“He hit me,” she whispered.
“What? Who hit you?”
“Carl…but it was only once.” She widened her eyes pleadingly.
Eve’s mouth fell open. “What? He hit you? Oh my God, Lily, why on earth would he do that?”
“It was only once and he said sorry. He got a bit drunk when I missed a period and thought I was pregnant. He…he said I was stupid and careless… He was right. It was my fault.”
“No…hang on a minute. It takes two to bloody tango. That’s just ridiculous.”
“I know, but he said he was sorry. I…I think he meant it.”
Eve gripped Lily’s arms. “I don’t give a flying fuck if you thought he meant anything. He shouldn’t have laid a finger on you. And what happened was not your fault okay?”
“But it was my responsibility—”
Eve’s eyes were wide and her face had lost its colour. “Bullshit, Lily. You know that’s a load of rubbish. You’re an intelligent woman, for goodness sake. Don’t you dare defend him for doing that to you.” Lily felt the inappropriate urge to snigger. She had never heard Eve swear before. The realisation that Eve must be very angry and worried enough to do so was quite a sobering thought.
“Please don’t tell Adam, okay? Promise me?”
Eve shook her head slowly. “You know I can’t make that promise. He’s your best friend and he cares about you deeply. He needs to know.”
Tears spilled over once again. “No! I trusted you, Eve. You can’t tell him.”
“Where’s Carl now?”
“He went out for a smoke. He said… Never mind.” Lily shook her head.
“He said what?”
Lily dropped her gaze to the floor. “He said my party was shit and my friends are pathetic. He thinks my friends are beneath him.” She sobbed, feeling ashamed.
“Right. Come on. Get some water splashed on your face. We’re going back out there to get Adam and we’re going home.”
“No…no, I’m fine… I’ll just put more make-up on. I’ll be fine,” Lily insisted.
“No. We should get you out of here until we decide what to do.”
♥♥♥
Adam paced near the bar. What the hell was taking Eve so long? He decided she must have found Lily in some kind of drunken stupor in the toilets. Worry got the better of him and he marched toward the ladies’ room. Without stopping to think he pushed the door open. Eve and Lily swung around as he entered.
“What the fuck’s going on with you two?” He clenched his jaw as he watched the two girls acting suspiciously.
Eve looked toward Lily. “Please tell him, Lily.”
“No!” Lily’s voice was strained.
Adam frowned. “Tell me what?”
Lily shook her head at Eve.
“Tell me what?” Adam raised his voice.
Eve cupped Lily’s bruised cheek. “Lily, please.”
Lily crumpled to the floor and Adam rushed to her side, crouching beside her. “Lily? What’s going on?”
“He hit me.”
“What?” His voice was calm, belying the storm that had begun to rage beneath his skin. “Who hit you?”
“It was my fault. But it’s all fine now.”
He took Lily’s face in his hands and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. “Did Carl hit you?”
“Yes but it was my fault.”
“Okay, on what planet is it ever okay for a man to hit his girlfriend?” he asked her gently. “Lily, answer me that. When is it ever okay?”
“I…I…but he thought I’d trapped him.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I missed a period. He thought I was pregnant. He said if I was that I’d done it on purpose.”
“So he fucking hit you when he thought there was a chance you could be pregnant?” Adam spoke through clenched teeth. Lily just nodded. “Where is he now, Lily?”
“Adam, no…it’s fine…he said sorry.”
Adam let out a derisive laugh. “Oh well that’s fine then…as long as he apologised.” He turned to Eve. “Where is the lowlife piece of scum?”
Eve bit her lip. “He apparently went out for a smoke.”
Adam stood slowly. “Keep Lily here.” He flung the door open so hard it bashed into the wall and left a huge dent.
♥♥♥
Carl was leaning against the wall, puffing on a rather large cigarette that looked distinctly like a joint. Adam ran toward him, and before Carl had a chance to figure out what was happening, Adam’s fist connected with his nose. “You bastard!” he shouted as he repeatedly punched Lily’s boyfriend in the face. “You lay one finger on her again, and I swear I will fucking kill you!”
