Chapter 9
The sound of a steady rain fell outside. It was nighttime
and the bedroom was dark. Julia and Aaron lay together in his bed; she was
tucked into him closely and he held an arm around her shoulder. They had spent
several nights like this since they had decided to make things official three
weeks prior. When Julia wasn’t on a trip, they spent time with each other,
taking turns staying at each other's homes.
They were both right on the edge of sleep, having been
intimate a little while earlier. They were still finding their way along the
path of learning what worked best for their unique situation. Julia had been
patient; she let Aaron explain the details of his body and how it worked when
they were intimate for the first time. He had pleased her in a way she hadn’t
felt before and they both were equally satisfied.
The first time had been special. Aaron had cooked dinner
again at his house and the night just felt right. Julia had been understandably
apprehensive at first, not knowing what to expect. Her nervousness was eased,
however, when Aaron had been open and honest about how he was able to do
things. He explained that he was still able to have erections, both psychogenic
erections and reflexive erections he said. He said he was able to have regular
intercourse, but that he found if he wanted to last longer he would take some
medication to aid in that.
That first night, though, Aaron needed nothing. He and Julia
had explored each others bodies for quite a while during foreplay. They had
taken their time and let the tension build slowly. Their communication was
important and Aaron encouraged Julia to keep that in mind. When their arousal
had peaked, Aaron lasted long enough to fully satisfy Julia and she was left
breathless.
In the weeks since then, they experimented and worked around
the mechanics of their sexual dynamic to find what would work best for them.
There was a definite newfound trust in their relationship and both were happy
to share the new bond.
As the rain continued to fall outside, Julia sighed as her
body settled into sleep. Aaron nuzzled into her hair and kissed her head.
“Good night,” he said softly.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Later that same week, Julia sat by herself at a table in
front of a coffee shop inside of bustling Minneapolis-St. Paul International
Airport. She was on a short layover; the crew’s next flight left in just over
two hours. She sipped on a hot tea and put some notes into her phone. She was
on a three day trip and would be returning home that night. She and Aaron had
planned a weekend away and she was looking forward to it. They had done some
research and decided to rent out a house in the mountains located a couple
hours from Denver. Using her phone, Julia checked the list she had been
compiling to make sure things would be in order before they left. They would be
leaving early the next morning and Julia was anxious to get home and get things
situated. Aaron had been able to shift some things around at work to get an
extra day off that weekend and Julia’s schedule had worked out to where she had
four days off in a row. The timing couldn’t have been better for their first
time getting away together. Taking one last sip of her tea, Julia slid her
phone into her purse and stood up from the table. She organized her roller bag
and tote and set off for the gate where the flight would leave from. Just a few
more hours of work, then she would be back in Colorado.
___________________________________
The sun was just starting to come up the next morning when
Aaron picked up Julia from her house. They packed her bag and the supplies she
brought in the back of his car and then set off for the road. The drive would
take at least two hours. The house they rented was located in Allenspark, a
mountain town inside of Rocky Mountain National Park. Aaron was fairly familiar
with the area so he handled the booking after they decided on a house that
seemed to be the most accessible for him within proximity of things to do in
the town.
About an hour into the drive, they decided to stop for
something to eat. Aaron took an exit and quickly found a small café located off
the highway. The parking lot only had a few cars in it when they pulled in. Julia
got out of the car first as Aaron reached into the backseat for the parts of
his wheelchair.
“Holycrapitiscold!” She said quickly as the chilly morning
temperature hit her.
She pulled the sleeves of her jacket down over her hands and
walked around the front of the vehicle to the driver’s side door. Aaron had the
frame of the chair already on the ground and was in the process of attaching a
wheel.
“It’s not warm, is it?” He said with a laugh as he looked up
from his task.
“Noooo!” Julia sang as she bounced in place and waited for
him.
Aaron attached the other wheel and reached down to steady
himself using the low backrest of the chair. With one foot already on the
ground, he controlled the transfer into the seat. Once settled, he lifted each
foot onto the footplate and raised his behind to sit more upright. He stuck the
set of car keys into his jacket pocket and closed the door.
“Come on, Ice Cube.” Aaron smiled as he gave his wheel rims
a push and set off for the front door with Julia right next to him.
