Forever & Always (Always & Forever Book 2)

by Crossley, Lauren

  “I guess I’m just used to meeting you in secret.”

  “Yeah, I see what you mean.” He agrees, observing my expressions closely.

  “I really am sorry about this morning.” I apologise once again, choosing to stare at my drink instead of Callum “I should never have made that call.”

  “What made you do it?” He enquires, struggling to conceal his curiosity.

  “Guilt.” I admit, sighing wearily. “I also didn’t want to lie to Jake anymore.”

  “But why did you feel guilty?”

  I freeze, wondering if it might be the right time to be completely honest with him. I feel like I’ve told so many lies lately, I owe it to myself to be truthful about this.

  “I guess it’s because I figured out a long time ago that my feelings for you aren’t strictly platonic after all.”

  He inhales sharply, confirming his surprise and astonishment.

  “Bethany… what are you saying?”

  “Don’t make me say any more.” I beg him, raking my fingers through my hair self-consciously.

  “You have to.” He informs me, refusing to take no for an answer. “I need to hear you say it.”

  Our eyes meet across the table, trying to decipher and figure out the other person’s motives. I consider taking it all back but then realise my dishonesty will only make things worse.

  “I have feelings for you, Callum.” I whisper, amazed that I’ve finally vocalised what I’ve suppressed within myself for so long.

  “You what?”

  “Don’t pretend you didn’t hear what I just said.” I snap, firing an angry look at him.

  “Since when?”

  “Does it really matter?”

  “Of course it does!” He exclaims indignantly, jumping up onto his feet.

  “I’ve been struggling with this for a while, ok? I’ve felt like this since we started seeing each other again.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because nothing can ever happen between us!” I cry, mirroring his actions when I leap up from my seat.

  “And why can’t it?”

  “Because I’m in love with Jake. I won’t betray him and I hate the fact that you want me to.” I declare boldly, folding my arms across my chest in a defensive manner.

  “Bethany, I don’t want that either” He replies, exhaling heavily. “I just want you to be happy. I want you to have your freedom and live your life how you want to live it. I’ve listened to you talk about Jake over the past couple of months and I know you’re not happy with him. He’s controlling, possessive, dominant and commanding. Do you really see yourself having a positive future with him? Look how he treated you after you had the termination, he barely spoke to you for months. How could he do that to you when you were still traumatised? How can you be expected to stay with someone who would treat you so badly?”

  I don’t know what to say, searching the recesses of my mind to come up with an explanation or an excuse for Jake’s behaviour.

  “He’s trying.” I reply lamely, lowering my gaze to the floor beneath my feet. “I need to give him a chance.”

  “How about you give me a chance?” Callum challenges me, closing the space between us as he crosses the room towards me. “How about you let me try and make you happy? We don’t need to be together straight away or anything like that, we can just take things slowly and see how things go. God, being your friend means so much to me, I’ll be content with that until you’re ready.”

  “You… you really mean that?” I say, sounding incredulous.

  “Every word.” He whispers, standing right in front of me.

  “I’m so confused. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

  “Just give me a chance… one chance is all I want from you, Bethany.”

  He lowers his lips towards my own, narrowing the distance between us until my back is pressed up against the wall behind me. I can’t keep myself from trembling as he runs his fingers through my hair, coaxing me into submission.

  My lips part, somehow allowing the tip of his tongue to slip inside. It’s like they’re in control of themselves, acting on instinct without my consent and I’m powerless to stop it.

  He’s breathing heavily and so am I, unable to control our desire as our kiss deepens. A part of me can’t believe I’m really doing this and the other part of me is wondering what took us so long.

  Circling my arms around my neck, I pull him closer towards me. I’m desperate for more but know we can’t allow ourselves to take this any further. If kissing is all we have then I’m going to make it count.

  The image of Jake suddenly flashes up inside my head, causing me to put a stop to what we’re doing and I push him away from me, using every ounce of strength I can muster.

  “I can’t do this!” I wail, battling against my frustration. “It’s not right!”

  “Then how come it feels it?” He demands, provoking a reaction out of me.

  “I don’t know… I don’t know why I have these feelings for you when I shouldn’t.”

  I cradle my head in my hands, consumed by despair and utter exhaustion.

  “Jake’s having a baby with someone else.” He states harshly, as though I could actually forget something as monumental as that. “You need to put yourself first from now on and think about what makes you happy.”

  “What are you saying, Callum?”

  “When you close your eyes and look into your future, do you see Jake? Are you still with him? Are you happy?”

  I do what he suggests and close my eyes, trying to picture my life with Jake. I can’t see anything but misery, guilt, torment and sadness. I can’t see anything but heartache anymore and I don’t know how to keep myself from drowning.

  “No.” I reply truthfully.

  I’m suddenly aware that my acknowledgement signifies the ending of something as well as the beginning of something else entirely.

  “Then why do you think that this is so wrong?” He questions me once more, stroking his finger down the inside of my arm. “Trust me, it isn’t.”

