by Clara James
Eventually, Rosalind picked up on the hints and dropped the topic, but that left a rather gaping and substantially awkward void that needed to be filled. The elephant in the room could only be ignored for so long. “Reece told me about your prognosis,” she murmured quietly, the atmosphere instantly shifting from jovial to maudlin. “It’s not fucking fair,” she added, her eyes drifting hopelessly to the ceiling.
“Did he tell you about the treatment I’ve been offered, though?” Allie asked, for once being the one to point out the silver lining.
“Yeah,” she whispered, a few tears settling in her lower lids. “It’s still shitty,” she grumbled, shaking her head. “It’s still not fair and it’s still...” her rant lost steam, and she leaned forlornly back in the chair. “I know this whole time you’ve been so calm,” she sighed.
Allie gave an unladylike snort of derision. “I have not been calm,” she stated. “There were times when I was very, very far from anything resembling calm.” As she dripped some humor back into the room, she grinned. “But you can only be angry for so long, before you just have to accept the things that have come your way.”
“So you’re going go for it, then?” Ros replied, managing a weak chuckle in response. “The surgery?” she added.
“I think so,” she tried to nod, with her head tucked snugly against the pillow. “It’s my only option now, and I’ve decided I don’t want to give up without a fight.”
“What made you change your mind?”
Allie held her tongue thoughtfully between her teeth, while she considered the question. “I don’t know,” she eventually sighed. “I guess there’s just more at stake now.”
The women’s focus was disturbed by the creak of door hinges and the soft squeak of tennis shoes on a highly polished floor. Pulling her face over her shoulder, Allie found Reece with a white Starbucks takeout cup in his left hand. He held a thick newspaper beneath his arm and in his free hand, he held something that looked very much like a glazed doughnut.
“That better be for me,” Allie warned him, arching her eyebrow.
Reece’s eyes shifted warily from left to right, before he glanced dramatically over his shoulder. Outside the open doorway was a corridor, but it was completely empty. Lifting the hand that held his coffee, he awkwardly extended his finger and placed it to his lips. Then, with a laugh, he kicked the door closed before walking up to the bed. “You know, I will be in so much trouble if they find out I’m feeding you crap like this,” he said, only half joking.
“I’ll say I forced you,” she promised, pushing her palms onto the mattress. “Just tell them I threatened you,” she added, easing herself into an upright position.
Rosalind instantly got to her feet, gripping the pillow Allie had been laying on and setting it up against the beds metal frame. She then held it still, until Allie had settled her upper back on it. “I think they’d have a hard time believing that,” she mumbled, chiming in with her view of the master plan.
“I don’t know,” Reece sighed, leaning over the bed, as he released his arm’s grip on the paper. It fell onto the mattress, before he lowered himself into the chair and sliding his hot coffee cup onto the table on his left.
Allie temporarily distracted from doughnuts, gazed down at the half-folded newspaper draped over her legs. It was the Chronicle, but she could only see the logo and the headline, ‘Renowned Philanthropist Arrested for Fraud’. Beneath those words, in much smaller print was the byline: ‘Allie Mclaren and Grant Cahill
“I thought you said you hadn’t been working,” Reece said, smiling as he noticed the concentration on Allie’s face.
“I haven’t,” she replied. “I...This was something I was looking into weeks ago.”
“Hmm,” Reece nodded, his hands gripping the napkin wrapped doughnut and breaking it in two. “Well, that guy called,” he explained, separating the two halves. “I accidentally took your phone instead of mine and-”
“What did you tell him?” Allie blurted, interrupting.
Offering her the slightly bigger piece of doughnut, he smiled. “I just said you weren’t well. He didn’t ask for specifics, so there didn’t seem to be any need to say more.”
Silently, Allie’s fingers accepted the sticky, tasty object and immediately brought it to her mouth. She allowed it to linger just long enough to inhale its wonderfully sweet smell. She sighed contentedly, before opening her mouth and nibbling a tiny piece. She closed her eyes as she savored it. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate, and she certainly couldn’t remember the last time food had tasted as good. She groaned happily, taking another small bite. There was a drive to stuff it all in as quickly as possible, but she wanted to make it last, so forced herself to linger over every morsel.
