by Tia Wylder
“Please try to cheer her up. I hate seeing her so unhappy,” the young boy mumbled. Paul nodded, gesturing for him to make his way next door. Jeffrey obliged, rushing out the door and slamming it shut behind him. The sound of the door shutting seemed to echo throughout the house, and Paul winced as he heard a door creak open. Footsteps could be heard crossing the floor upstairs, and soon he could see Kelly slinking down the stairs.
“Jeffrey? What did I tell you about…,” she began, cutting herself short upon seeing Paul’s scarcely clad form standing in the middle of her living room. The man felt rather silly, especially considering how unhappy the woman was to see him. He raised a hand, waving hesitantly. “Where’s my son, Paul?” She demanded coldly, rushing towards him. The red rings around her eyes made it obvious that she’d been crying for some time, and her voice hitched even when she tried to sound threatening. Paul intercepted her as she slipped past him, towards the door, pulling her to his chest.
“He’s next door, playing with his best friend like he should be,” the navy seal said gently, drawing away to look the woman in the eyes. Kelly trembled, refusing to return his stare. She sniffled softly, trying to free herself from Paul’s grip. He refused to release her, however, crouching down to get a better look at her. She reddened, obviously embarrassed to be caught in such a state.
“What are you doing here?” She demanded, though the question came out somewhat weak and strangled. Paul gently brushed her hair away from her eyes, a certain tenderness sweeping over him unlike any he had felt in some time. She blushed even deeper, her throat bobbing as she forcefully swallowed.
“I came to apologize. I was an idiot, and I had no right to say those things to you,” he said forcefully, grasping her by the chin and forcing her to finally meet his gaze. Her expression seemed to crack when she couldn’t avoid his stare any longer, and tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I… I thought you would be out at some… singles bar or something. I don’t know, anywhere but here, apologizing to me,” she murmured. Paul frowned, stroking a hand through her hair once more.
“I only have eyes for you. It’s been that way for some time now, you know…,” he managed. Her eyes widened slightly, and he began to babble without really intending to. “I know you can’t forgive me, especially after how many times I’ve wronged you, but I want you to know that there’s no one else for me…,” he stammered out, cut short as she forcefully pressed their lips together. The chaste nature of their last kiss was completely absent, desperation seeming to radiate from her pores as she gripped him tightly, drawing his lip between her own. He groaned against her, resting a hand on the small of her back to brace her.
“I feel the same. I know… I know you can’t exactly believe me, but you’re the only one I’ve had eyes for,” she blurted, tears running down her reddened cheeks. While Paul knew it wasn’t exactly conventional, it was the most beautiful he had ever seen the woman. He drew her into his arms, and they continued to kiss with all the desperation of a starving man searching for food. She pressed herself flush against his chest, her robe slipping open to expose her bare skin. His fingers ghosted against her slightly, unintended, and a gasp drew itself from her lips. He jolted away, eyes wide and wild as he seemed to realize what had happened.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted, eyes widening even further as she smiled mischievously at him. With a brief moment of hesitation, she shrugged off her robe, allowing it to pool on the floor around her feet. She wore no underwear of any kind, no bra and no panties to speak of. His mouth hung agape, all the memories of being with her rushing to the forefront of his mind. However, this moment seemed somehow better.
It wasn’t in the past. It was in the here and the now, and it was obvious that Kelly wanted him as badly as he wanted her. She stepped towards him, pressing him back against the door he had stepped through mere moments prior. Their lips met once more, engaging in a slow and sensual dance. His hands found their way onto her breasts, gently caressing the curves and swells of her chest. He gently pinched her nipples, in just the way he knew she liked. She whimpered, throwing her head back to expose her neck to him. He leaned in, pressing his lips to the column of her throat.
“I want you,” she murmured, her words leaving no room for argument. He hummed softly, unable to resist her as she gripped the waistband of his pants, shoving them down his hips. He suddenly wished he had bathed before walking over, but it seemed the last thing on her mind as she slipped her hand beneath his briefs and gripped his swollen manhood. He hunched over a bit, a gasp spilling past his lips as she began to stroke her hand up and down the length of him. She brushed her thumb against the tip, gathering the little bead of pre ejaculate that was already forming. Bringing her thumb to her lips, she tasted him, making a show of moaning salaciously at the taste.
“Oh, Christ,” he moaned, switching their positions so that she was the one pinned to the door. She grinned, licking her lips slowly as he positioned himself at her entrance. He was hesitant to proceed, unsure if she wanted to proceed in the way he desired. That hesitation flew out the window, however, when she wrapped a leg around his waist and drew his full length inside of her. Her mouth fluttered open, stuttering gasps escaping in a sigh as inch after inch was fed into her. Paul lowered his head, brushing his lips against the nook between her neck and shoulder. He kissed her tenderly there, nipping gently at her skin as he began to move inside of her.
