“So, what happened with you and Craig last night?” I feel my cheeks heat and stare down into my mug. There is no way I am ready to dish the dirt yet, but I can’t not tell her because he’s sleeping in my bed at this very moment.
I’m trying to decide what to say without giving too much away when a pair of muscular arms wraps around me from behind and a soft kiss is placed on top of my head. “Good morning, Pingu,” Craig whispers against my ear. I smile as he pulls me back into his chest and tightens his hold on me.
“Well, I guess that answers my question then,” Becki says with a smirk as she lifts her mug to her lips.
Becki’s sudden squealing and spluttering of her coffee all over the counter, terrifies me. I dart my head around to see what’s wrong, ready to jump to her rescue and do the Heimlich manoeuvre, or something. What I see is Scott standing behind her, mirroring Craig’s hold on me. I look between the two of them, and then peer up to Craig who just shrugs his shoulders, releases his hold on me, and heads over to the coffee pot. I look back to Becki who still seems to be frozen.
A moment later, and without saying a word, she abruptly stands up, grabs Scott’s wrist and drags him toward the hall, back to her bedroom. Well, okay then. She’s been with Scott loads of times before, but that was different. Something was different between them, something I’m going to coax out of her later.
Returning my attention back to my coffee, I sit thinking about what’s going on between Becki and Scott. What’s going on with me and Craig, come to think of it? “Are you coming to the match today? I promise not to knock you out this time,” Craig says with a smirk. Shit, I’d totally forgotten about his stupid football hobby. What successful business mogul plays football for Christ’s sake? I’d hoped I would never have to set foot on another pitch ever again, but I guess if things are happening between us, I should be there to support him. Right?
“If you want me there, I’ll be there. Just remember, though, I really don’t understand the game, so don’t be expecting too much cheerleading from me.” With a shrug of my shoulder, I return to drinking my coffee.
Craig saunters back across the room, and it’s only now that I notice he’s only wearing his jeans. I gulp and suck my bottom lip in. My God, he really is beautiful, far too beautiful for me. He takes a seat on the stool Becki vacated then leans toward me, “Carry on looking at me like that, Pingu, and I’ll not be able to control myself. Do you really want to give Scott and Becki a free show?” I snap my eyes to his, surprised at his insinuation. He chuckles, raising his brows in question. Just the thought of having his hands and mouth all over me again has my pulse racing and my stomach clenching. But we can’t, not with those two in the next room. With a shaky hand, I take another sip of my coffee and look away from him. “Right, I thought not… maybe later.” Later? There is going to be a later? Yes please! “Anyway, back to the football. Just you being there will be cheerleader enough for me. I want you there. It’s our last game of the season, and if we win, we’ll win the league. This is an important match for us.”
“If you want me there, I’ll be there. I guess Becki’s going, so I’ll just go along with her again.” Standing, I turn to go to put my mug in the dishwasher, but Craig grabs my waist and pulls me back between his open thighs and wraps his arms around my middle again. I lean back further, tipping my head back to rest on his shoulder, and close my eyes. There really is no nicer feeling than being held and cherished.
“Thank you, Pingu. It means a lot to me to have you there, but I want you to come with me. We’ll stop by my place on the way to pick up my kit, and then we can go back there after if you want for dinner. I make a mean Sunday roast.”
“I’d love that,” I say, smiling back at him.
Bending his head forward, he slants his lips over mine and kisses me with such gentle passion it makes me whimper and melt deeper into him.
“Cough, cough.” Somewhere behind us Becki clears her throat, making her presence known. “Would you two please get a room? Oh that’s right, you already did.” Just then, there’s a knock on the door and giggling Becki goes off to answer it.
Turning to face Craig properly, I place my hand on his bare chest over his heart and smile at him, leaning forward for another kiss. Loud voices from the hallway startle us, and I jerk my head up, trying to work out what’s going on.
