by West, Jade
Yet again there was a part of me that really damn wished they did.
We moved to the rhythm, our bodies in sync, and it was right. Just like always. Always so right.
She sang along to the words, her arms holding my shoulders so tight, and I was transfixed by her. Utterly transfixed by her.
The room was whispering and pointing and grinning about the innocence they believed was in our dance together. I could feel it. Her parents thought I was some kind old uncle of hers, and so did the rest of the town, everyone thinking this was as platonic as it ever got, even though we were both smiling and swaying and holding each other so close.
Everyone except Erica, that is.
I caught sight of her as we turned towards the bar for another slow twirl, and there she was, glaring at us from the side lines.
I knew her well enough to know the true implication of her stare, just as well as she clearly knew mine.
She shook her head at me, and my gut lurched, and I knew she could read me. I knew she could read both of us.
Faith caught sight of her too, and she tensed up in a heartbeat. I squeezed her tighter as Erica placed her champagne glass on the nearest table and stormed right on out of there, and Faith’s whispers came out so nervous in my ear.
“She knows, doesn’t she? She knows about us? How does she know about us?”
I whispered right back, still moving to the beat. “Because she knows me.”
With that the song finished up and Faith pulled away. She went to head back to her parents, but I grabbed her hand and shook my head, guiding her out the other way with a few other couples leaving the dance floor.
I couldn’t fight it.
Not for a another second.
Not anymore.
“Where are we going?” she asked, but I didn’t say anything, just pulled her closer to my side and kept on leading until we were out in the corridor on the way to the kitchen, pressed to the wall tight behind one of the charity banners and just out of view of the main room.
Faith’s eyes were huge, her breaths still frantic as she tried to fathom Erica’s glare, and she was quizzing so hard, quizzing so fast, asking me what I thought was going to happen and how much she really knew about us from the dance floor.
And then I said it. Finally, I just fucking said it.
I tipped her face to mine, and fixed my eyes on hers and my voice was so fucking fierce in its honesty.
“I love you, Faith Martin,” I told her. “I love you so fucking much that I don’t even care what Erica knows or doesn’t. I’ll shout it from the rooftops at the top of my lungs without giving a shit anymore if there’s even a chance that you want me right back.”
She was silent.
Absolutely silent.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have said anything, but I couldn’t hold back, not anymore, I just need to –”
Her lips were so alive when they pressed against mine. She kissed me hard. Hard and hungry and filled with so much life.
It was bliss. Pure fucking bliss. Pure fucking everything.
I kissed her right back, my tongue claiming hers, so desperate for so much. We moaned and grabbed hard, grinding so tight against each other, both of us frantic for the contact.
My heart was thumping as she pulled away for just a moment, and I could feel hers thumping to match against my chest.
“I love you, too,” she said. “I love you so much it drives me crazy. Always so crazy with how much I need this. Need you.”
I pressed my forehead to hers, smiling so calmly in the craziness, even though there were so many people bustling past so close on the other side of the charity banner.
None of it mattered anymore, not here and now.
There was only us.
“I don’t want to go to Warwick,” she said. “I don’t want to be an accountant.”
I nodded, and then I told her what I’d been planning to tell her for weeks.
I told her how I’d been investigating alternative degree options for her in antiques and collectibles, and arranging some great extra training opportunities around her studies. I told her she could follow her dreams, and achieve everything she wanted and I’d be there to encourage her every step of the way.
She held her hand to her mouth as she started crying happy tears for the second day in a row, shaking her head as she struggled to digest her options.
“Believe me, princess,” I told her. “It’s going to be so right for you, I swear. It’s all right there for you, everything you want from your education, you just need to give me a yes and we’ll get it moving. That’s all you need, Faith. Just one yes, and the whole university road ahead of you will be so different. So different and so you.”
“I can’t believe you’ve done this for me,” she cried, and I loved the feel of her joy against mine.
“I’ll do everything I ever can for you,” I told her. “Always.”
“Ok, it’s a yes,” she said, and nodded. “Yes, I really want to change my degree course. I really do.”
My grin was on fire. “Excellent,” I said. “We’ll get it rolling tomorrow.”
She squeezed my hands so tight. “I want to change my degree course, but I really don’t want to leave here. Not for a second.” Her pause was so heavy. “I don’t want to leave you.”
I kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right here waiting,” I told her. “I promise you, Faith, I’ll be right here waiting. Weekends and term time holidays, and video chats. We’ll make it work.”
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” she said, and rubbed her tears away with a fresh new grin. “But for now let’s get back and make the most of the dance floor, right? I mean, we put enough work into this thing to enjoy it with everyone else.”
I grinned a fresh grin along with her, and we walked right back out to the main hall, reeling and joyous and burning so bright as we re-joined the bustle of people. And walking straight into Colin, Diane and Erica, standing in a row.
Standing in a row and glaring with more hate than I’d ever seen before in this lifetime. Especially Colin.
