“So... what’s next?” Jason asked, catching his breath while still tangled up with the redhead.

“Well, I hope we are gonna spend the rest of the week together if you’re up for it. Plus, you still owe me and June that fancy dinner, and-” Jillian started talking like she was about to discuss the next few years of their life together, but he interrupted her.

“Jill, I meant what should I do now? Should I, like, pull out here, or is there a trick to avoid making a mess? I don’t want Mika coming after me for any stains on her couch,” he said, making Jillian pause and look a bit flustered.

“Oh…right. Well…,” she trailed off, looking away from him in embarrassment for jumping the gun.

“I mean, I want to do all that other stuff you mentioned as well…B-babe,” Jason reassured her, stumbling over the pet name.

Jillian smiled when he called her babe, making her giggle and kiss his cheek a few times.

After brainstorming for a bit, they came up with the best plan. “Take it slow; you already shrank a bit,” Jillian warned.

“As long as we avoid making a mess on any of the furniture, I think we will be alright,” Jason chimed in, getting a nod of agreement from Jillian.

“Okay, on the count of three, lift me up. One, two, three.”

With that, Jillian clung to him as he lifted her, speed walking to the bathroom she had pointed out. Jillian cackled like a madwoman all the way there. The absurdity of it made her happy.

“This is how sex should be, I should be able to laugh and smile afterward,” Jillian thought, leaning in to kiss his neck as she bounced slightly with each of his steps.

Thankfully, they made it to the tub just in time to avoid a mess when he eventually slid out of her pussy.

Deciding a warm shower together was too good to pass up, they both stepped out and turned on the water, letting it warm up a bit. Jillian wrapped her arms around her new man and asked more about his recent hospital stay. It still worried her quite a lot. Over and over again he tried to reassure her that he was okay, but she brought up changing his diet, concerned about his health. They had a bit of a back-and-forth as he defended his eating habits since she only knew how he ate on vacation, but she wasn’t buying it. The debate continued as they got into the shower, washing each other and rinsing off in the cramped space.

“Ha! That’s rich, considering you just polished off a whole tub of ice cream,” Jason retorted, while Jillian scoffed.

“Hey, that was my wallowing food, okay? Besides, sometimes women need chocolate to keep our sanity intact after dealing with men like you. And I actually need the calories unlike you,” she harrumphed.

Jason rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, and all those calories are going straight to your ass.”

Jillian turned to him, hands on hips, tilting them to the side.

“Yeah, well, I don’t see you complaining about it,” she added with a smirk.

“And why would I? That thing’s so big, it’s invading my dreams.”

Jillian gasped playfully at his words.

“So you do dream about me!” She giggled, grinning mischievously.

Jason couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Hahaha, that’s what you got from what I said?”

He genuinely couldn’t stop smiling as he looked down at Jillian, and as their eyes met. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he leaned down to kiss her. His hands found their way around the butt they were just discussing and pulled her closer as they kissed passionately. Her moans grew louder with each kiss, and she softly nibbled on his lip, causing him to shiver with excitement.

“Jase, baby” she whimpered, her sultry desire clear in her voice.

“Yeah, babe?” he replied, his warm breath tingling against her moist skin as he trailed kisses along her jawline and neck.

“You should fuck me again, right now,” she practically begged, making his already half-hard erection throb with anticipation.

“Mmm, is that really what you want?” Jason teased, his hand sliding in between her thighs and teasing her outer folds, making her gasp in desperation.

“Ahn, oh fuck, it is, I want you to stretch my-” Jillian’s moans were interrupted when there was a loud knock on the bathroom door suddenly.

“Seriously, you two better not be fuckin in there and wasting all my hot water!” Mika’s angry voice called out from outside the door. She didn’t actually care if they were having sex, but she did mind it when it inconvenienced her. Judging by the pile of clothes by the couch, she was too late to stop them the first time.

“Mika?!” Jillian called out, still close to Jason, with one of his hands on her butt as the other paused, playing with her lower lips.

“Who else would it be?!” Mika snapped back in annoyance.

“I meant, what are you doing?” Jillian retorted, running her nails down his chest till they reached his already fully erect cock pressing against her stomach. She was still fully ready to get impaled again with Mika outside the door if she had to.

“Your mom texted me, saying you need to come home, now,” Mika’s words were a little confusing to Jillian. That didn’t sound like her mom.

“What? Why? And she actually said Now?” Jillian asked, confused.

“I have no fucking idea, Jill. She literally texted me, saying to come home right now, or she’s coming to get you,” Mika replied with a heavy sigh.

