Natalie and Mark; A Camp Experience P5 (Patreon)

 Sometimes you’ve just got to take that chance…     

Take Your Chances on Me Part 5 [exclusive to patrons]

“What the hell?” Natalie muttered under her breath.

“We need to talk.”

He stepped forward and she did too –but for a completely different reason. She was going to leave. She ignored him and tried to go past him but he blocked her way.

“Please Natalie we need to talk.”

She exhaled angrily and tried again to move past him but he moved with her and stopped her with his hands around her arms. He leaned in and kissed her but her kiss was angry in return. She pushed him away and shoved past him.

“I thought I was too immature?” she declared, unlocking the door and turning to give him a cold stare. His back was still to her but once she pulled open the door and left he swung around and followed her.

“Natalie stop! Natalie would you dance with me?”

“No…”

“We need to talk. I’m not going to kiss you again; too many people. Listen if you don’t forgive me by the end of this dance I’ll leave you alone.”

Natalie stood looking past him angrily, weighing her options. “Fine,” she gave in and he put his arms around her and took her right hand into his.

“First thing: I’m sorry. What I said was out of line –and stupid. If anyone was being immature it was me. It’s just Jamie’s my best friend; I’ve gotta protect him –or at least look out for him. I’m sure you’d do the same if it were… Brianna. But that’s just it too –what she did was–”

“Was not what you think Mark. Kyle’s a guy from school and yeah Brianna had a crush on him. But what Jamie heard was Brianna saying that he’s a little too late telling her he likes her because she doesn’t think she feels the same anymore. She likes Jamie Mark. Hell I’d almost say she loves him and they both have so much in common. So maybe instead of just assuming you guys could ask her about it? Is that so hard?”

“Well, no. Natalie I’m so sorry; you’re right. What I did was completely immature and stupid and I’m an idiot. And if I lose you over this, I won’t forgive myself. Since the moment I drove in and saw you standing there with your foot stuck in the snow, I’ve been falling for you. I’ve never felt anything like this before, it’s like I was on a merry-go-round at the playground and someone spun me around really fast and I’ve gotten off and everything’s still spinning and making me light-headed. That’s how I feel when I’m around you or thinking about you and it’s the best and worst feeling all in one. So if you can forgive me, and keep my world spinning I promise I won’t let you down again.”

Natalie was silent for several seconds as she stared at a spot on his shirt. “You promise?” she entreated, looking into his shining blue eyes.

“I swear it; cross my heart.”

“Then I forgive you,” Natalie murmured, trying not to smile.

He smiled and spun her around in his arms. She finally broke a smile and leaned in to kiss him.

He backed away, looking anxious. “No, there’re people around,” he told her in a low tone. She frowned. He took her into his arms again, holding her closer than he had before. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“It’s okay,” she murmured, realizing his fears were somewhat justified. Carol didn’t know about them yet and if she saw them kiss… 

The two danced together, unaware that their friends had disappeared for several minutes. It wasn’t until some fifteen or so minutes later that Brianna and Jamie came back hand in hand and Natalie and Mark realized they’d been missing. Obviously those two had made up too. Mark and Natalie discovered it had been raining hard outside; Brianna and Jamie were soaked. The heat of the hall soon began to dry them off though.

Forty minutes later Carol came to get them and they headed home to the farm. “Well we’re going to head to bed now,” Carol told Brianna and Natalie.

“Okay, um I think we’re just going to stay out awhile longer and enjoy the nice night for awhile since it’s stopped raining,” Brianna declared.

“Alright goodnight girls we’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight gentlemen.”

“Night!”

“G’night!”

The four of them waited until Carol went in with Ashley and Ava before speaking.

“Care if we start a campfire?” Jamie asked the other three.

“That would be great,” Brianna nodded.

“Oh sure go ahead. I just wanted to take a walk with Natalie for a bit.”

“Go ahead,” Jamie nodded, “I don’t mind doing all the work!”

“I’ll help you!” Bri exclaimed.

“Oh I know! I was just kidding. See you two later then,” Jamie grinned at Natalie and Mark.

“See you,” Natalie replied, grabbing Mark’s hand. Brianna cast her an amused smile.

Mark led her towards the horses. Memories of that afternoon came rushing back to both of them. “I’m sorry, again,” Mark declared softly into the night air, “I fucked up after an almost perfect afternoon. I was stupid.”

“I can understand why you did it. But I still think you could’ve handled it a bit better. You should’ve let Jamie fight his own battle first. You just sort of attacked Brianna outta nowhere and didn’t let her defend herself. I mean sure, if she was leading him on maybe then she would’ve deserved it but Bri is the last person I know to play games like that. Hell half the time she’s afraid to flirt –I’m sure it’d be a pretty big leap for her to try and hatch this plan to lead two guys on at once. I mean I love her to death but she’s not the flirty type at all so…”

“Yeah I’m really sorry. I should’ve waited a bit and minded my own business. I guess I just really overreacted and took out my frustration –it just felt like petty high school drama all over again and I thought I’d left that behind.”

“Was high school really that bad for you?” Natalie asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well no not to that extent I guess but there was just a lot of really childish behaviour that I saw that we could’ve all done without. Anyway, I’m sorry that I assumed Brianna was one of those…people. I mean thinking about it now she does strike me as kinda shy –well not as shy as you of course,” Mark chuckled, nudging Natalie’s arm playfully.

“No never as me,” she murmured with a smile.

“Hey Duke where’s Riley?” Mark murmured, patting the horse’s nose. Mark and Natalie looked out into the field and noticed a small light.

“Who’s out there?” Natalie muttered.

“Mr. Talbot?” Mark called.

“Mark is that you?” he called back.

“Yeah!” Mark hopped the fence and Natalie followed.

