The Special Girl Read online

  Maura’s parents ask me to join them in Maura’s room. We are allowed to sit by her side while she sleeps. She is hooked up to a cardiac monitor for observation but otherwise she looks so peaceful. Her magnificent mane of silky blonde hair is fanned out on her pillow. Her eyes are closed, and she has a tube in her noise supplying her with oxygen. She is so beautiful. I just want to get in bed with her and hold her to me. I know I can’t though in present company. Her mother sits on the other side of her holding her hand, her father by her mother’s side. I sit opposite them holding her other hand. We stay like this for what seems like days. I don’t care, I am not leaving my beautiful girl.

  Maura

  I can hear my mother speaking. She is begging someone to eat. She is telling someone they need to rest and eat some food. I slowly open my eyes after I hear my Zack say, “I will do all that when Maura wakes up and tells me she is alright. I need to stay here with her until then.” I feel his calloused strong hand wrapped around mine. He startles as he realizes my eyes are open. He gently touches my face with his other bandaged hand and smiles at me. “Well hello beautiful girl,” he says. Then I hear my parents’ gleeful greetings. Every one of them have a goofy grin on their face. I become fully aware of my surroundings. “Why am I in a hospital?” I say puzzled. Then it all starts to come back to me. I sit up quickly and a steady beeping I could hear in the room, intensifies. “Alex!! What did he do?” I ask as I search my body swiftly to see what clothes are on me. I feel under my covers and realize I am naked under a gown I have on. My eyes widen and I panic. “Did he? … did he?…,” I can’t get out the question. Zack leans down into my face and looks me straight in the eyes, “NO! He didn’t,” he says as he holds onto me. “You are safe sweety. You are safe,” my dad says reaching out for me.

  A nurse comes rushing into the room. She listens to my heart with a stethoscope and resets the monitor. She introduces herself to me as Laura and asks if I am alright. I nod that I am. The beeping calms down as I relax in Zack’s arms. I look up at my parents and they look at me sympathetically. My dad tugs at my mom and tells her to go with him to the cafeteria for some food. She blows me a kiss and says she will return in a bit. I smile at her reassuringly as they exit the room.

  Zack stands up, slips off his boots and gets in bed with me. He holds me like he thinks I may float away from him. I feel something on his right hand. I pull his arm up to reveal a bandage on his hand. I remember Zack beating Alex. “Are you okay?” I ask inspecting his hand. “Yeah I’ll live,” he laughs. Then I panic a moment as I have a thought. “Did you kill Alex?” I ask seriously. I actually didn’t care if Alex was dead, but I didn’t want Zack to face murder charges. Zack looks amused. “I think he is alive. The police have spoken to me several times and they never mentioned murder,” he chuckles. “The police?” I ask. “Are you going to jail?” I cringe. “I don’t think so. The police said everyone from the party said I beat him up to save you and Alex was holding you against your will,” he says. “Don’t worry about any of that my beautiful girl,” he says as he gives me sweet kisses on my forehead. “Just rest. I got you. You are safe. I will never let anyone hurt you again,” he whispers in my ear as I drift off to sleep again.

  After I wake up from my nap with Zack, my parents have returned, and Zack is still in bed with me. I have a death grip on him. He makes me feel safe and loved. My parents don’t seem to be bothered by Zack’s position in my bed, but I can tell Zack is uncomfortable, so I let him go and he retreats to the chair. Laura, my nurse, has brought me a tray loaded with all kinds of foods. She says she knows I have to be starving. After I eat, my mom tells me the doctor said I could go home in a couple hours. She wants me to go home with them for a few days. I agree.

  I have learned from Laura, that I slept for almost twenty-six hours after I was brought into the hospital. My parents and Zack stayed with me the entire time, holding my hands. Zack’s dad and fiancé and almost everyone from the frat party that night stayed until the next morning. My mom had gone out to them and told them all to go get some sleep. She promised to keep Kylie apprised of my condition and then she could update all the college kids. She also thanked Dana and Mr. Deaton for staying and asked them if they wanted to come back to my room to see Zack. They didn’t want to intrude but they agreed to find a hotel to get some sleep and check back later.

