Past Truths

by Em Pitts

  I hugged him before he left the room. "Thanks Raynor, for everything." He wrapped his arms around me.

  "Of course." His chest started shaking with laughter a moment later. "Did you just sniff me?" He asked amused.

  "Uh." Yes. "You don't smell. I was just, you know, double checking." He really didn't. He smelled like Raynor. Something pressed to the top of my head before he pulled away.

  "I bathe." He grunted. "Good night Tess." And then he was gone.

  And oh, what a glorious tub he left me to soak in. It was bigger than the one I was used to at the tavern. Which also meant it would take more to fill it up. Work, work, work. Oh, the joys of modern conveniences! I will never take you for granted again, if I could just find a way to get you back.

  I walked to the kitchen area to see if a spigot was available inside to start filling and carrying pots. Nick was sitting on the couch when I walked by. I nodded at him and continued my journey. Spigot, spigot, where are you? Ah, hah! Now for a big enough pot that wouldn't be too heavy to carry.

  "What are you doing?" A raspy voice jolted me, causing me to bang my head on the underside of the cabinet. A sense of déjà vu hit me from Earl's interruptions. I came out rubbing my sore head.

  "Well, I was looking to fill up a tub, but now I'm thinking about finding something heavy to whack you with. You couldn't have waited a moment longer for me to get out from inside of the cabinet?" He chuckled and sauntered over to me.

  He held my head running his fingers through my hair and touching my scalp. "Need me to get Ollie to look at it?" It took me a minute to come out of the haze and understand what he meant.

  "No. I hit my head all the time. Well, not all the time. But it's happened before."

  Shut up, Tessa. Just because you admitted to yourself that you like them doesn't mean to start turning into that girl who rambles and gets shy from stupid interactions. No, I refuse to start changing the way I act just because my feelings changed slightly.

  "It's fine." I swatted his hand away. "You can make it up to me by helping me carry water though," I replied cheekily and thrust a random pitcher towards him.

  He looked at the pitcher before considering me. "Do you plan on taking a cold bath, or do you need it warmed?"

  "Honestly, I don't feel like starting a fire to heat it up." I admitted.

  "We can get Ollie to use his Fire and heat the water." Nick snapped his fingers proud of himself.

  "Or, we can let the poor man sleep. He's had a long day. Everyone has." I stood up and started filling a pale of water. "Bath time. Then sleep."

  "Are you inviting me?" He teased.

  "Would you join me?" I questioned back with a raised brow. He flushed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Thought so." I finished and started towards the room.

  "That was mean." He muttered when he entered with a pale of water. Where did he find a pale? I just snorted back. Maybe it was mean, I'm still too tired and smelly to care.

  “Shouldn’t you be able to fill this up with your Water gift?” I questioned as we made our second round.

  “If there was water nearby that I could use. I can’t make the water, just manipulate it.”

  I made a noise of acknowledge and accepted his help making the job much quicker. Soon we had the tub half full, which was more than enough. The water was cold straight from the well, but it would help wake me up enough to wash my dress afterward.

  "Thank you! You're a life saver. I'll love you forever for this." I thanked Nick getting ready to shoo him out of the room.

  "Promise?" His voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

  "Promise," I whispered back. "Now out with you." I stepped back. "That cold water is singing to me." I teased.

  "What? Not going to ask me to wash your hair?" Nick teased stepping back.

  The little flirt. This was starting to become a game of pushing each other to see how far we will go. But I kept winning because he would run away. Hmm.

  I looked towards the open door debating. Nick must have seen something in that look because he took another step back as I stepped forward. I'm not sure if he let me win or he was so focused on staying away from me that he didn't notice where I was heading. I made it to the door and closed it easily as Nick started shifting side to side.

  I walked back to the tub and decided to pretend Nick didn't exist. If he wanted to walk away, he could. Something inside me wanted to push him though. I wanted to see a different side of him other than the flirt or the serious side.