“Oh… wow, mom’s serious,” Jillian said, giving Jason a playful pat on the chest. “Sorry about that, raincheck for sure big guy.”

He nodded in agreement, letting her go.

“Geez, she probably found out I borrowed her clothes again. Shit,” she cursed under her breath as she hurriedly cleaned up and stepped out of the shower. “Let her know I’m on the way please.” Jillian called out to Mika one last time only to hear her grumbling about being a damn secretary or something of the sort.

Jason quickly rinsed the soap off as well, before turning off the shower and stepping out of the tub.

Each grabbed a towel and dried off as quickly as they could and wrapped up in them. Jillian turned back to Jason, leaning her head back with her eyes closed, puckering her lips slightly, signaling for a kiss, which he happily obliged. Their lips smacked together for a moment. She smiled brightly at him and headed out of the bathroom, leaving him behind to fetch their clothes.

Pulling up to the two-story house, Jason parked the car. Jillian unbuckled and climbed over the center console to grab him roughly by the face and press her lips against his once more. He chuckled at the roughness and wrapped his hands around her waist as they shared a deep kiss. She playfully bit his lip harder than usual while pulling it back, making him laugh as it snapped back when she let go.

“Haha, ouch, what was that for?” he asked, amused.

“For leaving this damn thing on my neck, you goof. Next time, put it somewhere else,” she teased, running her nails along his stubbly beard. She had been checking it out the whole time they were driving home.

“Leave a mark, but in a spot, only you get to see,” she said with a wink, grabbing his hand and moving it between her thighs for a moment, giving him a clear signal.

“Haha, okay, I got it and noted for next time,” he said with a smile, squeezing her thigh.

“Good. So depending on how long this thing with my mom takes, I’ll sneak into your room by tonight at the latest. Just leave it unlocked in case you doze off early,” she said before giving him one final long kiss.

“I don’t want to sleep without you anymore,” he said after the kiss broke, making her blush as she backed away reluctantly.

“I’m never gonna be able to get anything done if you keep saying sweet things like that, you jerk,” Jillian said playfully, before blowing him a kiss this time.

Jillian finally got out of the car and gave Jason a wave and a smile as he drove off. She took a moment to breathe in deeply, still clad in her mom’s blouse and skirt, heels in hand. Walking barefoot to the front door, she opened it quietly and stepped inside.

“Jillian?” her mom’s voice called from the kitchen immediately.

“Yeah, mom, it’s me,” she replied.

There was a pause before Ginny called out again, this time with a more serious tone.

“Can you come to the kitchen? We need to talk.”

Jillian knew instantly that this would not be an easy conversation, whatever it was about.

“Do you mind if I change real quick? I’ll be down as soon as possible,” Jillian said, hoping her mom wouldn’t rush her.

To her relief, Ginny replied, “Of course, honey.” Though her tone sounded a bit sad, making Jillian nervous.

“Thanks, Mom, be right there, promise,” Jillian said before hurrying upstairs to her room.

Once there, she spotted her phone neatly placed on her bed. Picking it up, she was surprised to find over thirty texts and a dozen missed calls, all from her family. It seemed like everyone had tried to reach her at least once before realizing her phone was in her room. There was also one more recent text she just received a minute ago.

Jason: Hey Babe… I never asked if babe is alright? Or would you prefer I stick with Jill? Either way, I hope everything with your mom goes well. Shoot me a text when you get this.

Jillian smiled brightly at the sweet text from her new boyfriend.

Jillian: I am not picky, call me whatever feels right to you. As long as it means, I'm yours.

She sent several heart emojis after.

Jason: Haha, alright crazy, what did your mom have to say?

Jillian: Lol jerk! I’m about to go talk to her now, wish me luck!

Jason: Good luck, be safe….Walked in and my mom is on the phone with someone, pretty sure I heard a guy’s name being said.

Jillian couldn’t help but laugh at Jason’s last text. She wanted to reply, but she didn’t want to keep her mom waiting for her. Quickly ditching the blouse and skirt, along with the underwear below it, she threw on Jason’s oversized tracksuit jacket and zipped it up. Adding some comfy pajama bottoms, she took a deep breath. If she was going to get an earful, she might as well be cozy while doing it. If things went south, at least she had Jason to comfort her. She loved how he could be so overly sweet, especially in private, even if they still bickered over some things.

