The Vine Cross (The Vine Series Book 1)

by S P Dawes

  Needing the toilet after having been on antibiotics all week for a water infection, she really couldn’t hold off.

  Gently peeling his arms from her, she tiptoed to the en suite in the room’s corner.

  Jesse woke to an empty bed and shot up, looking around. Her clothes lay on the floor where he’d thrown them last night, then he heard the shower come to life. Laying back down, he rubbed his forehead, smiling at his insane fear of her having disappeared. Now that that they had come together, he would not let her out of his sight, especially after her telling him about the scars. He would not keep her a secret anymore. They’d had enough time to adjust, and he just hoped she felt the same way.

  “Morning.”

  Turning to Hayley, wrapped in a towel like a gift, he smiled. She’d lit something inside him he’d never experienced before, and it was amazing.

  “Sorry, if I scared you last night.”

  Jesse wasn’t sure what she meant at first, but then remembering the nightmare, his face dropped. “What were you dreaming about?”

  Looking away, she picked her clothes off the floor. But without the alcohol flowing through her bloodstream and the fact that it was the day after, she was reluctant to release the towel in front of him.

  “Would it be weird if I got changed in the bathroom?”

  Realising her discomfort, Jesse swung his legs off the bed, pulling his boxers on, he made his way to the en suite.

  “You get dressed and I’ll get showered.”

  Left alone, she reminisced about the night before. She had enjoyed the feelings he had stirred up inside her. Rubbing herself down with the fluffy towel, she dressed quickly before Jesse came back. She was combing her hair with her fingers when he sauntered in with a towel tied around his waist. Staring at him, she could see that his slim muscular body was just as appealing as she’d found it the night before. A firm broad chest, smooth stomach and shoulders that had taken her weight with ease last night. She looked away before she got caught ogling.

  He slung his clothes on from the previous night, then grabbing his keys he walked over to the door. “I’ll get some stuff, be about half an hour, OK?”

  She nodded, and he left. Suddenly the room felt chilly.

  Back at home, Jesse grabbed a burgundy cellular bag down from off the top of his wardrobe. Walking into the bathroom he took a couple of towels from the airing cupboard, then walked into Rob’s old bedroom. Realising he didn’t have a clue what she’d want to wear, he picked a long maxi dress and a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Folding them in his bag, he pulled a pair of pants off the shelf and a fresh bra. Looking around checking no one was witnessing him fondling his house mates’ undergarments. Scanning the room for anything else she might want or need, he decided there wasn’t, and he left. Back in his own, he threw jeans on the bed and a sport t-shirt. After getting changed, he zipped the bag up and made his way downstairs.

  His Mum was cleaning in the kitchen. “You off out again?” She asked, cheerfully noticing the bag sat on the table.

  “Having a day at the coast,” he explained, grabbing his trainers from the under-stairs cupboard.

  “On your own?” Inquired his Mum suspiciously.

  He smiled while he pushed his foot in his left trainer. Checking she wasn’t looking, he snatched Hayley’s trainers up, stuffing them in the bag, zipping it up to conceal the evidence.

  “I’ll see you later.” Jesse gave her a kiss on the cheek, before turning to grab the bag.

  “Don’t forget your brother and Caity are coming round today, we’re setting up the BBQ. Be nice if it was all of us.” She smiled.

  “I’ll see what time I leave, but I’ll try,” he said closing the door behind him.

  “Give Hayley my love!” She called after him as he rounded the corner outside.

  Jesse shook his head smiling, was there nothing that woman didn’t notice.

  Back at the hotel, Hayley sat on the bed, waiting for him.

  “Please tell me you’ve not just sat there waiting?” He laughed.

  “Ok, I won’t.” She smiled, turning the television off.

  “Why didn’t you get some breakfast?”

  She shrugged, she wasn’t hungry, anyway.

  “I’ve brought you some things.” He unzipped the bag, putting her clothes on the bed.

