The Beginning

by Teigen Harper

  “But I didn’t buy it.”

  “I know, and I told him that. He’s just looking for reasons to make me feel bad, to bring me down to his level. The asshole didn’t even ask about my father for fuck’s sake. I’m so done with assholes, Babe. Promise me that I never have to deal with any brainless fuckwit’s again.”

  “I can’t give you that guarantee, just yet. You do still have to deal with your mother in court. But after that, I promise to keep all assholes out of our lives, for good.”

  “I miss you so much,” I tell him as my eyes fill with tears.

  “I miss you too, baby. Tell me to defer, tell me to fuck UNI and come to you.” He’s begging.

  “I wish I could, but I’m not that selfish. It won’t be long, babe. We can do this.”

  “Fine,” he sighs. “Why can’t you be selfish?” He laughs and so do I.

  “It’s not in my nature. Okay, babe. I’ll call you before I go to bed. I’m driving at the moment. I should probably pay attention to the road.”

  “No problem, baby girl. Drive safe, and I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Bye.”

  When I open the door to our room, I see that Courtney is already sleeping. I put my pajamas on while trying to make as little noise as possible, I don’t want to wake her. As I take a seat on the edge of the bed and as I tie up my hair, my phone rings, and I jump on it, running out of the room as quickly and quietly as possible. I don’t want to wake Courtney. She has enough to worry about without lack of sleep added on.

  As soon as I'm in the corridor, I answer the phone. “Hello.”

  “Cass, it’s Haim.”

  “Hey, Hun. What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you were okay?”

  “I’m fine. I spoke to Tristan on my way back to the hotel. He was able to calm me down after dealing with Mitchell.”

  “Speaking of which, he only just let my house. Did you have to tell him you were getting married?” he asks sounding exasperated. Poor bastard has probably had to deal with Mitchel’s bitching.

  “I swear to you, I had no intention of telling him about the wedding, but he kept pushing me, Haim. He was telling me he has our future all mapped out and that he is finally ready for a real relationship. What was I supposed to do, call Tristan, the man that loves me for me, and hates spending any time apart from me, and tell him to fuck off? I don’t think so.”

  “When you put it that way, I completely understand.”

  “I need someone who loves me, and Tristan does. He is that man. He is right for me. Look, I feel for Mitchell, I do. But he had almost a year while we were together to prove it, but he never did.”

  “You have been through so much sadness in your life. It’s time to do something for yourself. I’ll always be here for you, Cass.”

  “I know you will, and I appreciate that more than you can ever know. I’m going to go and get some sleep now, but I will call you after our hearing on Tuesday.”

  “Okay, good luck in court, I hope it all goes well. Goodnight, Cass.”

  “Thanks, Haim. Goodnight.”

  The next morning, Courtney and I go shopping for some classy-looking clothes for us to wear tomorrow at the hearing. I’m not big on clothes shopping. I never understood why girls get so carried away with it. In the end, I bought a black tailored suit that sits perfectly on me, and a pair of black pumps to match. Courtney ended up with a beautiful light pink tailored dress with matching shoes, and let me tell you. It looks stunning on her. It makes her look old enough to go to the pub, which I told her was a no, no, but it’s beautiful, nonetheless.

  That night, Courtney and I went to bed early, we wanted to be rested and alert for the court proceedings that are to come in the morning. I’d just dozed off to sleep when I’m shocked awake by a knock at the door. I’m up in an instant, I look to Courtney and ask, “Were you expecting anyone, did you order room service?”

  “Nope.” Her eyes are wide with worry.

  I climb out of my bed and walk over to open the door. The second I see who it is, I gasp for a breath, and I want to break down and cry. Tristan takes me in his strong arms and pulls me until my body is crushed against his. “Oh my God, what are you doing here?” I manage through my tears. He is just as sexy as he was the last time I saw him back in Ireland.

  He shrugs as if flying halfway around the world to be with me is nothing special. “I don’t have class until Friday, so I’ve come to support you through the court bullshit.”

  I throw my arms around his neck and kiss every part of his face. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” I repeat again and again.

