Untouched

Chapter Three- The Discovery

Barricading herself in the farthest computer cubicle set within the rather abandoned library, Natalie breathed in the scent of old pages stored in hard oak around her, finding solace in the silence that was this sacred space. She favored the feeling of the keys beneath her fingers in place of the tight fabric of sleazy ensembles moving to and from her body in a broken up montage of outfits she would never come to actually wear. But as she was writing a paper for Psychology, all she could do was think of her damned professor. In her attempts to focus on citing her sources, she couldn’t help but picture the handsome English mentor flashing her those pearly whites the night prior, his eyes sparkling with the same excitement she felt built within her own gaze as they bonded over milkshakes and tragic tales of ill-fated romance.

That was until the sound of the library door coming open had allowed her the reminder she needed to return to her studies. But once again, as she began to write the authors and their works, she thought of his fingers brushing lightly over hers as they shared the details of Tess of the D'Urbervilles lengthy novel. She was never one to become this enthralled with the opposite s*x, as it had taken her former boyfriend months to break down those stone cold walls she had built up until then; and even up to the end of their interactions, he remained on one side of those bricks as she continued to build them higher. However, she was enraged at the fact that someone, who was no more than a stranger, had managed to occupy her mind to such a degree.

Eventually, she was able to convince herself how she would come to loathe herself in five years if she were to spend the rest of the night fantasizing about events that would never transpire between her and her favored professor; even if they were creeping into her mind with her every attempt she had made to focus. Just as she seemed to reign victorious over these carnal visions, she decided to break away from the page for just a moment to rub her aching gaze and enjoy the moonlight making its way through the glass window at her side. But at that same instance, she noted how Jackson was present on the other side of it; unaware of her presence-but affecting her nonetheless.

With the end of a pencil between her teeth, Natalie couldn’t help but observe the pleasantly latte colored skin kissed by the rays of the full moon as he paused at a bench just across from her line of sight. For just a brief moment, she was able to note the indent of his physique; noting how he wore an impressive frame beneath his dress shirts that made him appear built-but not quite to this extent. Her eyes continued to fall in low increments; beginning at his pectorals, drifting down his abdomen arranged with six ‘L’ shaped muscles showing a six pack, and the final descent of his Adonis belt teasing her for what remained lower still...

Her feet set off into the direction of the window, where she could not cease herself, at the same instance that he adjusted the earbud in his closest drum and set off on the second half of his jaunt. Her eyes fell low to her hands, that had begun to shake with arousal; having always come to ignore this feeling prior to now. Even with Asher, her ex, things had been rather PG...but a few hours of conversation, a handful of compliments, and a decent amount of ‘accidental’ tracings of his skin to hers, and she was already imagining them in NC-17 cinemax. She bit her bottom lip, allowing the visions to continue for just a moment longer, before committing to the final pieces of her paper.

When the final phonetic letter had been pressed into the keyboard, Natalie printed out the document, retrieved the pages, and finally resorted to returning to her dorm. But the moment the doors to the library came open, she was struck by a sudden force that knocked her immediately to the palms of her hands and her knees. With a grunt, she looked up to see the source of the sudden trauma to her physique, before being met with Jackson. Still shirtless, only now, looking at her with a mix of pride, humor, and regret; all worn in different locations of his expression.

“Forgive me, I was distracted…”

“It’s-It’s fine…” She attempted to collect the pages beneath her grasp, as an abrupt breeze carried one of them a few paces north of her current location. Jackson chased after it almost immediately, collecting it beneath his toes, as he lifted it to view.

“Is this the paper I assigned this morning?” She blushed before taking it back into her folder and looking back to him with a nod. “You finished it? It wasn’t due until Monday...three weeks from now…”

“I like being ahead.” She spoke coldly, knowing if she allowed herself any form of banter or kindness, that she would be unable to keep her mind steadfast on not only avoiding him but evading any thoughts consumed by him; which were now creeping in her mind as he stood with a heaving chest glistening in perspiration.

When he noticed the blush on her cheeks, he smirked to himself, before taking a shirt from the pocket of his sweatpants and extending the fabric over his toned torso. Her eyes caught one final glimpse of his chiseled features, before they were hidden in a campus tee.

“Your hands…” His voice breaking the silence between them forced her to look at the small cuts brought through her epidermis by the quick fall.

“I’m fine.”

