by S J Crabb
‘Thanks, Lizzie. I'll be fine. We can keep our hands off each other for a few more days.’
Granny looks at me thoughtfully. ‘Don't keep him at arm's length too long, Annie. My advice for a happy relationship is lots of sex, often and in as many ways as possible. Keep the mystery going and surprise him occasionally. Don't get boring in bed and you will have a happy life.’
She heads off to replenish her sherry glass leaving me feeling very hot and bothered. Sex advice from your gran. Ew and double ew.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
As soon as I wake up the next morning the excitement grips me. Christmas Eve! How excited am I? I always love the day before christmas. There's a sense of anticipation that never seems to disappear, no matter how old you become.
My thoughts are interrupted, by a strange noise coming from Gina's room.
Sitting up, I strain to hear and process the sound. If I didn't know better, it sounds as if she's getting down and dirty with Dick!
I hear her moan, then gasp and just stare in front of me in shocked disbelief. Surely not, she wouldn't… oh my god, she most definitely is!!!
I can't believe it. In her childhood bed, not a stone's throw from her sister. Ew, I can't bear it.
Her grunts and moans fill my ears as I put my hands over them, trying to block out the sounds of intense sexual activity.
I am trapped in my room because the only way out is through hers. This is a disaster. Surely, she wouldn't do this to me. I feel sick!
I drag myself miserably over to the window. Maybe I can jump out? I don't know, shimmy down the apple tree like they do in American movies.
The trouble is, we don't have any trees or drainpipes outside my window. Just the remnants of the ivy that my mother made my father strip from the walls as it invaded the house.
The sounds get louder and I wonder what on earth she was thinking of? I mean, in her own home with her parents nearby. How disrespectful. Why couldn't she go to Dick's room for god's sake? This is terrible.
I look out of the window in anguish. How long can they possibly go on for? And what happens when they finish? Am I supposed to look at them as if I never heard anything. She's so selfish, what a cow!
Then everything changes as I spy a familiar person walking down the path towards the house. What the hell, Dick?!!
I do a double take. This can't be right. If Dick's out there then who on earth is Gina getting down and dirty with in her single bed for one?
The shock hits me before the nausea. There can only be one culprit – Liam!
I can't believe it, how could they? It's bad enough catching my real boyfriend in another, but the thought of my pretend one inside my sister is devastating on so many levels.
I want to cry and race in there, pull them apart and batter them both to an untimely death. How could they do this to me and Dick? There is no rational explanation and the hate I'm feeling is threatening to overwhelm me. That's it, christmas has been ruined for me - forever!!
I throw my head under the pillows to drown out the sound of my hopes and dreams of three days crashing around me. We had a future; we were happy and in love. For one more day anyway. Poor Dick, he will be devastated.
What happens when Gina and Liam become engaged and I will have to go to their wedding? I will be a bridesmaid at the wedding of the man I love.
Suddenly, I sit bolt upright. What did I just say?
I sink back against my pillows as the realisation hits me. Somehow, during the last few days my heart has been claimed by the sexy stranger from the train. Everything we have done flashes before my eyes. His smile, the way his eyes light up when he laughs. The little touches he gives me when I least expect it. A reassuring hand on mine when I need it most. A smile and a laugh drawing me in. The way he cared for and protected me against his family and friends. Even the way we fought like children in a gentle teasing manner. All of that has added up to one massive hole in my heart that has been replaced by disappointment and anger at the fact that he is now next door screwing my sister.
As if to reinforce the fact, I hear his guttural moan accompanied by hers and then there is silence. Total and complete silence. Not a bedspring groaning underneath their weight, not a sigh of contentment and not a gentle whisper of endearment. Nothing.
In fact, are they even still there?
What am I supposed to do now? How can I go down to breakfast and act as if nothing has happened? This is a nightmare. For this to happen to me twice, in almost as many days, is catastrophic.
My misery is now off the scale. My pretend boyfriend and my real sister. I feel empty inside. Wrung out and an emotional wreck. There is only one thing I need now – Mr Puddles!
Mr Puddles, is now living up to his name, as I pour my entire supply of tears into him. It's not fair. I know that Liam is well and truly out of my league, but I had been living the dream, despite it being a pretend one.
Trust my sister to spoil it for me. She always wanted what was mine. It started with the dolls I got for birthdays and christmas. She would work out a way to swap them for her bits of old tat. Then she tried to take Timmy's affection away from me, that is, Timmy number one.
If I did well at school, she did better. If I was complimented on my appearance, she would go one better and take the attention away from me onto her.
She even managed to get a better Saturday job than me. I worked in the local farm shop and she became employed at the local dress store. And now this. My perfect boyfriend has been rustled out from underneath my nose, with not a thought for Richard and me.
Suddenly, the despair changes to anger and a cold feeling creeps over my heart, hardening it forever.
I will not put up with this, christmas or no christmas. This time I will win.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
With determination I set off downstairs. I try to avert my gaze from Gina's bed as I cross through her room. The last thing I want to see is any evidence of their passion.
I feel really hurt and upset. I know that Liam is only doing me a favour and I have no right at all to be jealous, but I can't help myself.
