Our Darkest Hour (Our Darkest Series Book 1)

by Sarah Bailey

  “Fine, Mum.”

  I didn’t have much to say about school. The teachers said I was on target to get the right grades for university. Rhys had been helping me with English since he was also taking it, so it’s not as if they had anything to worry about on that score.

  “And you, Rhys, how’s school going? If I remember correctly, you want to do graphic design.”

  Rhys glanced at me before answering.

  “All good, Mrs Parrish. My teachers are happy with my progress.”

  I nudged him.

  “Don’t be modest, he’s top of all his classes.”

  One of Rhys’ most attractive qualities was just how smart and talented he was. I’d been harassing him to draw me for years, but he always said no. Perhaps now we were together, he might agree to it. I’d quite happily pose for him, especially if he wanted to draw me naked. I tried not to think too hard on that subject whilst in the presence of my parents.

  “I guess so,” he mumbled, his ears going red.

  Fuck, that’s the most adorable thing ever.

  “That’s lovely. I know you’ve always helped our Aaron here.”

  Dad snorted from next to Mum and she glared at him. He was being rude as usual. I ignored him, putting my hand on Rhys’ thigh under the table since we were sitting across from my parents so they wouldn’t see. He covered it with his own, squeezing my fingers to reassure me he was okay.

  “Patrick, do you have to insist on working right now?” Kellie hissed as she leant over to him. “This is supposed to be a nice meal with your son.”

  He sighed and put his phone on the table, levelling his gaze directly on me. I almost flinched from the steely look in his blue eyes.

  “Are you going to get your predicted grades, Aaron?”

  “Um… I think so.”

  “And university applications, are you going to start on those?”

  I shifted in my seat.

  “Yes, Dad. It’s my plan to do it over the summer.”

  Patrick Parrish was a no-nonsense man who wanted everything done his way. We’d clashed over it on more than one occasion, but these days it was easier to do what he told me. The only thing I’d ever stood my ground on was my friendship with Rhys. No matter how hard he tried to break us up, I’d never give way.

  “Good. I expect you to let me know when you’ve done it.”

  He picked up his phone, dismissing me and the rest of the table. I noticed Mum giving us a tight smile before staring at the side of my dad’s head.

  “Jesus, this is painful,” Rhys whispered.

  “You’re telling me,” I whispered back.

  I knew it was going to be bad, but the tension in the air was so thick, it was unbearable. Wanting to make an attempt at salvaging the situation, I glanced at Mum.

  “Why are Harriet and Ralph not joining us?”

  “Oh, they’re attending a charity gala tonight. They’re coming over for tea tomorrow.”

  I almost rolled my eyes. What fun. An afternoon with fucktard and my sister. I absolutely hated Ralph. He was stuck so far up his own arse, I’m surprised he didn’t shit rainbows.

  “Have they set a date yet?”

  “Well, you know Harriet wants a spring wedding, but Ralph’s parents are insisting on June. I told her, darling, you do not have to listen to them, it’s your big day. I’m just so excited. It will be such a big affair.”

  The thought of Harriet’s wedding to Ralph Bartholomew Mountbatten the Third made me want to run very, very far away. No doubt the fucking tabloids would flock to get the scoop on it. And his parents? I couldn’t stand their snooty attitudes.

  I glanced at Rhys who bit his lip as if he was trying not to snort. Big mistake. I wanted to bite it again. I wanted to nibble him all over. Now I was allowed to have dirty thoughts about him, they seemed to be running rampant. The longer I went without being able to satisfy my intense desire to have sex with him, the more I craved it. Craved him. I wanted to experience it for the first time with him and only him.

  When his eyes turned to me, he immediately released his lip and smirked. The little shit knew what he was doing to me. I squeezed his thigh, making him jolt.

  “Yeah, it’s very exciting,” I finally replied to Mum with fake enthusiasm.

  She didn’t seem to notice as she started off on what she and Harriet had already begun planning for the wedding. I rolled my eyes at Rhys discreetly whilst nodding and making appropriate noises to Mum. Of course, she’d rather talk about my sister than my life. This is how it always went with her. It was either that or talking about her latest film. Honestly, having a parent who directed for a living was not at all glamourous.

  By the time dinner was over, Rhys and I were bored to tears of listening to all the antics from her latest film set and what colour napkins Harriet wanted. Honestly, I didn’t get what the big deal was between pale blue or green. Just have white napkins and be done with it. Dad had ignored us the entire time, which I wasn’t unhappy about. I could do without his snide remarks.

  Rhys and I sat in the back of my dad’s car, itching to touch each other but refraining from doing so in front of my parents. He kept looking at me with those dark eyes, taunting me with their blatant invitation to undress him. I was so intent on watching him, I almost didn’t notice my parents were not driving home.

  “Where are we going?”

  Mum looked back at me with a frown.

  “We’re dropping Rhys home.”

  I opened my mouth to retort but saw my dad looking at me in the rearview mirror and snapped it shut again. If I objected, we’d get into a fight and I really didn’t want to deal with that shit right now. Time to sit back and shut up no matter how much I wanted Rhys in my bed tonight.