“Am I able to at least fetch you a bandage? Some hydrogen peroxide? Some chips and a shake?” Although this comment brought a smile onto her lips, she let out a frustrated huff as he understood the depth of her response.

“Right...That’s probably not the best idea…” He spoke aloud once more before he ran his finger through his sandy blonde hair, nearing brown, before hiding his hands in his pockets and offering a shrug in her direction.

“Can I at least walk you to your dorm? I would feel better knowing at least you got there safe…” Although she looked into the direction of the hall she called ‘home’ for less than a day and knew this could prove difficult to explain, a portion of her did not wish to part form him quite yet. He was intoxicating to her in every way; a sweet liquor that only began to show its effects long after it was within you; and he hadn’t done so much as glance at her, and she was already blasted.

“I suppose that would be alright…” She shared a kind smirk before he motioned her into the direction of her hall, as he had visited her earlier that day.

“Do you live on campus?” She questioned, unable to fathom the silence for another moment as he gave a content grin before supplying an answer.

“No. I have a meeting earlier in the morning so I plan to sleep on the couch in my office...Do you?” He asked cheekily as she gave him a playful glare as they entered the building belonging to her room as they walked slowly down the halls as he seemed nervous to be seen with her. Not necessarily ducking behind trash cans, but avoiding eye contact of anyone and everyone they would pass.

“Thank you, professor-”

“Please, when we’re alone, Natalie...Don’t call me that…” He interrupted her with a kind timbre as she could feel him close in on her, before he suddenly brought his hand to the knob of her door. This caused his body to press momentarily into hers, an action he waited to perform when he was certain they were alone throughout the corridor lined with similar doors, all accented with stickers, white boards, or novelty signs.

“You plan to be alone with me?” The question left her lips before she could stop it as he cleared his throat and opened the door on her behalf, motioning her inside. Their eyes remained locked prior to this point of entry finding his opening at the end of his fingertips; almost as if he was going to reach down and sweep her into the room as she had imagined. But alas, he remained a gentleman, touching her only with those devilish eyes that wore the same carnality behind her own.

“Be sure to clean those knuckles...it would be a shame to have such beautiful skin left scarred…” His words melted her in place as she slowly nodded. He closed his eyes in regret for having uttered such a comment as he quickly tried to mend it. “I simply mean-”

“Thank you.” She spoke once again as he nodded, turning to leave, as she made her way inside. However, the sounds of El breathing deeply could be heard in the bed beside Natalie, leaving her annoyed that perhaps she had someone entertaining her libido-or even she had taken this task upon herself. But as she plugged her phone into the charging cord left in place for its planned return at this moment, the screen illuminated the scene; a scene she would never be allowed to unsee.

A blood curdling shriek left her throat at the sight directly before her until she stilled, the door coming open at her back. Jackson entered the room, coming across the scene as well, his expression rising in surprise, but then refocusing on her. His touch was dominant on her arms, attempting to bring her focus to him, but her catatonia kept her focused on the body before her gaze.

“Love, can you say anything?” He attempted to speak to her in hopes of reaching her, but watched her observe the details of the soon-to-be crime scene. Jackson continued to call to her, requesting a reaction of any kind; all the while, his voice sounded muffled to her distracted mind; even as he did everything but kiss her to get her attention to fall to him. Even though he had attempted to console her and reach her in this catatonic state she was left in with the sight of El’s lifeless eyes looking at her in complete terror; her final moments remaining memorialized on her waxen complexion.

But all Natalie could do was remain frozen...tormented...and in the eyes of the officers that came to the scene upon hearing such screams; a suspect.

“You’ve got it all wrong.” Jackson attempted to plead with them as they placed Natalie’s hands behind her back in iron cuffs that kept her from attempting anything risky or possibly dangerous-such as an escape. “She just came up her-”

“Why is it that every time a girl is killed here, you seem to be nearby? You’re lucky, you're not the one in cuffs, Jackson-” One of the officers spoke as Jackson stood timid for only a moment, not wishing to say anything that could worsen the judgment on Natalie. Yet, the rebellious soul beneath his tough exterior couldn’t help but comment.

“If you did your job, perhaps there wouldn’t be a body to begin with.” With only a look of annoyance from the men in blue, they hauled Natalie away from the scene. “Prats…” Jackson spoke before letting out a sigh and being forced to watch her become an interest in a case to a girl she hardly knew with a past she was yet to learn...