Carl flailed his arms before curling into a ball on the ground. “Whoa, mate, stop hitting me! What the fuck? You’ve broken my fucking nose!”
Adam stood over Carl, fists still clenched, chest heaving. “You stay away from her, do you hear me?”
Carl laughed through his blood stained teeth. “Whatever she’s told you, mate, it’s all lies.”
“Don’t you call me your fucking mate, you prick!” Adam’s heart pounded in his chest and he had to will himself not to continue with the beating.
“She tried to trap me! She tried to get pregnant. You know what they can be like. They see a good thing and they don’t want to let it go.” Carl held his hands up.
Adam grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to his feet. Moving to within an inch of Carl’s face, Adam gritted his teeth. “You’re not a fucking good thing! You’re a fucking coward. If I ever hear that you’ve stepped within a foot of Lily again I swear to God I’ll kick your fucking arse from here to Australia. Do you hear me?” Carl nodded. “Because next time, pal, I won’t be as kind as to let you walk away with just a broken nose, you get me?” he shouted. People had begun to congregate outside the club where they were.
Adam shoved Carl again and he fell to the floor, hitting his head on the wall and yowling. Before he opened the door, Adam turned back to Carl. “Oh and while I remember, Carl Denton, if you decide that you’re going to involve the police, don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell them about the joint you’ve been smoking along with the fact that you hit your girlfriend when you thought she was pregnant and trying to trap you. As if anyone would want to trap you, you arrogant piece of shit!” Gasps travelled around the crowd that had gathered.
Lily and Eve were waiting by the bar when Adam returned shaking his sore hand. Lily’s eyes widened. “Are you okay, Adam?”
He grinned. “I’m fine. Your ex is a little sore though.”
♥♥♥
When they arrived back at the shared house, Adam walked Lily up to her room. He hugged her tight as they stood just inside the doorway. Her tears soaked his shirt.
He tilted her chin up. “Hey, why are you crying?”
“Because I’m so stupid…and because your knuckles are a mess…all because of me.” She sniffed.
“Look, Lil, you deserve to be loved by someone worthy of you…you know all that stuff you were spouting about it being your fault he hit you was rubbish, don’t you?” Lily nodded. “Because he’s a wimp. He’s not a real man and he’s certainly not worthy of my best friend. Please keep away from him. And if he tries to come back into your life just remember how shitty you felt when he hit you. And tell me if he tries to make contact. I won’t have it, Lil. I won’t have anyone treating you like that. Not while I’ve got a breath in my body.”
She gazed at him with watery eyes. “Thanks, Adders, I’m not sure what I would do without you.
He pulled her into him. “Well lucky for both of us we don’t need to worry about that, eh?” He kissed her cheek and went back to his room.
Eve was reading in bed when Adam returned to his room. He undressed and climbed in next to her, snuggling up to her warm, naked body. “Thanks for staying here tonight, Evie. And thanks for your help with Lily.”
She placed her book down. “It’s okay…I think I owe you an apology.”
“An apology? What for?”
“For doubting you about Lily. You clearly knew something was amiss and I just got jealous.”
Adam pulled up to look into her eyes. “Jealous? Why jealous?”
She sighed. “Because of your relationship with her. It doesn’t usually bother me, but sometimes I just see how you are with her and feel I can’t compete with that level of love.” Adam opened his mouth to speak but Eve placed her fingers on his lips. “And before you say anything, I’m aware of how ridiculous I’m being. Lily needed you. I just…sometimes struggle with how close you are.” She dropped her gaze and her cheeks coloured.
He pulled her down so that their lips were almost touching, his eyes searching hers. “You do know how much I love you, don’t you? And that you’re the only girl for me? You’re the one I want to wake up with, the one I want to share my body and my life with. You do know that, Evie, don’t you?”
“When I’m not being paranoid and silly? Yes I know that. Now, what I really want is for you to make love to me. I want to forget about all the drama for a while.”