With a heavy heart I enter the kitchen and am relieved to see that it's empty. The only life form in the room is Timmy and my eyes mist over as he wags his furry tail and comes across to give me a welcoming kiss.
Patting him on the head, I decide a brisk walk by the sea is in order to mend my broken heart. So, I quickly grab his Cath Kidston lead, along with my coat and boots and head off to sea.
As I stomp down the path I see the Major in the distance looking very pleased with himself.
He gives me a hearty wave and I just smile and return the favour. How lucky is he not to have the weight of the world on his shoulders?
As I head towards the gate at the end of the garden I hear somebody calling my name.
‘Annie, wait up!’ Looking around, my heart sinks as I see Liam steaming towards me.
Seemingly out of breath, he draws near and pants, ‘Wait for me. I could do with getting away from here for a bit, your family is exhausting.’
My eyes widen as I take in his flushed cheeks and tired eyes. He looks like he's run a marathon and the anger takes hold. Fixing him with a furious frown, I snap. ‘I can't believe you, Liam. How could you? I know you don't owe me anything, and are free to do whatever you want, but how could you do that to Dick? I'm so disappointed in you and think you should leave.’
He just looks at me in confusion. ‘What are you talking about, Annie? I don't understand. What have I done?’
I round on him angrily, as Timmy sits quietly looking between us with interest.
‘Don't play the innocent with me. I heard you this morning. I must say, it was bad enough watching my real boyfriend being unfaithful in front of my eyes, but it is too much listening to my fake one having it away with my sister in the next room. Not to mention the fact she's practically engaged. You both disgust me.’
I turn away, my tears threatening to blind me.
Th
en I feel him pulling me around to face him and I see the hurt and confusion in his face.
‘I have no idea what you are talking about. I haven't even seen Gina since last night and all I've done this morning is help your mum unpack the home delivery. She must have bought out the whole supermarket and I'm exhausted.’
I stare at him in horror. He stares back and immediately I know he is telling the truth. I let the news digest for a while and then look at him and shake my head. ‘If it wasn't you, then who was it?’
Liam looks concerned. ‘Listen, let me grab my coat and I'll join you. Tell me what you heard and we will work it out.’
I nod as he races back to his room to grab his coat. As I stand here in the frozen garden, my mind is racing with what has happened. It doesn't make sense.
By the time, Liam returns, I have worked myself right up.
He looks at me with concern and takes my hand. ‘Come on gorgeous, let's sort this out.’
As we walk down the path towards the beach I tell him what I heard. He looks at me in disbelief and shakes his head.
‘You must be mistaken. She could have been watching the television or something.’
I look at him with wild, crazy, eyes. ‘There isn't a TV in her room, and I know the sound of my own sister moaning. God only knows I've had to put up with it one way or another all my life.’
Liam looks uncomfortable. ‘Um, maybe she was… you know… um... going it alone.’
‘Ugh, Liam, stop. Of course she wasn't. I heard a man's pleasure in that room as well as hers. She was most definitely not alone.’
Liam looks thoughtful. ‘And you definitely saw Richard during this sordid act.’
I roll my eyes. ‘It's not funny, Liam. I know what I heard and there can only be two possibilities. Before you say anything, I don't want to hear them out loud, ok?’
Liam nods and I can tell he is finding this rather amusing.
I sigh heavily. ‘I did see the Major looking very satisfied with himself. You don't think Gina has a thing for older men, do you?’
Liam starts laughing and I feel cross. ‘Shut up, Liam, this isn't funny. You know as mysteries go, this is one I never thought I'd have to solve. I must have missed the Famous Five book when George goes behind Dick's back and gets it on with Uncle Quentin.’
Liam is laughing uncontrollably now and wiping his eyes says, ‘There really is only one thing we can do.’
I sigh heavily. ‘Ok, what?’
He grins. ‘We will have to call in the Secret Seven as back up.’
That's enough and I launch myself on him like the wronged woman that I was ten minutes ago. We end up engaged in a huge play fight on the beach and Timmy joins in barking and pulling on our coats.
By the time Liam wrestles me to the sand, I'm really enjoying myself. Who'd have thought, the idea of my father or the Major, in bed with my sister would result in me having my dreams come true. My sexy stranger from the train, on top of me on the sand, holding me down and looking at me strangely.
Suddenly, his expression turns a lot more serious. He reaches up and tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear and his eyes soften drawing me in.
I stare back at him as if he has cast a spell over me. I am waiting for his move. My heart is thumping and I almost can't breathe – and not because he is crushing me with his extremely fit body. Silently, I pray to the love Gods - please kiss me Liam, please kiss me. Then the moment is shattered and Timmy shakes wet sand all over us. Liam springs off me, trying to remove the grains of sand from his eyes.
I scream, ‘Timmy, bad dog, how could you?!’
Timmy doesn't seem to care and just rushes back into the sea. Oh, why didn't we just get a cat instead? Timmy has ruined the best moment of my increasingly sad life.
Liam grins and jumps up, pulling me with him. He looks at me and smiles softly.