Once inside the restaurant, they decided on a small booth in
the corner. Aaron easily transferred over to the smooth seat of the booth and
simply pushed his empty chair underneath the edge of the table. The waitress
came by and took their orders.
“Yes. Hot chocolate. Because I’m twelve years old today
apparently.” Julia met Aaron’s eye from across the booth when she noticed his
smirk after the waitress left.
“I’ll tease you about it. Don’t worry.” Aaron said with a
grin.
Of course he will.
Julia laughed, balled up a napkin, and tossed it across the
table at Aaron. He let the make shift ball hit him square in the chest and
fall.
“Ohh,” he said with eyes wide. “Game on. Game. On.”
Julia laughed and leaned back against the seat. “Uh huh. I’m
sure.” She said teasingly.
The waitress returned with their drinks then and set the
steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of Julia and a tall glass of water and a
tall glass of orange juice in front of Aaron.
“Oh, look, they put whipped cream on top for you…,” Aaron
said with a chuckle, obviously giving her a hard time for her beverage of
choice.
“Yes, they certainly did.” Julia stirred the liquid with a
spoon and then lifted the mug to her lips. She took a sip slowly then pulled
the mug away and placed it back on the table.
“Mmm, delicious…,” she said as she caught Aaron’s eye again.
He immediately burst into laughter at the sight of a strip
of white cream mustache she purposely left on her lip.
“Come here,” he said and leaned forward over the table.
Julia met him halfway and he took her face in his hands and kissed the whipped
cream off her mouth gently.
“You are somethin’ else.” He said quietly before kissing her
again.
Julia smiled through the kiss. “I know.”
“Alrighty, two orders of the breakfast skillet here, folks.”
The waitress was waiting with her hands full when Aaron and Julia pulled away. They
exchanged a glance as their plates were put on the table.
“Thank you,” they said simultaneously, their faces looked
like two middle schoolers who had been caught making out in the janitorial
closet of the school.
“Anything else I can get ya?” The waitress asked, her hands
on her hips.
“No, thank you. I think we’re good.” Aaron turned to her and
smiled.
As Julia looked down at her plate, Aaron tore off one end of
the paper covering the straw he had and then blew into the tube, sending the
other half flying straight at Julia. Her head snapped up and she mocked a gasp.
“Who’s the twelve year old now?!” She was laughing.
“Told you. Game on.” Aaron said with an eyebrow raised
before he took a bite of biscuits and gravy.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
After breakfast, Aaron and Julia got back on the road to the
mountains. Aaron took a scenic route; taking them through some amazing views of
Rocky Mountain National Park. They got out at a couple spots and Aaron took some
pictures. Julia stood off to the side and watched him; she hadn’t seen him
photograph anything yet but it was well worth the wait. He was focused as he
got a few shots and Julia was again impressed with his skills.
Following directions to the house, Aaron drove through winding
roads leading to their accommodation for the long weekend. Arriving at the
destination, the house looked just like it did in the photos they had seen. It
was a single level cabin with a covered porch. There weren’t stairs leading to
the front door, just a smooth concrete porch with a single step that would be
easy for Aaron to navigate. The drive leading to the house was long and on an
incline.
“Might as well park down here. It looks flatter than up
closer to the house.” Aaron said after assessing the gravel drive.
Julia nodded in agreement.
Aaron parked the vehicle and Julia got out. She stood back
and admired the surrounding area. The house was located in a wooded area and
was secluded from other properties.
“I may never leave. This is beautiful.” She said as she went
to the back of the car and popped open the back.
Aaron came around as well after transferring to the chair.
“It is nice up here.” He reached in and began pulling out items from the back.
Julia pulled out the medium sized hard sided cooler they brought and placed it
on the ground. She then grabbed her bag and the one Aaron brought and put them
down as well. She hopped up into the back to grab another box and dropped it
down next to the
other items.
“I’ll take this cooler up first.” Aaron said as he leaned
down.
“You sure?” Julia asked as she watched him lift it
awkwardly. She reached down for a few bags to carry to the house.