“I feel like I should leave you two alone,” Reece muttered shuffling uncomfortably in his seat, while he licked his stinky finger and thumb.
Rosalind laughed heartily, glad to see that Allie was enjoying her breakfast, even though it wasn’t the healthiest thing she could put in her mouth.
“Anyway,” Reece continued. “Your pal Grant called and when I told him you were ill, he asked me to pick up the paper for you. He also said to say, he’s sorry. Umm,” he paused, he eyes closing in concentration, as she tried to recall the exact word of the conversation. “He said he was upset, but didn’t mean what he’d said and hopes that this,” as he stressed the word ‘this’, Reece tapped the paper with his index finger, “will make up for it.”
Allie stopped eating, as Reece spoke. She was unable to full enjoy her veritable feast and focus on what he was saying. She glanced at the paper again when he’d finished.
“So, umm,” Reece mumbled, taking a large bite of his own piece of doughnut. “Are things cool between you two now, or do you need me to...” he hesitated, shielding his mouth with his hand as he chewed. “I was going to say beat him up, but let’s be honest, that’s not really my style,” he chuckled. “Do you need me to talk to him or anything, though?” he offered, before putting another large piece of doughnut into his mouth.
“No,” Allie quickly said, shaking her head. “It was my fault as much as it was his and...” she added, sighing. “He didn’t need to share this with me.” Quietly, she continued to savor her breakfast, while reaching for the paper with the other hand. She read it through carefully, recognizing passages of it as her own writing from the version of the story she’d wanted to publish weeks previously. However, there was a lot added. And she was pleased to note how good Grant was. His writing was much more mature than she’d anticipated, and he’d managed to merge his own style well with hers. In short, in her opinion, the story was good and it was worthy of the front page.
“Not quite how you would have written it?” Ros asked, teasing her with a gentle nudge of her elbow.
“Actually,” Allie replied, as she reached the final word of the article and released her grip on the paper. “It’s pretty much exactly as I’d have written it.”
“I thought you said this Grant was just an office junior, did lots of running and research?”
“Yeah,” Allie nodded. “But he’s capable of much more.”
“Well, he learned from the best,” Reece suggested, lifting his coffee cup in a quasi-toast.
Allie smiled at him, but shook her head dismissively. “I don’t think I can take credit,” she mumbled. “I didn’t realize he had it in him. I just thought he was a kid with big dreams, but not much in the way of talent. I was wrong about him. Really wrong, and I owe him an apology.”
“He didn’t seem angry with you,” Reece assured her. “He was more worried that you wouldn’t forgive him for whatever was said.”
“Still,” Allie said defiantly. “I need to talk to him. I’ve got to thank him for this,” she added nudging the corner of the paper on her lap. “Hmm,” she humorlessly chuckled. “This could be the last story ever published with my name.”
“Hey,” Ros blurted. “Don’t say shit like that.”
&n
bsp; Reece didn’t join his own voice to the protest, but Allie could see in his eyes that he was very uncomfortable with the statement.
“We all know it’s true though, don’t we?” Allie countered. “I’m not saying that I’m giving up, I’m just looking at things realistically.”
This time, both Reece and Rosalind remind silent. Allie’s best friend simply shaking her head, while she chewed anxiously on her bottom lip. Her boyfriend, meanwhile, drank his coffee in silence. The atmosphere between the threesome was becoming oppressive and all seemed grateful for the reprieve that came with the creak of the door.
As the doctor entered, he smiled at Allie and nodded to her visitors. Rosalind looked concerned that he might demand she leave, but he didn’t seem bothered by the slight bending of the rules. Allie however quickly wiped the back of her hand over her both, eliminating any traces of sugar that still lingered on her lips.