  “I love you too, baby girl.” His arms are now wrapped around my waist, and I feel his chest move up and down with laughter.

  He can laugh at me all he wants. I don’t care if I look desperate, I love him. I love that he’s here. I love that he wanted to be here. It makes me want to jump on a plane to Vegas and marry him immediately.

  I climb up him until my legs are wound around him. “Did I wake you?” he whispers as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

  “It’s fine. I cannot believe you’re here,” I whisper against his lips.

  “I couldn’t bear the thought of the two of you facing that woman alone, so I took the jet, and here I am.” He leans in kissing my neck. “How tired are you?” he asks.

  “I’m fine, why?” I have to keep reminding myself that Court is in the room.

  “Do you want to go to the bar and grab a drink with me? I could use a bourbon.” Those damn lips keep kissing up my neck.

  We should get out of here before I try to dry hump him in front of my sister. “Yes, I think that’s a good idea.” My eyes close as his lips graze my skin. “Court,” I call.

  “Yeah?”

  “Will you be okay up here while we hit the bar for a little bit?”

  “No problem.”

  I inch back and look into the man I love’s eyes. “Let me get dressed, and I’ll be ready to go,” I say right before I kiss him again. He murmurs something, what? I don’t know, but I do manage to peel myself away from him to go to the bathroom and get changed.

  It takes me only a few minutes to find something to wear, but I end up choosing a short black dress with a curved hem, black wedges, and a leather cuff. My stomach flutters as I apply my makeup, I still can’t believe Tristan flew in just to come with us to the hearing. I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face if I tried.

  When I exit the bathroom, he is leaning up against the door jam, his smile falters as his eyes drink me in, but then his eyes darken with lust, and he reaches his hand out for me to take, so I do, and as I move closer to him, Courtney whines from her bed, “My God, will you two stop looking at each other like that while I’m in the room.”

  Tristan and I crack up laughing. “We’re going,” I say as I wave her off. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “I won’t. Have fun and no sex in the room. You’ll have to go to a bathroom stall.” She then turns over and puts all of her attention back on her Kindle.

  The second the elevator doors close, Tristan is all over me. He pushes me up against the cold metal as his mouth devours mine. My chest is aching, and my core is throbbing.

  When the doors open, I can’t pull away from him, but a moment later, we pull apart when someone clears their throat. Immediately, I bury my head in Tristan’s chest because I know that my face is now a bright crimson color. “Sorry, I haven’t seen my fiancé here for a couple of weeks,” he explains.

  I don’t lift my head because I know I’ll crack up laughing. “Young love, how I wish I were twenty again,” the woman says, and I tilt my head and catch a glimpse. The woman who seems to be in her eighties smiles at me. “That is one sexy man you have there, make sure no sluts try and take him away from you.”

  Tristan and I begin to laugh. Never have I heard that word come from someone so old, I love it. “I’ll be sure to keep them away,” I assure her.

  She gives me a tight
nod and a moment later, the doors open, and we step out into the lobby. “Now I really need a drink,” I chuckle.

  “You probably shouldn’t drink,” he whispers, and I look up at him, confused. “You’re going to have to stay sober so you can fight off all of the whores.” Asshole.

  “I can do that drunk. I'd probably be able to drag them off better drunk. No limitations.” I simply shrug.

  Tristan chuckles. “Come on. There’s a bar through the dining area.” He takes my hand and leads me through to where the bar stands.

  The room is dark, but not too dark, and there are mirrors everywhere. “The usual?” he asks as we take out seats at the bar.

  “Nope, I need a beer.”

  His eyebrow raises. “You want a beer? What, like a Corona?”

  My head shakes from side to side, and the bartender approaches us. He’s so damn tall, six feet at least, with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. I wish Zoe were single. I’d get her down here in an instant. “What can I get you?”

  “VB,” I tell him.

  “Isn’t that a guy’s drink?” Tristan asks, confused.

  “Not in Australia. We drink whatever the hell we want here, and we don’t care what others think.” I shrug.

