by Laura Riley
The grip Rick has on my hair is released. I don’t see Seth approach, but feel his hold. I’m like a rag doll as he pulls me into him. I don’t have time to think, I don’t have time to breathe. His mouth captures my mouth. His beard is rough against my skin as his tongue pushes its way into my mouth. It’s not a loving kiss—it’s fierce, angry. His kiss is firm, his hold on me is tight, and I freakin’ love it. My tongue stands its own ground as it prepares for battle with his. I tingle from my toes through to my core. Every emotion, every sensation is heightened. I forget our audience and the kiss slowly turns into something else. His grip loosens, his tongue doesn’t seek war, but seeks out a partner with whom to dance.
Breathing heavily, he pulls away. His expression is completely unreadable.
“Now that, ladies and gentlemen, was a kiss.” Rick claps his hands.
Seth flips him the finger. “You’ve had your show. Now, excuse me, I’m going home.” He doesn’t offer a goodbye. He turns his back on me and makes his way through the house.
“That was rude,” Chelsea scoffs.
Rick steeples his fingers in his lap. “I will have words with Seth tomorrow.”
Amber bounces on her heels. “I dare you to kiss me.”
Rick raises a brow. “If you want a kiss that bad, all you have to do is ask.”
Squealing, Amber jumps onto his lap. “Pucker up, big boy.”
I draw my lower lip between my teeth. It feels swollen and hot. I swoon—that kiss, so firm and demanding. My heart’s pounding in my chest, my head’s telling me he left, he left me and didn’t so much as look back.
Seth
Ellie chomps loudly on her cereal. “Are we taking Lizzie for pizza today?”
I choke on my toast. “I’m sorry?”
Ellie hits her hand on her forehead. “Are we taking Lizzie out for pizza today?”
I shoot a glance at Darcy, who with her back toward me is shaking her head. Ellie is sitting wide-eyed, awaiting my answer.
“Why would we take Lizzie out for pizza?”
She lets out an exasperated breath. “Because, Daddy, when it’s my birthday, we always go out for pizza.”
Darcy turns around, a glass of orange juice in hand, which she places in front of Ellie. “Lizzie has her own family she’ll be going out to have pizza with.”
I’m too lost for words to enter the conversation. Ellie wants us to go for pizza with Lizzie. Maybe Lizzie was right and she is making progress.
I can’t stop thinking about our kiss yesterday. Why did I kiss Lizzie?
Because you can’t get her out of your head. Because you couldn’t stand by and let Rick stick his tongue in her mouth.
“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Darcy asks.
I’ve got no idea what she’s asking me. Her fingers drum on the table, and she raises her eyebrows.
“Yes, it would.” I’ve got no idea what I’ve agreed to.
Ellie’s shoulders drop as Darcy jiggles from side to side in her seat.
“It’s settled then,” Darcy says, seemingly pleased with herself. “We’ll all go for pizza tomorrow evening. Me, Uncle Dwight, and how about Aunty Imogen and Dan?”
Ellie shrugs. “But it’s not your birthday.”
“Don’t be cheeky,” Darcy snaps. “And besides, Lizzie’s birthday was yesterday.”
I raise my hand. “We’ll talk about this later, okay? I’ve got to get to work.”
I narrow my eyes at my sister. She knows she’s crossed the line. Nobody raises their voice to my little girl. I give Ellie a quick kiss, grab my phone and keys from the breakfast bar and head for the door.
Cole isn’t coming into work today. He called and said that he had to price another job. Apparently, he’s looking at a plot of land being sold by a farmer. Land is gold, and Cole is already speaking to architects about building potential.
Being a man down and on a time limit, Cole had no other option but to contact the agency and call in six subcontractors. Six is far too many in my opinion, but if they help move the job along, I’m not going to argue. The quicker I get out of here and away from Lizzie, the better. It’s becoming harder to be in her company. Unease is constantly tightening its grip around us, and I’d be lying if I said I know how to act around her.
