Something Missing (The True Love Series Book 1)

by Hazel Robinson

  Susan pulled herself up in the bed. “Of course, I want to speak to you. Come in.

  It’s Max I don’t want to see at the minute. I can’t face him.”

  “I understand that this has something to do with Max and Isabelle.”

  Susan flinched. Hearing their names together made them sound like a couple; as if Beth saw them that way too – maybe she still did.

  “You have got understand that he would never jeopardize his relationship with you. Not now, not with the baby on the way.” Beth struggled to hold back the tears.

  “But he did, Beth; he held her hand in the café and he was laughing. His eyes were all sparkly – I know the way he was looking at her, it was the way he used to look at me. I spoke to her on the phone and she told me she could have him whenever she wanted. That’s just what she did. She came by and clicked her fingers and Max caved in like a little boy.”

  “She’s playing tricks with you both and you have given her what she wanted.” Beth said taking Susan’s hand. “My son loves you with every inch of his heart and soul. He would never do anything to hurt you.” Susan rolled her eyes.

  “I know what Isabelle is like; I’ve seen the hold she possessed over him – believe me, he feels nothing for her now. She broke his heart.”

  “She still has that hold over him, Beth.”

  “Susan, please - everything you two have been through; all you have gained and you’re willing to throw it all away?”

  Susan shook her head. “It’s over, Beth. I’m sorry but he betrayed me.”

  Beth stood up and walked to the door. “Just promise me that you will think things over. I’ll keep Max out your way for a few days to give you some space and time to think things over.”

  Susan was left alone with her thoughts. She couldn’t make sense of anything.

  Climbing out of bed, she hunted around her handbag and dug her phone out. She asked Polly to pack up his things and take them to Beth’s; she couldn’t go back with memories of him everywhere. After the call ended, she pulled the cover over her head and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

  Max sat at his desk in the garage with his head in his hands. The realization of what had happened at the hospital still hadn’t sunk in. He had sent her countless text messages and tried calling but it kept going straight to voice mail. He decides that he would go and see her tomorrow. He was sure that when she saw him, she would have to listen to him – listen to what really happened.

  “Well look who’s drinking alone! Fancy some company?” The sound of stiletto heels on concrete sent shivers down his neck.

  “What the fuck do you want? His voice was hollow and groggy. Max was not in the mood for any of Isabelle’s games. “Just get out, Izzy!”

  “Oh, Max, you know I can’t do that.” Her voice sounded almost vindictive. “I need you just as much as you need me.”

  Max looked at her – the picture-perfect women he had stupidly fell in love with. “You mean nothing to me now, Isabelle? You’re not wanted around here. Don’t you remember why you left here in the first place?”

  Isabelle’s hands pressed firm on his shoulders as he starred into his empty whiskey glass.

  “You know why I’m here, Max! I came to tell you that I made a mistake. I want the three of us to be a family. You, me and Isaac.”

  “Get your hands off me!” Max jumped out of his seat and brushed her hands off his shoulders. “You have no right coming here and trying to fuck things up for me. What happened Izzy? Which guy let you down this time? You think just because you screwed things up with your bloke that you can come here and destroy what I have.”

  He slammed his glass down onto the desk and threw more whiskey into the glass. “You mean nothing to me, Izzy. You shagged my best friend behind my back and then expected me to just open my arms and welcome you back! You really are a bitch, aren’t you?”

  “Max, I see you still have that fire in your pit, let me put it out for you.” She pressed her lips together and slowly walked towards him. “Does she know about the things we did? How good we were together! I bet it’s all vanilla sex and roses now... I bet she can’t fulfil your desires – does she know just how dark and kinky you are, Max? Have you shown her your toys yet? You always were better in bed when you were angry. So rough and dirty.”

  He slammed the glass down once more. “You made me that way; you were the one who fucked me up, Izzy. You made me think that love wasn’t enough. Just go home to your son and leave me alone. If you hadn’t sent that letter, then none of this would have happened.”