Her father looked savage enough to want to kill me. His cheeks burning red as his fists clenched tight to his sides.
And I understood it. Truly, I understood it.
“You’d better get the fuck away from my fucking daughter,” he said.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Faith
I couldn’t believe this was happening, not for a second. My breath stopped dead and my stomach dropped through the floor as Erica spun her phone screen around to show us.
She was glaring nearly as hard as they were, her smile evil enough to slice.
“Don’t even try to disguise your sick fucking games, you twisted fucking asshole,” she spat, and there was us on the screen photo, pressed to the wall behind the banner and clearly kissing so hard.
“I wasn’t going to disguise anything,” Miles said. “There are no sick fucking games going on here.”
“I said, get the fuck away from my fucking daughter!” Dad yelled, and Mum was crying, actually crying.
I felt so sick. So bad. So horrible for hurting them.
But I didn’t cry. I didn’t even feel close to it.
“Get the fuck over here, Faith,” Dad snarled and snatched for my wrist, but I dodged him in a flash, shaking my head and stepping backwards.
I took hold of Miles, clutching his fingers so tight.
“No,” I said, and couldn’t believe my own voice.
Dad looked shocked. Crazy shocked.
He made to snatch me again, but I tugged my arm away.
“I said no!” I snapped and it was stronger this time.
I was stronger this time.
“You’re getting the fuck home with us!” he said, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Not without Miles.
So I said it. I just said it.
I said what I should have said weeks ago.
“I love him,” I told them. “I love him and
he loves me.”
Dad scoffed and Mum cried louder, and Erica cursed expletives, but Miles squeezed my hand tighter, pressing so close beside me.
“I do love her,” he said. “I’m sorry, Colin, and I’m sorry, Diane, but it’s true. I love your daughter.” The way he was staring at my parents so honestly made my heart sing. “I’m in love with your daughter.”
It was no longer just the three of them staring at us in that room. People were nudging and whispering, so many eyes turning to feast on our spectacle, but I didn’t care about that either. Not anymore.
I couldn’t believe myself for even contemplating taking a stand, but I couldn’t help it. I cleared my throat and stood proud and told everyone who cared to listen.
“I’m in love with Miles!” I shouted. “You can all think whatever you want about us, but it’s the truth!”
“Shut the fuck up!” Dad hissed, and Mum was shaking her head so hard through her tears. “Stop being a little fucking brat and get the fuck back home with us. Now, Faith. NOW!”
And then it hit me. It hit me like it should have done a long time ago.
It was my turn to take a step forward to him, and this time it was my eyes that were burning.
“No,” I told him. “I’m not a little girl anymore, Dad. I’m sorry, but I’m not. This is MY life, and these are MY choices, and I’m an eighteen year old woman in love with a man who has been everything I could ever have asked him to be, and I’m not walking away from that. Not for anyone. Not even you and Mum.”
He looked like I’d slapped him in the face. His eyes were so hurt and his cheeks were white, and Mum let out a really sad wail and threw herself against his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” I said, and this time it was a whisper. A whisper in a room so quiet you could hear a pin drop, even the band on stage. “I’m sorry but I have to be me. I’m not a child who can live in a pink fluffy bedroom for the rest of my life. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“What a silly little bitch you are,” Erica snarled, and turned away from us, clacking on out of there, grabbing Glyn Morris on the way and leaving Mum and Dad standing in the carnage.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, and pressed right back against the man I was in love with. “I’m not coming home tonight. I’m staying with Miles.”
“Fine,” Dad barked. “Suit yourself. Don’t ever come the fuck home again, not until you’ve come to your fucking senses and waved goodbye to that lying fucking prick.”
“Don’t be like that,” I said. “Please, Dad, don’t be like that… just give me a chance… please just give me a chance to explain…”
But he held up his hand and walked away, pulling a sobbing Mum away with him.
I choked back a burst of tears myself, still gripping Miles proudly, then looked around the crowd, relieved to see at least Holly’s wide-mouthed face gawping at me from a last-minute appearance after her waitress shift down the street. Mum and Dad barged right past her, and she gawped at them as they retreated, before staring back over at us.
“I’m in love with Miles Lindon,” I said to the room, with the confidence of my auctioneering voice. “Does anyone have anything they’d like to say about it now it’s all out in the open?”
“Speak now or forever hold your peace,” Miles added, and I couldn’t hold back a tiny spark of a laugh at the pure sad craziness of all of this.
Again, you could hear a pin drop.
“Good,” Miles said, with the confidence of his auctioneering voice. “Then I guess it’s time the band started back up. Nothing more to see here, folks.”
The bustle of the guys and girls on stage was a wave of shrugs before they started up again with a lively number, and slowly but surely the crowd shrugged to match and went about their chatter.
Miles leaned in really close, pressing a smile against my ear. “Well, that was quite a dramatic way to reveal our truth,” he said, and I turned my face to his.
“Way to kill a whole town’s worth of gossiping birds with one stone,” I said, and planted my first public kiss on his lips.