I pick Rick up for work at nine am, an hour late.
When the cat’s away and all.
I’m not trying to piss Cole off; I’m putting off work. I stop at the petrol station on the way to fill up my tank, wasting more time.
When we finally arrive at Lizzie’s, the front door is propped open and she’s nowhere to be seen. I can hear the clattering of plates from the kitchen. The polite thing to do would be go with Rick to say hello, but I don’t. I head straight upstairs and get straight to work boarding the second bedroom. It doesn’t take Rick long to join me upstairs. He works across the landing in the master bedroom, replacing floorboards in readiness for the carpet to be laid.
“Coffee break?” Rick hollers.
Scratching my head, I check my phone for the time. “No, it’s too early.” It doesn’t matter what time it is, the answer would still have been no.
Footsteps cross the landing and Rick appears in the doorframe. “What got you rattled today?”
Pretending I don’t see him, I continue nailing plasterboard to metal stud.
He folds his arms. “All I know is that you were fine yesterday, that is until Cole gave Lizzie this house. It’s not a dick size contest. He’s. Her. Fucking. Brother. Stop being a little bitch, suck it up and buy the girl some damn flowers already.”
My nostrils flare. “I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do, not to mention the kiss. That shit was hot. It’s obvious you’re fucking.”
“We are not.”
He holds his hands up. “I pass no judgement, and I really don’t care what you do with your dick or where you stick it. But when you’re working, I need your mind on the job. Mistakes get made when your head ain’t in it.”
I ball my hands into fists. “I’m not fucking Lizzie.”
“Don’t even go there. That’s just all kinds of nasty.”
I throw the nail gun to the floor and pace towards him. My chest lines up with his, my face in his.
He squares up to me. “Look at you, getting all up in my face like a damn rooster, puffing your feathers out. Back the fuck off, or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?”
He shoves me. “Hit a nerve, haven’t I? I’m not angry at you for having a crush on my little sister.”
I shove his arm away. “She’s not your little sister.”
Rick places his hand over his heart. “We grew up together, man. You’re my brother, Cole’s my brother. Now if Cole’s my brother, doesn’t take a genius to work out what Lizzie is to me. She’s my little sister, if she knows it or not.”
I squint into his eyes, looking at his pupils. “Are you high?”
“No, I am not. Blood means shit. You guys are the family I never had. Now, as Lizzie’s older brother, I have no problem with you and her getting it on. But Cole, he will be beyond pissed. He’ll get over it, but he may not talk to you for the next decade.”
I don’t answer. This conversation is getting beyond weird. I step away and grab my nail gun.
“Why are you so angry? You like her, she likes you. As they say, the rest is history.”
I snort. “Remind me when your last relationship was? How can you advise me on matters of the heart when you don’t know the first thing about love?”
“Rick has a lot of love to give, it’d be unfair to give that to just one woman.”
“Whatever.” I turn my back to him and carry on working. I can hear him tapping his foot on the floor.
“I don’t like her in that way,” I spit out.
“I don’t believe you. So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to take a coffee break and tidy up your mediocre work. You are going to get out of my sight.”
“I don’t fucking care. Run around the block. Get your damn nails painted. Buy Lizzie a birthday present because it’s eating you up inside that you didn’t bother yesterday. If and when you come back, I want your mind back on the job.”
“Rick—”
“I’ve finished the floor in the main bedroom. Now fuck off, before I change my mind.”
I can’t help but smile. Seeing the look on my face, he takes a step back. “Don’t even think about hugging me.”
As pissed as I am with him, he’s right. I make my way downstairs and storm to the lounge.
Lizzie’s lying on the settee reading a book. I stand in the door frame; my heart is racing. I take a moment to compose myself. Ellie’s toy box remains next to the settee. The dolls she played with yesterday are hanging out, which prevent the lid from closing. I kind of like that it’s here, like part of Ellie is still here, even when she’s not. The card Ellie made for Lizzie’s birthday is sitting proudly in a small silver frame. Lizzie’s gained some extra brownie points for that.
