Georgia On My Mind-Book Four

Chapter 9 - The Aftermath

Georgia's POV

I hurry and cover up as soon as I shut the window. I lay there quietly and listen. My heart is racing.

I hear a gentle knock on my door; then it opens slightly. I look up to find Daddy standing in the doorway. "Princess, are you okay? I thought I heard something." He whispers.

"Sorry, Daddy. I fell asleep with my window open. A cat jumped up on my window sill and scared me to death; I just closed it," I explain.

"Georgia, you can't leave your window open at night, baby; the critters will get in." He grumbles.

"Sorry," I say apologetically.

"Okay, goodnight." He mumbles.

"Goodnight, Daddy," I whisper.

As soon as he shuts the door, I let out a massive sigh of relief. Then the realization of what happened tonight hits me like a tidal wave. Oh, my God! I lost my virginity! I finally did it! I feel different; I can't explain it. That boy that has stolen my heart, and it's all I had left to give him. Now that he's leaving, I'm left with a lot of unanswered questions. What would have become of us after tonight if he wasn't leaving? Would this have happened if he wasn't leaving tomorrow? Did he feel any different afterward? Then it hit me like a freight train. He didn't use protection! Surely, I can't get pregnant my first time having s*x? I attempt to shake the thought from my brain. Daddy would kill me if I got pregnant.

I toss and turn the rest of the night with images of John Luke on top of me, consuming my thoughts. The smell of his cologne, his beautiful hazel eyes looking down at me with so much desire, the way his skin felt against mine, and the feeling of his lips grazing my neck as he gently thrust himself into me. I lay on my side in the fetal position. My heart and body ache for him. What will I do with myself now? I turn to the other side and gaze out my window at the moon and wonder what thoughts are going through his head. I lay there torturing myself for most of the night. After some time, my eyes get heavy, and I drift off into a deep sleep.

I wake up the next morning to the sound of birds chirping outside of my window. I look over to see if I got any text messages from John Luke. I turn towards my nightstand and pick up my phone. One new message, and it's from John Luke.

(John Luke) Thank you for last night. I will miss you. I love you, XOXO.

I sit there for a minute, staring down at the screen. I want to convince John Luke that we can run away together and never look back, but I know deep down in my heart that's not possible. I type a message back to him.

(Me) I love you too. I will miss you. Call or text if you can. If not, please write to me. XOXO.

Hopefully, he will attempt to contact me while he is gone. I can hang on to what we have if he stays in touch with me. What will happen to us while he is away? When will I see him again? I pull the covers over my eyes as a feeling of sadness takes over once again. My heart has shattered into a million pieces. I feel as if my whole world has come crashing down all around me. I can't believe this is happening. If we could have just been together like a normal couple, we would have never been in this situation.

I reach down to pull my covers back, revealing a bloodstain between my legs. I quickly cover it back up and sigh, covering my face with my hands. How am I going to explain this to Momma?

I hop up to collect my tank top and panties off the floor. I throw them on quickly and walk to my bathroom, stopping at the full-length mirror on the way to take a look at myself. Will anyone be able to tell what I did last night? I don't look any different, but I certainly feel different.

A wave of emotions sweep over me, but I quickly shake them off and head towards the bathroom. I have a class this afternoon and work after. I get myself presentable, slip on a pair of shorts, and walk down the hallway to the kitchen.

Daddy and Benny are sitting at the table eating cereal. "Morning. Is Momma working today?" I ask Daddy as I enter.

Daddy nods his head. "Morning, Sweetheart. Yes, she is working today."

Great! I can put some stain remover on my sheets and put them in the wash before leaving for class without Momma suspecting anything. I grab a bowl from the cupboard, sit down at the table, and pour myself some cereal.

Daddy's phone rings next to him, and he picks it up to answer it. He leans back in the chair and scratches the back of his neck, looking dead at me. His eyes are wide with surprise. My heart skips a beat at that moment. Oh My God, he knows!!!! Who's he talking to? My stomach begins to do flip-flops as I fidget in my seat. I sit quietly, waiting for his wrath to rain down on me.

His face drops. "Aww, you did? I'm sorry, buddy. It will be good for him. He will be a changed man when he comes back."

I look at him curiously as he carries on a conversation with who I presume to be Uncle Seth. He nods, shaking his head from side to side, and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Now I can breathe a little bit. I am so paranoid right now. At least he doesn't know about his little princess having her cherry popped under his roof by his best friend's son last night. That, I can guarantee, would not go over too well.

"Nah, he won't hate you forever. Alright, man, get a hold of me later." He says.

Daddy hangs up the phone and sighs audibly, "Sweetheart, did you know John Luke joined the marines? His dad just took him in this morning." He says calmly.