“O-oh, Paul,” she breathed, her hips moving in a steady motion as he continued to pound into her. Her body slammed back against the door with every rock of their bodies, and the man could only count himself lucky that he had sent her son next door. It was clear that Kelly was drawing agonizingly close to her peak, and Paul shifted his angle to hit her just right as he continued to thrust. She squealed softly, eyes squeezed shut as she was overcome by the sheer emotion and pleasure of her orgasm. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, and Paul dipped his head to kiss away her tears. His heart swelled, as well as the piece of him settled deep within her, when her walls began to flex around him.
“I… I love… I love you, Kelly,” he gasped out, unable to stop the words as he bottomed out inside of her, spilling himself deep inside of her. She cried out softly, driven to a second and somewhat less intense orgasm. All the same, it was enough to leave her a shuddering mess as she leaned back against the door, unable to support her weight any longer. He pressed against her, kissing her repeatedly on the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, and lips. She giggled softly, tangling her hands in his hair as he continued to lavish her with affection.
Realizing a bit belatedly what he had confessed as he came inside her, Paul could only hope Kelly didn’t pick up on the claim. As much as he would want to deny it, he wouldn’t be able to. He couldn’t lie and tell her that he was just caught in the moment. He knew, deep in his heart, that he loved this woman with every inch and fiber of his being. However, she simply seemed a bit dazed, meeting his gaze with a tender smile. He drew away from her, his length slipping out of her. She pressed her thighs together to try and stop the gush from spilling down her legs, her cheeks reddening slightly as she seemed to realize what they had just done in the entryway of her home.
“Can you grab me a towel? The bathroom is upstairs,” she inquired softly, almost nervously. “I know this is entirely unattractive after making love but…,” she trailed off, looking uncertain of herself.
“Oh, sweetheart, don’t worry about how you look. I know how it is with a kid. I’ll help you get cleaned up, okay?” He warmly assured her. She smiled abruptly, squealing as he swept her up into his arms. She kept her thighs pressed together, but he swiftly moved towards the stairs, heading up towards the bathroom. “We can get a shower, then let the boys know we’ve… made up, as it were. They’ll be thrilled to know they can still play together,” he murmured. Kelly grimaced slightly, giving his shoulder a slight shove.
“Don’t bring our kids up so soon,” she mumbled, though it was clear she was mostly teasi
ng. He rolled his eyes, carrying her into the bathroom and placing her on her feet on the tile floor. “You’re right, though. Jeffrey was crushed by the idea of never getting to see James again. And well, of course, he wasn’t too keen on the idea of never seeing you again, either,” she murmured, turning on the water in the shower. As it began to heat up, she sat on the edge of the tub, staring up at Paul with adoration shining in her gaze.
“I would have missed him as well. But more than anything… I would have missed you. I’m still so sorry about the things I said to you, Kelly. If there is anything I can do to make up for it…,” he trailed off as she slid into the tub, standing under the shower stream. She extended her hand to him, a wry smile curling on her lips.
“If you want to make it up to me, get in here and scrub down with me. Then, we’ll go next door and let everyone know that this whole thing has blown over,” she murmured. His eyes alit with delight, and he slipped into the shower with her, with little argument.
Now that this misstep was behind them, Paul was confident that he could move forward with the love of his life at his side. So what if she had maybe been with someone else. It was something he could come to terms with… he was sure of it.
Chapter Seven
Things settled into a comfortable sort of routine for Paul and Kelly. Jeffrey idolized James as much as ever, and the time the boys spent together gave their parents plenty of time to get to know each other again. It was a process, but it was one that Paul was content with. Though he didn’t expect Kelly to be so forgiving, he certainly wasn’t complaining with the way she cozied up to his side when they took their sons to the park, or on some other ventures of sorts. Things couldn’t be better, as far as the blue-eyed man was concerned.
Which is why, when James burst through the door in something of a tizzy, Paul could only wonder what was wrong. The boys had been out playing, as was the norm for them. Paul hadn’t quite gotten ready to face the day as of that moment, so he had sent James ahead to tell the neighbors that he would be over as soon as he got dressed. However, James’ face was flushed, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he slammed the front door shut behind him. Paul rushed over to him, crouching in front of his son and reaching out to touch his shoulder.
“Are you alright, little man?” He inquired gently, brushing the tears away from his son’s eyes. James wasn’t one to get upset easily, at least, not upset to the point of tears. He managed to remain more stoic than his father on most days, at least as far as negative emotions went. When James was upset, however, it was like a hurricane striking the shore with gale force winds. His body shook with barely repressed anger, and he reached up to wipe his eyes in frustration.
“Jeffrey is upset with me,” James said bluntly, slipping past his father to sink into the couch. Paul raised a brow, following his son with his eyes. It certainly didn’t sound like the younger boy to be upset with his older brother figure, but Paul knew things were rarely as cut and dry as they may have seemed. Breathing a sigh, Paul strode towards the couch, dropping into a crouch in front of his young son. He had hoped James might have settled down a bit once he got away from the situation, whatever the situation may have been. However, James only seemed even more upset than when he’d stepped through the door.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Paul inquired, gently. James met his father’s gaze, bottom lip trembling. He seemed to weigh his options, shaking his head and averting his eyes. Paul tilted his head curiously, reaching out to ruffle the young boy’s hair. James shifted away from his father, obviously trying very hard to rein in his emotions. It seemed to be working, if just barely. “Why don’t you wanna talk to me?” Paul pressed a bit, careful to make sure his son didn’t break altogether. James chuckled hollowly, wiping his eyes again. The boy seemed all the more frustrated by his own tears, and the fact that no matter what he did, they didn’t seem to slow.