Oddly enough, it made her feel kinda content knowing he would keep her somewhat grounded and not just spoil her. Not that she didn’t wanna be spoiled a little bit by him, or a lot a bit.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Coming out of her room and heading downstairs, Jillian walked into the kitchen at a slow pace. Her mom was sitting there all by herself, not even Calvin, just her at the head of the table. The silence in the house felt eerie, making Jillian rather nervous.

“Uhh, hey Mom,” she called out from the doorway anxiously. Ginny looked up, her eyes were red and a bit raw.

“Hey hun, come sit with me,” she said, motioning to the chair next to her.

Jillian reluctantly did as she was told, feeling queasy the closer she came. She sat down, worry written all over her face.

“What’s up?” she asked, concerned.

Ginny’s expression was still a bit sad as she glanced over to her daughter.

“Jill... if those boys who bullied your sister came up to you, what would you tell them?” Ginny’s voice softened as she watched Jillian, whose eyes widened in alarm.

“Is June okay? Did something happen?!” Jillian suddenly panicked, thinking that something bad had happened to her sister. Ginny shook her head.

“No, no, she’s fine. I’m just curious about what you’d say.” Knowing June was alright eased her mind, but she was still trying to understand where her mom was going with this.

“Well...” Jillian hesitated, then continued, “I guess I’d ask them why they did it. And what they were thinking when they were picking on a nice, innocent girl?” She barely managed to leave out the swear words.

“Would you tell your younger self the same thing?” Ginny asked, her voice tinged with concern, brows furrowing.

Jillian’s expression immediately soured, her face drained of color as despair washed over her.

“A-and what is that supposed to m-mean?” She stammered, feeling like her stomach was suddenly twisted into knots. Nausea creeping up her throat as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

“I mean what I said Jillian. Would you ask yourself the same things? Or is there something else you would say?” Ginny said, trying to stay calm as her frown deepened.

Jillian took a shaky breath. “I... I would say, uh...” Her entire body trembled. Did her mother really know? Jason wouldn’t. He couldn’t have told her; he’d been with her for the past hour and they just... But then, who did?

“I would tell her, H-h-he isn’t the one she’s angry at,” Jillian finally admitted. “I would explain to her that he’s just scared, that he’s lost someone precious as well, and... that he doesn’t deserve all the bullshit you are putting him through.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she paused to collect herself.

“Then I would tell her that she is going to regret it all... every single moment, every mean thing she said to him, every nasty rumor she spread. How it’s going to hurt her just as much as it hurts him.”

She took a shaky breath as she compared Jason’s past and present selves. The pudgy boy that was terrified of being outcast and kicked out of school. Against the strong, confident and sometimes sweet man she knew deep down. Then took a hard look at herself, and the mess that was her life that always seemed to end up in the gutter. But that was just her Karma.

“And who is he, Jillian?” Ginny said softly, her eyes also brimming with tears. She knew who it was but she needed to hear her daughter say it.

Jillian looked up at her mom, using the sleeve of Jason’s tracksuit to wipe her eyes. She wrapped the scent laden jacket around her to remind herself of just what she had now. Just who Jason had become to her.

“He’s the same guy that I’m falling in love with, Mom,” she said, taking a deep, shaky breath, a sad smile on her face.

“Love?!” Ginny repeated, unable to hide her surprise at her daughter’s admission. Jillian nodded, her cheeks flushed with warmth.

“It’s only been a short while since he came back into my life, but I’ve never felt this strongly about anyone before. When we fight, it’s like my whole world crashes down. But that was what made me realize just how much he means to me. When I’m in his arms, I feel so safe and when he kisses me, all the pain just disappears. Even during those fights, deep down all I can think about is how much I want to be back in his arms.”

Ginny looked taken aback by her daughter’s passionate words.

Jillian had never even hinted at loving any of her previous high school boyfriends, not even the Brice guy who she kept around longer than most boys. Ginny never liked him. He was what she’d have called a burnout back in her day. The boy had been so handsy with Jillian, even right in front of her mother. It made Ginny so angry, but thankfully that was around the time her daughter broke up with him.

“Are you and Jason...” Ginny began, but Jillian was already nodding before she could finish.

“Yeah, we’re official now, happened not that long ago, too,” Jillian announced, leaving Ginny even more stunned. She thought she might have to nudge her daughter into apologizing to Jason and maybe Katia, too.

“Have you apologized already? Did he recognize you at first?” Ginny asked.

Jillian shot her mom a strained look. “He did, and I tried to say I was sorry that night at dinner. He didn’t exactly forgive me though,” she sighed, recalling the awkward yelling match they had that evening.

“We both said some pretty nasty stuff to each other, but...” Jillian paused, her cheeks flushed with either embarrassment or shame. It was hard to tell.

