I gave him a sleepy grin, and maybe it was only a few seconds, or a minute, but when he came back with a warm washcloth and the instructions for me to get up and go to the bathroom, it took all my energy to open my eyes and crawl out of the bed. I winced a little bit at the pain between my legs, but it wasn’t too bad, it didn't hurt too much. I knew I would be a bitsore in the morning, but I wouldn’t have changed anything about tonight.
It wasnoon when I finally woke up. Lukas’ arms tightened around my waist and I grinned sleepily. I’d lost count how many times he’d woken me up throughout the night. His lips pressed against my bare shoulder and I sighed.
“Ready for round…” he paused as he thought. “Honestly, I don’t know what round.”
I hummed and turned around in his arms. I pressed a kiss to his nose, and then his lips. I felt his hand skate down my side and over my hip.
“As fun as that sounds, I’m a bit sore,” I said, and despite everything we did last night, heat bloomed in my cheeks.
Why I was embarrassed by that statement, I wasn’t entirely sure, and the chuckle that rumbled up out of Lukas didn’t help. My contentment died, and I pouted. I didn’t like him laughing at me. I started to wiggle out of his grasp, but Lukas just tightened his hold and snuggled me close.
“I’m not laughing at you sweet girl. I’m just utterly pleased with myself right now.”
I huffed and gave his chest a shove.
“The size of your ego is literally a safety hazard.”
“You love the size of my ego.”
I couldn’t stop the laugh that erupted from me. He wasn’t wrong,. but he also wasn’t right.
“No but seriously, I don’t think I can,” I said.
“We did go hard last night…how about a shower and then we will inform your family you aren’t dead.”
I buried my face in his chest as anxiety and dread filled me. Lukas must have felt me tense up.
“Aimee?”
“Oh my God, Eloise is going to beinsufferable,” I moaned.
I was only allowed to wallow in that realization for a moment before Lukas lost it, and laughs poured from him. It was infectious, the sound coming from him. I bit back my smile, but it didn’t take long before I was laughing too. Eloise would be unbearable, and then giddier than shit.
“She’s going to want to know everything,” I sighed.
“You can totally embellish the size of my ego,” he said, kissing my forehead before climbing out the bed.
I pulled the blankets in close savoring the warmth and watched his naked ass walk across the room.
“Stop staring at my ass,” he said, and I heard the shower turn on.
My phone dinged, and with a silly grin still on my face, I rolled over and grabbed it.
“Don’t put it in the direction of my face then,” I retorted as I opened the group chat.
The smile fell off my face as I read the article and the comments that followed. My phone started vibrating with incoming raging texts from my friends, but I felt the unease brewing. The narrative may have changed, and more people may be on my side, but apparently there would always be people who blamed me.
“Aimee?”
My eyes snapped to Lukas as he exited the bathroom. Something in my expression had him booking it over to me.
“What’s wrong?”
He gently took the phone and looked at the link—read the texts from my friends, and then he clicked it off, looking at me.
“Listen to me,” he said, tilting my face so that I was looking at him. “The faceless voices online,they do not matter. You know what happened, those who love and care for you know what happens, and not a single one of those people blame you for any of it.”
I nodded, blinking back tears.