  He brushes his mouth against mine, gently sucking on my bottom lip until I moan with pleasure. He lifts me up and wraps my legs around his waist, carrying me into the living room so he can place me on the couch.

  The T-shirt I’m wearing has risen up, exposing my bare thighs to him and he growls deeply, positioning himself above me as I lie down.

  “Say yes.” He whispers, trailing kisses across my sensitive collarbone.

  I understand that one word is all it will take for my whole life to change.

  One word will destroy everything but there’s also a chance it might restore what is now broken. I’ve been too weak to fight the destruction, the same one which has been eating away at me for so long, I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to exist without it.

  One word.

  One word is all it takes to change everything.

  “Yes.” I respond passionately, moaning it over and over and over again.

  Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…

  Chapter Seven

  Arthur (Bethany’s father)

  She should be here by now. She promised me she would be here for eight and it’s already half past. I’m quickly running out of patience and out of time, growing more and more agitated each day.

  It’s been months since I’ve seen her, months since I’ve spoken with my daughter and months since I came up with my initial plan to break up the relationship she threw everything away for.

  Realising that my estranged daughter has some sort of personal vendetta against Bethany was absolutely perfect. I couldn’t have scripted it any better myself and thought it would come in useful when it came to the two of us working together with one goal… to destroy them. However, it’s safe to say that things haven’t exactly gone according to plan since we teamed up several months ago.

  She’s due here any minute and the suspense is killing me, I’m pacing back and forth and checking my phone every five minutes in case
I missed one of her calls. She phoned me this morning to let me know she has some news and would drop by later so she could fill me in. I haven’t been able to focus all day, tormenting myself with the thought of what it might be and I’ve now reached the point where I’m close to losing it all together.

  A knock at my front door pulls me out of my deep contemplation and I race towards it, flinging it open in my need to find out if it’s her.

  Sarah.

  My estranged daughter, Bethany’s half-sister and my accomplice.

  “Where the hell have you been?” I chastise her harshly, resenting the fact that she has the nerve to turn up so late.

  “I got here as soon as I could.” She retorts, firing a vicious look at me as she makes her way inside.

  “It’s not good enough.” I reprimand her once again, not used to dealing with someone as errant as this.

  “You really need to learn how to relax.” She informs me, making herself at home on the sofa by taking a seat.

  “Just tell me what you know.” I urge her, quickly losing my patience.

  “I know that she’s been and told them.” She reveals, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her fingers.

  She’s acting as though it’s no big deal, pretending to be bored of our conversation and this arrangement.

  “She told them she’s pregnant?” I ask, unable to mask my triumph.

  “That’s right… just like I said she would.”

  “And they believed her?”

  “It’s pretty hard not to, she is pregnant.” She reminds me.

  “But they really think that Jake’s the father?”

  “He did sleep with her eight months ago, they have every reason to believe her.”

  “Good.” I reply, pacing back and forth like I was before. “She won’t tell them the truth, will she? We can trust her?”

  “Yes, we can trust her. You’re paying her a lot of money to lie about this… she’s not going to mess it up. I just know this will break them, especially now Bethany is no longer pregnant.”

  “You still don’t know what happened there?”

  “No idea… all I know is there’s no baby. She would have been showing by now.”

  “At least that’s one good thing to come out of all of this.” I add, stroking my thumb across my lip in contemplation. “However, the truth about this will come out sooner or later. He’s bound to ask for a DNA test as soon as the little brat is born.”

  “That’s not until next month. It still gives us plenty of time to split them up.” She points out, practically gloating. “Plus, you haven’t heard the best part yet.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “She’s already left him. Bethany stormed out of their apartment as soon as she heard the news.”

  “You’re kidding? She really left?”

  “That’s right.” She smirks, delighting in my younger daughter’s misery. “It’s finally happening, just like we hoped it would.”

  “About bloody time.”

  A timid knock on the living room door captures my attention, announcing my wife’s arrival before she enters the room with caution.

  Great, this is all I need…

  “Arthur, who is this? What’s going on?” She enquires, glancing at Sarah who is still seated on the sofa.

  “Get the hell out, Ellen. I told you to stay upstairs.” I bark, furious with her for not following my orders.

  “I have a right to know who is in my house, especially if you’re discussing my daughter.” She trembles, clenching her fists in desperation and fear.

  “Leave right now before I throw you out.” I snarl, glowering at her in contempt. “You know I’ll do it and I don’t care about who is watching.”

  “Is she alright?” Ellen demands, turning towards Sarah. “Is my daughter ok? Do you know where she is?”

  “Ellen, I won’t tell you again!” I roar, manhandling her out of the room myself. “Get out!”

  I fling her into the hallway and slam the door in her face, breathing heavily with exertion and fury.

  “Is there anyone you’re nice to?” Sarah remarks, calm and composed.