“We’ve had our fair share of arguments this past week, but somehow we always end up even closer than we were before the fight…” Jillian suddenly started to squirm in her seat, placing her hands on her cheeks with a large goofy grin on her face.

"And then this morning, he surprised me. He charged into Mika’s place like he was on a mission, and asked me to be his girlfriend. It was so adorable. He looked so determined but also worried that I might say no. He may look like one of those over confident, good-looking types, but just beneath his cold exterior, he struggles to express himself. So when he finally mustered up the courage to ask, I couldn’t help but say yes. Then he was so tender when we had-” Jillian started spilling all the details to her mom, not realizing she was about to describe what happened after on the couch. Ginny didn’t really need or want to hear about it.

“Jillian!” Ginny exclaimed, startling her daughter.“I’m happy you’re happy, but I’m still disappointed about your past actions, young lady.”

Her words brought Jillian back down to earth from her happy cloud.

“I’m really sorry... High school was tough for me. Every time I looked into Jason’s eyes, it just reminded me that Grandpa was gone.” she said as she looked down fiddling with the zipper of her jacket.

It took a moment for Ginny to piece things together. It wasn’t easy to forget the day the school called to tell her that her daughter might have been molested by another student.

“So Jason, was also the boy they said touched you?” Jillian’s frown deepened.

“That was all a huge misunderstanding. He never even laid a single hand on me. He barely even spoke to me after the incident. But rumors spread like wildfire. No matter what I said against it, no one really listened… I feel bad because I feel like I could have done more, but was already angry at him… He... he was scared of me after that. It hurt seeing him look at me like that with those eyes, so I lashed out,” Jillian explained, still nervously fiddling with the zipper.

Ginny nodded in understanding. “I won’t mention this to your father, but I feel it’s important that you tell him that you are dating Jason when he gets home. I won’t bring it up to June either, but I think it’s something you might want to tell her, eventually. Let her know that we all make mistakes and how much it hurts everyone involved.”

Jillian’s expression flashed with genuine concern. Her little sister was the last person she wanted to find out.

“June will probably be upset and angry initially, but I believe when she calms down and really talks to you about what you went through and how you feel now it will help with her recovery. You can share what it’s like to be on the other side of bullying,” Ginny began, but Jillian interjected.

“I can explain how unhappy I was and the pain I caused myself… Maybe tell her how Jason said he felt after finally letting go of all the pain and anger he was holding on to.”

They shared a solemn moment before Ginny stood and walked around the table to her daughter, wrapping her arms around Jillian, who squeezed her arms as best she could.

“I wish you would tell me what happened to you after you disappeared as well,” Ginny said softly, breaking the silence of their embrace.

“Every single day, we hoped and prayed you were okay... I can’t tell you how much we all missed you.”

Jillian nestled against her mother as Ginny gently stroked her hair.

“When you finally returned, it felt like my heart was finally put back together after being broken for so long. I was so scared to ask what happened, worried you’d run away again. Not knowing where you were ate at my soul. I questioned everything I did or said to you… I still blame myself for what drove you away. I’ve carried that burden for so long.”

Ginny held Jillian tightly, tears streaming down her face.

“I should have paid more attention and noticed that something wasn’t right. By the time I did, you were already gone,” she sobbed softly.

“It's all my fault, mom!” Jillian’s voice broke as she cried along with Ginny.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Mom. I thought I could ease the burden on you and Dad by leaving. I didn’t want to add to your stress. When I heard about Dad collapsing from exhaustion that day at work, I couldn’t bear it anymore and ran away.”

She paused, wiping away her tears with her sleeve in a futile attempt to stop crying.

“I thought I found someone that would take care of me and take me off your back forever. But it turned into a horrible nightmare. Every day I wanted to come back home, to be with my family again. But I was afraid you didn’t want me back… He convinced me that no one would ever want me again… I’m sorry for everything, for all the pain I caused.” Jillian had her arms wrapped around her mother’s waist, burying her face into her stomach. Her tears continually soaked into Ginny’s shirt as she cried.

“Jill, you were never a burden. You are my very first daughter and we love you so much. I’m so sorry we never noticed that you felt like that. We will never reject you if you need help. We are your family and your father and I will never force you to leave. Your coming home has brought us all closer than ever; our family was incomplete without you.” Ginny poured her heart out to Jillian, the two holding each other tightly, reluctant to let go.

“Thank you mom… Somehow, I knew that... deep down I always knew, but I just felt so guilty for abandoning everyone... I’m so…so sorry,” Jillian repeated, her voice muffled against her mother’s embrace.