I cross the threshold and step into the lounge. Lizzie must see me, but doesn’t acknowledge my presence. She licks the tip of her finger and turns a page in her book.
I clear my throat. “Put your shoes on, we’re going out.”
She flips the book over in her lap, her mouth set in a hard line as she glances up. “Excuse me?”
“Fold the page over in your little book, get the fuck up, and put some shoes on.”
“I didn’t get so much as a good morning. You were extremely rude to me on my birthday—”
I’ve not got time for this. I pull her up from the settee and like a caveman I throw her over my shoulder.
“Put me down,” she yells, pounding my back with her fists. “Seth, what the hell are you doing?”
“What I should have done yesterday. I’m going to buy you some damn flowers.”
I don’t put her down, I don’t give her time to put her shoes on. I open the driver’s side door of my van and throw her in. I sit down next to her, scooting over. She has no choice other than to move over. I sit for a beat, holding the steering wheel. I stare forwards. My heartbeat is finally slowing down and my breathing returns to normal.
“Seth—”
“I’m sorry, Lizzie. I’ve been completely out of order. I just feel so awkward around you. We crossed a line yesterday; I don’t know how to get back to how we were.”
She reaches for my hand. “Maybe we can’t.”
I take her hand in mine and squeeze.
She lets out a deep sigh. “Where do we go from here?”
I shrug. “The florist, definitely the florist.”
I’ve never bought a woman flowers until today. Today I spend two hundred pounds on some roses and a bouquet full of God knows what, loads of different-coloured flowers all bundled together with a bunch of green shit poking out. The bouquet is so big that it takes up the middle seat in my van.
I pull onto her drive. We don’t speak. I guess neither of us want to break the silence.
The cellophane crackles and she leans forward, sniffing the roses. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”
I shake my head dismissively. “They’re from Ellie.”
“Well, tell Ellie thank you.”
She sits, looking from me to the flowers as if waiting for me to speak. When I don’t utter a word, she pivots around in the seat and opens the van door. I can see her slipping away, out of the van and out of my life. Without thinking, I lunge across the seats, flattening the ginormous bouquet with my stomach. I grab the door handle and pull it shut.
Lifting her hands, almost apologetically, she sits bolt upright.
“Dinner,” I blurt out.
“What?”
“Have dinner with me, tomorrow night.”
She picks at the flowers, trying to straighten the petals I flattened. “I… I can’t, Seth.”
“Why not?”
She turns her head, looking out of the window. “You know why.” I don’t know why women do this shit. Overcomplicate and overanalyse everything. “Why were you such a jerk yesterday?”
Raking my hand through my hair, I sigh. “I don’t know. It was like I was a million miles away from you. All I wanted to do was stand at your side with my arm around your shoulders. Crazy, huh?”
I fail to mention that it pissed me off Cole bought her a house. I’ll keep that to myself.
“Why did you kiss me?”
Why did I kiss her? I pinch the bridge of my nose, hoping to conjure up an answer, but the truth is I don’t know what to say. I kissed her because I wanted to, and damn it, I couldn’t sit back and watch Rick with his hands all over her. Something bubbled up in my stomach, something primal and possessive. Releasing my nose, I look over at her. She’s so beautiful.
“We can’t be more than friends, Lizzie, you know that?”
“So then why are you asking me out for dinner?”
Fantastic. I’m giving the poor girl more mixed messages. “Ellie wants us to go out for pizza, because it’s your birthday and it’s tradition.”
Cellophane crackles in her hand. “Is that what you want?”
“Yes, Lizzie, it’s what I want.”
“Aren’t you worried what Cole will think? The three of us going out for dinner?”
Cole’s the least of my worries.
“Fuck Cole,” I bark out. Fuck Cole with his money and his perfect uncomplicated life. “I’d like to think of it as a peace offering between two friends.” I emphasise the word ‘friends.’