  With that thought, I started taking my clothes off facing the tub with my back to Nick. I went slowly giving him plenty of time to leave, or to admire. I felt goosebumps light my skin on fire from the shiver that came over me at the thought of his eyes taking me in.

  The bonnet dropped to the floor as I finger-combed my hair and let it fall in waves to the middle of my back. I untied the apron and dropped it next. My dress was loosened from the ties before I lifted it over my body. The shift underneath rode up my legs before falling back toward my feet.

  I didn't hear the door open, so there was a chance Nick was still behind me, but I didn’t look knowing I would stop if he was. I grasped the sides of my shift and inched it over my head. My undergarments were last and quickly joined the pile of clothes on the floor.

  Finally, I braved a look over my shoulder to see Nick watching me. His eyes were slowly caressing down my body before traveling back up again. He reached my face and saw me staring at him. I watched his throat bob as he swallowed, no longer shifting but standing stiffly.

  "Will you wash my hair, Nick?" I tried for teasing, but my breath came out huskier than I intended it too. This didn’t feel like a game anymore. He didn’t run and I’m pretty sure I broke a rule.

  I turned back to the tub and stepped into it, submerging in the cold water that worked to cool my rising blood. I was losing my confidence the longer he was silent. Still, he didn’t so much as move, while I was the fool naked in the tub in front of him.

  Deciding on a distraction, I started washing myself to ignore his presence. I needed to pretend it was still a game. Getting shy or trying to stop it would mean I lose, right?

  I dipped my head under the water to soap it before coming up again. I lathered up my hands and started washing my hair before another set of hands joined in startling a yelp out of me.

  My gaze shot upward finding Nick focusing on my hair. He glanced at my eyes before his attention was pulled lower down.

  The way he was situated above me, he could see all the way down the line of my body. His gaze took in every curve and line. He didn't look much like a shy virgin at the moment. He looked like a starving man.

  "More soap." His voice was deeper.

  I thought the rasp was sexy, but listening to it when he was turned on? I'm pretty sure the water wasn't what was keeping me wet at this point. I handed him the bar and looked back to the water. When I felt the water start to drip down my forehead, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of him massaging my scalp. I needed a distraction, fast.

  "Why do you think the man put the horns on the woman?" I asked thinking of the first thing nonsexual that popped into my head about tonight. He hummed questioning me. "In the story tonight. The stories are supposed to tell you something to teach things. So why did the man put the deer horns on his woman? I get that he was jealous but how did that help?"

  Nick chuckled probably catching on to my need to focus on something else. "Maybe he wanted to change the way she looked so no one else would look at her. Jealousy doesn't really make sense. People do strange things with it."

  "So, the lesson was to not get jealous?" I asked as his hands trailed to the end of the strands of hair. It was like I was hyper-aware of every touch and tug he was causing. Jesus, I felt like the virgin right now.

  "I think it was to not change someone with your jealousy. Or not to let jealousy rule your actions. In the end, he ran away from his actions and she had to deal with the pain of him trying to change her.” He sounded surp
risingly wise in his answer. Was this the real Nick? “Dip down so I can rinse the soap out." He gently pushed on my shoulder guiding me below the water.

  I went willingly leaving my face above the surface and covering my hair and ears below the water. I felt his hands work through my hair from scalp to end. He placed his hands on my shoulder blades pulling up when he was ready for me to resurface.

  I turned towards him and held his gaze as the light from the moon hit us. The moment felt charged and terrifying. Like one of us needed to move but we both knew it would change things and were holding back.

  "We should-" I started before Nick cut me off as he pulled me to him.

  He held me firmly against his chest, with a hand in between my shoulders, as his lips softly fused with mine. When I couldn't stand staying still any longer, I licked his bottom lip causing him to move. My tongue met his and danced awkwardly in his eagerness until we found our rhythm.

  It was a give and take moment full of heat as we fit together. I moaned pressing my breast further into him and he pulled me closer, fingertips digging into my flesh. I bit on his bottom lip taking it into my mouth needing more.

