A North Carolina Autumn - Chapter 37: Chapter 37

"I remember." I finally reply, somehow managing to keep my voice from shaking.
"Good. Because it's later." She murmurs the moment before pressing her lips to mine. Her lips are sweet, tasting slightly of the salt from the breeze that constantly surrounded us up on deck. They move expertly against mine, and I'm glad I'm already laying down as my legs seem to turn to jelly.
Rylie then pulls the covers aside and climbs beneath, slipping her body between my legs. Her lips find mine again in time to take in my sudden moan as her thigh presses against the sensitive place between my legs.
"Mmm... you like that?" She asks in the low voice that I loved.
I force myself to answer, knowing that's what she wants. "Yes..." I manage to say, feeling my steady voice begin to betray me. "It feels so good." I confess into her ear as I press my hips up against her.
I watch as a satisfied smirk slips onto her lips moments before she reaches over to shut off the lamp, leaving only a dim glow from the soft orange overhead lights around the room. She kisses me again, harder this time, and I'm no longer in control of my body as her hands roam over my exposed skin.
"You're perfect, baby." She murmurs against my lips, her words building the heat low in my stomach. She was only making me want her more with each second that passed. With each word she spoke.
But then, I have a thought.
Wasn't I supposed to be the one making something up to her? That thought is enough to bring back my confidence, and without waiting another second, I lift the hem of her t-shirt with one hand before slipping my other beneath her panties. My fingers know exactly where to go, and I'm pleased to find her already wet. I'm even more pleased with the sound that slips from her lips, a soft, beautiful mix between a gasp and a moan.
"Aspen..." Rylie moans, closing her eyes briefly as she feels the pleasure my fingers are bringing. A moment later, her eyes meet mine again, filled with a deep desire.
"Shh..." I whisper with a smirk as I look up at her. "Let me love you." I finish before putting my hands to her hips and pulling her closer until she's straddling me. Once she's where I want her, I tug at the waistband of her panties, meeting her eyes with a slow grin. She obeys my silent command and quickly slips the panties off before returning to where I want her, scooting up slightly to give me more access to her.
With no more fabric standing between my fingers and her swollen center, I return my right hand to its earlier position between her legs, enjoying the way her head drops back momentarily as I move my fingers in a slow circle. Her mouth drops partially open as a moan slips from her lips.
I slide my free hand beneath her shirt and up her bare stomach before stopping to cup her breast, squeezing gently. This only pulls more moans from her, and she begins moving her hips slowly against my hand. I take that as my invitation to add to her pleasure, and I slip two fingers inside of her, keeping my thumb against the outside where I knew it felt best.
The combination of my fingers does exactly what I want it to. Rylie gasps, and her hips begin moving faster as her head drops back again. "Fuck, Aspen..." She moans. One of her hands rests on my stomach, her fist clenching my shirt while the other moves to cover my hand as it explores underneath her shirt.
This only turns me on more, and fuels my desire to bring the pleasure her body was craving. The pleasure her body deserved. I begin moving my fingers faster, and with each moan that leaves her mouth, the heat deep in my stomach only builds.
The faster my fingers move, the faster she moves her hips. As she nears her climax, her movements begin getting sloppier, but I encourage her to keep moving, and she bites her lip in concentration while also managing to keep her eyes locked on mine.
"Good girl..." I purr, enjoying her reaction to those simple words. Those two words are what finally push her over the edge, and I keep my movement steady as she rides out the orgasm. The feeling of her body pulsing around my fingers, the sound of her moans, the look on her face as the pleasure flows through her, all of these things are nearly enough to unravel me right then and there.
As Rylie recovers from the orgasm, it takes a moment for her eyes to meet mine again but once they do, the look in her eyes makes the throbbing between my legs ten times stronger.
"Don't stop moving." She instructs, and I raise an eyebrow but don't stop my fingers. She bites her lip in concentration as her hand that rests on my stomach slides down before slipping beneath my shorts. I let out a moan as her fingers make contact with my already swollen center. "Move slow for a minute while you catch up." She purrs into my ear as her fingers start moving faster.
Watching and hearing her had turned me on quite a bit, and I knew it wouldn't take Rylie long to bring me to the edge. She knows that too, and I gasp as she slips two fingers inside of me, instantly bringing me even closer.
"Fuck, Ry..." I gasp, struggling to focus on keeping my fingers steady. A thrill of satisfaction flows through me when I see her lip still pulled between her teeth, showing me that she was struggling just as much as I was, if not more. I knew she was really sensitive still, which is why she'd asked me to stay slow and steady.
"Good job, baby. Keep moving for me. It feels so good." Rylie says in a low voice before pressing her lips to my neck. This does it for me, and I feel my stomach begin tightening.
"I'm close, Ry..." I gasp, barely getting the words out.
"I know, baby. Start moving faster now." She instructs, and I obey. Her eyes shut briefly and her eyebrows arch as my fingers move, and that look alone is nearly enough for me. "I want you to come with me, okay baby?" She gasps, moving her hips faster against my hand.