  Looking up at him, she smiled and then kissed him on the cheek. Grabbing her jeans and t-shirt, bra and pants, she piled them in to her arms, taking them to the bathroom. Jesse put the clothes she had left out, back in the bag. Placing the towels on top, so they’d be easy to access later.

  “Did you text Mum this morning?” He called after her.

  Hayley opened the door a jar so she could hear each other.

  “Yeah, why?” She asked, pulling her jeans on.

  “Mum knows.”

  Hayley pulled her T-shirt down before stepping out of the bathroom. Looking at him, she raised her eyebrow.

  “She sends her love.”

  Hayley laughed and put her hands over her mouth.

  Laughing at her childish giggle, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. “Secrets out, so you’re stuck with me,” he said, kissing her.

  Making their way to Mablethorpe, he parked up before it was too busy. Grabbing the bag from the boot, he took Hayley’s hand in his. Leading her to the beach, out of the car park, across the road and over the hill. When they arrived at the sand, the tide was still going out, but there was plenty of room to set up for the day near the steps. The water never made it that far anyway, so the floor was already warm from the sun. There were a few early birds, but other than a couple of families and old age pensioners, the beach stood practically deserted.

  “Why the beach?” Hayley asked, sitting down on the sand, with her legs outstretched in front of her facing the sea.

  “Wanted to treat you,” answered Jesse, before kissing her cheek. “Thought I could show you the sights.”

  “Thought you already had?” She asked with her eyebrows raised, smirking.

  Jesse laughed. “Can I ask you something?”

  She nodded, still watching the sea, whilst pulling a strand of hair from her mouth.

  “Last night you said something, and I just can’t stop thinking about it.”

  Turning to him, she scowled.

  “You told me someone had put a pendant on your locker?”

  Hayley nodded, wondering why he was asking.

  “Why would they do that?”

  Hayley shrugged, trying not to think about the motive.

  “Are you in danger?”

  Hayley lowered her head, drawing circles in the sand, as a way of distracting herself from the fear the chain had evoked in her, by finding it. She didn’t want Jesse to see how unnerved she was by it. “Someone playing a joke,” she offered, not really believing it. “Or picked it up, thinking I’d dropped it, left it there for somebody to claim? It’s possible it was just similar, and I overreacted.”

  “If your dad found you, what would he do?” Jesse asked, trying to confirm what kind of threat he really was.

  “Nothing, it won’t be him.”

  Jesse waited for an explanation.

  “It would be my so-called husband.”

  “So-called?”

  “Well, I’m fairly sure it wasn’t legal. I’m certain I would have to sign something and be doing it of my own free will. Besides, I was fourteen,” admitted Hayley.

  “Fourteen?” Jesse couldn’t believe what he was hearing, how anyone could willingly hand over their fourteen-year-old daughter to such a thug.

  “Yeah, so legally I don’t think there’s anything to worry about,” she added.

  “And physically?”

  “Nothing happened until I was sixteen, if that’s what you’re asking?”

  “No, it wasn’t. But I’m thankful for that at least. I meant, is he a physical threat to you?”

  Hayley just shrugged. Her lack of openness this morning was doing nothing to ease his nerve
s about her safety. If some nutter was trying to scare her by leaving a necklace, then destroying her home, it didn’t sound like that someone was ready to give up. “Hayley, I don’t like the sound of this guy at all. If he’s out to get you, I don’t want you being on your own, ever!”

  “What are you going to do? Get security assigned to my every move?”

  Jesse wasn’t sure, but he would try to do something. He’d even ask one of his colleagues to look into it if he had to. He had to put a stop to it before anything else happened, especially if it meant Hayley was in immediate danger. Looking at her, he could tell she didn’t want to talk about it, and he didn’t want to ruin their day. The only day they would have spent together since they started seeing each other, would waste away if they spent the entire day letting it overshadow them.

  “Do you fancy a coffee?”

  Hayley looked up at him with an enormous grin.

  “What would you like, they do all sorts?” He asked, pointing to a coffee shop over near the donkeys, who all stood awaiting excited toddlers.

  “Surprise me.”