  The bartender chuckles, and I smile. “His family drinks beer in fancy glasses,” I say matter of fact.

  “We’re not that stuck up.” Tristan laughs. “Just give me one of what she’s having.”

  The bartender nods. “Two VB’s coming up.” And he leaves to pour our drinks.

  Tristan turns my stool until I’m trapped between his legs, and he leans in, his hot breath caressing my skin. “Fuck, I’ve missed you,” he whispers before pressing his lips to my neck.

  “I missed you so damn much, babe. The minute you finish Uni, I won’t ever let you go. Never,” I breathe as he keeps kissing the skin of my neck.

  “Never. I will never be far away from you ever again.”

  Before I can say another word, our drinks are being placed on the bar in front of us. Tristan doesn’t move, but I do manage to give the man a thank you. “I need to drink, but not get wasted,” I tell him as his lips press kisses up my neck, and they keep moving until they find mine.

  “Agreed. But I want you sloppy drunk tomorrow night,” he murmurs against my lips.

  “You can count on it.”

  For the next hour, we sit, drink and talk, but Tristan’s wandering hands are beginning to drive me crazy. I lean into him, my mouth against his, and say, “I need you to fuck me.” If he doesn’t, I won’t be getting any sleep tonight.

  He looks around, searching for somewhere to go. I know he’s found a destination when he drops a hundred-dollar bill down on the bar. He then takes my hand and leads us through the back door that has Fire Exit, written on it. I don’t question him. I just know that I need him and I don’t care where I get him.

  My heart begins to race as we enter the dark alley, Tristan moves like a man on a mission until he finds a concave and pushes me up against the wall. His hands cup my thighs and he pulls me up until my legs are wound around him.

  That tongue of his is magic, as he kisses me, I slip my hand down and undo the top button of his jeans and roughly shove down the zipper. As soon as I have freed him, I stroke and play with the tip, and when I do, I swallow his moan, but he pushes my hand away then shifts my panties to the side and slams into me.

  It was so forceful that the breath left my chest, and my body welcomed the relief. He keeps his mouth closed over mine as he continues to pound inside me. I want to scream, but I know it would probably make anyone who could hear it, think I was being assaulted. Sure, they'd be right, but it’s an assault I welcome.

  My body wants to take advantage of the limited time we have, so I tighten my legs around him, wanting him to fuck me harder. He grabs my ass and squeezes as he thrusts, and I feel the onslaught coming. “Harder,” I whimper. I’m so damn close, and he complies, thrusting harder and deeper until my body stiffens, and I suck back a moan remembering where we are. It’s so hard to stay quiet when the love of your life makes you come harder than ever before.

  I know he’s just about there when he gives me one last thrust and stays buried inside of me as my body continues to convulse around him. With his forehead now resting on my shoulder, he breathlessly whispers, “I love you.”

  My smile is wide as I continue to try and steady my breathing. “Love you too, babe.”

  He lets go of a chuckle. “Believe it or not, this alley thing is a first for me, and I’m so fucking glad that it was with you.” His lips then press against my shoulder, and I shiver from the kiss alone.

  “I think we should make a list of places we need to have sex before we die.” I laugh.

  His head raises and his beautiful eyes meet mine. “Yes, we should,” he smiles, but then a moment later, he's serious. “Fuck, I’ve missed you so damn much. I cannot wait to marry you.”

  I love it when he says things like that. I can’t get over the fact that he’s mine, all mine, and that he loves me unconditionally. “I can’t wait for you to be my husband. The rest of our lives are going to be amazing.” I smile.

  “Yes, they are, babe. I promise you I will always love you. Never, ever doubt that. Ever. I need you with me. I need you to be by my side, forever. I also need you to make me a promise.” His eyes are deadly serious.

  “Anything,” I whisper.

  “You know that this relationship thing is new to me,” he pauses, and I nod. “I need you to promise that if I ever fuck up or cross a line, you'll tell me. No matter what the circumstance. I need you to tell me so I can fix it because I wouldn’t survive if you ever left me. Please make me that promise?” His features have softened, but I can see in his eyes just how stressed he is about possibly screwing up in the future. If he didn’t love me, he wouldn’t care, but he loves me to the point he is petrified he will be the one to break us.