  Rhys and I looked at each other. I could not put the sinking disappointment and frustration I felt into words. His eyes told me it was okay, but it didn’t feel okay at all. After everything we’d been through this week, I didn’t need my parents here fucking it all up.

  I refused to let them stop me from getting out with him when they pulled up outside the estate. Dad wouldn’t ever drive through what he termed the shithole where Rhys lived. Walking around the car, I stood in front of him, wanting so much to kiss him.

  “Guess I’ll see you after they’ve gone,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “I’m sorry.”

  His eyes softened.

  “Don’t be. I know what they’re like.”

  “No, Rhys, I’m sorry you had to deal with them at all. They suck.” I glanced at the car, knowing they were likely pissed at me for taking too long. “Text me when you get in, okay?”

  “I will.” Then he leant closer and lowered his voice, “I love you.”

  I stifled a smile.

  “Love you too.”

  He turned and ambled off towards the estate, glancing back and giving me a wink, which made my heart thump. I got back in the car, barely getting the door closed before my dad drove away. It took a minute before he glanced back at me, his expression full of irritation.

  “I do not understand why you insist on hanging around that boy. He is nothing but trouble.”

  “Patrick, don’t do this tonight,” Mum said, putting her hand on his arm.

  “No, Kellie, Aaron is going to be eighteen next year. He needs to focus on school, not get distracted by someone who is clearly a bad influence over him.”

  I stared at him, my heart sinking to my feet. It wasn’t the first time he’d had a go at me over Rhys and it wouldn’t be the last. But I’d had enough of it. Rhys was my boyfriend now and I wasn’t going to let my dad continue to put him down.

  “Really, Dad? For your information, the only reason I get good grades is because we study together and he helps me when I’m struggling. So don’t you sit there and tell me he’s a bad influence when you and Mum are never home.”

  “Aaron! Do not speak to your father like that.”

  �
��Why not? He seems to think it’s okay to disparage Rhys every chance he gets just because he lives on a council estate. Why don’t you tell him to stop being such a judgemental arsehole instead of having a go at me for defending my best friend who has literally done nothing wrong?”

  I think I shocked both my parents into silence. Right then, I didn’t care. They’d showed up here without telling me, made us go out to dinner with them and were now keeping me from spending the night with Rhys.

  They shared a look between them, but neither responded to my outburst. I had no idea what would happen when we got home. They could try to ground me or something but considering they wouldn’t be around to police me for long, it wouldn’t make a difference. No matter what they did, I wouldn’t let them stop me seeing the love of my life.

  It was high time they got the message.

  Rhys was my past, my present and my future.

  He was the one.

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Last night was awful. I’d sat up in my room listening to my parents shouting at each other for almost an hour. Neither of them had spoken to me about what I said to them. In fact, they had ignored me when we got in. I wasn’t sure what else I expected when the only time either of them ever took an interest in me was when it came to my future.

  I’d got up before them in the morning and snuck out of the house, not caring I was meant to be back in the afternoon for tea with Harriet and fucktard. They might have kept me from Rhys last night but there was no way in hell I’d stay away today. I even left my car at home so they wouldn’t suspect I’d caught the bus.

  By the time I got to Rhys’ house, I was so desperate to be with him, my hands started shaking. We’d texted a little last night, but I hadn’t wanted to tell him about what happened in the car. He seemed to be distracted. I imagined he was drawing as usual so I hadn’t told him I was coming.

  I rang the doorbell. The last person I’d been expecting opened it. Then again, I shouldn’t really be surprised considering how many times Steph took him back after kicking him out.

  “Hello, Mr King.”

  “Oh… it’s you,” he replied, disdain dripping from his lips.

  “Is Rhys home?”

  Graham looked me over with obvious disapproval but stepped back to let me in.

  “He’s in his room.”

  I inched by him. Whilst I didn’t think Graham would do anything to me, I still didn’t like him. Not when I knew exactly what kind of shit he’d pulled with Steph and Rhys over the years.

  “Who is it, Gray?” called Steph from the living room as Graham shut the door.

  I walked along and stuck my head around the door.

  “Hi, Steph.”

  Her face lit up at the sight of me.

  “Hi, love. Rhys will be pleased you’re here.”

  I saw the twinkle in her eye and wondered what on earth Rhys had told her. Had he mentioned what happened between us? He hadn’t told me, but then again, we’d been a little preoccupied with each other.

  “Yeah… I’m just going to…”

  She smiled knowingly. Graham walked past me with a scowl as I pulled away from the door. Deciding it was better not to say anything else, I sped walked over to the stairs and climbed them. I didn’t bother knocking, just opened the door to his bedroom and shut it behind me.

  Rhys sat at his desk, his hair messy as if he hadn’t bothered styling it this morning with his headphones stuck over the top of it. His brow was furrowed as he concentrated, his hand brushing across the graphics tablet I’d bought him for his birthday. He’d worked part time at a local corner shop for an entire year to save up for his laptop so I’d wanted to get him something he’d find useful to go with it.

  My eyes dropped to his back. He was shirtless, just sat there in shorts with the window open as it was already getting hot. Seeing him like that made my chest ache with longing and a stirring happened in my own shorts.