  He rolled his eyes and walked over the beach before exiting it onto the concrete pavement outside the shop. Watching him until she couldn’t see him anymore, she looked out at the sea. It was calming. The sky was bright blue, not a cloud in sight, and the sea was, well, brownish, but she didn’t care. The waves came in and out on their own schedule, no significant pattern, creating foam in their wake. Watching the movement and the way the sunshine hit the surface in intervals, almost blinding, warmed her soul. Then her spine tingled. Looking around, she tried to locate what made her alert. A shiver shot up her spine and she folded her arms across her chest.

  Jesse handed her a brown corrugated coffee cup with a white lid. Warm to touch, Hayley wrapped her fingers around it. She didn’t need the warmth as much as she needed the comfort. Jesse sitting back down next to her looked out at the sea. Taking a sip of her drink, she noticed it tasted different. Scrunching up her nose she tried to pick out the familiar flavour, turning she saw Jesse watching her smiling, as though he was waiting for her to figure it out.

  “Ginger?” She asked after a minute.

  “Well gingerbread, but I’ll let you off.”

  She slapped his arm; he’d been testing her. Laughing, he took a sip of his own.

  “It’s nice,” she said, taking another sip.

  “So is this,” he answered, holding her hand in his. “What do you want to do today?”

  “No Idea! You’re the specialist.”

  “Specialist? What going to the beach?” Mocked Jesse.

  “Well, you’ve been more than me, so I’ll follow your lead,” she grinned.

  “Please tell me you’ve been to the beach?” Insisted Jesse, part worry, part disbelief.

  “Does watching it on films count?” She asked.

  “Right, well. I’ve got some making up to do then, we can do the lot.”

  Hayley chuckled at his enthusiasm.

  “Come on.” He pulled her up. “Crazy golf.”

  She laughed again and followed him to the edge of the beach, up the concrete steps, down the side of the chip shop and round to the back where a pirate crazy golf site stood. Walking over to the man in the booth, decorated to look like a ship’s cabin, he paid, and the assistant handed him two clubs along with two golf balls.

  Jesse turned with a smile on his face and gave Hayley one of each. He then placed his ball on the first pitch before he took a swing to get it up the wooden plank. They made their way round, laughing at each other’s efforts and singing along to the pirate songs that rang out of the stereo from speakers dotted around the course. At the last hole it was about getting the ball back in the hut, so it was a steep hill that fell back into the cabin through a single hole and gully. But Hayley didn’t realise that when the ball went in, water squirted out at the player from above it on the hut.

  Jesse laughed at the shock on her face as her left shoulder got soaked. After they replaced their golf clubs and walked out of the centre with yet another spray getting them on the way out. They strolled along the front to buy some doughnuts and walked along the beach towards the fairground. Sharing the sugary treats, they talked about what they wanted for their futures, the jobs they strived to get, the home lives they wished they could achieve and the children they might have in the distant future.

  “What would you call yours?” Hayley asked.

  “Well obviously, mine would be Dick and Dom, and they’d go round shouting bogies at everyone,” answered Jesse, watching her face crease before laughing.

  “Wow, so terrorists?”

  “What about you?”

  “Er... not sure.” She bit into her doughnut and thought harder. “Huey, Louie, and Dewey.”

  “What the ducks?” Jesse scoffed.

  “Why not, least they’d be cute?” She laughed.

  “You saying I’d have ugly kids?”

  Hayley couldn’t stop laughing as Jesse attempted to look genuinely hurt.

  “Anyway, that would be impossible…” he stated, stopping himself from making a fool of himself as the reason for that struck him. He gestured to the fairground they were almost upon.

  “What we going on?” she giggled.

  “Cyclone! Obviously!” He ran ahead of her, dumping the empty paper bag in the bin. Then he made his way to the token cabin, whilst flicking the sugar from his hands.

  “Is this a good idea, bearing in mind we’ve just eaten a bag of doughnuts?”