  Isabelle stopped. It wasn’t the letter that brought me here, it was her phone call. The grin on her face grew bigger with spite. “You don’t know about the phone call I had with your dear sweet Susan. She is so insecure. It really isn’t attractive!”

  “What phone call? What have you done?” Max gripped her by the arms almost shaking her. “What have you said to her?”

  “Max let go, you’re hurting me.” Her arms throbbed were his grip tightened. “Max, let go.”

  He pulled her closer until they were nose to nose. “Leave now and don’t come back! EVER!” He pushed her away and walked back to his desk. She came up behind him and her hand ran through his hair, pulling his head back.

  “You know I like it when you take control, Max! But I like it more when I’m in charge...” Her fingers pulled at his hair tighter, sending shockwaves down to his stomach. Her fingers traced his jaw line. His body couldn’t help but respond – he had been trained that way.

  Max pushed her hands off his face. “You fucked up. That way won’t work anymore... I’m not under your sick spell anymore.” Once more he came nose to nose with her. “You don’t own me anymore, Izzy and you never will.”

  “You remember how good it felt; the pleasure we felt together? We could have that again, Max. All you have to do is say the magic word... come on, you know you want to…” Her lips pressed onto his, but despite the raging heat burning in him, Max didn’t respond. His arms came up and pushed her out of the way, sending her toppling into the chair behind her.

  Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, his voice came out like thunder. “I will never say that word to you again. You are a monster. You’ve a screw lose; you wouldn’t know love if it bit you on the ass. What’s wrong, Izzy, hubby not liking you play dominatrix. Won’t he kneel on all fours for you and worship you? You may have owned me once, Isabelle, but not anymore: you can’t be loved...”

  Her hands flew up over her ears. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! You will beg for me to come back, Max! Mark my words, when you crave her fingers scraping down your back, or her teeth tightening on your chest, or the sound of a whip crack, you’ll think of me – she won’t do those things to you, Max... but I will, and I'll be waiting for you!”

  Max charged at her, grabbing hold of her chin hard. “You will never touch me again, bitch! I never want to see you again. You need to leave town, and if I must tell you again you will find out just how much I really do despise you. Now get the fuck out my garage you sad pathetic freak!”

  Isabelle stood breathing deep and hard. His eyes washed over her with disgust, not the obedience they once had. Susan had won...

  “Fine, Max, I’ll go, but you know she won’t take you back – not now. Even if she did, she’ll ruin you. Just remember, I gave you the chance of what you wanted, and you turned it down.”

  The sound of her shoes scurrying away echoed through the garage. He tried Susan’s phone once more but there was still no answer. With his whiskey glass empty and his heart in pieces, he left the garage and staggered to his mum’s house. He let himself in with the spare key and headed to his old room. He slumped on the bed and cried.

  He thought back to the time Isabelle was in his life, the destruction she had caused; she had changed him. Almost broken him...

  The smell of her overpowering perfume still lingered on his clothes. How could so much change in one single day? He still had no idea what happened with Susan or if she was o
kay. Nothing made sense to him anymore. Isabelle had such a hold over him, it burnt his skin deep.

  He got up and went into the bathroom – he wanted to wash every single bit of that vindictive bitch off his body. Earlier that day she’d swung by and managed to dig her claws in, suckering him into her sob story about her husband not loving her son away being taken away from her. Max had felt sorry for her.

  He stood in front of the mirror staring at his own sad reflection. He unbuttoned his shirt and turned the shower on to a blistering heat – he felt the need to purge his skin and his sin.

  Thoughts rumbled like thunder through his head. His fists hit the shower wall so hard that he cracked the tiles under his fist. Tiny drops of blood fell to the floor where they mingled with the water and washed away. Max felt broken, beat and empty.

  Nothing would fill the hole until she lay next to him again.

  CHAPTER 15

  Days turned into weeks. Susan grew used to the feeling of not having Max around. She hadn’t spoken to him since the day she finished everything. She still yearned for his touch, but she couldn’t give in. Polly had removed all his things and she had moved in with her to look after her and the baby. It had allowed Max to move back in with his mother. Now six months pregnant, Susan faced an unknown future, but she was stronger now, strong enough to face it.

