My Mother in Law's Lover

by S M Mala

  ‘I know,’ I sigh. ‘I’ve not behaved well.’

  ‘When am I going to see you again?’

  ‘At a loose end? Where’s Meg or whoever?’

  ‘Belle, I want to see you when I’m back in London.’

  ‘Joan will kill me as you well know,’ I say confidently knowing she would probably torture me slowly before putting me out of my misery. I gulp hard.

  ‘I’m not with Joan so it hasn’t got anything to do with her.’

  ‘She hates me but still loves you very much,’ I say looking at my watch before taking it off. ‘She’s pretending to be nice but I know deep down she’ll never forgive me for breathing.’

  ‘She’s never going to love you, is she?’ he says calmly.

  ‘Seeing you will only land me in more shit,’ I honestly reply as my heart beats faster. ‘I can’t face any more trouble.’

  ‘She doesn’t need to know and what if she does? What will she do about it?’

  ‘Firstly she’ll be up on a charge for murder, my murder.’

  He’s laughing.

  ‘At least you’d have died happy,’ he eventually says. I look at my watch and see it’s ten past one.

  ‘I’ve got to go. I need to book a spa experience,’ I say. ‘This whole weekend is to revitalise me.’

  ‘When am I going to see you, answer me?’ he anxiously asks.

  ‘You’ll have to wait Hal. I’ve got to go.’

  ‘Belle?’ he gently says. ‘You know how I feel about you.’

  ‘No I don’t and that’s always been the trouble because you’re always changing the rules. Bye.’

  I turn off the phone and put it on the table as my heart races after speaking to him. I’m in need of relaxing and a stiff drink. Picking up my clothes and bag I walk to the bedroom door

  I open it.

  Oh my god!

  ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ I say dropping everything, totally shocked.

  ‘I needed to see you,’ he says leaning back on the bed.

  ‘How the hell did you find out where I’d be?’

  My heart is racing and I don’t know what to do as I’ve been put on the spot.

  ‘I got a list of all the hotels with spas and rang round until I found you booked into this one.’

  ‘You said you weren’t in London,’ I ask trying to shake out of my shock

  ‘I changed my plans.’

  ‘So why did you call me?’

  ‘I was going to tell you but I thought I’d prefer to see the look on your face. I can’t tell if you’re pleased to see me.’

  ‘Depends what you have to say for yourself and if you’re going to piss me off again,’ I honestly reply, trying to look composed when I think my knees are going to give way any moment from shock.

  ‘Will you hear me out?’

  ‘Joan’s going to go ballistic if she knows I’ve seen you!’ I say holding my hand to my forehead. ‘She’ll think I’m doing yet another thing behind her back.’

  ‘Do you really care?’ he says his smile fading. ‘Whatever happened with her is in the past. Can you forget it and forgive me?’

  ‘I don’t know. Too much has happened.’ My heart is racing and I’m struggling to speak. ‘You’ve really hurt me.’

  ‘I never wanted to hurt you. I was trying to get my head straight.’

  ‘Have you? I don’t think so? You break into my room and-.’

  ‘I didn’t break in,’ he sniffs. ‘I’ve got a key.’

  ‘How the hell did you do that? The security’s a bit shit considering how much it costs,’ I sigh and realise I’m actually pleased to see him.

  ‘I said I was your boyfriend.’

  ‘And you’re a liar too!’

  ‘I’ve never seen you look more beautiful, do you know that?’ he says shaking his head looking at me up and down. ‘What’s changed?’

  ‘I got you out of my life for one,’ I casually say enjoying him gawping. ‘And I lost some weight.’

  ‘You are absolutely gorgeous.’

  ‘And you are absolutely mad thinking you can spring this little surprise on me,’ I say trying to get my head around seeing him again.

  ‘Forgive me. I fucked up with Meg and Joan. I didn’t think how it might have hurt you until afterwards. I wasn’t thinking straight.’

  ‘So you keep saying.’

  ‘You know I never intentionally meant to upset you?’

  ‘You did,’ I say and look at him all gorgeous, waiting for me on the bed and I want to pinch myself I’m that happy but I’m still not sure.

  I have to take stock of what’s happening here and if I’m doing the right thing. I could easily kick his arse out of the room but I don’t want to.

  The problem is that I love him.

  The little shit

  ‘You know what,’ I sigh smiling as I go closer to where he’s sitting. ‘There’s no point holding a grudge against you, though I do have a very long list. Then again I haven’t actually behaved impeccably.’ He starts to laugh and I hold out my hand. ‘Don’t answer that, okay.’

  ‘I heard you talking to him,’ he says. ‘I take it he still wants you.’

  ‘So he says,’ I sigh.

  ‘I want to make you happy,’ he says looking incredibly sincere. ‘Can I? Because you know I’m in love with you.’

  ‘You’ve told me that shit before and then you go and do the exact opposite.’

  ‘I love you and you know it.’

  My heart is going to explode. I have to be calm and play hard to get, just to make him suffer a little bit more.

  ‘How do I know it?’ I say leaning closer to his face.

  ‘I’ll show you. Come on you can trust me?’

  ‘Famous last words.’

  ‘Belle, I love you, okay?’

  ‘I hope so,’ I reply and lean over to kiss him gently on the mouth, all my sensing firing at once as I’m truly happy.

  ‘Come here,’ Hal says pulling me onto the bed. ‘Are you up for it?’

  ‘Do you seriously have to ask?’

  Published by S M Mala

  Copyright©S M Mala

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