  She’s not troubled or upset with the way I just spoke to Ellen, remaining selfish and cold like I’ve come to know her.

  I now realise that she’s more like me than I thought. She’s ruthless, determined, strong and fearless. She’s the complete opposite of Bethany and everything I don’t want in a daughter. I demand obedience and compliant is something she will never be.

  “Just carry on with what you were saying. Do you have any idea where Bethany might have gone?”

  “No idea.” She responds flippantly, angering me even more.

  “What about the one she’s been meeting up with? Do you think she might be with him?”

  “She could be but I don’t know where he lives.”

  “You’ve been watching her for months now, how is that even possible?”

  “I’ve been following her, not the guy she’s been seeing behind Jake’s back.” She quips unpleasantly, talking down to me as though I’m stupid.

  Her phone rings at that precise moment, interrupting our conversation and putting an end to our discussion.

  “Hello?” She answers, awaiting a response. “Are you serious? And how long ago was that?”

  I frown at her when she smiles, struggling to conceal her jubilance. I don’t know who she’s talking to but she looks very pleased with herself. Her blue eyes are gleaming and excited, bursting with energy and so much malice.

  “Who was that?”

  “A friend of mine.” She reveals, placing her phone back in her bag. “A friend who just saw Bethany going into that guy’s house you were referring to.”

  “The one she’s been meeting in secret?”

  “Yes.” She confirms, folding her arms across her chest.

  “What’s the address?”

  “I’ll tell you if you make it worth my while.” She gloats, standing up so she can cross the room towards me.

  “I’ve already given you your fair share of money.” I snap, losing my patience with her.

  “I guess I’ll just have to keep that little piece of information to myself then.”

  “I’ve had just about enough you.” I warn her, pointing my finger in her face. “You think you can play me and get away with it?”

  “Unlike your wife, I’m not scared of you.” She replies, oozing confidence and self-assurance.

  She really is a challenge, one which I’m not used to and it unnerves me. I don’t quite know how to deal with her and it’s disconcerting to say the least.

  “Then you’re even more foolish than I thought you were.” I threaten, closing in on her personal space.

  “This is getting old now, I have to go.” She says, taking a deliberate step back from me.

  “You’re not leaving until you give me that address.”

  “And I won’t give it to you until you pay me more money.”

  I scowl at her, furious that I’m being forced to negotiate with a twenty-two year old girl.

  “How much?”

  “I’d say that the location of your precious daughter must be worth a thousand, don’t you think? Especially when you know she’s there right now.”

  “You really expect me to have that much cash on me right now?” I scoff, ridiculing her insinuation.

  “Twenty-four hours… that’s how long I’ll give you to come up with the money.”

  She turns to leave but I grab hold of her arm, tightening my fingers around it to prove my authority to her.

  “Think very carefully about who you’re dealing with.” I snarl cruelly. “I ruined one daughter, I certainly don’t mind destroying the other one.”

  “Wow… I love you too, Dad.” She remarks dismissively, rolling her eyes at me. “Call me when you have my money.”

  I exhale slowly, trying to calm my rage. I realise that this could be my one and only chance to make things right. This could be my last chance to
bring Bethany home and I’m not about to let anyone or anything stand in my way.

  Not now, not ever.

  Jake

  Where is she? Where the fuck is she? I keep asking myself that question as I try to control my temper, struggling to do so when I think about all the things that might have happened to her.

  She’s not answering her phone and I have no idea where she might have gone. I’ve already tried asking my sister but Carla promised me she didn’t know anything about Bethany’s whereabouts.

  It’s been over an hour and she still hasn’t come home yet. I chased after her when she stormed out but she was nowhere in sight, heightening my paranoia as well as the animalistic need I have to protect her.

  The way I feel about Bethany is unhealthy, I’m addicted to her and I openly admit that. She’s the centre of my universe and the fact that I don’t know where she is right now is driving me insane.

  It’s dark, it’s freezing and there’s a huge chance that something terrible might happen to her like it did before. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if it did and know I need to find her so I can keep her safe.

  I need to put this right…

  I need to tell her that Marissa means nothing to me. She’s just an unwanted blast from the past who turned up here a little over an hour ago, deciding that tonight was the perfect time to tell me she’s expecting my baby. The news tore me apart, as well as Bethany and that’s the whole reason the girl I love ran out on me. I can’t even begin to imagine how much pain she’s in or what state she might be in by now and I have to get out of here and start looking for her. I thought staying here was the best option, hoping that Bethany would decide to come home sooner or later. However, it’s been an hour since she left and an hour since I told Marissa to disappear.

  I realise what a bastard that makes me but all I care about right now is finding Bethany. If the baby that girl is carrying really is my own then I will be there but until I know that for sure… I will not let her ruin my life.

  A knock on my front door interrupts my thoughts and I race across the room in my hasty attempt to reach it. Flinging the door open, I expect to come face to face with Bethany but find someone else standing there instead, someone I have no wish to see.