  “Hey mummy,” Polly snuck into the bedroom tiptoeing to the bed with a cup in hand. “I made you a chamomile tea...”

  Susan pulled the covers off her head. “Poll you know I hate that stuff, it tastes like crap. What’s wrong with a proper cup of tea once and a while?” Susan pulled her face sitting up.

  “Up and at them, honey, let’s get ready to go and see that not-so-little bump of yours. Beth is downstairs and she’s getting impatient.” Polly jumped up and down on the bed like it was Christmas morning.

  “Okay, okay, just go wait downstairs while I grab a shower, I'll be down in a minute.” Susan pulled herself out of the bed and dragged her feet to the bathroom. She’d changed a lot of things since Max, her hair was now short, in a bob, her nails neatly manicured, her maternal curves had softened and changed her body, and she felt beautiful for the first time in her life. She finished showering and searched for something suitable to wear. Today was her second scan and the doctors wanted to make sure everything was going well since her collapse. Her heart stopped when she rummaged through the top draw and her hand found a box. She picked it up and sat on the end of the bed pulling the lid up; inside was the necklace Max had given her. Sadness flooded over her.

  Beth gave a small tap at the door and peered her head around the corner. “Sweetie? Are you almost ready to go?” She still felt unsure how she should be around Susan. After everything that had happened, she didn’t know her place anymore. Susan had said from the start that nothing had changed between them, that bump would still need a grandma, but so much had changed. She’d spent the last few weeks, watching her son spiral out of control, taking his father’s hard-built business with him. It broke her heart to see the two people she loved walk down different paths knowing they should be hand in hand together.

  “Hey, Beth. Yeah, I’m ready. How are you?” Susan pushed the old memory back into its box and headed over to Beth to give her a hug. “I’m so glad you could make it, it means so much to me.”

  Beth hung onto the hug longer than was needed, but she needed to know that everything was okay. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I get to see my grandchild for the first time! I couldn’t sleep last night with excitement.”

  “Come on then, you two, let’s get moving before we’re late.” Polly shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

  Beth led the way down. Picking her coat up on the way, she climbed into the car with a sparkle in her eye for the first time in weeks.

  Max reached the top of Susan’s street just as the car turned the corner. He caught a glimpse of the women he loved smiling alongside his mother. He was too late, she had already moved on. She had changed her mobile and home phone number, ensuring that his midnight begging calls could no longer get through. As much as he felt sad, he felt angry. She had no right cutting him out of his baby’s life; it was his baby too, not just hers. He’d nothing wrong and if she would only listen to him, she would find out the truth about that day, but she wouldn’t. Several times the wicked thought that Susan had used him crept across his mind. She’d only ever really wanted a baby, and Max was nothing more than a donor.

  He sat down on her front step and held his head in his hands. He knew that that wasn’t true. She had loved him. He was certain that she couldn’t just forget that. He was losing everything. He’d sold his car in exchange for a bike, a Harley in fact. He hardly spent any time at home or the garage, but at a bar outside of town full of bikers. Here he could be away from judgment; his mother had always been good at that. He drank, he smoked, and he tried to forget. He was an entirely different man to the man he was six weeks ago. He’d even paid a drink-influenced visit to the out of town tattooist and coming back with a full sleeve. The pain had been delicious, and he hadn’t been able to stop his thoughts playing with images of Isabelle. He pulled the half-bottle of whiskey from his pocket.

  “Okay, here we go. Baby is doing great! Does mummy want to know the sex?” the nurse asked, turning the screen for Susan to get a better view.

  Susan looked at Beth and Polly. “Yes,” she nodded, “I think I’d like to know?” She’d thought about it all night and decided that now she was on her own she needed to get as much ready as possible.

  “Well let’s have a look, there you go you see this here?” the nurse pointed to a small blur on the screen. “This is his… well… it’s a boy!”