  "More." I released him ready to stand and take this to the bed. Or pull him into the tub, it didn't matter at this point.

  Nick pulled back before his eyes went wide. He jerked away landing on his ass scrambling to rise up and get to the door. His hand was clasped on the door before I had a chance to call out to him.

  "I've got to go." He stumbled out and left closing the door behind him.

  My breaths were still uneven from the panting I was doing. I reached up touching my lips feeling the tingling from our kiss. He just left. Right in the middle of...whatever the fuck that was. He just left.

  I was going hot and heavy with the guy and he takes off like someone was going to catch us. Which could have happened. Because we were making out down the hall from his brother. In his brother's house. I was naked in his tub, trying to get naked with Nick, and anyone could have walked in. Including Ollie who was kissing me the other day, before he had a similar reaction and ran out as well. Fuck!

  I dropped my head back on the edge of the tub. It's a good thing he left. If I would have continued it would have been awkward afterward anyway. With the whole engaged to your friend, kissing on your other friend, and eventually leaving all of them to time travel back to the future thing I've got going on, I might as well stamp unavailable to my forehead and prevent this from happening again.

  I chuckled bitterly when another thought occurred to me. I may not have wanted it to happen as it did, didn’t expect it to end that way either, but in a weird way, I won the game. Scare the virgin away. He ran again.

  25

  I swatted at the hand that was shaking me. It felt like I just went to sleep. There's no way it was time to wake up already. A masculine chuckle sounded right beside me.

  "Yes, it is. Good morning sleepy head." Isaake was waking me up?

  "Go away." I swatted at him again. The blanket moved with my arm and I shivered from the sudden chill. Shit!

  I scrambled up and held the blanket tight to my chest just realizing that I was naked underneath the sheets. My clothes were drying, hanging over the chair in the corner. Isaake's cheeks went red when he realized the situation I was in. He hopped up from the bed where he sat down to wake me and started towards the door.

  "I'm going to leave you be. I'll wait in the living room for you." He was pointing over his shoulder towards the door and kept backing up.

  I nodded before looking at my clothes and wincing. "Isaake wait!" I called at his retreating back. "Could you actually get Raynor for me?" I questioned uncomfortably. His eyebrows shot up at my question. "No, hell, I didn't mean like that. My clothes are still going to be wet." I lamely waved my arm towards my garments. "Forget it, I'll just wear them damp."

  I knew washing them last night was a bad idea without a second set to wear today. But the idea of clean clothes trumped the problem of them not drying. Isaake walked in and grabbed my dress and shift.

  "I'll take them to him. Just give me a minute." I nodded gratefully.

  "Umm, Isaake? Those too, please." My cheeks flamed as I pointed out the bra and panties that I had been recycling since I arrived.

  Isaake picked them up as well, looking confused as to what they were. The way he held the bra by the cup was hilarious though and I snorted out a laugh as soon as he was through the door.

  Plopping back on the bed, I looked at the ceiling and thought about the day ahead. Day one of the trials. It was also the Sabbath day. I haven't gotten much information from the trials, but I knew we would be holding a send-off at the meetinghouse today. If this Sabbath day was treated like the last, then no one would be allowed to do anything. I wonder if the trials start tomorrow then.

  A commotion happened outside my door. I listened to the raised voices, sounding like an argument. What was going on now?

  I sat up and wrapped the sheet around me as I stood. A moment later the door burst open and Isaake stood behind Raynor who was barging in. Both men stopped short at the sight of me wrapped in the sheet. I noticed my panties in Raynor's hand and the rest of my clothes in Isaake's arms.

  "Someone want to tell me what's going on?" I tried to stand tall like I was not bothered by my nakedness, but it was really awkward honestly. And they were just standing there. Do something already.

  "He wouldn't leave you alone." Isaake glared at the back of Raynor's head.

