Chapter 87 It's freezing cold
Resting his bottle against his thigh, he looks back over his shoulder, out at the darkened water of the falls for a long moment.
I wonder what’s on his mind?
I’m just about to ask when he speaks. “I almost died two years ago because of the drugs. ” His face is still turned away from me.
My heart freezes solid in my chest. I guess tonight is the night for confessions from him.
“I drowned, and Steve saved me,” he adds.
“What? When? How?” I’m up on my knees now, putting my bottle down.
Natte turns and looks at me. His gaze is dark and torn. It’s painful to see.
"I know everyone thinks I went into rehab because of what happened To Bonny but it wasn’t. When I got back to from the funeral I was worse already than ever I was using drugs a lot. A few nights after I was back, I was out partying and was, absolutely high off my ass. Ben took me home. He had to carry me out of the club and to the car I was in that much of a state. He wanted to stay with me, but I told him I wanted to be alone well basically I told him to fuck off. I shouted him out of the house. I treated him like a piece of shit that night, and he didn’t deserve it. I’m lucky he stayed working for me. ”
I’m glad he did to, because I think Natte would struggle without him, but I don’t say that.
“Steve was out, I was alone. I passed out for a while on the sofa. When I woke the drugs had worn off, so I took another hit, and sat out by the pool drinking tequila. Then in my blind wisdom, I decided to get in the pool,” he sighs. “The next thing I know, I’m puking up water, and Steve is over me, holding me up. ”
“He saved my life that day, Shia. I owe him everything. He called 911, kept it out of the papers. ” He takes a drink of his beer. “Steve went absolutely fuckin’ nuts on me at the hospital afterwards though. I’d never seen him like that before. ”
“It’s understandable, baby,” I say softly, desperately trying to hold myself together. “If he hadn’t of got there in time then” I can’t even say the words. I can’t even bear to think how close he came, it’s scaring the hell out of me.
I gulp back my threatening tears. “And that’s when you went to rehab?” I ask.
He nods. “Steve threatened to quit unless I sorted myself out. Said he’d watched me destroying myself for far too long and that losing Bonny had been hard on all of us, and he wasn’t going to stay around to watch me die too. ”
“What did you say?”
“He’s the best in the business, that’s why he works for me and I couldn’t afford to lose him,” he shrugs. “So I agreed to go to rehab. ”
He’s downplaying it. He loves Steve like a brother, and he knew he was right about rehab.
“No one knows what happened that night, Shia. Not my mom or Tim, not even Dennis. There’s only you, Steve, and the doctors at the hospital who know. ”
In this moment I despise his father More than I ever knew it possible to hate a dead person.
Natte struggles like he does, because of him.
“You can always trust me with anything, baby. ” I touch his face. “I’ll never judge you and I’ll never break your trust, I promise you that. Just please don’t ever go back there again. Promise me that you’ll never take drugs again. ”
He kisses the friendship bracelet on my wrist. “I promise you so that missing bikini top,” he says, gently pushing me down to the blanket, lying on top of me, he holds my hands above my head.
It’s an obvious attempt at a subject change, and I allow it. Natte sometimes needs sex as a way to rid his mind of his demons. And if that’s what he needs right now, then I’m more than happy to oblige.
“Mmm?” I reply, smiling.
“Well, if I remember right, I’m owed a re-enactment and a few other things too. ”
“Well, it just so happens, Pervy Perverson, I have a bikini with me. ”
“And that’s why I love you Mrs. P, ‘cause you’re just as pervy as I am,” he grins. “Now get your hot ass into that bikini, so I can slowly take it back off you. ”
He climbs up off me, taking my hands, he pulls me to his feet.
Moving away from him, with butterflies doing diving swoops in my tummy, I go to get my bikini out of my bag.
As I turn back around, I find a very naked Natte, standing here before me.
“Wow, that was quick,” I giggle, eyes roaming his hot body.
“Well, when we’re talking sex and you, baby, my clothes just disintegrate,” he shrugs, grinning.
My stomach plummets off to a very happy place.
Unzipping my dress, I step out of it. Watching Natte watch me, I kick off my pumps, and very slowly remove my underwear.
I’m just about to put the bikini on when Natte says in a gruff voice, “On second thought, if I remember right, you were topless that day, and you know how I hate panties on you”
Coming close, he takes them from my hand and tosses them to the floor. He kisses me hard on the mouth. Then sliding his hand into mine, he breaks our kiss, leaving me breathless and wanting, and starts to pull me in the direction of the water.
“We’re going in?” I tread carefully over the flat rocks.
“Absolutely. ”
“You want us to go skinny dipping?”
“Oh, most definitely. ” He gives me a cheeky look.
“Oh no, Natte. No way. It’ll be freezing. ” This so was not part of my plan.
“It’s a warm night,” he coaxes. “The water won’t be that cold. ”
“It will,” I press.
Natte stops, turning to me. “The last time we were here, we were in the water and tonight I want to see you wet. ” His voice has gone all dark and sultry, and is completely laced with inclination.
Honestly, I’m wet just listening to him, and my stomach has turned to molten lava, heating my insides.
But it’s still not enough to want me to freeze to death in that cold ass water.
“As awesome as that sounds, there is no way in hell that I’m getting in that ass freezing water. ”
I step back, dropping his hand. “Let’s just have sex on the nice warm blanket,” I encourage.
Natte tilts his head to the side. His look is challenging, and I know exactly what’s he’s thinking.
“No way! Don’t you dare, Natte Johnson!” I point my finger at him in warning, taking a step back.
“Noooo! Argghh!” I scream as he runs at me, grabbing hold of me.
Picking me up, he hoists me over his shoulder, and kicking and screaming Natte carries me into the water.
“Put me down!” I yell, laughing, wriggling in his strong arms.
Natte is laughing. Deep and loud. And I love the sound. It’s been way too long since I last heard him laugh.