of the bedspread and nodded. “Is that a, ‘Yes, I’m okay?’”

“Yes, I’m fine.” I had to laugh a little. “Just a bit in need of a nap.”

“Cool, then let me up?” I shrugged, laughed a little more, and rolled off once he stopped hugging me.

I sat up and turned to watch him crawl backwards to the head of the bed. He removed his towel and tossed it over at the dresser. A little tingling sensation ran through me as I saw him completely naked.

This was the absolute first time I saw him nude. I felt him plenty of times when he was vulnerable, but never actually had my him in front of my eyes to see this. And I once again questioned if I really was into men or if he was somehow special.

My heart fluttered when I saw he really had a nice butt, but more so when I caught the swollen joint between his lush behind and scrotum. I remembered how overwhelmingly sensitive I was when I touched my perineum.

If I was correct about what was going on with him, I spotted a dangerous development against his manhood. I had to get in touch with Grandma Satan as soon as possible.

But I could be absolute wrong. I never saw him without clothes on. And when I had glimpses, again: I was under a supernatural beings influence. I could’ve been shown only whatever our daughter or that dark demon wanted me to see.

Then he pulled the covers up and slipped in; showing me no more.

That tingling became electric as I realized I’d be under the covers with him being nude. As Clementine -- the nympho -- I’d craved the opportunity. Now I would be more… I wondered, ’Will I be shy of this occasion?’

Closing my eyes, I reflected on the fact that he had never tried anything unless I wanted it to happen. The only exception had been last night, but that had been because of our daughter’s need and that demonic momma’s possession.

Besides, we would only rest for a little while since dinner would be up for grabs when Adam’s dad came home.

“Clint? You okay?” Opening my eyes back up, I faced him and responded with a nod. “Ahmm, do you, ah, ahmm… Do you mind me like this?” I tilted my head and stared at him questioningly. “I can get dressed real quick.”

“You just want to rest, right?” I had to interrupt him and ask that because I wasn’t in the mood for anything intimate right now. Maybe not for awhile. I still ached down there and didn’t know when I might feel better.

“I, yeah, kinda…” That sounded to me like he wanted to do something rather than rest. I felt a little hotter because of that, despite the soreness.

“If…” If I was honest with myself, I wanted to touch him in a different way than I had before. Back when I was caught in the Rosalis’ restroom, I wanted to know if he’d moan like I had. “I’ll get undressed --”

“Wait.” He started to protest. “You don’t have to.”

To settle him down, I said, “I’m okay with it, but I really would like to be rested when I get introduced to your dad.”

He nodded in response and I sighed once more before I gripped and pulled the tank top off. Once I slipped out of the boxers, he pulled the covers aside and I crawled up next to him.

Lying back, he covered me and I cuddled up next to him. He slipped his arm under my head for me to rest on and I closed my eyes.

In a quiet voice, I said, “Love you.”

I felt him press his lips on the top of my head and whisper: “Love you too.”

Soon after, I rested on him. I had wanted to sneak a finger between his legs, but I felt myself slipping into a securely relaxed comfort in Adam’s arms. And I caught myself dozing off once, then twice, but I must’ve blinked and missed the charming third…