Storm Rising

by Rachael Richey

  “Happy birthday, Abs,” he said with a smile. “Hi, Judy. Is the door shut? Okay, then let’s get going.”

  He set off again and headed out of town in the direction of the A34 towards Winchester.

  Abi fastened her seatbelt and peered out of the window.

  “Where’re we going, then?” she asked.

  Gideon pulled out onto the dual carriageway and increased his speed accordingly.

  “To the New Forest.”

  Judy bent forward to see around Abi. “Oh, it’s nice there,” she said with a smile. “Lots of horses.”

  “Ponies,” corrected Gideon absently, his concentration on keeping the van moving. “My parents are thinking of moving there. Thought we should go and see it too.”

  Abi looked at him in surprise. “They’re selling that gorgeous house?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. When she’d first seen Gideon’s parents’ house she’d been quite shocked. Unlike her parents’ little three-bedroom semi in a suburban road, they lived out of town in a large ivy-covered detached house set in large grounds. They even had a paddock and stables. “Why are they moving?”

  Gideon shrugged. “Want to move further from London, I think. Dad can work from anywhere, really, and they loved the Forest when they went there to visit some friends. They’ve seen a house they like already.”

  If Abi thought it a little strange to be spending her sixteenth birthday looking at prospective houses for her boyfriend’s parents, she kept it to herself. She was just glad they were able to spend the day together.

  After about an hour they crossed the cattle grid that marked the border to the New Forest, just outside Lyndhurst. They drove slowly as they approached, and Gideon found a parking space near Bolton’s Bench on the edge of the village. The girls squealed in delight when they saw all the ponies and foals grazing around them, and they both scrambled out and immediately began to search their pockets for any food to give them.

  “You shouldn’t really feed them,” called Gideon from where he was trying to make the van door lock. “At least, don’t give them sweets or anything silly.”

  Guiltily Judy thrust her packet of Chewits back into her pocket and contented herself with stroking the mane of the nearest pony. Gideon joined them, carrying a small rucksack, and they spent a happy couple of hours wandering around the environs of Bolton’s Bench, with its large expanses of grass and a small hill rising in the centre, crowned by a magnificent yew tree. Eventually they climbed to the top and flopped down on the grass beneath the tree, surveying their surroundings. Abi lay flat on her back and stared up at the clear blue sky. Gideon’s face appeared above her, and he bent down and gently kissed her on the lips. She responded, putting her arms around his neck and pulling him down on top of her.

  Judy laughed. “Shall I leave you two alone?” she asked, smiling.

  Gideon raised his head and grinned. “Nope. Sit down. I’ve got stuff in my bag for us all.” And he disentangled himself from Abi’s arms and pulled his rucksack towards him.

  Abi leaned up on her elbows. “Presents?” she asked, her eyes shining.

  Gideon shook his head. “Wait and see.”

  Judy squatted down on the grass next to Abi, and they watched as Gideon unloaded his bag. First he produced a large tin, then a pack of six colas, then finally a very tiny present wrapped in stripy paper.

  He placed the tin in front of Abi and said, “Close your eyes.”

  He proceeded to reveal a large chocolate cake with Abi’s name written in Smarties on the top. He pulled a packet of candles out of the bag and stuck them all around the edge of the cake. Then he produced a cigarette lighter and, with Judy shielding them from the breeze, lit the candles.

  “Come on, you guys,” pleaded Abi, her hands clasped firmly over her eyes. “What’s going on?”

  “Okay, you can look now,” said Gideon finally, sitting back on his heels and watching her face. Abi slowly lowered her hands and found herself staring straight at what she thought was the most beautiful birthday cake she had ever seen.

  “Oh, Gid,” she breathed. “It’s lovely! Did you make it?” She crawled closer to get a better look.

  Gideon laughed. “Well, sort of,” he said. “Mum made the actual cake, but I did the decorating. That’s why it’s a bit messy.”