“I can’t think of anything that I’d rather do right now. I love you so much. Don’t ever forget that. You and me are forever.”
“Forever,” she repeated. “And I love you too, Adam.”
Chapter Eight
Skools Out For Summer (Alice Cooper)
June 2003 - Scotland
“How did it go, honey?” Eve’s voice was music to Adam’s ears.
“Well, it was gruelling to say the least!” Huffing the air out of his lungs, he collapsed back on the sofa. He shuffled his jacket down his arms whilst tucking his phone under his ear.
“Did you get any vibes at all? How did your presentation go? Did your lesson go okay? And did the kids seem to like you?” Eve’s questions came out in a rush, making Adam smile.
He chuckled. “Erm…hang on…let me get this right…not really…quite well…great and yes.”
“Adam!” She sounded frustrated.
“Sorry…the presentation went great thanks to you making me be uber prepared. The practise lesson was brilliant! We had a discussion about acrostic poems. I got them all to make an acrostic poem using their names. Some of them were amazing. I was so impressed. The kids were great fun. Awww, I really want this job, Evie.”
She sighed. “You’ll get it, honey. I just know you will.”
“I wish I had your optimism. Anyway, when are you coming over? I miss you and I haven’t made love to you in almost a week.” His voice turned to a husky low whisper.
She moaned in his ear, sending shivers down his spine. “Hmmm, I was thinking the same thing. I would’ve come over tonight but I thought you might be too tired.”
He sat upright. “Too tired for you? Never. Come over now if you like.”
“I’ve just got some things to sort out for work and then I’ll come over, okay?”
“Hmmm, can’t wait. Hurry up, okay?”
♥♥♥
After leaving university Eve had moved with her friends into a house on the outskirts of Edinburgh, on the route to Jedburgh. Her post-grad internship with a small local newspaper didn’t pay much, but considering she had three other housemates her rent was fairly low. She was stuck doing the births, deaths and marriages (AKA hatches, matches, and dispatches) at first but didn’t really mind. Adam had attended several interviews but had been hitherto unsuccessful. High school English teacher vacancies were few and far between and the competition for each one fierce. More applicants than available posts; that was the issue.
This latest one had felt different. The high school was a fairly rural prospect but the kids had been great. Very respectful, unless they were lulling him into a false sense of security—a highly plausible prospect.
Adam shared a house with a guy named Max that he too had met at uni. He had been working, along with Max, in a large bookstore in the centre of Edinburgh to tide him over, and his work colleagues were rooting for him.
Lily? Well, Lily had inherited a tidy sum from a Spanish aunt and had gone travelling. She had spent less and less time around them lately and had a string of loser boyfriends who she joked she was just using for sex. Travelling had been something she had always dreamed of. And so when the opportunity arose, she grabbed it with both hands. Her gift of the gab meant she quickly made contacts and was soon busy working as a freelance journalist as she travelled, which kept her in the lifestyle to which she had quickly become accustomed.
Every so often either Adam or Eve would receive a postcard or a letter containing a photo of her in the arms of some Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish man. She looked as if she was having fun. Adam hoped she was. As if waiting in the wings, the phone rang as soon as he had hung up from his call to Eve. It was Lily.
“G’day, Adders! So are you soon going to be teaching the children of some poor unsuspecting Scottish parents or what?”
He held the phone away from his ear as Lily’s voice boomed down the receiver into his ill-prepared cochlear. “Hey, Lil. No news yet. I think it went well though.”
“Fantastic! So what are you up to? Is Eve there?”
“No, not yet. She’s coming over soon, though. Where are you?”
She snorted down the line. “Durrr! Australia! Didn’t you get that from my greeting?”
He nodded as if she could see him. “Ah, yes sorry. Fried brain. Having a good time down under?”
“It’s awesome, Adders! And I have met the most goooorgeous guy! His name is Chris and he’s really hot. He’s a fucking underwear model!” She squealed.
“Hmmm, great. What happened to Alberto?” He remembered the last photo he had received.