“Get the fuck out, dickhead. No one invited you in!” Becki shouts. A deep male voice mumbles a response, but I can’t make out who it is. Craig tenses up beneath my hands, and I try to pull away to go and see who’s out there, but he holds me in place and places a protective arm around me. “I’m warning you, David, I will call the cops. You’re trespassing. Get. The. Fuck. Out.” Now it’s my turn to tense up, and Craig feels it, narrowing his eyes at me in question.
“That’s David,” I mouth, and his eyes go wide in recognition.
Loud purposeful footsteps echo across the wooden floors, and David appears in the doorway.
“Oh look, how cosy. Didn’t take you long, did it, Ambs? I thought you had more class than that.” David’s dull voice pierces the quietness of the room.
“What are you doing here, David?” I say without emotion. I will not rise to his bait.
“I’ve brought over the crap you left behind at our house,” he says whilst glaring at Craig. It doesn’t escape my attention that he emphasised the word ‘our’ like he’s somehow still laying claim to me.
“Seeing as you haven’t been answering my calls, I thought I’d bring it over for you. I’m glad I did. I wouldn’t want to miss this little soiree. And there I was feeling guilty for doing what I did and breaking your heart. It looks like it was the right decision all along. You’re nothing but a filthy slut, jumping into another man’s bed before I’ve even had a chance to blink.” I feel Craig tense up even more, his balled fists digging into my back. It’s clear he’s on the verge of losing his cool and doing something to David. Before I get a chance to pull away from him to confront my obnoxious ex, Becki is standing in front of David and slaps him hard across the face.
“You fucking arrogant bastard. How dare you say that to her? We all know you’re the lying, cheating scumbag around here. If anyone is a filthy slut, it’s you. Does Charlie Clements ring any bells?” Becki is now standing chest to chest with David, glaring menacingly at him and breathing heavy. I, on the other hand, feel as though it was me that just got slapped. Charlie Clements? His boss’s daughter? Surely not. He promised over and over that he hadn’t been seeing anyone else. Did I not suspect it all along though? But still, having the truth spelled out to me, from my best friend no less, in front of my new romantic interest – yeah, still not sure about calling him my boyfriend, especially now – is kind of like being bitch slapped with a huge blast of reality.
Becki had always hinted at her suspicions, sometimes even flat out accusing David of cheating, but he always denied it. I guess I was too caught up in his spell, too afraid of the truth, to accept that she might be right. So I chose to turn a blind eye to it.
Pulling away from Craig’s grip, I stumble over to where David and Becki are glaring at each other. Tapping her on the shoulder to get her to move away, I stare at him, not even sure what to say. Who is this man standing in front of me? He certainly isn’t the David I fell in love with in college.
“Is it true? You were sleeping with someone else when we were together,” I spit.
When he doesn’t respond, my anger boils over and I start yelling at him. “Tell me the truth for once in your miserable fucking life, David. Were you sleeping with your boss’s daughter when we were together?” Still he remains silent, mocking me. I can’t hold back anymore, and start thumping him over and over on the chest, tears streaming down my face and dripping onto the floor, leaving behind a small pool of my misery. How could he have done that to me? Humiliated me like that?
“I loved you David. I gave you everything. Why would you do that to me? I hate you, you sorry piece of shit.”
Craig�
�s arms wrap around me from behind, and he yanks me away from my cheating scumbag ex. I fight against him, wanting to get back to David to continue beating my desolation into him, but it’s no good. Craig has a tight hold on me.
With a growl so menacing I am sure it would send Satan himself cowering away back to hell, Craig tells David to get the fuck out, “… and if you come near my girl again, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”
David was never the sharpest tool in the box when it came to self-preservation, and not being one to back down, he steps towards us, “Your girl? You’ve known her what? Five fucking minutes? She was mine for over ten years. Mine to do with as I pleased. It’s just a shame she didn’t please me that often, frigid bitch that she is.” I’m suddenly on my knees on the ground, and Craig is slamming a fist into David’s jaw, hitting him with such force I’m sure the whole block heard the impact.