  "How was I supposed to know what was happening?" Raynor whirled around on Isaake. "You come to me with her wet clothes and this..." He shook the panties at Isaake. "This...this binding device of some sort and won't tell me what's going on. You were trying to force me to stay out of the room!"

  "She's naked!" Isaake defended his reasoning.

  "I know that now! But what was I supposed to think? And this?" He grabbed the straps of my bra pulling it from Issake's grasp and waving that too. "This looks like some kind of choking device. You wouldn't even tell me what it was either!" Oh, my god. He needed to stop waving around my undergarments.

  Ollie and Nick burst through the door obviously drawn to the shouting match. Nick's eyes landed on me naked with the sheet covering me, and widened trying to figure out the situation. Ollie was slower on the intake.

  "What the hell are those?" He noticed the panties and bra that Raynor was waving around before anything else.

  I couldn't figure out if I wanted to laugh or cry right now. I held my stomach as laughter burst from my lips unwillingly. I couldn't stop. I bent over and clutched my stomach barely hanging on to the sheet around me. It felt like I was finally getting air in my lungs as the laughter eased back when I looked up and caught sight of my panties dangled in Raynor's hands and lost it again.

  This is what insanity feels like. Time traveling doesn't do it. Make out sessions and death threats don't do it either. No, insanity comes in the form of a big muscled man losing his shit over my panties.

  "They're clothes." I wheezed out trying to remind myself to breathe to get better. "They go on under my dress." I almost lost it as Raynor held up the garment by the leg hole looking quizzically at them. "Please stop. You're not helping." I clutched my stomach as I rose off the floor. I somehow gathered the strength to make it to Raynor and grabbed the offending garments out of his hands. They were still damp. "Are those at least dry?" I pointed to the dress and slip.

  Raynor shook his head still looking unsure at my underwear. The man really thinks they are going to choke me or bind me in some way. What was he thinking Isaake was going to do with me?

  "I don't understand." Raynor shook his head and made no move to dry off my clothes. This was going nowhere and getting ridiculous.

  Apparently, the men were going to just stand in my door waiting on me to explain what my underwear were for and my explanation wasn’t enough. Fuck it. If they want to know, then I'll show them.

  I stepped back and dropped the towel. Expletives were com
ing from the men, but I ignored them as I stepped into my damp underwear. I hate that feeling. I quickly did up my bra righting it into place next. There was silence by the time I finished. I looked up and every one of them was staring at me.

  I grabbed the bra cups and bounced them. "Bra," I stated. A weird choking noise came from one of the men, but I continued my demonstration despite it. I placed my hands on the band of my panties and snapped them away from my skin. "Panties," I informed them. I held my hands out encompassing all of me. "Covered." Then I glared at Raynor. "Now, will you please dry my dress since you refused to dry these? Or are you going to make me walk in damp clothes all day?" I huffed out.

  I shouldn't have an attitude at him when I was in this situation because of my decision to wash the dress. But the fiasco that just happened and the idea of damp underwear was grating on me.

  "Um, yeah," Raynor said and gestured to the dress. Nick snorted.

  "You could have just asked me, dear heart. Then these fools wouldn't have seen you naked." I watched as water formed in front of me. Wait, it was being dragged out of my underwear. I sighed in relief.

  "Thank you, Nick." Dry undergarments were much more comfortable. "I didn't think about that," I admitted honestly.

  Raynor shoved my dry dress and shift into my arms. He mumbled something before leaving out the bedroom door. The others followed him. Isaake held back for a moment. He looked uncomfortable as he was working up to say something.

  "Sorry." He muttered out then took off just as quickly. Well, alright then. Might as well get dressed after that huge production.

  The number of people who had arrived was more than I imagined could fit inside the meetinghouse. The benches that were pushed to the sides of the room made sense now. We were packed like sardines inside the room and that was with everyone standing.

  I was separated from the guys as the women had to stand on one side of the room with the men on the other, just like last week. The difference this time was the number of men to women. The men took up more than half the room easily.