“Yes,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sure.” Aaron placed the
cooler on his lap, and wheeled around the car and started up the drive to the
house. There was only about two hundred feet between the car and the house. The
gravel drive seemed to be more inclined than they first thought, but Aaron just
leaned forward, and gave his wheels a strong push. Between the slope, and the
gravel underneath his wheels, he struggled a bit.
Julia set down the bags she held, and called out to him from
the car as she watched. “Hey, I can get that!”
“It’s fine, I’ve got it.” Aaron shouted back over his
shoulder.
He gave his wheels another push and moved forward, but then began
sliding backward sideways. He tried to correct himself, but was thrown off balance
by the weighty cooler. In an instant, he fell sideways, and the cooler slid off
his lap immediately. Aaron’s left shoulder and arm took the brunt of the fall.
Julia heard him grunt as he hit the ground.
“Shit! Aaron!” Horrified by watching him topple over, Julia
rushed up the drive to kneel beside him in the gravel. She reached out and
placed a hand on his upper back. “Are you alright?!”
Oh my god. He just
fell. Holy shit.
He answered quickly, though he seemed to be out of breath.
“I’m good.”
Oh. My. God.
Julia assessed the situation, and ran her eyes over Aaron’s
body. He was lying on his side with the chair overturned beside him. His legs
were crossed, and both of his feet were tangled up with the footplate and frame
of the chair. He kept still for a moment longer, and inhaled deeply. Julia
thought he must have gotten the wind knocked out of him. She glanced at his
arms, and saw nothing but dirty sleeves on his jacket. The cooler had popped
open when it hit the ground, ice and bottled water and the few beer bottles all
rolled out.
“Are you sure?” She asked, her tone dripping with concern.
Be calm, don’t freak
out.
Aaron propped his elbow up, and leaned forward. “Yes, I’m
sure.” He forced out a laugh, and moved to sit up, still leaning to one side.
Julia moved back to give him room, and sat back on her heels.
She watched him twist around to grab his pant leg, jerking his foot clear from
the footplate. He grabbed his other leg, and moved that foot, too. Then he
quickly righted the wheelchair, turned it sideways, and adjusted the cushion in
the seat. He pushed himself into a full sitting position, and flipped the wheel
locks.
“Can I do anything?” Julia asked quietly, feeling utterly
helpless, but knowing that he probably wouldn’t let her help him.
He turned to her, and she was surprised to see a lazy smile
on his face. “No, I’m ok. I swear.” He gave her a reassuring nod.
Julia could tell he was embarrassed, so she decided not to
say anything else. She stayed put, though, if he was going to be down in the
dirt, so would she. She watched as he leaned down to grab each ankle, then
pulled one leg up at a time, propping them against one another close to his
chest. His left leg started to fall the side, but he caught it and adjusted his
foot to keep it in position. He pushed down on the ground with his left hand to
shift his hips and rear end. He then grabbed the lower frame of the chair with
his right hand, and pushed down with his left, then lifted his bottom half
quickly up into the chair. His legs followed the motion, and he grabbed each
one underneath the knee and placed his feet onto the footplate. He pushed down
on both wheels and scooted himself back in the chair. Aaron was a tall guy, his
body built, and Julia was amazed by the strength it took to get from the ground
back into the chair.
Recovered, but with a sheen of sweat on his forehead, he
flipped the brake releases, and wheeled forward. “Come on.” He said in a low
voice as he extended his hand to Julia where she still knelt on the ground.
She took his hand and stood up. He pulled on her hand, and
she went to him. “That wasn’t pretty, I know.” He said with an uncomfortable
laugh as he looked up at her. “Sorry…,” he shook his head.
Oh god, don’t
apologize, Aaron. It’s ok. You’re ok.
“Stop.” Her voice was quiet. Julia brought a hand to his
cheek, and leaned down to kiss him. When she pulled away, she wrapped both arms
around his shoulders, and hugged him.
He held her close, and brought his mouth to her ear.
“Nothing bruised but my ego.” He chuckled.
Julia leaned back, and pushed a hand into his shoulder
playfully, not surprised in the least that he was already making a joke of the
fall.
“The ice wasn’t so lucky…” Aaron looked down at the ground
at the scattered contents of the cooler.