  Abi shook her head. “No, it’s not. It’s beautiful,” she whispered, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. She couldn’t believe he’d taken so much trouble just for her. She leant towards him and kissed his nose. “Thank you so much. It’s perfect.” Then she turned and, with one huge breath, blew out all the candles.

  Judy laughed and clapped her hands. “Well done! Hope you made a wish.”

  Abi nodded. “Oh, yes, of course I did. Not telling you, though.” She grinned at them both. “This is the best birthday ever,” she stated simply, positioning herself cross-legged beneath the huge tree. “Is there more?”

  Gideon snorted. “Never satisfied!” he said with a laugh, then held out the tiny present to her. She took it from him tentatively. This was the first present she had ever had from a boyfriend, and her heart was pounding in her ribcage as she began to unwrap it. Inside the stripy paper was a tiny tissue-paper parcel. She carefully unfolded it and revealed a solid silver ring embossed on the inside with both their names, Abi and Gideon, with a tiny heart between them. She caught her breath and held the ring tightly in her hand.

  “Do you like it?” he asked anxiously. “I know it’s the right size. Try it on.”

  Abi glanced up at him, her eyes shining.

  “It’s gorgeous,” she murmured. “I love it. And I love you.”

  The moment the words were out of her mouth she regretted saying them. Just because he’d given her a ring didn’t mean he loved her. It was the sort of thing a boyfriend did. It didn’t necessarily mean anything. She flushed and bent her head, her hair falling over her face. Gideon reached forward and put a finger under her chin to raise it up.

  “I love you too,” he said, staring into her eyes. He took her right hand in his and gently slid the ring onto her third finger. It fitted perfectly. “Has to be that hand for now,” he said. “But one day I’ll get you one for the other hand.” He paused and considered. “Call it an engaged-to-be-engaged ring.”

  Abi gave a tearful giggle and flung her arms around his neck.

  “Is that a proposal, then?” she asked, her voice muffled by his neck.

  He squeezed her tightly. “I guess it is,” he said, his mouth pressed into her hair.

  Judy got to her feet. “I’m just going to go and have an explore,” she said tactfully. “Back in a bit.” She set off in the direction of the village, her hands in her pockets and her long ponytail swinging.

  “It’s okay, Judy,” began Abi, turning to watch her friend walk away, then Gideon’s lips on her neck made her forget everything else. She moved her head and latched her lips onto his, at the same time pulling him down onto the grass beside her. “I love you,” she repeated, liking the way the words sounded on her tongue. “I…love…you.”

  Gideon responded by running his hands gently down her body, caressing her firm round breasts through her thin T-shirt, then further down to knead her curvy buttocks. She moaned in pleasure as his hands moved over her body, and responded by arching her back and pressing closer to him. Their lips locked, and they clung together hungrily, devouring each other, until Gideon finally pulled away and held Abi at arm’s length.

  “Not here, Abs,” he said, breathing heavily. “Too many people. We should find somewhere secluded.” He got to his feet and gazed around them. Everywhere he looked there were people or ponies. Or people and ponies. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Not anywhere here, actually.” He glanced down at Abi and raised his eyebrows. “That is, if you want to…” He looked suddenly very vulnerable.

  Abi looked up at him and smiled. “Of course I want to,” she said in surprise. “I’ve been waiting for this day since we first met.” She found herself blushing
and let her hair swing forward to cover her face. “Where can we go?”

  Gideon sat down on the grass beside her and opened a can of cola. He shrugged. “Not here. We’ll think of something after we take Judy home. You know I have to go to London tomorrow. I’d love this last night to be special.”

  Abi’s head shot up, and she stared at him in dismay. In the excitement of the day she had totally forgotten he was due to leave for London the next day. The band had secured a recording deal the previous month and were due to begin recording their first album. That meant Gideon would be in London for the next couple of months, and Abi would be able to see him only occasionally. She felt a lump forming in her throat and scrambled to her feet.

  “I’m really going to miss you.” Her voice broke on the last words.