  Before I am discharged, two detectives come into my room and ask to interview me. They ask my parents and Zack to step out while I give my account of the incident. I tell them about how I had dated Alex earlier in the year, how we ended our relationship and how we hadn’t spoken until that night in the hallway. I described everything I could remember not holding back any detail. They seemed satisfied with my description of the events. They tell me that my statement filled in all the gaps from the information they had acquired from the other partygoers and Zack. They assured me that Zack would be cleared of any wrongdoing.

  I go home with my parents that afternoon while Zack decides to ride home with his dad and Dana. When I am alone in the car with my parents, I decide to tell them everything that happened with Alex since I met him. It is awkward but I want to be honest with them. My mom asks if I am sure he never forced sex with me. I think about it, but I consented every time except this last time but thank God Zack had come when he did. I had not acted with my best interests when I had sex with Alex. I know that now. He never treated me as Zack does. I have much higher expectations now.

  I call Kylie after I return to my parent’s house. I give her a rundown of everything that happened that night. She feels horrible that as soon as she entered that bathroom, Alex grabbed me. She also said Blake felt guilty that he had gone to the door of Alex’s room and accepted his explanation and left without realizing I was being held inside. I reassure her that neither one of them could have known. It all worked out, so there was no need for anyone to second guess their actions. I speak to Zack on the phone that night, we are both exhausted, so we stay at our own houses and go to sleep early.

  The next day I am feeling great. I had enough sleep to last me a year. As much as I relish being safe and loved in my own home, I need to get back to school. I missed two days of class already and I will miss today as well. Zack comes over and I share my thoughts with him. He agrees that we both need to go back, but he isn’t sure I am ready. I convince him I am. He assures my parents that we can handle going back together on the train. He promises them that he will take care of me and keep me safe. My parents tell him they trust him and have no doubt he will protect and take great care of me. They both hug him.

  I go back to Zack’s house with him to say goodbye to his dad and Dana and to see the changes at their house. Dana is so glad to see me and starts to cry when she sees me. Dana pulls me into a hug and tells me how worried about me she had been at the hospital. She is ecstatic to see me here looking so great she tells me. Zack’s dad also hugs me. “You do look great sweetheart,” he says. I hug them both back and thank them for their concern and apologize for any trouble this has caused them. They both reassure me that I have nothing to apologize for.

  Zack’s dad, who insists I call him Brian, drives us back to my house. My parents want to drive us to the train station. My parents come out to say hello to Brian and after another goodbye, he leaves. Me and Zack slide into the backseat of my dad’s SUV and we drive to the station. My parents both hug and kiss me goodbye. My mom holds onto me a little longer than usual. She also hugs and kisses Zack goodbye and my dad bypasses Zack’s outstretched hand and hugs him in that manly way. Zack and I board a train and are back on campus that night.

  Zack escorts me to my room and helps me get settled. Everyone on my floor has obviously heard about what happened at the frat house Saturday night to me. They are all giving me sympathetic smiles and asking me how I am. No one asks any intrusive questions, so that is good. Kylie is eager to help me and do whatever I need which is nothing really. Zack is hesitant to leave me, but I assure him I am good, and I promise to
call him when I get into bed. When we are alone, Kylie tells me the sorority had an emergency meeting yesterday. Tammy, our president was flanked by a female counselor that spoke to them about inappropriate behavior, sexual assault, harassment and how to report such behaviors. She also offered advice as to how they should handle me when I return. I guess that’s why everyone was so nice and unintrusive. Kylie also says Tammy informed us that all sororities and fraternities were having the same meetings and that the college was going to reach out in other ways to the rest of the non-Greek student body.