“Good morning,” he said, as he approached the end of the bed and placed both hands on the thick metal rail. “I know it’s only been a couple of hours since we talked, but I was wondering if you’d reached a decision?”
Allie glanced at Reece on her right and then Rosalind on her left. He smiled encouragingly, while Ros simply waited hopefully for her friend’s reply. “Yes,” Allie said. “The answer is yes, I want to try whatever we can.”
The doctor gave a stilted smile, clearly pleased that she’d made that choice, but still unwilling to raise her hopes too high over the outcome. “That’s good,” he nodded. “We just need to talk about a few things, get you to sign some papers and then we can set about booking the surgery.”
Rosalind slowly got to her feet. “Maybe I should give you some privacy for this,” she suggested, her legs already moving swiftly and quietly to the door. “I’ll umm, just be...” she added, her hand waving nondescriptly at the door. “Do you want anything?” she asked.
“You don’t have to go,” Allie argued. “At least, I don’t mind if you stay.”
“No,” Ros insisted shaking her head. “I don’t want to be in the way.” With that, she pulled the door open and quickly slipped through the opening.
Throughout the brief exchange, Doctor Luitger was moving to Allie’s bedside and he slipped gently into the seat Rosalind had vacated. “Okay,” he began, inhaling deeply. “Before we get into all the legal and business side of things,” he said, flicking his hand in what seemed like contempt for those facets of his job. “I’m going to explain exactly what we’ll be doing to you while you’re under and where we go after the surgery is complete.”
Without taking her eyes from the doctor’s face, Allie reached behind her. Reece felt her move and instinctively slipped his hand in hers. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he shuffled forwards. He wasn’t eager to hear what the doctor had planned, but wanted to make sure he understood exactly what was ahead for both of them.
CHAPTER EIGHT
ONE LAST TIME
The room was bathed in darkness when Allie opened her eyes again. She was aware of a weight around her middle and as she reached down to remove it, she realized it was Reece’s arm. At some point in the evening, he’d climbed onto the bed and was lying on top of the covers. Allie gently turned her head and found him on his side, precariously positioned as close to the edge as he could manage. She’d expected to find him asleep, but his eyes were wide open.
“What ya doing?” she asked, her lips moving sleepily.
With a self-effacing shrug, Reece muttered, “Watching you sleep,” in reply.
An exhausted, but genuine, smile spread across Allie’s face, lighting it up. “Creepy?” she suggested, obviously teasing him.
“Do you think?” he countered.
“Little bit,” she nodded.
Reece didn’t feel like smiling, but couldn’t help but mirror the grin he saw on her face. “Then, I probably shouldn’t tell you it’s not the first time I’ve done this,” he pointed out.
“Probably not,” she agreed.
With a sigh, Reece tightened his grip around Allie’s waist and shuffled closer. He dipped his face and pressed his forehead against hers. “For what’s it worth,” he whispered. “I don’t think it’s creepy.” Not allowing her an opportunity to ruin the tender sentiment with one of her wise cracks, he stilled her lips with a quick kiss.
Unaware of conscious effort to move it, Allie found her left hand sliding up Reece’s side. He pulled away from the kiss much too quickly for her and, so she hurriedly closed the distance between them once more. As her fingers drifted up his torso, curling around his shoulder, before reaching around the back of his neck.
The joining of lips was soft, gentle and unhurried. It conveyed a facet of their love for each other, that neither had been good at expressing as teenage lovers and as adults. Teasing, laughter and occasional passionate fights had been the trademark of their first attempt at a relationship. It had also been the trademark of the beginning of their second try at it. At least, it had been until Reece discovered the truth. Then, knowing that they didn’t have the luxury of time to waste, both had let their guards down a little; been prepared to be more vulnerable and displayed a softer side to their feelings.
For Allie, however, the kiss was not enough. A sudden realization struck her: this could be the last time they get to be together. The doctor wanted to book her surgery as quickly as possible, which he implied would mean slicing her open the next day. If this really was all they had, she needed more than just a sweet massage of mouths.