‘I'm sure it's nothing, Annie. There is probably a perfectly good explanation for what you heard this morning. Don't let it get inside your head. As if your sister would do anything like that.’
He takes my hand and I smile at him in relief.
‘You're right. I always have jumped to the wrong conclusions on everything. Let's just enjoy our walk and if you're good, we could sneak in a brandy before lunch.’
The trouble is, as we set off after an out-of-control Timmy, I still can't shake the feeling that something is very wrong.
Chapter Thirty
Liam treats me to lunch at the pub. I need to put some distance between myself and my family and he has obviously sensed it.
I enjoy spending time with him. We talk about ourselves, and I think I now know more about his life than anyone I have met in my whole life. I keep on having to remind myself that it's not for much longer. In two days' time we will be packing to head back to London.
I'm sure we'll keep in touch for a bit, until his glamorous life claims him once again.
Liam is also quiet. He seems to have something on his mind and I decide to try to help. After all, isn't that what friends are for?
‘Hey, boyfriend. You've gone a bit quiet. Anything you want to share with your temporary girlfriend?’
My heart flutters as he grins that devilish grin that sets my pulse racing and my insides on fire.
‘Sorry, I'm just dreading returning to the madness back in London. Being here with you and your family has taught me the importance of family life.’
I look at him incredulously. ‘You're joking, aren't you? If I were you, I'd be counting my blessings. At least you get to escape from this madhouse. I must return to it and go through the madness again in a few short months. Who knows what's going on here and things may get a whole lot worse. Just be grateful you have a one-way ticket out of here.’
He smiles sadly. ‘I have quite enjoyed the craziness. My life is crazy-free most of the time. My family is so stiff they could have shares in starch. I don't have any brothers or sisters and my only cousin now probably hates me for ruining her wedding. My job, although seemingly glamorous, is lonely and meaningless. I take pictures of empty vessels most of the time. Everything is crafted into an illusion of perfection. What my pictures don't show is the real story. These images are to sell. They are designed to aspire, not inspire. The people I work with are fake and ruthless. I never get to meet real people, Annie, until now that is.’
I shake my head in total surprise. ‘But you are so successful, Liam. You have risen to the top of your profession. Now is the time to enjoy that success. You could do so much more if you wanted to. There isn't a law that says you must photograph fashion. Look around you and look for other alternatives. I am sure with your CV you would get most jobs you went for if you tried.’
Liam smiles and then looks at me with interest. ‘What about you? If I remember rightly you still need a job.’
I wave my hands dismissively. ‘Oh, something will come up. If not, I'll move back home for a bit until I get myself sorted out. It's not the end of the world.’
Taking another sip of the brandy I can't help feeling that if I had to return here, away from my flat, my friends and now Liam, it would very much be the end of my world.
The rest of the afternoon is spent wrapping gifts for the Santa's sack. Liam and I head off to his room for some privacy away from prying eyes.
Mum and Dad have made their Holiday Lets, real homes from home. The rooms are light and airy and have everything a visiting guest would need. No wonder they are always fully booked.
I am quite enjoying myself sitting on the floor of the room with Liam, surrounded by cheap Poundland paper and crazy cheap gifts. As we work we chat about ridiculous things and make each other laugh.
As soon as the last crazy gift is wrapped, I sink back and look at the exciting pile with satisfaction.
‘There, all done and dusted. Now we just have it all to look forward to.’
Liam smiles and looks at me strangely. ‘You know, Annie, I have had the best time, I really have. When I first saw you on the train I never im
agined we would be sitting here, did you?’
I smile and laugh happily. ‘You were so angry that day, as was I. Who'd have thought that a chance meeting would turn out the way it did. We broke every rule out there about what not to do when talking to strangers on the train. For all I knew, you could have been a crazy psycho, whose sole intent was on abducting and murdering me. After a few brandy's though, it ceased to be of any importance.’
Liam grins wickedly. ‘And you could have been some mad, crazy, woman, hell bent on seducing me and coercing me into becoming your boyfriend while using me for your own pleasure.’
I snort, feeling my face burn with embarrassment as he grins and pulls me up from the floor.
‘Come on, let's give these gifts to your mum and see if we can help with anything else. We have a mystery to solve if I'm not mistaken.’
My eyes must cloud over at the mention of my problems and Liam smiles softly.
‘Whatever is going on must have a very simple explanation. If I know one thing, it's your family may be mad, but they're not morally corrupt. Just keep an open mind and the truth will reveal itself.’
I smile at him gratefully. ‘You're probably right.’
As we head outside, I pull him back and smile softly.
‘Thanks, Liam. I really mean it. This weekend has been kind of crazy and not many men would put up with it. I will miss my crazy boyfriend when we return to normality and the daily grind. I just want you to know that. It's meant a lot.’
Liam's eyes glitter and my breath catches in my throat as he looks at me with such an intense look I almost forget to breathe.
He pulls me towards him and touches my cheek softly. His eyes soften and he smiles gently.
‘No, thank you, Annie. As girlfriends go, you are the best one I have ever had. Funny, kind, sweet and sexy. The most beautiful person I have ever met and worth a million supermodels.’