“If I ever hear you talk about Amber like that again, it won’t be a pussy punch you get. I will make sure you’re not able to talk about her, or anyone else for that matter, again. You get me?” He glares at David and shoves him so hard that he stumbles backward and falls into the wall with an almighty thump.
David pulls himself up straight, rounds his shoulders and looks over to where I’m still sobbing on my knees. “Your shit is in the hallway. Have a nice life, Amber. I know I will.” Then with Craig and Scott watching him like bouncers, he turns and walks out of the room, out of the flat, and out of my life, permanently.
“Amber, baby, are you okay?” Craig’s now calm voice breaks through my sobs, and I peer up into his concerned face. Glancing around, I see Becki and Scott looking at me with similar expressions, and it tips me over the edge. Letting out a strangled scream, I scramble to my feet and bolt out of the living room and into my bedroom. I climb on to my bed and curl up under my duvet, crying like I have never cried before.
Feeling lost, betrayed, confused, hurt, angry, embarrassed, the list is endless, I stay curled up under my duvet until there are no more tears to shed and my chest aches. I hear my door open and my mattress dips as someone sits on the edge. I don’t bother looking to see who it is. At the moment, I don’t care. I just want to be left alone. Becki’s soft voice comes to me muffled through the duvet. “I’m so sorry, Ambs. That was my fault. I should have fought harder to keep him out, but once I had the door open, he forced his way in.” I don’t respond.
She pulls the duvet back and looks down at me with a weak, sympathetic smile. “Oh honey, please don’t let him get to you like this. He’s a prick, a lying, cheating scumbag that has manipulated and used you for far too long. You’re so much better off without him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Bec? Why did you let me make a fool out of myself with him?”
“I did tell you, sweetie, time and time again, but you never wanted to hear it,” she replies sadly with a shake of her head.
“Why didn’t you make me listen? You’re my best friend, Bec. You should have made me listen.”
“I’m sorry, okay? Perhaps I should have persisted. Perhaps I should have called him out on it more, or stalked him, or… oh, I don’t know,” she pauses for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “I wasn’t totally sure he was cheating, and every time I mentioned something you would ignore it or brush it off. I didn’t want to risk our friendship over something I only suspected.”
What would I have done, if the roles were reversed? I would have probably done the same thing. Becki has always been my number one advocate, and I know she would not have willingly kept something like that from me without a good reason.
“It doesn’t matter now, Ambs. It’s in the past. You’ve left him, and you’re moving on with your life. Plus, you have that new hottie out there. It would appear that Craig adores you and will fight for you, something David would never do.”
God knows what Craig thinks of me now. He’s probably thinking all this grief isn’t worth the hassle. After all, who wants a frigid bitch for a girlfriend? He’s well known for his use them and lose them ways. Why would I be any different? Now he’s had his leg over, he’s probably just waiting for his chance to escape. This will just give him the perfect excuse to toss me aside.
I curl back up under the duvet, wishing things were so different.
The door opens again, and another set of footsteps crosses the wooden floor.
Whispering.
Mattress dipping.
Footsteps.
Door closing.
Silence.
I take a deep breath and try to will back the tears, telling myself over and over that I will not cry anymore. I have to be strong. After a couple of minutes, I push the duvet off me and sit up, resting my back against the cool wood of my headboard. Turning toward the window, I flinch in shock when I see Craig sitting back in the small chair there, watching me.
Feeling shame and embarrassment from David’s outburst, I drop my face into my hands, unable to look at him. “Sorry you got caught up in that. He shouldn’t have come here,” I whisper. When he doesn’t respond or make any attempt to move, I know he’s repulsed by what he witnessed and can’t bring himself to say anything to me. If that’s the case, why is he still here? Why not get the fuck out and leave me alone in peace to wallow in self-pity.
Getting off the bed with shaky legs, I look at him over my shoulder. “I’m so, so sorry,” I repeat before heading to the door. I need to be alone, and the allure of a steaming hot shower is too great.