  They also learned that Alex has been officially removed from the fraternity and football team. She said Blake had told her that the entire fraternity unanimously voted in favor of him being removed. He has also been put on suspension from the school and is not allowed on school property pending the outcome of his criminal charges. A detective had called this morning to inform me that he had been formally charged and was still recovering in the hospital with police supervision as he was under arrest. The DA has already drawn up papers to have a restraining order placed against him on my behalf. This all made me feel better about my safety going forward.

  Chapter 25

  Zack

  We manage to finish out the rest of our Spring semester. I spend almost every moment I am not in class, with Maura. We live a kind of boring existence. We go to classes, study, eat and sleep. Sometimes we watch a movie in one of our rooms or sit enjoying one of Jason’s impromptu concerts on the brick wall. Whatever we are doing, we are together. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

  One night a few weeks after the worst night of our lives, we are star gazing outside my dorm building. I am sitting on a bench with Maura resting her head on my shoulder. We are both looking up to the sky. I suddenly can’t wait any longer. I turn her head ever so gently towards me. She turns her gaze to me. I look straight into her shimmering blue eyes and tell her, “I love you Maura. I love you so much it hurts. I never want to be without you again. I want to be your protector, your best friend, your confidant, …your lover,” I say softly. She fully turns her body to me, and she kisses me like never before. She tells me so much in that kiss.

  After the kiss, we are lost in each other’s gaze. Nothing can tear either one of our eyes away from each other. She jumps up and grabs my hand. “Come on let’s go!” she demands. “Where?” I say quizzically. “Upstairs,” she points towards my building mischievously. In the elevator, I text Jason, “Stay away tonight!” He acknowledges with a thumb’s up emoji. We practically run off the elevator to my room. I lock the door behind us, and Maura is on me as soon as I turn around. She pulls my shirt off and starts kissing me with a ferocity. I stop her and she is confused. “Let’s take this slow. I want to remember the first time I make love to my beautiful girl,” I say with a gleam in my eye. She nods in agreement.

  I remove my boots and am now standing shirtless and barefoot, in only my jeans. I sit on my bed and pull her towards me, so she is standing in between my legs. I unbutton her top and remove it slowly. I unbutton her shorts and slide them gently down her legs. I stop and ask her if this is okay with her. She groans out a “Yes!” and looks at me as if to say, “Are you kidding me, of course it’s okay!” I smile shyly at her response. She is now standing before me in just a pale pink lace G-string and matching pink lace bra. I look at her adoringly taking in the sight of her glorious body.

  My cock is straining against my jeans and she probably notices the movement in my pants. She presses her breasts gently against my face and moves her fingers through my hair. I kiss both of her beautiful full breasts through the lace of her bra. I pull her down on the bed with me and she lies down eagerly. I unclasp her bra and pull it away from her and drop it to the floor. I suck and lick at both of her creamy breasts and pink nipples. They harden in my mouth. I devour them as she moans in approval. I move back up her neck kissing and sucking along the way until I reach her mouth. Our tongues tangle as we kiss hungrily, and her soft small hands roam my chest and ab muscles.

  She slows our kissing and demands, “We need these jeans off now.” I let her unbutton and unzip my jeans and then help her slide them off. I am only clad in a pair of black boxers and she is still sporting her G-string. I am more than ready to be done with the little bit of clothes we still wear. This is evident in my hard as granite erection tenting my boxers almost comically. She is on the same page as she grips my boxers and yanks them down springing free my cock. Her eyes are bulging as she takes in my length. She has never seen it before and definitely never touched it before. I am salivating at the prospect of her touching me there. She quickly regains her senses and strokes me several times. My body is on sensory overload. I feel like the 16-year-old me being touched by a girl for the first time. I am going to blow my load way too soon if this continues. I have little control where Maura is concerned.

  I beg her to stop doing that because I want to make love to her. She stops and I pull her close and turn us over on the bed, so she is beneath me now. I slide down her incredible body, hook my thumbs in either side of her G-string and slide it down her smooth legs. It joins her bra on the floor. I push open her legs and lace kisses up her thighs until I reach her clit. I start to slowly lick her clit in lazy circles, flicking her with my tongue every few rotations. She moans and grinds her hips with the rhythm of my actions. I feel her tremble and moan and I hold her in place as I continue my assault on her as she comes on my tongue. She shivers as she rides out the orgasm and her body eventually goes limp.