  Gideon caught her in his arms. “I know,” he said, stroking her hair. “I shall miss you dreadfully. But it won’t be for long, and you’ve got your exams coming up. Your mum probably won’t let you out during those, will she? I’ll be back before you know it.” He tilted her head up to face him and smiled down at her. Abi managed a watery smile in return, then pulled away and sat down on the grass in front of her cake.

  “Let’s have cake,” she said decisively. “Look, there’s Judy coming back. I’ll cut it. Did you bring a knife?”

  Having established that Gideon had failed to bring anything to cut the cake with, the three of them picked it up and broke it into pieces by hand.

  They spent the rest of the day exploring the Forest, and, to the girls’ amusement, having a quick look at the house Gideon’s parents were planning to buy. Then they headed back in time to get Abi home for her birthday tea.

  “I’ve had such a brilliant day.” She sighed. “I really don’t want to go home yet.”

  Judy grinned. “I know what you mean, but your mum’ll freak out if you don’t get back for tea.” She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe we could all meet up again this evening?”

  Gideon and Abi were silent, and Judy eyed them suspiciously.

  “Oh,” she said at last, grinning. “You are planning to meet up tonight. That’s fine. I’ve been enough of a gooseberry today anyway. Thanks for letting me come with you, though.”

  Abi grabbed her friend’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Oh, I’m sorry, Jude. I feel really guilty now, but Gideon leaves for London tomorrow, and we just wanted a wee bit of time on our own.” Her brow furrowed anxiously. “D’you understand? And we’re so glad you came with us today, aren’t we, Gid?”

  Gideon nodded his head vigorously. “Wouldn’t have been the same without you,” he stated as he pulled out into the rush-hour traffic on the A34.

  Judy laughed. “It’s fine. D’you need an alibi for this evening?”

  Abi bit her lip. Neither she nor Gideon had actually thought about where they were going that evening.

  She shrugged. “No, don’t worry. I’ll tell them we’re going to the cinema. They’re usually cool about that,” she said, and exchanged a secretive smile with Gideon.

  They arrived back in Judy’s road at five o’clock, and the two girls jumped down from the cab.

  Abi turned, smiled at Gideon, and said, “Okay, pick me up at seven, and I’ll tell them we’re going to the pictures. It should be all right.” She blew him a kiss, then slammed the door of the van shut. As he drove off, Judy gave Abi a quick hug.

  “Happy birthday, Abs. Thanks for letting me come with you today, and have a brilliant evening.” She paused and squeezed her friend’s hand, a look of concern on her face. “And Abi, please be careful.”

  Abi squeezed back. “I will,” she said, with a self-conscious grin. “Don’t worry.” With a wave she skipped off down the road in the direction of her own house.

  ****

  By seven o’clock Abi was dressed, made up, and raring to go. She had had a birthday tea with her parents and her aunt and uncle, and they had reluctantly agreed she could go out to the cinema with Gideon. She had explained he was going to be away in London for several weeks and this was her last chance to see him, and her father had actually appeared sympathetic. Her mother’s eyes had gleamed, and she remarked that maybe Abi would finally get around to doing some revision for exams.

  As she sat waiting on the stairs for the doorbell to ring, Abi’s heart was racing. Ever since she’d met Gideon she’d known this day would come. She knew he was the one for her. She was in love, and everything was wonderful. She leant back against the banisters and smiled to herself. She just had to get these ridiculous exams out of the way, and then they could be together all the time. Her thoughts raced on to the amazing summer they would be able to have together. The buzz of the doorbell jolted her out of her reverie, and she jumped down the last few steps and ran to let him in. He stood on the doorstep grinning at her. He looked amazing, in ripped jeans, a black T-shirt, and a distressed leather jacket. His dark hair was dishevelled and had got tucked inside his collar.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  Abi nodded silently and turned to shout to her parents, “We’re off now. Won’t be too late.”

  As they were closing the door behind them, she heard the faint voice of her mother following them, “Be back by eleven.”

  “Okay,” Abi called back, rolling her eyes at Gideon, then laughing quietly as they ran down the path and out to the van. As she belted herself in, Abi glanced up. “So where’re we going?” she asked breathlessly.