  “Oh, Susan, a boy!" Polly squeezed Susan’s hand. Beth had tears in her eyes as she looked at the screen.

  The nurse continued with the scan moving round Susan’s belly. She hesitated and looked confused. She returned to the previous spot and paused the screen. “I won’t be a moment, I just need to speak to the doctor.

  Susan started to panic. What’s wrong? Why do you need the doctor? You just said everything was fine… what’s going on?” The nurse had already left the room. “Beth what’s happening?”

  “I have no idea, sweetie, let’s just calm down and wait to see what she says.” Beth held Susan’s hand tightly. There was a sharp tap at the door and a short stocky woman in a white coat entered the room, rubbing her hands together.

  “Okay, mummy, let’s just have a look at this.”

  “What’s going on? The nurse wouldn’t tell me what is happening. Is my baby okay?” Susan had tears in her eyes. Twenty-four weeks – that’s when it happened the last time. What if I’m losing the baby?

  “Everything is fine with your baby, Susan – you have nothing to worry about. The nurse just wanted to check something with me – standard procedure.

  “What?”

  The Doctor pointed to a blur in the background. “This little one has been hiding behind her brother. That’s why she didn’t show up on the previous scan. She’s been ducking out of our way.”

  “WHAT? You mean..." Susan didn’t know what to say.

  “Yes,” the doctor smiled at Susan. “it’s twins. Now the little girl in the background is slightly smaller than we would like, and she is very camera shy so we would like to see you again in about five weeks for another scan, and then you will have to make frequent visits to the anti-natal clinic for check-ups, but everything’s looking good at the moment. Do you have any questions?”

  She had a million questions, but she couldn’t speak. Beth cleared her throat,

  “What will happen when she is due? Will she have a normal delivery?”

  “Well, at the moment with the second baby being on the small side it’s something we will have to monitor and speak about when we are closer to the time. I’m going to be your doctor from now on and if you have any worries you can come and speak to me about anything.”

  Shaking Susan’s hand, she lef
t the room, leaving the nurse cleaning Susan up from the cold jelly. “Best of both worlds, aren’t you lucky?”

  “Susan are you okay, honey?”

  “I’m not sure, Polly, I don’t know what to think.” Susan hung onto Polly’s hand and pulled herself off the bed.

  Beth wrapped her coat around Susan’s shoulders. “Let’s just get you home. You need time for all of this to sink in – everything is going to be wonderful you’ll see.” Beth was bursting with excitement at the thought of two grandchildren to spoil.

  The three of them walked silently to the car. Polly sat in the back with Susan. Beth drove them home and no one said a word.

  The car pulled up onto the drive. Max was still sat on the front door step, swaying from the alcohol. Beth flashed Polly a look in the rear-view mirror and, said, “Stay here, I’ll deal with it.”

  She slammed the door hard behind her.

  “Max? What are you doing here? You really need to go! This is really not a good idea.”

  His slowly lifted his head. His eyes were red like fire from where he had been crying. “Mum, I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to see her…” The words slurred out of his mouth.

  “BETH! What’s going on? What is it?” Susan shouted, climbing out of the car.

  Beth pulled Max to his feet. “Son, you really need to go – this is not a good time.”

  “Why? Is something wrong?”

  Max loosened from her grip. Stumbling to find his feet. “I just want to see her; mum and you can’t stop me…” He pushed past here, and Beth flashed Susan an apologetic look.

  “No, but I can!” Susan said sternly.

  Max’s eyes turned to the stranger that stood in front of him; he could barely recognize the women he fell in love with. It wasn’t just her appearance that had changed; she had grown confident, maternal.

  “I don’t want to see you, Max! Now leave and don’t come back. When the babies are born, we’ll sort something out with your mum – but not me, Max. I’m not letting you hurt me.”

  Somewhere in his alcohol muddled brain, Max noted the plural ‘babies’ and then dismissed it as a drunken mishear. Max locked eyes with Susan.