  I padded towards him, knowing he couldn’t hear me over his music. He almost jumped out of his seat when I wrapped my arms around him from behind and kissed his neck. Turning in his chair and sliding his headphones off his head, which he dumped on the desk, he stared at me before smiling.

  “Shit, you scared the crap out of me.”

  Before he knew what was up or down, I was in his lap, my hands curling around his face and my lips against his. I needed him. Urgently. It didn’t take him long to get on board with the program. His hands tangled in my hair as I ground against him.

  “Rhys,” I moaned into his mouth. “I want you, now.”

  He pulled my face from his and stared up at me, face flushed and eyes darkening with heat.

  “Want me how?”

  Gone was my hesitation from yesterday, I knew we should go slow, but fuck if I wasn’t so ready for this. I ran my nose up his, bringing our faces close together.

  “I want inside you.”

  His breath hitched.

  “You want to fuck me, Aaron?”

  The deep rumble of those words slid across my skin, making me hotter than ever. It sounded so crude and aggressive, but I didn’t care. The way I wanted him right now was not gentle, sweet or even tender.

  “Fuck yes.”

  “Then take me.”

  I was out of the chair and tugging him up the next second. I pushed him against his desk, kissing him without restraint. My hands gripped his hips, dragging my own against him as my dick hardened to the point of pain. I held his hands down on the desk as I kissed my way along his neck before trailing my tongue across his chest.

  “A, fuck, please.”

  “Do you have what we need here?”

  “Yes, in my drawer.”

  I groaned, wanting to worship him for having the foresight. My lips trailed along his ear before I bit down on the lobe.

  “Do you want me to fuck you?”

  He shuddered, hips arching into me and grinding his cock against mine.

  “Yes,” he whimpered. “So much.”

  I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed him naked. I needed me naked. And I needed inside this beautiful boy who had my heart in the palm of his hand. Pulling away, I stared into his eyes, seeing all the desire I felt reflected back at me. It wasn’t just that. There was love there. A deep-seated love which threatened to drown us both.

  “Rhys…” I choked out. “I need you to know before we do this… you… you are my one. My only one. I will never love anyone else. Not like this. I’m yours completely. Now and always. No matter what.”

  His expression grew so fucking tender it almost killed me.

  “I know, we belong together, A. You’re my soulmate.”

  I let go of his hands, dug my fingers into his hair and kissed him. His hands came around my back, clutching me to him. The desperation and love seeping from both of us made the air thick with tension. When I pulled away, his lips were glistening, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He’d never looked so beautiful. I couldn’t get over it.

  “Get naked and lie down.”

  He smirked which only made me want to kiss him all over again, but I had more pressing matters at hand. Like preparing my boyfriend to take my cock for the first time. I stepped back so he could move. He slipped out from the desk and walked over to his single bed. It would have to do because there was no way I was waiting any longer.

  I walked over to the door and slid the lock into place. Rhys had installed it years ago so Graham couldn’t barge into the room. And right now, neither of us needed any interruptions.

  As I approached the bed, I tugged off my t-shirt and shorts, toeing off my trainers in the process as I watched Rhys lay back against the covers in all his glory. He slid open the bedside table drawer and fished out the lube, chucking it on the bed. I raised an eyebrow when he shut the drawer again.

  “I don’t want anything between us,” he said, his voice pitched low. “I want you as you are… skin on skin.”

  I fingered the
hemline of my boxers.

  “Are you sure?”

  “You are the only person I want this with, A, so I’m sure.”

  I knelt on the bed and crawled over him.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  His hands reached for my boxers and I let him pull them off me, leaving us both bare. We took a moment to look at each other. His hands ran down my chest and circled my hips. His thumbs traced lines along them, making me shiver.

  “You’re perfect,” he whispered. “I’ve always thought you were, but now… now I know for sure.”

  My heart went wild in my chest. He was perfect too. Everything and more. And he trusted me with this. Trusted me to take care of him. Leaning down, I gave him a lingering kiss before I sat up and grabbed the bottle of lube.

  He moved his legs up, bending them at the knee, giving me access to him. I swallowed hard and shifted down the bed a little. I’d wanted our first time to be just like this. So I could see his face as I slid inside him.

  Leaning down, I ran my tongue up his cock, making him let out a little moan. Then I flipped the cap and squirted the liquid over my fingers.

  “Have you touched yourself here before?”

  He bit his lip as he stared down at me.

  “A little… when I knew it’s what I wanted from you.”

  “So if I do this… you’re not going to jump.”

  I ran my coated fingers across his hole, making him shiver.

  “No,” he panted.

  With my free hand, I wrapped it around his cock and stroked him. He seemed pretty relaxed, but it didn’t stop me being scared I’d hurt him.

  “Don’t look at me like that, I’m not fragile.”

  The reassuring look he gave me prompted me to slide the tip of my finger inside him. He let out a breath but put his hand out to indicate he was okay. I slid it deeper, almost choking at the heat and tightness of him. I could only imagine what he would feel like around my cock.

  “More, don’t hold back on me,” he moaned as I worked my finger inside him.