  I need to put him out of his misery. “I promise to talk to you if something happens because I wouldn’t cope without you either. And in turn, you need to make me the same promise. If I say something or do something stupid, I want you to sit me down, too. There can be no resentment in our relationship. That is the one thing I couldn’t live with. So, will you make the same promise to me?”

  The corners of his mouth etch upwards. “There is no way in hell you would fuck up.” He laughs.

  “You never know. So, do you or don’t you?”

  He gives me a curt nod. “I promise to come to you if I ever feel you have done something. Promise.”

  "Perfect."

  Back up in the room, Tristan was asleep and lightly snoring in no time. I was tired, but I didn’t have the privilege of falling asleep just yet, because my father showed up to talk to me. I took him to the other side of the suite where I knew the others wouldn’t hear me.

  “So, what’s up dad?” I ask.

  “Not a lot, love. I just wanted to check-in and make sure you’re prepared for the hearing in the morning?”

  My head turns, and I take a peek back towards Tristan and Courtney, who are still fast asleep. I then move my attention back to my dad. “Yes, the lawyer called this afternoon and walked us through what will happen. He’s so good at his job, and he put my mind at ease, dad. The only thing that is worrying me is how Courtney will cope. Mum has a way of making her feel useless and vulnerable. I’m hoping she doesn’t have to take the stand because if she does, I’m so afraid she’ll see mom's face and cave in.”

  He takes my hands in his. “I think she’ll be fine, and remember, you did ask that Courtney is called up only if she's ordered to by the judge. If he has studied the files properly beforehand, it could go either way, but I have a hunch you’ll win.”

  He lets go of my hands and takes me in his arms. “God, I hope you’re right. I couldn’t imagine Courtney having to go back to that woman. It would break my heart.” I’d move back down to Melbourne if that were the case. I’d stay close to her until she was old
enough to leave without the authorities having to intervene.

  “Stay positive, love. Now, go and get some sleep. You’ll want to be refreshed and ready to take that woman on tomorrow.” He pulls out of the hug, but he keeps my hands in his.

  “You’re right.” I lean in and kiss him on the cheek. “Goodnight, Dad.”

  “Night, love. I’ll be with you, watching over you tomorrow,” he assures me.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As we walk into the courthouse, we’re immediately met by our mother, Rose. She hurries over to us, and before Courtney can react, Rose had thrown her arms around her. A moment later she lets go of Courtney and comes in to try the same with me, but before she can get too close, I push her away.

  “What, don’t you love your mother anymore?” she asks with her hands now planted on her hips.

  Tristan takes my hand. “I have nothing to say to you. At least, nothing nice.” I take a step in the opposite direction.

  “You’re just trying to hurt me. You sound just like your father,” I hear her call from behind.

  That makes me stop in my tracks and circle around on my heels so I am now facing her. “Please stop talking to me.” The bitch is lucky we're in the courthouse surrounded by police and security guards because she would’ve copped either a mouthful or a fistful from me. I turn to face Tristan and Courtney. “Come on Tristan, Courtney, let’s go in.” Without saying another word, we begin to walk away.

  “Tristan?!” I hear Rose yell.

  “Just ignore her, babe.” He doesn’t say a word, and we continue to move along, but then I see her run-up to us. I immediately push Courtney behind me, but it wasn’t my sister she was after. She grabs Tristan’s arm and forcefully pulls on it so he is now facing her.

  She wedges herself between us, something no one should ever try to do. “I want to meet the man my daughter is marrying.”

  I grab her and push her away from him. “You mean nothing to me, so in retrospect, you mean nothing to him.”

  Tristan takes my hand while I take Courtney's, and he leads the way. My eyes start scanning the room, searching for our lawyer. Soon enough, I find Mr. Cartel, sifting through papers at the back of the waiting area, and he stands to greet us as we approach him. “Courtney, Cassie, how are you feeling this morning?”