Mr. Talbot was tending to Riley, who was lying down on his side. 

Natalie felt her stomach drop nervously.

“What happened?” Mark asked incredulously.

“Not sure but I think Riley came up against a split tree branch over there,” Mr. Talbot pointed, “You can see it from here there’s a branch that broke and is still hanging on the tree but the splinters sticking out must’ve got him somehow. I’m thinkin’ he got spooked by the storm and maybe ran into it –or tripped perhaps. I just wonder how the branch got that way. Mark you were out here this afternoon did you see anything?”

“No sir,” Mark shook his head. “Is he gonna be okay?”

“For now yes I think so but it’s hard to know the full extent of the damage like this in the dark. I just hope he can still walk,” Tom prayed nervously.

Natalie didn’t know much about horses but she’d heard somewhere that if a horse broke its leg or couldn’t walk the farmer would have to put it down. She shuddered at the thought and felt sick. She turned away as tears began starting in her eyes. Just that afternoon she’d ridden Riley and now he was lying helplessly on the wet ground.

“Hey you okay?” Mark exclaimed quietly, coming to stand in front of her and putting his face eye level to hers which was looking down at the ground now.

Natalie couldn’t get any words out as tears began to fall from her eyes. 

Mark wrapped his arms around her supportively. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “He’s gonna be alright,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “Look, see.”

Natalie turned to see Mr. Talbot helping Riley to stand up. After he got to his feet, Riley immediately held up the leg on the side of his injury. Mr. Talbot coaxed him and Riley took a few steps. He limped a little bit and after a few more steps he seemed to stand a bit stronger than before.

“C’mon, let’s get you outta here,” Mark murmured, seeing Natalie’s discomfort at watching Mr. Talbot coax the distressed horse to try and walk with his injury.

“Hey everything’s going to be alright,” Mark whispered quietly as the two walked with Natalie burying the side of her head on his shoulder and wrapping one arm around him while the other stayed clutched tightly to her chest in anxiousness. “I promise. I just got you smiling again around me and now you’re in distress; I can’t stand to see you this way.”

“I’m sorry,” Natalie murmured.

“No, don’t be; don’t be,” he shook his head, “Why don’t we just go inside for a bit and get some hot chocolate or something. Just relax and then I’m sure Tom will give us news after he’s had a better look at Riley. Okay?”

She only nodded and Mark steered them to the main house.

It wasn’t long before Natalie was feeling better –with a warm mug in her hand and Mark’s arm around her. She leaned her head onto his shoulder in submission and thanks for his kindness in being able to calm her down.

Natalie realized in the silence between the two of them that she felt like she’d known Mark for a really, really long time. This moment felt so comfortable and intimate and yet they’d only just met the day before. It felt odd to think of.

After finishing their late night drink, the two tidied up their mugs, used the washroom and went back outside. Brianna and Jamie were nowhere to be found. Natalie and Mark decided to head to the cottage together. It took some prompting on Natalie’s part but finally Mark gave in upon the realization that as long as the two of them were quiet, Carol and the other two girls sleeping in the bedroom would never have to know he’d come in with Natalie so late.

Silently, the two slipped off their shoes and made their way to Natalie’s cot. They lay down beside each other and Natalie threw the blanket over the two of them and put her head on her pillow. She felt comfortable enough to face him this time. He put his arm over her and smiled at her in the dark. She returned it. 

Her eyes began to feel droopy. It was quite late –probably close to eleven thirty in her estimates. She yawned. “Are you tired?” she whispered.

“A little,” he murmured.

“Don’t get mad if I fall asleep, okay?” she declared in a whisper.

“I promise. Same goes for me too then.”

“Fair enough.”

They lay there awhile trying not to fall asleep but Natalie felt so comfortable and tired that her eyes closed after a few minutes. She forced herself awake and pulled off her glasses and placed them under the cot. 

Mark’s eyes were closed, she thought as she tried to make it out in the dark. When he didn’t move to ask what she’d been doing and when he didn’t respond to his name, Natalie smiled and let herself drift off to sleep where she hoped Mark might also be waiting.

It didn’t feel like long before Natalie felt herself waking up. It was still dark. She realized she had rolled onto her back while sleeping. She smiled, remembering who she’d fallen asleep beside and opened her eyes to be able to adjust her position to be closer to Mark without making noise or hitting him by accident when she rolled back over onto her side. But as she extended her hand to rest upon his arm (or chest –she wasn’t sure what she’d come across first in the dark) she hit nothing but air.

With a frown, she placed her hand slowly downward and where Mark’s sleeping figure should have been there was nothing until her hand finally touched the cot. She was hurt. Where was he?

She sat up and looked around. In the little light she could only make out the shapes of the kitchen around her. She turned around and saw that Brianna’s cot was also empty. Where was she?

Natalie got up and peered carefully into the bedroom area. The other three were still fast asleep. Natalie went back and sat down on her cot. She checked the time on her cell phone. It was a few minutes to two in the morning.

Maybe Bri had gone to the bathroom. But where was Mark? As Natalie lay back down, she thought she knew. 

He’d left because he didn’t want anyone to find them sleeping there together side by side. Natalie exhaled a sigh. She supposed he was right but it still hurt that he hadn’t bothered to wake her and bid her goodnight. With a sad realization, she remembered that tomorrow was their last day there at the Talbot farm.

As she fell back asleep, Natalie debated on what she was going to do about leaving Mark here as she went back to her city life tomorrow afternoon.

Well the end is almost near! I hope you guys have enjoyed this little romance! <3 I'm looking forward to getting the next, new Camp Experience ready for you guys for July! 

It's not too late to make suggestions and change my mind about who the 'experience' is about and where it takes place!

-Britt xo