I nod and flash him a half-hearted smile, "Yes. He texted me." I respond as I hold back the tears.

He looks at me apologetically, probably sensing that I'm becoming emotional. "It will be good for him, princess, I promise." He says as he reaches out and pats my hand.

I take a deep breath and drop my spoon. "How would you know what's good for John Luke, Daddy?" I ask sternly.

"Hey, now! Don't be like that. You know as well as I do, John Luke was heading down the wrong path." He responds defensively.

I drop my head in my hands in frustration. "Maybe I know more about the situation than you think, Daddy!" I groan as I hurriedly get up from the table, dump the rest of the cereal down the drain, and put my dishes in the dishwasher.

Rage sweeps over me as I work to keep my temper at bay. I turn and cross my arms in front of my chest while keeping my head down to avoid eye contact with Daddy.

He stands up. "Now that is enough with the attitude Missy! You aren't too old to ground, you know!" he scolds.

I exhale and march back to my room and slam the door. Daddy hasn't a clue what he's talking about; he needs to mind his own business! I stomp off to my bathroom and start the shower.

Once the temperature gets hot enough, I get in and vigorously wash and shave. After I've finished, I climb out and wrap a towel around my body and stomp back into my bedroom. I walk to my closet to pick out a cute sundress and a pair of flats with a blue jean jacket. I fix my hair and makeup and walk into the living room.

The house is quiet. Good, nobody is home right now. I run back to my room, pull the sheet off my bed, spray stain remover on it, and throw it in the washer. I can put it in the dryer when I get home, so nobody suspects a thing. I hastily walk over and grab my bag, keys, and set out for school.

Once I get to class, I decide to sit in the back. I'm not in the mood to be dealing with this today, but my Finance professor is strict. Hopefully, I can stay under his radar because I haven't paid any attention to his lectures lately.

My phone begins to vibrate in my purse. I reach down to pull it out and see it's a text from John Luke.

(John Luke) Hey, beautiful. I got a free minute to text you. I'm heading out soon to Boot Camp, then afterward, Infantry Training. I might be MIA for a bit, but I'm already missing you. I promise to call, text, or write to you when I'm able. Love you, baby. XO

His text puts a smile on my face. I can't imagine how he feels right now being forced to enlist in the marines. I wish I had him here so I could hold him in my arms; my heart aches for him. I send him a quick text before the Professor catches me.

(Me) I miss you too. I'm in class but can't concentrate. I am thinking of you and about last night. I'll be waiting to hear from you. Love you. XO

I stuff my phone in my purse quietly and wait until the end of class to recheck it. Once the Professor finishes the lecture, I reach over and grab my phone and read his response.

(John Luke) - I haven't been able to stop thinking of you or last night. XO.

I hold my phone close to my heart. I miss him so much already. Suddenly, I'm startled by a voice as they greet me, "Hey Georgia." Standing in front of me is a girl in my class that I study with sometimes. Her name is Starlah.

"Oh, hey, Starlah. Sorry, I don't have time to study today. I have to go to work after class."

"Oh no, I wasn't coming over here to ask you to study; I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to a party Saturday night. Are you working?" she asks.

"I am working, but I suppose I could call in sick."

I realize I needed to branch out and make friends outside of John Luke. Tracy and I weren't exactly buddies anymore after she plastered a video of me storming off on Prom night after that ordeal with Daniel went down.

She excitedly claps her hands. "Yay! Here's my phone number. Text me and let me know where you want to meet up so we can drive to the party together."

"Okay, sounds great. I'll text you." I tell her as I reach out to grab the piece of paper with her phone number. She walks away, and I gather my things and leave.

I get to work later that night. It's Friday night; I usually make killer tips on the weekends.

Tonight, it's super busy, and I end the night with $150 in tips. The time passes by so fast before I realized it. At the end of my shift, I stumble out the doors, climb into my car and head back home.

When I walk through the front door, I find Momma is cuddled up with Daddy on the sofa watching a movie. Benny is off doing whatever Benny does. They watch me as I walk through the front door. "Hey baby, how was work?" Momma asks.

"Oh, you know, same as always. It's always super busy on Friday nights." I respond as I hang my purse and keys up and plop down on the chair.

"I put your sheets in the dryer for you, honey," Momma stated.

"Oh, thanks, I spilled makeup on them,"

"You hungry? We have leftovers in the fridge," she offers.

"Nahhh... Not really. I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm tired," I say softly.

She studies me intently. "Okay, goodnight."

"Goodnight, princess," Daddy says.

"Goodnight," I mumble as I get up, walk to my room, and shut the door behind me.