“Oh…he went back home. Didn’t follow the rest of us to Oz. We said we’d keep in touch but…”
Another notch marked on Lily’s imaginary bedpost.
Hesitantly, he offered, “Lily…be careful, okay?”
She giggled. “What? Me? I’m always careful. I’m just having so much fun!” Her voice was bright, but Adam couldn’t help the concern rising within him. “Hang on, Ad… What? Now? Okay, I’ll just be a minute.” She spoke to someone in the room with her. “Look Adders, I have to go. I’ll call in a few days to see if you’ve heard anything. Bye!”
Before Adam could respond, the line went dead. A sense of unease niggled at his gut. He knew she was out there to experience life and to have fun, but she was taking it to the extreme. It seemed there was a different man at each stop off point on her travels. He just wanted to know she was okay, but he got the feeling that even if she wasn’t she wouldn’t tell him.
Half an hour later, there was a knock at the front door. Max was going out to his girlfriend’s straight from work and so he knew that once Eve arrived they would have the place to themselves. He opened the front door and there she was. He inhaled sharply. She never failed to leave him breathless. She wore a long red coat and underneath a black and grey satin dress, which clung to her curves in the most delicious way. He felt the blood rush southwards just at the mere sight of her standing there. He scooped her up in his arms, kicking the door closed behind him.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered as he nuzzled her neck.
“Adam, I saw you yesterday.”
“Yes but that was only a brief meeting. I haven’t seen you-seen you in almost a week.” He kissed her deeply, sneaking his tongue into her mouth.
She pulled away briefly and said, “You mean you haven’t seen me naked in almost a week.”
“Hmmm, that too.” He nibbled on her bottom lip.
She groaned. “Now you come to mention it I have missed this,” she breathed as his lips moved to her neck. She slid her hands up his arms and into his hair as his lips brushed hers once again. Pulling back she gazed into his eyes. “Hmmm, I’ll take my coat off and then we can continue this.”
He pulled away and helped her off with her coat. After hanging it in the hallway, he returned to find her reclining on the sofa, her shoes kicked
off to the side. He immediately went to her and slid along her body, smoothing his hands over the curve of her hip and over her breast. Her breath hitched as he teased a nipple through the fabric of her satin dress. His lips found hers once again, and she opened to allow his tongue access. Their kisses became deeper and he could feel her heart rate increase against his chest as he slid his hand down…down. His palm caressed the silky skin of her thigh and slipped around to cup her bottom.
“Eve…I want to make love to you…right here on the sofa…right now.” He gazed into her vivid blue eyes and could see his own need mirrored there. She grabbed his hair and pulled him down to take his mouth with her own. He couldn’t get enough of her. Her taste, her smell, her body, and the noises she made when he pleasured her. She was simply intoxicating. He slipped one hand around to the front of her panties to cup her mound as he propped himself up on the sofa with the other. She closed her eyes and bit her lip. He loved that look too. He slid the panties down her legs and deftly unfastened the tie that held her wrap-around dress closed around her beautiful body. Moving the fabric aside so she was almost bared to him he devoured her first with his eyes and then he worshipped the junction of her thighs with his mouth, teasing her with his tongue.
Eve’s chest heaved as she watched him. Her gaze was filled with a passion that matched his own.
She reached and stroked his face. “Adam…I need to feel you.” He crawled up her body once again and lowered his head to pull her tightened nipple into his mouth through the delicate lace of her bra. She arched her back and cried out in ecstasy. He could wait no longer to connect to her in the most intimate way, and so fumbling with his belt and zipper, he freed himself and moved over her. With his eyes locked on hers, he found his most favourite place and inhaled sharply as he sunk inside. Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper still as he caressed her breast with one hand, making her writhe beneath him. He could stay like this forever.
This woman was his life. She completed his soul and drove him wild with desire. As he moved inside her, his eyes bore into hers, and it wasn’t long before they were clinging to each other as they ascended into the stars, calling out each other’s name.
The Girl Before Eve Page 6