Julia followed his gaze, and laughed. “Nope, sure wasn’t.”
She shrugged and stood up.
Aaron pushed forward, and leaned down to set the cooler
upright. He tossed a few bottles back into it, as Julia did the same. Once they
got all the bottles back in Aaron flipped the lid closed.
“Alright, maybe you can take it up.” He conceded.
Julia nodded but said nothing; he was letting her help. Aaron
turned back toward the back of the Jeep to retrieve other items and Julia
watched him closely. She noticed he reached up quickly and squeezed the
shoulder he fell on. She knew it had to be sore and that it may only get worse.
Julia thought Aaron wouldn’t make a fuss out of it and would probably just
suffer through the discomfort if he were to be uncomfortable. She let it go,
not wanting to bring it up again at his expense.
Aaron loaded a few smaller bags on his lap and made his way
up the incline easier. Julia followed right behind with the cooler, albeit less
heavy without the ice. They had been given the code to a lockbox that contained
the key which was located by the front door.
“Hey, what is it again? 44768?” Aaron asked as he reached
up.
“Uh, yeah, I think that sounds right.” Julia said as she set
the cooler down on the porch.
Aaron punched in the numbers and a beep indicated the box
could be opened. He reached in for the
key to the house.
“Ah ha, success.” He said. Turning to the door he inserted
the key and opened the door.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“After you.” Aaron gestured to the open door and Julia went
in.
As he followed behind her, he swallowed hard as he popped up
over the lip of the doorstep. His shoulder and forearm both hurt more than he
would like to admit, but he was going to mask it as well as he could. He didn’t
see a need to make a big deal out of it right at the start of the weekend and
he would be damned if he let it ruin their time away. He had been stubborn when
he tried to take the cooler, thinking he could do it with no problem. His plan
had failed miserably and he was paying for it.
“Yep. Nope. Never leaving.” He heard Julia say as she looked
stood in the entryway and looked around from left to right and back again,
enthralled with the house.
The cabin had floor to ceiling front windows with spectacular
views of a valley through a clearing in the trees. The vaulted ceilings aided
the layout in being spacious and open; the living space was right off the
kitchen and dining corner. Decorated with classical lodge details, the cabin had
a warm and homey feel, accentuated by the stone fireplace. The floors were
hardwood with rugs laying atop.
Aaron and Julia made their way further into the house before
Julia turned to him and came closer.
“This is…,” she said with a smile. “So amazing.”
Aaron wheeled forward to her and reached for her hand. “Thanks
for agreeing to run away to the woods for the weekend.” Aaron pulled her in to him
and guided her down slowly to sit sideways across his lap.
“My pleasure.” Julia slung an arm around his neck and leaned
in for a kiss.
They sat for a moment longer until Aaron poked a finger in
her side playfully, making her jump.
“Hey!” She said with a laugh as she squirmed.
“I told you it was game on…,” he said with a shrug.
Julia leaned in for another kiss then stood up. “Let’s go
get the rest of the stuff.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Julia and Aaron spent the rest of the late morning getting
organized and putting things in their proper place. They loaded up the
refrigerator with the food and drinks they brought and lined a cabinet with
their dry goods. By early afternoon, they had eaten a small lunch and then found
themselves on the comfortable leather couch in the living room. The quietness
of the mountain was so relaxing and both quickly fell asleep.
Julia was the first to wake from the nap. She blinked her
eyes open to see that she still lay next to Aaron on the couch, his arm around
her. He was still fast asleep and she wanted to be careful not to wake him.
Noticing the light outside had changed, Julia knew that at least a few hours
had gone by and it was probably nearing late afternoon. Deciding she needed to
use the restroom, Julia slowly peeled herself from Aaron and scooted off of the
couch. She replaced his free arm across his chest and padded her way softly to
the bathroom.
When she returned, she passed the couch and heard Aaron let
out a low groan in his sleep. She decided to let him sleep more so she retrieved
a book from her bag and silently opened the back door that lead to the deck. She
could catch up on some reading while she had the time.
A time later, Julia looked up to see Aaron opening the door.
“Hey, you.” He said with a smile.
Julia folded down the corner of the page she was on and
closed the book.