In the bathroom, I close the door behind me and strip off my robe. I turn the water on hot and wait a few moments until the room begins to steam up before stepping inside. The scorching hot water immediately hits my sensitive skin, leaving a trail of discomfort and reminding me of my broken heart and empty soul.
Despite my resolve to be stronger, the tears begin to slowly fall again, joining the droplets of water hitting the shower floor. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to love again. Surely David has destroyed any chance of me trusting another man with my heart. He has left me utterly broken, beaten and unsure of whom I really am. How can I give myself to anyone when I don’t even know what I’m giving them?
When the shower curtain moves and a very naked Craig moves to stand in front of me, I let out a startled gasp and try to cover my naked trembling body. He pulls me into his arms and holds me close, occasionally placing kisses on the side of my head and stroking his hands up and down my back in a soothing gesture until finally, the sobs stop and I’m left totally drained, both physically and emotionally.
Wordlessly, Craig reaches around me and takes the bottle of shampoo from the side. He pours some into the palm of his hand and starts to rub the fruity scented liquid into my hair, massaging it into my scalp using firm circular movements that immediately ease some of my tension. I drop my head forward against his chest, giving him easier access, and place my hands on his hips for support. “Craig, what are you doing?” I whisper.
“Washing your hair,” he whispers back
“No, I mean, why are you still here… in here… washing my hair?”
“Because I want to be. Here, step back into the water so I can rinse you off.” I step back under the steaming water and let the torrent rinse the suds away. “Do you want conditioner too?” he asks, and when I nod, he reaches for the conditioner bottle and repeats the whole process. By the time he’s done with my hair, I’m feeling much calmer and relaxed.
“I’d like to wash you now. Which is your shower gel?” I point to my coconut and jasmine scented body wash, and he picks it up. Rubbing some into his hands, he begins massaging my body, starting with my shoulders, kneading and stroking the tight muscles there. He then moves down my back, over my bum, and down the backs of my thighs and calves. When he reaches my ankles, he tells me to turn around. Having put more wash in his hands, he starts the process again, beginning at my clavicle and moving down my sides, avoiding my breasts, across my abdomen, down my hips, thighs, shins and eventually down to my feet. He drops to his knees, picks u
p my right foot and begins massaging the sole. I place my hand on the shower wall for support and groan as I feel the final remnants of tension leave my body, leaving a sense of heat and need behind. With just a few tender touches, he has wiped away the negative feelings that had resurfaced following David’s revelation and cruel and hateful words.
As Craig stands, I immediately notice his erection and see desire in the depths of his eyes as his gaze meets mine. He moves my wet hair away from face and neck and bends forward to place a gentle kiss on my lips. “Are you feeling better now?” he asks, his deep sexy tone echoing around the room.
“Mmm hmm,” I manage as he grazes his lips down my neck and sucks gently just below my ear before moving lower. When he reaches my neglected breasts, he sucks hard over my right nipple. I almost scream out at the pleasure of the sting but bite it back, mindful that Becki and Scott are nearby. Instead, I close my eyes and toss my head back, concentrating on the intense sensations rushing through me. When Craig moves across to lavish the same attention on my left breast, I whimper as my body trembles with delight.
Craig slowly begins kissing down my body, concentrating his efforts on the sensitive skin around my naval. When he continues downward, I tense up and try to back away, but he gently grips my thigh, keeping me in place. He lifts my right ankle and places it on the side of the bath, leaving me open for him to explore. Looking up and locking eyes with mine, he sticks his tongue out and moistens his lips before dipping his head forward and lapping at my clit in one quick movement. The sudden attack sends a jolt of electricity rippling through me, and with one hand on the shower wall and the other burying into his hair for support, I let out a breathy cry of pleasure.
Craig continues licking and sucking on my clit before moving lower and dragging his tongue through my now slippery folds, kissing and caressing me. When he adds a finger and begins massaging me internally, my body shudders as waves of euphoria pour through me with a sudden orgasm that takes me completely by surprise.
Silver Lining Page 10
