Chapter 15
Jamie
A light in the sea of darkness, he found me.
I was wasting away to nothing in a pit of despair. Happy to sink into the pitch-black depths alone. Arnie came for me. I’m not sure why, but he did, and it surprised me just how much it mattered.
We packed my dorm, there wasn’t much, as we got it all into his Subaru Outback with room left over.
He didn’t push for more information, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I would have to tell him more about my old life.
My stepdad and finding out that he’s pinned my location has shaken me to my core.
Arnie asks to read the emails from the university, telling me he will take over if I want. He can act as a go-between for them until I need to step in. I’ve never had someone take care of me like that before. I don’t feel weird about it. It feels right.
With Arnie, it does anyway.
We make it back to his house in no time; the familiar scent of lemon in the warm air relaxes me almost immediately.
Arnie plants me with a hot chocolate on the comfy loveseat and puts on Netflix for me to scroll through.
Even though it’s getting a bit more mundane than I expected when I first signed Arnie’s contract, I’m not discouraged.
It makes me feel safe. Despite knowing what the wrath of his hand feels like on my skin, I also know what the softness of his lips feels like too.
In what seems like no time at all, he’s back with a large sandwich filled with cold cuts, homemade slaw and pickles, which he tells me to finish or else with that little smirk of his.
He left me to go back to his office. No doubt to talk to the uni but right now, I’m not concerned about self-sufficiency. I’m happy with him being the adult for me today.
I’m protected for now. Jed can’t find me. He doesn’t even know Arnie, so it’s unlikely he’ll come knocking. But then again, he found me after all this time. Didn’t he?
I try to focus on the movie, but the gnawing of Jed’s possible presence in my life again keeps poking through into my immediate thoughts.
I should probably call Christian and see if he knows anything. I haven’t spoken to him in a while. He knows where I am, but I trust him completely. There’s no way he is behind Jed finding me or my phone number.
After a short while, Arnie comes back. Freshly showered, with nothing but those grey sweats on again. He looks utterly delicious. His pink, dusty nipples with the little black barbells, just begging to be flicked and licked.
What we did together in our last session unleashed something in me, and I want to do it again and again with Arnie at the helm.
I want to see how far I can push myself. How far my body will go, surpassing my mind and leaving it behind to seek pleasure in the darkest corners of Arnie’s home. What would it feel like to spank his tanned ass? Would he love it as much as I did?
I lick my lips at the sight of him, and his eyes narrow as he tracks the movement.
“Now, Jamie, it is not the time. You’ve had a couple of stressful days, and I don’t need you looking at me like that. Not right this second, anyway.”
He looks pained to have had to tell me off for checking him out, so I stick my tongue out at him and laugh as he looks fake appalled.
Arnie is fun. Who knew?
“Okay, so I have spoken with the university, and they will still see you in a couple of weeks. They can’t see you any sooner unfortunately and have insisted that you do not return to classes yet, but that’s more because I told them you had an awful case of the mumps and needed bed rest,” he declares in his gruff adult voice now that he’s back to talking business.
He then wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I sit gobsmacked that this is the same man who told me I was nothing but a paid job just a short few weeks ago.
“Beau suggested you take as much time as you need, and they hope you feel better soon. No one will find you here, so you are welcome to stay as long as you like. I have a spare room across the hall from mine, and we will suspend your sessions until everything is resolved.
I go to open my mouth, but he stops me. His pecs tensing as he puts his hand out towards me.
One long vein runs from his right wrist all the way up his forearm before stopping around his elbow, where he has matching spiderwebs on both arms. I achingly hope he lets me explore every part of him.
And soon. Fantasizing about touching him in specific ways and never doing so, despite being so wound up, will drive me insane.
Thinking about it though, Arnie would likely get off knowing my struggle to contain myself.
“Jamie, it’s not that I don’t want to continue; it’s just that we have a lot to discuss. Your classes and spot at uni are at risk, plus you’re vulnerable now. I won’t take advantage.”
He’s right, I should take some time to think about what’s happened now that I find myself in his home, homeless and in hiding. But I also knew that I wanted more with him before shit hit the fan.
“But I ate and relaxed like you told me,” I pout.
He gives me that look, the one that tells me he’s all Dom in this situation, and I give in, shoulders slumping in defeat.
He notices and comes over to where I’m still seated and drops to one knee, his rough hand cupping my cheek.
“Look, Jamie, there’s nothing more I want than to do another scene with you, especially one that’s not a punishment. But after I saw you in your bed like that…” he trails off, but I know what he meant. He sighs, not meeting my eyes. Almost as if he’s upset by what he saw.
“I’m not depressed anymore if that’s what you think, A. I just felt that spiral again when it all got too much, and I allowed it to swallow me. I should…. I should have called you,” I mutter, picking at the hem of my T-shirt.
He takes a moment, considering my answer, taking his time with his own.
“If you are staying with me, then I want you to tell me more about your stepdad, Jamie. I know it might be hard, but I want to know what we are up against so that I can handle it before he gets to town.”
We? He wants to help me even more than he already does.
“Jamie. I told you. I’m here to ensure you become that remarkable version of yourself that you once were and will be again.
Don’t fight me on this. I’ve already spoken to numerous staff, including Simmons, and they’ve all agreed to report back if anyone on campus is asking around for you.
I’ll help you with your meeting with the Dean, too, and we will get you on track to still graduate next year.
You told me before that you trusted me. So, keep doing that and we will get through it. I promise.”
I listen, eyes glazed over with salty tears, as I think of what he's proclaiming. That there are people here willing to look out for me. I shake my head and some tears escape, hitting my lap.
Arnie draws me in for a hug as I sob once again onto his bare chest. This time, though, the tears are not from fear or dejection but from overwhelming gratitude that I have him in my life despite not earning it.
As he soothes me, my tears dripping onto his bronze skin, I whisper a hushed thank you.