I don't have a chance to respond as my body takes over, and I feel my orgasm pulse through me. Rylie's body tightens around my fingers signifying her own climax, and that only brings me more pleasure. Knowing that she was feeling just as good as I was only made me feel everything more intensely.
When we both finally start coming down from our climaxes, I pull Rylie down on top of me and let out a happy sigh as she lays her head on my chest, just beneath my chin.
I still had my pajamas and she had her t-shirt on, but I felt closer to her, as if we were skin to skin. "I am completely in love with you, Ry. Some days I wonder if I will ever stop falling in love with you, and just be in love, but I know I won't. I'll always be falling for you. And I'm really happy about that." I say softly as I run my fingers through her soft hair.
"That's exactly how I feel." Rylie replies, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "I love you, Aspen. Always."
Her words bring a smile to my face and I'm pretty sure it stays there long after I fall asleep to the gentle rocking of the ship.
Hands are on my pants, and they're not hers. These hands are rough and unkind. They're strong as they pull at the fabric of my clothes, and I can't push them away no matter how hard I try. I can't really move in general, my body feels weighed down, and this only brings more anxiety to my chest. My breathing quickens and I feel dread seeping in as the dark shape hovering over me becomes more and more familiar.
Gabe.
"Stop," I try to gasp, but my voice sounds funny. "Please..." I can't move.
"Aspen." A voice sounds near my ear, but it's not Gabe's. It's a soft, familiar voice. One that soothes the anxiety and fear in my chest. I wanted to go to that voice.
The voice says my name again, and I feel a hand on my arm and know instantly that it's not Gabe's hand. This hand is kind and gentle, and I focus on how it feels, letting it pull me away from Gabe's greedy, hate filled grip.
When I open my eyes, it takes them a moment to adjust to the darkness but when they do, Rylie is the first thing to come into focus.
"You're awake." She breathes. I can hear the relief in her voice, matching the relief covering her face.
"I am." I reply in a whisper as the details of my dream come back to me. "You brought me back." I try to keep my voice steady, but it breaks on the last word and I'm unable to stop the sudden tears.
"Hey," Rylie's arms wrap around me in the darkness, pulling me to her chest. "Come here, baby." I let myself sink into her warm embrace, feeling the last of my fear, anxiety and dread slip away.
Only when my tears slow to a stop does Rylie finally speak again. "Was it him?" She asks softly. I can only nod, but that's enough for her. "I figured. You didn't say much, but I could tell it was a scary and painful dream."
"It was." I say quietly. Then, I force myself to continue, knowing it will help. "It was like that night... the last night I saw him." I flinch as the images of that night in the alley flash through my mind. "He was grabbing at me, at my clothes, and I couldn't get away. But then I heard you, and I felt your touch, and you pulled me back."
"I will always pull you back, baby." Rylie replies, her voice filled with love.
"Thank you, Ry." My voice breaks again, but this time in a good way. We're quiet for a few minutes as Rylie holds me, and then I ask the question I didn't really want to know the answer to. "What if they're coming back?"
Rylie is quiet for a moment before responding. "The nightmares?"
"Yeah."
"If they're coming back, I'm going to do everything I can to get them to go away again. And Aspen, it's okay if they come back. What you've been through... no one should ever have to go through anything like that. Those things, especially the things with him, those affected you. They will continue to affect you. That's what trauma does. That doesn't mean you're weak, though. It's the opposite, actually. It makes you unbelievably strong. And I'm so thankful that I get to watch you as you battle these demons. I get to watch you fight. I get to watch you survive and it is so incredible to witness. I will never stop admiring your strength and ability to overpower every single demon that tries to pull you away." Rylie's voice is full of emotion, and her genuine love brings a fresh wave of tears from my eyes.
"You have no idea what you and your words mean to me, or how much you help me. You always manage to show me the light when all I want is to sink into the numb, unfeeling darkness that won't leave me alone."
"Aspen," Rylie gently lifts my chin until my eyes meet hers. Even in the darkness, I can still make out the stunning blue of her irises. "I've loved you for roughly 17 months. I've learned everything about you and yet I'm still learning more everyday. You are my person. You are my everything. You are the love of my life. I will never stop loving you, and I will always be here to pull you out of that numb darkness, and I'll never stop showing you that you deserve love, life, and happiness."
As Rylie finishes speaking, it's hard for me to find words, but I know she understands. "I'm so thankful for you and how you always know how to save me. I love you, Ry."
"I'll save you over and over, love. I'm never going to let you go." Rylie replies before kissing me softly. I memorize this moment, the way her words feel and how comforting her touch is.
She pulls me back down to the pillows, keeping me secure in her arms. I breathe deeply, pulling her familiar scent into my nostrils. As Rylie's breathing slows, telling me she's back asleep, my mind focuses only on memories. Good memories. I realize that no matter what, Rylie had always been there to save me, time after time. There were even times where she had saved me, probably without even realizing what she was doing.
I knew that she would always be there, no matter how bad things got. I also knew that I would always be okay as long as I let her be there. Just like she was never going to let me go, I would never let her go. I was determined to be her lifeline, the way she was mine.
I just hoped I'd be able to remember these things in the future if things did get bad again.