“I don’t think Jeffrey would want me to tell you guys about it,” James muttered, wringing his hands together. “He might be mad at me, but he’s still my friend. I don’t… I don’t want to rat him out,” he continued, moving to shift off of the couch. Paul rose to his full height, crossing his arms over his chest as he dutifully considered his son. James moved to shift past his father, but Paul clapped a hand down on his shoulder to stop him.
“What did you guys get in a fight over?” Paul demanded, his tone leaving little room for argument. James sought to exploit what little room there was, however.
“It’s none of your business, Dad. It’s just… stuff. Just stuff,” the boy asserted, his voice hitching in spite of himself. The blue-eyed man fought to ignore the pang in his heart, resisting the desire to simply let his son slip away.
“If this is something I need to approach Kelly about,” Paul began, only for James to erupt into fresh tears. The boy buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking from the force of his sobs. The father’s eyes widened dramatically, and he scooped the boy up into his arms in spite of any protests. “Son, please. Just talk to me,” he implored.
“Miss Carpenter isn’t going to want to see you, either. I really screwed up, Dad. I was… I was just asking Jeffrey if he knew anything about his dad, and he got really upset. I tried to make him feel better, but he was just so… angry! He didn’t even seem to be angry at me, just… the fact that he didn’t know his dad, you know?” James paused, gasping in a deep breath.
“Why would that make his mother not want to see me?” Paul muttered, though he had a bit of a sinking suspicion regarding the whole situation. James hesitated, burying his face in his father’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Dad. Miss Carpenter seemed to think that you had put me up to it. You know, asking about Jeff’s dad. I tried to tell her it wasn’t anything like that, but she told me to leave. Before I left, I heard her tell Jeff to stay away from both of us. He tried to argue with her, but I left before I was able to hear the end of it,” James explained, weakly. Paul inhaled a quaking breath, his worst suspicions confirmed in that moment. It seemed Kelly was less confident in their relationship than she seemed. Then again, he couldn’t entirely blame her. He had been the one to drive the wedge so deeply between them.
“Don’t worry, kiddo. I’ll go talk to Miss Carpenter, and we’ll work things out. I know it stinks that you have to suffer for what I’ve done in the past, but…,” Paul was cut short as James pushed away from him.
“I’m not suffering, Dad! It’s Jeff! I want him to be okay. I know we’re not really brothers, but it… it feels like we are. We even joke about being brothers from another mother. He adores you, and I really like Miss Carpenter, but I just don’t think it’s fair that Jeff is the odd one out in all of this,” the boy said, desperately. Paul gently sat him on the floor, drawing away to look him in the eye.
“I’m going to talk to her. You stay inside and play some video games or something. I’m sure it’s something that can be easily talked through,” Paul murmured, although his gut instinct told him it wouldn’t be nearly as easy as he would like. In spite of his obvious doubt, James nodded his head and retreated upstairs. He paused midway up, turning to look at his father as Paul shuffled towards the door.
“Don’t get him in any more trouble, alright Dad?” He called out. Paul smiled rather sadly, shaking his head to himself.
“I’ll do what I can, little buddy,” he called back, pushing through the front door and out into the deceptively beautiful day. As he began the venture to the neighboring yard, he could see Jeffrey out front, bouncing a ball up and down in his hands. Sadness seemed to radiate from his entire tiny being, and it was all Paul could do not to rush forward and try to comfort the boy. Before he could do as much, however, Kelly stepped out the front door. She was dressed in a nice little sundress, though her eyes carried a weariness that dampered what could have been a cheerful expression. She approached Jeffrey, speaking quietly to him and resting a hand on his shoulder.
“Mom, he didn’t… Mr. Stalone didn’t,” Jeffrey spu
ttered, tears streaming down his cheeks. It seemed he was even more upset than James had been, which was a feat in and of itself.
“Don’t defend him, Jeffrey. Now, go inside and watch the television for a bit,” she paused, raising her eyes towards Paul. He belatedly realized that she had already noticed his presence, in spite of how sneaky he may have thought he had been. “I’m going to speak to Mr. Stalone, and we’re going to need some privacy,” she said. The young boy glanced towards Paul, a pleading look in his eye. Paul waved a hand, trying to give the boy some assurance that things would work out for the best. However, he still had doubts of his own that he couldn’t shake, an uncomfortable weight settling in his chest as Kelly ushered her son inside.
“Kelly, you have to know, this is all just a big misunderstanding,” Paul said carefully, approaching her from behind. She turned narrowed eyes upon him, the betrayal in her eyes shining in a wounded glimmer. She appeared tired, more exhausted than he had seen her in some time. He could relate to her weariness to an extent, especially considering their sons had been compromised in this entire situation. “I would never ask James…,” he tried to continue, but she held up a hand to silence him.