  I kiss up her chest and she comes to life and asks, “Zack, I want to feel you inside of me now. Please!” I search for my jeans on the floor. I pull out a condom from my pocket and sheath myself under her watchful eye. She looks at me with intensive want. I rub my willing cock on her soaking wet entrance and then slowly push inside. She feels like paradise. I have never felt anything like this before. She clenches my erection with her body as I slip in and out of her, slowly building up to a steady pace. She moans and I chant, “Oh fuck, Oh God, baby this is too good. You are fucking amazing!” I try to hold on for her, but I don’t have to wait long, she screams out and her body arches off the bed and I let go and groan as I come harder than I ever have before. I pump into her a few more times and then withdraw my fully satisfied cock. I pull the now filled condom off carefully and get up to dispose it. I come back and get back under the covers with her. We spoon in my bed quietly as we come down off this amazing high. I kiss the top of her head tenderly and tell her I love her. She turns her body around to face me. She holds my face in both her hands and says, “Oh Zack, I have loved you for so long. I want to be with you always.” She kisses me and then lays her head against my chest and I hold her tight as we drift off to sleep.

  I wake to a text notification. I look up to see the clock reads 9:15. I look over to discover no Jason. Well at least he gave me the entire night. I owe him. I hear another text notification. This time it is Maura’s phone. She starts to stir in my arms. I kiss her lovingly and say, “Good morning beautiful.” She smiles and her phone chirps again. She reaches for it in the pocket of her shorts on the floor. She almost falls out of bed, but I grab her around her waist to keep her on the bed. She reads the texts. “Kylie,” she says. “She is just checking that I’m okay. I should have let her know I was staying here. She is protective of me.” I check my phone. Jason has texted to say he is going someplace with the girl he spent the night with and won’t be back until later this afternoon. “Enjoy the privacy dude!” he writes. I think I might follow his advice. I grab Maura and flip us around so I’m on top of her. I start to kiss her neck and she shivers with expectation.

  Maura

  Oh my God! I have never had a better night and morning in my life! I have never experienced anything close to that. Zack is a Rockstar in bed! But more than that, he loves me too! He treats me with respect and makes me feel special. I know where I stand with him. I want to spend every night with him now more than ever. Even though I had the worst day of my lif
e just a few short weeks ago, my life was so wonderful right now. Nothing could take away this happiness from me.

  On campus, Zack has become somewhat of a celebrity. He has been characterized as a hero and a badass. The biggest difference was how the frat brothers treated him. They definitely respected him. They go out of their way to greet him. I presume it is because they are ashamed that one of their own could commit such a terrible act and it took an outsider, Zack, to stop it. Jason assumes it is because they are afraid of Zack now that they witnessed his wrath. Whatever it is, I am glad they are good to him. I always hear stories of how fraternities close ranks and protect their brothers even through rape allegations. They certainly did not respond that way.

  The last few weeks of the semester fly by for me. Zack and I try to spend every night together and we can’t keep our hands off each other. Kylie and Jason are running out of patience for us. I even teasingly suggest they room together, much to the chagrin of Kylie. In the beginning they cut us some slack, probably because of what we had been through, but after a while, their tolerance has faded. We know how annoying we have become but we can’t help it. I don’t know how we will survive once we return to our parents’ homes.

  Chapter 26

  Maura

  In mid-May, Zack and I pack up our respective rooms and return home for the Summer. Brian and Dana drive us back in his pickup truck. They offer to take me and my stuff too. We are able to fit everything in the bed of the truck. Dana talks almost the entire ride home about their upcoming wedding. They plan to have their wedding in their back yard, 4th of July weekend. I am excited for them. As Dana speaks about a two-week honeymoon, Zack squeezes my hand as he sits next to me in the back seat. That sounds nice for them but spectacular for us.