Eventually, they both calmed down and spent the rest of the afternoon talking, finally opening up more about the past.

Back at the Merris household, about ten minutes before Jason returned home from Mika’s place, Katia sat on the couch, trying to distract herself with some mindless daytime TV.

She had called and had Ginny come over. Katia told her about how Jason admitted that Jillian used to bully him. How he had endured it all silently until today, just to spare his mother from worry. It was a heavy conversation, leaving both women feeling overly emotional. They, of course, found themselves in tears, connecting over the pain of both of them losing a child for long periods of time. In the end of it all, apologies were exchanged, with Ginny reassuring Katia that she would talk to Jillian about everything. She also worried that Katia resented her for what happened to Jason.

Katia confessed she harbored a lot of anger towards both mother and daughter, admitting she found herself almost hating them both. However, through their conversation, she realized, just like Jason had pointed out, Katia also despised the idea of hating people, especially her best friend. It didn’t bring her any joy to think about it.

Ginny told her something that echoed in her mind.

“I’ll understand if you hate me, but I’ll still love you.”

As much as Katia’s head told her to, she couldn’t bring herself to hate the closest friend she had for the last several years.

The two promised not to meddle in their children’s love lives anymore. At this point, they agreed that as long as their children were happy, there was no point in getting involved anymore. They hugged tightly, and said their goodbyes, giving each other a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

Now, Katia found herself alone once more, the silence weighing heavily on her. She had turned on the TV, hoping to drown out the quietness. It wasn’t helping, but that was when her phone suddenly rang, she glanced over at it resting on the couch beside her. It displayed an unfamiliar number, but she answered it, anyway.

“Hello?” she greeted cautiously, half-expecting a scam call from a foreign voice.

“Hi, is this Katia? Jason Merris’s mother?” The voice on the other end sounded vaguely familiar.

“Speaking,” she replied simply, curiosity piqued.

“It’s Dr. Lee from the hospital,” the voice continued. “I just wanted to check in and see how Jason is recovering. He didn’t answer his phone, so I thought I’d try you next.”

Katia blinked, surprised by the call. “Oh, he’s actually doing quite well. Thank you for reaching out.”

“That’s great to hear, Ms.Merris,” Dr. Lee said warmly. “We received his lab results, and overall, things are looking good. Although, we did notice his cholesterol levels are slightly elevated.”

Katia gasped softly, taking the news more seriously than expected.

The doctor chatted with Katia about how Jason’s health could be easily managed with some simple dietary adjustments, considering he seemed quite active. She was happy to discuss her son’s well-being. However, she didn’t notice when the conversation seemed to veer away from Jason.

“Yeah, I actually grow and sell some organic produce as a hobby,” the doctor said with a hint of pride.

“That's amazing! I’ve been wanting more fresh organic veggies for some recipes, but they’re always so expensive at the store. I’m jealous, Dr. Lee,” Katia said with a small giggle.

“I thought I told you, please call me Chris, Ms.Merris,” he said jokingly, and they both chuckled softly.

“Alright, Chris. Then you can call me Katia,” she said with a soft smile, bringing her feet up onto the couch, and leaning back against the arm of it. That was also when the front door suddenly opened. Katia saw her son entering and waved happily as he kicked off his shoes with a smile back.

“Katia, that’s a very lovely name. Very fitting for someone so beautiful,” Chris remarked smoothly, causing Katia to let out another soft giggle.

“Hehe, stop it, Chris,” she said, unable to hide the grin from her face, not knowing that her son was now staring at her from the kitchen warily.

“How about this, Katia? If you swing by my booth at the farmers market on 3rd Street this Tuesday, I’ll give you a great deal on whatever veggies you’d like from my stall,” he offered, prompting a slight widening of Katia’s smile.

“That sounds wonderful, Chris. I just love farmers’ markets. Count me in, and thank you so much. It's very sweet of you to offer,” she replied warmly. Jason’s gaze only grew harsher as the conversation went on.

“Just don’t bankrupt me with that lovely smile of yours, okay?” Chris joked, earning another sweet laugh from Katia.

“Oh, hush you,” she said embarrassed. “Jason just walked in, so I will see you on Tuesday, Chris. Just let me know where your booth is when you get set up! Bye!”

After the two said their goodbyes and the call ended, Katia looked over at Jason approaching.

"Hey sweetie." She said with a cheerful smile, still riding the high of her conversation.

“Who the hell is Chris?” he inquired, his expression less than pleased and his eye twitching.