He sighed and pressed his forehead to mine. “Do you want us to head back to yours to try to reason with your parents?”
I shook my head. “No. I want to get back to yours and celebrate our first night as an official couple. Plus, Mum and Dad won’t be up for the conversation. Not for quite some time.” I paused. “I’m hoping we can christen the beginning of our new Faith and Miles life together.”
His eyes sparkled.
My smile bloomed bright.
“Now that really does sound like a celebration,” he said, and led the way.
Holly was waiting, still open-mouthed in the doorway as we reached her.
“Holy shit!” she laughed. “Jeez, Faith, at least you waited until I’d stepped inside the place before you dropped the big bombshell on the whole universe.”
I pulled her in for a hug. “Sorry,” I said. “I was planning on being here to at least grab a champagne with you before the night was up.”
I looked her up and down, surprised to find just how glamorously she was made up considering she’d been working so late. A dark red ballgown with beautiful glitter eye makeup sparkling bright.
Her cheeks burned so rosy, and I couldn’t read her expression, not for the very first time in years of friendship.
Not until someone cleared their throat behind us… and that person was Stephen Jones from warehousing, all dressed up in a tux.
“Oh, wow,” I said, with a grin, and Miles was grinning too, clearly as taken aback as I was. “When did this, um…”
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe during one of the crazy long stints you’ve been slamming into saving a bazillion kittens.” Her laugh was amazing. “I thought it could be a surprise.”
It was definitely that alright, and a good one. He looked as happy as she did when he took up position at her side and wrapped an arm proudly around her shoulder.
“Turns out our cousins know each other,” he said. “Small town.”
“It sure is that,” I agreed, and gestured to the room as I squeezed Miles tight. “Everyone knows everyone.”
“And everyone else’s business,” Miles added, but it didn’t matter. Not anymore.
We were both very proud of ours. It was beaming from both of our faces, I’m sure.
“Get away with you,” Holly laughed. “You’re practically gagging to get home. You’re both damn well itching for it.”
I grabbed her for another hug, and she swayed me so hard in her arms.
“I’m really pleased you got your dream,” she whispered. “You deserve it.”
“And you deserve a good dream yourself with Stephen,” I whispered back. “I’ve heard he’s a decent guy.”
“He sure seems that way,” she said.
I watched with a grin as Stephen led her to the dance floor and Miles did too.
“You ready, Cinderella?” he asked, and I nodded.
“Time to go home with my prince,” I said, and it was the greatest feeling ever, walking out of there hand in hand.
Chapter Forty
Miles
She was a pool of such deep colours as we made our way home that night, hand in hand. Hope and pain and guilt and excitement, all of them blending like rainbow shades in the darkness.
All of those shades and love.
Love from both of us, so grateful to finally be expressed.
I, too, had a deep pit of guilt for the friends of mine I’d betrayed so badly, by taking their daughter, but love knows no boundaries. Especially not with a beautiful eighteen year old woman at my side who had captured my soul.
We were quiet on the way back, swaying close and pondering our new world together, both of us trying to digest our new road ahead.
I was just truly grateful. Grateful at never again having to watch her pull away and wave a mute goodbye as she left me.
The keys sounded so loud in my front door, the hallway so quiet as we stepped on inside. She took h
old of me before I’d even flicked the light on, pressing that delicious mouth of hers right onto mine.
“Take me upstairs,” she whispered. “Please take me upstairs and show me this is for all time.”
She kicked her high heels off and I scooped her up in my arms, heading on up the stairs in the darkness with a huge smile on my face. I got the bedside lamp once I’d dropped her down onto the bed, and her dress was a cascade of stunning teal. The perfect gift wrap for my perfect girl.
I laid down beside her, still in my tux, and she wrapped her legs around me and came up on top, the diamanté in her chair a glittering halo.
“I’ve got my period,” she said, as though apologetic, but I shook my head, one of my very boldest smirks on my face.
“Let’s take a look at that then, sweetheart,” I said, and she squealed as I tipped her back over.
Her ball gown was a beautiful softness to tease from her skin, and her panties were such a contrast in thick white cotton with padding.
The very best contrast. My very favourite contrast.
“The bedsheets…” she began as I eased them down her thighs, but I shook my head, my smirk still at full radiance.
“Fuck the bedsheets,” I told her and dropped down hard between her legs.
“Oh, fuck,” she whispered, squirming as I ran my tongue over that horny little clit of hers. “Fuck, Miles… surely you can’t…”
But she was wrong.
Oh how she was fucking wrong.
Her eyes were still so innocent. So alive with her inexperience of my ways, and I loved that. I absolutely fucking loved that.
The taste of her was copper, and want, and squirming disbelief.
The taste of her was fucking delicious.
My lips were puffy once she’d bucked and squealed and whimpered through a climax like a dirty girl, her breaths panting fierce as I freed my cock from my trousers and positioned myself high above her nakedness with my gaze eating her alive.
Eating her alive and seeking out so fucking much of her.