“Well, hello. How’d you sleep?”
Aaron nodded. “Not bad. Sorry I was out so long.”
Julia shrugged. “Maybe you needed it.”
Aaron smiled again in agreement. “Are you getting hungry?
Should we start something for dinner?”
Julia stood up from the chair she was in. “Sounds good to
me.”
For dinner, Aaron grilled burgers on the deck outside and
Julia made a couple sides. They ate inside as the temperature was pretty chilly
outdoors. When dinner was over, they cleaned up quickly. Aaron insisted that
Julia take the shower first, so she did. She was settled in the bed of the master
bedroom with her book when Aaron went in for his turn.
He spent quite a while in the shower and when he was
through, steam escaped as soon as he opened the door. He pushed out of the
bathroom and into the bedroom, his hair still wet and sticking up, shirtless,
with charcoal gray drawstring pants on, and bare feet. Julia glanced over at
him and let out a low whistle which caused Aaron to chuckle and shake his head.
“Hey, handsome.” She said.
Aaron jokingly looked over his shoulder, pretending to find
someone else. “Oh. Me?” He said with a
grin.
He pushed forward to his bag that lay open on the low
bureau. Turning his back to Julia he reached in for a shirt and laid it on his
lap.
Something caught Julia’s eye and she put down her book. “Aaron.”
“Yes?” He said turning back to her.
“Your shoulder…and your side…,” she paused.
“Oh. Yeah. Got some bruises from earlier I guess.” He said,
nonchalant.
“Uh, yes. You do.” She slid off of the bed and went right to
him, unable to leave the fall situation alone any longer. “Can I see, please?”
Aaron sighed and reluctantly turned his chair around for
Julia to get a better look. “I’m fine, Julia. Really.”
“You may be fine, but it still looks gnarly.” She ran her
fingers along black and blue bruises across the front of his shoulder, on his
shoulder blade and down his side. Julia pulled her hand away but kept her eyes
on him.
Aaron tugged the shirt he carried over his head and pulled
it on. “No big deal. Couple days and they will be gone.” He pushed to the bed
and prepared for the transfer.
Julia went to her side of the bed and climbed into it, drawing
back the comforter over herself as she lay back against the pillows. She picked
up her book again and started reading where she left off. Out of the corner of
her eye, though, Julia noticed Aaron was taking his time getting into the bed.
She picked up on the fact that it was a little higher than both his and hers at
home, and she knew the shoulder wouldn’t be helping matters. After failing to
clear the height the first try, Aaron cleared it the second and scooted back
against the pillows. He reached down and lifted his legs up onto the bed, then
tucked them under the comforter. He reached over to the bedside table and shut
off the lamp then lay back and sighed. Julia took the hint and closed her book and
switched off the lamp on her bed side table.
After a few minutes, Julia spoke. “I am glad we came up
here. Thank you.”
“I am glad, too.” He said, his voice low.
Julia felt him come nearer to her then and he drew her into
him with his free arm. “Here’s better.” He said and kissed her forehead. “I’ll
make you a hot chocolate in the morning."
___________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you to all who are reading! More to come. Stay tuned.
Thank you for the update, I loved the chapter! I can't wait for the next update!!
ReplyDeleteThanks go the update, this was a wonderful, sweet chapter!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update. They seem so cute!
ReplyDeleteAn ex para bf of mine got hurt pretty badly after trying a wheelchair stunt and reacted the same way. After a day he asked for help... I'm interested to see where it will go.
Warm and witty. Magnificent chapter.
ReplyDeleteI had a crapy day at work yesterday. When I finally had time to check my computer I found your update it made my day better. Am in love with Aaron!!
ReplyDeleteThis may have been one of my favorite chapters... I have 3 that I just can't choose between! Keep it up girly.
ReplyDeleteGood chapter!
ReplyDeleteJust reread this chapter, still loved it! Looking forward to an update.
ReplyDeleteLoving where the story is going! Can't wait to see where it goes!
ReplyDeleteMissing you, and Aaron and Julia! Are you coming back??
ReplyDeleteMe too!!
ReplyDeleteDying to know how Aaron's shoulder is and to hear more about their weekend. Where are you?
ReplyDelete