  Gideon started the van with a loud roar and answered without looking at her, “My house.”

  Abi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Your house? But won’t your parents be there?” she asked with a frown.

  Gideon shook his head. “Nope. They’ve gone to a party in Winchester. They won’t be back till the early hours. We’ll have the house to ourselves.”

  Abi leaned back and digested this information. Not only did she find it hard to comprehend the idea of parents who had a social life, but the thought of having that amazing house all to themselves all evening was mind blowing. She grinned to herself. This was going to be even better than she had imagined.

  The drive out into the country took about twenty minutes, and Abi watched in excitement as they turned up the long drive towards the Hawks’ beautiful home. Gideon parked the van in front of the garage and jumped out, striding over to the front door, calling as he went, “Mum, Dad, are you there?” He unlocked the door, beckoned to Abi to follow him, then stepped into the hallway, calling again. “It’s only me. Are you still here?”

  There was no response, so he caught Abi by the hand and led her into the huge farmhouse kitchen. He tossed his keys onto the aged pine table and walked over to the fridge. Abi hung back in the doorway.

  “What d’you want to drink?” asked Gideon without looking round.

  Abi edged a little further into the room.

  “Erm…don’t mind,” she said. “Whatever you’re having.”

  Gideon pulled two cans of lager out of the fridge and handed one to Abi. She took it gingerly. She hated lager, but there was no way she could admit this to Gideon, so she followed his suit and snapped it open. She took a tentative sip and just managed to stop herself from shuddering. Gideon didn’t notice, and nodded to the door.

  “C’mon, then. Come and see the rest of the house.”

  Abi had only seen the house from the outside before, so she was curious enough to follow him as he gave her a whistle-stop tour, ending outside a pale blue door on the first floor. He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “And this is my room. S’cuse the mess.”

  He flung open the door of a large, high-ceilinged room filled to bursting with musical instruments of all kinds, piles of clothes, both clean and dirty, an assortment of books, games, and childhood toys (including a large teddy bear), and somewhere beneath everything else, a wood-framed bed.

  Abi laughed. “Don’t you get lost in here?” she asked, grinning at him.

  Gideon shrugged. “Don’t spend much time in here these days,” he said, walking over to the b
ed and sweeping the piles of clothes onto the floor.

  Abi gasped and put out a hand. “Oh, no, I think those are clean…” Her voice dwindled as she saw his face. “Never mind.”

  He turned and walked over to where she stood awkwardly clutching her jacket around her. He took her hands in his and gently pulled her towards him. Slowly she began to relax and raised her face to his as his arms snaked around her and held her tight. When his lips met hers, Abi felt all her fears drain away, and she responded with a depth of passion that surprised them both.

  Chapter 12

  Sunday, 20th November 2005

  Gideon awoke on Sunday morning to the sound of church bells pealing just outside his window. He grinned to himself. How beautifully English they sounded! He realised how much he’d missed the traditional things he grew up with. It had been a great adventure, travelling the world for the last few years, but he had to admit it was lovely to be back in England where he could relax and be out of the public eye. He realised his mother would be getting ready for church just now, and any minute would probably knock on his door to ask if he’d like to accompany her. For a moment he wondered if perhaps he would, then shook his head and pulled the covers up to his chin. He had come here to escape and wasn’t yet ready to go and be sociable with the “country set.” He still hadn’t decided what to do about Abi, and he felt that another day or two of relaxing at home with just his parents was exactly what he needed. Luckily, they both seemed to understand his needs and so far had not attempted to pressure him into doing anything he didn’t want to. Predictably there came a knock at his door.

  He grinned. “Come in, Mum.”

  Caroline Hawk popped her head around the door in surprise.

  “How did you know it was me?” she asked, smiling at her son.

  Gideon laughed. “Intuition,” he remarked, “and no thanks, I don’t think I’ll come to church today.”

  Caroline raised her eyebrows and walked over to open the curtains.

  “Okay, darling. Don’t stay in here all day, though. You look as if you could do with some fresh air and exercise. Why don’t you go riding with Dad?”