She tentatively parted her lips beneath his and extended her tongue, Gently running it along his bottom lip. Reece almost instantly responded by opening his mouth in welcome and he released a muted groan as she slid her tongue over his.
Her body answered that call instinctively and she rolled onto her side. There were still clothes and bed sheets between them, but their bodies were pressed tightly against each other and Allie found her lower body moving restlessly.
At that point, Reece seemed to fully comprehend the path they were on and tipped his face back. A little breathless, he looked down into her bright eyes. “Allie,” he mumbled, finding it impossible to think clearly, while focused on those deep pools of light. “I’m not...” His second attempt to speak was just as unsuccessful as the first. Forcing his gaze away from hers, he inhaled slowly. “I don’t think we should be doing this,” he eventually muttered.
“Why not?” she replied, already pushing the sheets from her body and kicking them down to the bottom of the bed. “I want you, Reece,” she added.
“I want you,” he echoed, “but here? Now?” he babbled, nervously.
Allie’s hands were suddenly at his waist. She unbuckled his belt, before unbuttoning his jeans and sliding the zipper down. “There may not be another time,” she whispered, her lips grazing his neck and chin as she slid a hand into his open fly.
Reece’s whole body suddenly went very stiff. For a couple of seconds he remained that way, before his fingers quickly grasped Allie’s wrist and pulled her hand away from his responsive groin. “No,” he sadly mumbled. “No, I can’t. I can’t say goodbye.”
Shifting back, Allie looked into his face, noting the conflict in his eyes. “I don’t want to say goodbye either,” she gently told him. Pulling her hand from his and reaching up to his face. Slowly, she stroked his creased brow with the backs of her fingers. “But I don’t want to regret not saying it.”
“Allie,” Reece breathed, as a single tear fell on his right cheek. “I...I...”
“Just love me,” Allie pleaded, her free hand tugging at the papery hospital gown. The ties at the back easily gave way and the thin garment quickly found its way to the floor by her side. Allie took his hand in hers and brought it to one bare breast.
Reece didn’t fight against her, and as his fingers gently cupped the soft flesh, he began to move his hand lovingly over it. His warm palm pressed against her erect nipple, causing Allie to inhale sharply. His eyes darted to hers, which he found closed. Her mouth was
open, her bottom lip quivering, while her hand gripped his tightly.
Eventually his fingers slipped from her breast and stroked down her side. When he reached her hip, he gradually traced the curve, before trailing down her outer thigh. Allie’s breath hitched each time his touch caressed a fresh piece of skin. By the time he reached her knee and rubbed at the back of it, her heart was pounding so violently she felt sure that he must have been able to both feel and hear it.
He continued his tender exploration of her body, as if he were trying to commit every single soft curve to memory. After what felt like an exquisite eternity to Allie, his hand slipped between her legs and began to stroke its way up her inner thigh. When he reached the juncture, he found her already very wet. Nevertheless, he took his time, his fingers slipping carefully between her folds and rubbing unhurriedly back and forth. Every time he reached her clitoris, he lingered, rolling the pad of a finger or thumb in an intimate circle. Each time he did that, Allie gasped and a shiver zigzagged its way down her spine.
Soon, the expectation had become unbearable and she was pleading in nonsensical half words and primal sounds. Reece wasn’t in such a hurry, though. Forced to withdraw his hand from her body, he sat upright and pulled his T-shirt up over his head. He tossed it uncaringly aside, before focusing on pushing his jeans and underwear off his hips.
Allie watched him closely, rolling onto her back in preparation for him, while her hand lazily explored the tight, muscles of his abdomen. “How did you get these?” she asked, sounding intoxicated, but alcohol having nothing to do with it.
“Huh?” he asked, peering down at her hand. “Oh,” he added, relaxation dawning. “I just...” he said slowly, his hands gripping the bunch of fabric at his ankles and whipping them the clothes off his feet. “I do a lot of sports, I guess,” he replied. Now completely naked, he remained on his small edge of the bed, rolling onto his side, he faced Allie.