  Jesse smiled at her worried expression and handed the tokens over to the operator when it was their turn. He climbed in first and then helped Hayley climb in next to him, pulling the safety bar down and waiting for the operator to check it was secure before the ride started. It was easily one of the fastest things Hayley had ever been on, but she loved it. She couldn’t stop laughing as it threw them in and out of the other carriages. Jostling her weight into Jesse’s side and chest, as he wrapped his arms around her, taking the brunt of the force. When they climbed out, Jesse was feigning injury to his side and Hayley was trying to apologise whilst also laughing over his dramatisation.

  “I loved that!” Exclaimed Hayley, feeling the effects of the endorphins from the ride. She couldn’t stop smiling.

  Jesse took hold of her hands and kissed her on the lips. When they separated Hayley felt excited, she couldn’t remember ever feeling like this, she couldn’t remember laughing this much either. She bit her lip and turned away, feeling foolish. She couldn’t stop herself from feeling joy.

  “Fish and chips! Come on!” He pulled her out of the entrance to the fairground and they crossed the road where a chip shop sat on the corner. Walking in, Jesse ordered two sets of fish and chips with mushy peas.

  “What are we doing after this?” Asked Hayley, grabbing a chair out from the table to sit.

  “Well, there’s the seal sanctuary, or the lakes. We can rent a peddler, or go to the pub. What do you want to do?”

  “All of it.” She beamed and Jesse laughed.

  After eating their fish and chips they walked to the lake where they hired a peddler and took it out, viewing all the scenery, chatting all the while. Later they made their way to the seal sanctuary, which was all the way up the other side of the beach, so Jesse paid for them to take the sand train full of children on their family days out. Hayley watched as the train moved closer to the sea, whipping up a spray that caught her now and then.

  The seal sanctuary was small, with only a few seals, but they filled the rest of the place with other creatures. In one vivarium was a Caiman, looking through the glass. It was like a statue, not even an eyelid flickered. So, they argued over whether it was real and then when Jesse was staring at it; it swung its head quickly towards him, sending him backwards, nearly jumping out of his skin.

  Hayley couldn’t stop laughing, she could hardly breathe, doubling over. Trying to take air in whilst the vision of Jesse jumping played a loop in her head. Jesse ran over to her,
telling her he knew it was real, which just made her laugh more.

  Finally standing up straight, tears streaming down her face, she placed her hands on his cheeks, “God, I love you.” The moment the words left; she froze. She had no idea why those words had spilled out, they just had.

  Jesse’s cheeks reddened and she was sure his chest had puffed out and his back had straightened.

  “I love you too.”

  Blushing, she looked away. She hadn’t meant to say it, not because she didn’t mean it, just because she hadn’t meant to tell him how he made her feel. It made her vulnerable. As if understanding, Jesse placed his finger under her chin, raising it up to him. He could see her big sad eyes again. He was sure he could swim in them if he just dived in. Flicking his gaze from one to the other, he kissed her lips gently, like a whisper. Placing his hand on the back of her neck, he brought her to him and kissed her more forcefully, as if imprinting himself on her lips to leave a mark of ownership.

  After finally being interrupted by a loud cough from a father’s throat, as his family tried to pass them, Jesse decided they should go for one last walk along the beach before heading back. He’d promised his mum he would try to make the BBQ in time, and he wanted them to be the first to know about him and Hayley. Taking her hand, they walked barefoot across the damp sand close to the water’s edge.

  “I’ve really enjoyed today,” said Jesse. He hadn’t appreciated someone else’s company in a long time. Today had been bittersweet, making him realise how false his marriage had been, whilst also showing him how good it could have been.

  “Me too.”

  Jesse wanted to ask her so many questions about what she had been through. He urgently needed to know if she was in immediate danger. Not liking what had happened to her flat, and the sudden appearance of the necklace had only gone to prove that they weren’t going anywhere yet. He also knew the minute he brought it up, the spell they were under would break and that light he saw in her eyes would dim. He understood when she spoke about it; it transported her to a different place, a cruel place without hope. Knew those memories were painful. He just didn’t enjoy seeing the truth of them on her face. He wanted to be the one to wipe them clean and make sure she’d never have to go through something like that ever again.