I finish work at five pm. A lady called Monica swings by to pick Rick up. I stay at Lizzie’s for a little while longer to inspect the work the subcontractors have done. The loft conversion looks great. The insulation has been fitted and all the boarding is complete.
“Lizzie, come up here,” I call.
I hear footsteps. It isn’t long before she joins me.
Her face transforms. “Wow. Looks good, doesn’t it?”
She’s looking at the room whilst I look at her.
“Yes, it sure does.”
She’s wearing a black t-shirt and knee-length denim skirt. Her hair is tied up in a ponytail, and her brown eyes are wide as she takes in the room. The urge to touch her is overwhelming. I fight the urge by pushing my hands in my trouser pockets. Smiling, she looks me up and down.
I’m not blind, I see how she looks at me. I imagine how Lizzie could fit into my life. Maybe I could see her when Ellie is at school, but by that time we’ll both be working. Maybe weekends if Darcy minds Ellie, but then I’m sacrificing time with my little girl. I wonder how easy it would be to just let Lizzie fall into our normal, but that will never happen.
I envy anyone who has an uncomplicated life.
My eyes hover over Lizzie, her curvy body and her cute little ass. It would be so easy to take her to bed, and God, I want to, but she is not the girl you sleep with and forget about, she’s the girl who once you have you never let go. She deserves simple and uncomplicated, which is something I can never give her.
A girl like her is too good for a guy like me.
Lizzie
The first thing I see when I wake is the flowers that Seth bought me. I mean I can’t exactly miss them. The humongous bouquet fills four vases, which I’ve arranged on the hearth.
It’s eleven-thirty am. Damn, I slept in. At five pm, Seth and Ellie are taking me out for dinner. We’re not going to a playground or the beach, today we are going for a meal. Just the thought has transported me to cloud nine. I float out of bed as I think of the hours that lie ahead.
I fold the sofa bed away and replace the cushions. I stack the bedding neatly in the space behind the chair next to the window. I have to remind myself that sleeping in the lounge is temporary and soon I’ll be waking up in my own bed in my new bedroom.
I make my way to the bathroom, where I take a quick shower. Once dry I wrap up in my baby-pink robe. After grabbing a light breakfast, I
while away the hours watching daytime TV.
Lunchtime fast approaches. I make myself a mushroom omelette and think it’s about time to get my outfit ready and possibly ironed. Seeing as I don’t own a wardrobe as yet, I had to improvise. I grab my travel case from behind the bed, unzip it, then empty my clothes out on the cushions. I have no idea what to wear, how to style my hair, or what makeup to apply.
Chelsea’s name flashes in my mind. I’m very fortunate to have a best friend who is a hairdresser and beautician. She finished work at two pm, it’s now two-fifteen. I grab my phone and shoot her a quick text.
Me: You know you love me?
Chelsea: What do you want?
I send a shocked emoji and beg her to come to my rescue.
Chelsea: Let me get showered and I’ll be right round.
It’s ideal that they live in the flat above the shop, especially in emergencies like this. Twenty minutes pass before the bell rings. I rush to the front door. I can’t wait to tell her about my meal with Seth and Ellie. The words are on the tip of my tongue when I open the door.
I step back. “Cole.”
He holds out his hands. “The one and only. Shit, sis, don’t look too disappointed to see me.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just I wasn’t expecting you.”
He raises a brow as he looks me up and down. “Clearly. I see you’ve not bothered to get dressed.”
I gaze out at people walking across the street and pull my robe a little tighter.
“Well, I’m here, so are you going to ask your big brother in?”
I step aside. “Sorry.”
He pulls a measuring tape from his trouser pocket. “It’s only a quick visit. I need to measure the work the subcontractors did so I can pay them.” He runs up the stairs, then stops on the middle step, peering down into the lounge. “Bloody hell, Lizzie, are you having a jumble sale?”
“Ha ha. If you must know I’m going out for a birthday meal.”
Backtracking, he makes his way down the stairs. “More celebrations? Who with?”
