Reflection (7 page)

Chapter 16

“Well it all started about nine months ago, I was out at a club with my friends when this girl comes over to me, she just joined in you know, laughing and chatting with us, anyway when I wanted to leave she asked if I would like to go to her place, she said no ties she just wanted to finish the night off. Anyway you don’t want to hear about that, only I wasn’t really drunk and I wore protection. A month or so passed and this girl Lara turns up at my office… Christ knows how she found me, she had come to tell me she was pregnant and it was mine, I told her it couldn’t be but she insisted and told me she didn’t want anything from me. Well I was one hundred percent sure it wasn’t mine so I called down to reception and told them I didn’t want her to come in here again. So in the next couple of weeks she would just keep turning up, when I went for a coffee she was there, if I went out the gym she was there, anyway you get the picture. One night she appeared at my apartment, we had a big argument and I told her that if she didn’t leave me alone I would call the police. It all went quiet for a few weeks and that’s when I met you, you know I knew you were the one when I saw you the very first time”

“Adam carry on with the story” I say

“Ok so it started going well with us, I was happy to take my time and get to know you properly, I have never done that before you know, that’s when the phone calls started because she had seen us out together. She said that if I didn’t go to her then she would kill herself and the baby. I’m sorry Liv, I know I should have just called the police but I couldn’t have that on my conscience, I wouldn’t be able to bear looking at myself if she did anything to that baby even if I did know it wasn’t mine. So every time she called I would go to her, she never really wanted anything other than me to just talk to her. As you know that carried on for months. She rang the one night after you had left me and I told her I was at work and would be about an hour, I wasn’t and I was just around the corner, I made my way to her apartment and met a man in the hallway outside her door, he was just leaving. When I asked Lara about him she just denied it, the next time I saw that man was when I met him with you outside of the cinema. He knew who I was but I’m not sure he knew that I knew him. It was that day that it all happened, we had spent a wonderful night together and I had a phone call from her the next morning asking to meet me outside of the office. She told me I had to let you go and that you were a whore who was seeing other men. I knew she was wrong and I told her to leave the both of us alone. It was something she said as she leant in to kiss my cheek, it was something like, I have proof I will show you? I went back into the office and called my lawyer, he said he would come over but to tell you first… so I came straight down to tell you and when I got to your office your friend said that you had gone home ill unexpectedly, I didn’t think any more about it other than you were unwell. I went to my office and met with my lawyer, we talked for a long time, he said in the interest of your safety you needed to be aware of what was going on, that’s when I came over to yours”

“But how did you know something was wrong?”

“I asked Derek if I could borrow his car, I had cycled in that morning and when I was coming up the road to yours I passed Lara and then when I got to your door that chap from next door said you had been noisy, I rang the police and kicked the door down. Fuck when I saw him stood over you taking photos I just flipped and beat the shit out of him, once he blacked out I covered you with a blanket and the police arrived. I had to go give a statement obviously because I had beaten him to a pulp. When I got out and everything was sorted you had left and I didn’t know where you had gone. Fuck Liv that was the toughest two weeks of my life”

“Did you see the photos?” he shakes his head “I’m sorry I should have called you I just needed time to sort things out” I say as I watch him nod his head this time

“So they both went to court, Lara was charged with blackmail and Tom had assault along with breaking and entering. She’s had the baby; I am waiting for the paternity test to come back. I’m not sure why they did any of it; I was never going near her again”

“I understand, you are quite something Adam. Anyway it’s been a long day, thank you for telling me… you could have done that before though”

“I know, will you ever forgive me Liv?”

“I’m working on it” I stand and walk back to the house, placing my cup on the side and walking on to the front door to let Adam out.

“Liv, does this change anything with us? You know I love you”

“I know, I’m tired and I need to think, Will you meet me for lunch tomorrow?”

We arrange to meet at the B & B at 12 noon, I watch as he walks down the drive and to his car. I shut the door and go back to the sitting room; I slump down in the chair.

“So everything ok with you and Adam?” my Dad asks

“I’m not sure, I need to think” I stand back up “I’m off to bed, see you tomorrow”

Chapter 17

I have a restless night and eventually go to sleep as the sun is rising. Mum wakes me at 11am and I race around getting ready to meet Adam at noon.

I walk to village and on to the B & B, as I reach it I can see Adam sat outside on a bench his head is in his hands, as I get closer I call his name, he looks up

“Liv, I thought you weren’t coming”

“Sorry I’m late, I didn’t sleep very well”

“What would you like to do?”

I know what my body would like to do, my heart as well “Shall we go for a walk?” I suggest

He stands and walks towards me and takes my hand, we walk down through the village and I decide to show him Plum Tree Cottage. It’s quite a long walk but I’m in no hurry for him to leave, I tell him that Bernard left it to me and that I am going to renovate, luckily I have the keys so we go into to the cottage. I give Adam the guided tour and show him what I plan to do. We find a bottle of whiskey and two tea cups, I pour us both a shot and we knock them back, I’m dancing round the kitchen as the whiskey burns my throat much to Adam’s amusement, we sit at the old kitchen table, I drink another shot this time the burn is not so bad.

“So how are you going to renovate, are you taking another mortgage?”

Shit I have to tell him “No I’m not, I have some savings so I should be ok” I say as I stand and walk to the kitchen window, I hear him stand too as he comes up behind me

“Liv” he says as he moves my hair over my shoulder and I feel his lips on the back of my neck, he must feel me shiver as he touches me, the whiskey must have taken my senses away as I lean my head to the side giving him better access to my neck, he wastes no time, kissing, licking and sucking my neck, his hands are running all over my body and I am lost to his touch,  I realise my jumper has gone when I feel him undo my bra, I watch as it lands on the floor with the jumper, he gently turns me around and looks at me, I watch as his eyes lower

“Fuck Liv, you are so beautiful”

He picks me up and carries me to the sitting room, I kick my shoes off as he gently lowers me to the sofa, he kneels either side of my legs and removes my jeans and panties, I lie naked while he is fully dressed, my eyes don’t leave him as he stands and removes his clothes piece by piece, almost like my very own strip show, he stands there naked looking at me while I can’t take my eyes off the beautiful masterpiece, no matter what I do to this cottage the sight will never be this good again. I hold my arms out to him and watch as he climbs back on the sofa and back between my legs only this time lowering to kiss me.

He makes love to me slowly taking his time to show me he loves me, I feel the tears running down my cheeks as he slowly lowers and rests on me to catch his breath. He lifts his head and sees my tears

“Shit Liv, did I hurt you?”

“No” his hands come up to my face and wipes the tears away

“What’s wrong then?”

“I’m not coming back Adam”

“What do you mean, you are not coming back?”

“I have put my apartment up for sale, Hannah has been promoted, I’m not coming back I’m staying here”

“Shit Liv what about us?”

“I know but I have to do what feels right, I love you and always will but I can’t go back”

“What so that it, it’s over between us?”

“It would never work, you being in the city and me being here” I watch as he stands and starts to dress

“I can’t believe you Liv, I gave you time, I told you the story surely you know I love you”

“Yes, but it won’t work Adam, you spend a lot of time at work and I just can’t go back, I had forgotten how much I love it here”

“Get dressed Liv” he almost shouts at me, I pull my panties and jeans back on and walk to the kitchen to find the rest of my clothes, once I’m fully dressed I walk back through the house and I find Adam sitting outside, again with his head is resting in his hands, as I approach him he looks up, its then that I can see a tear run down his cheek “Oh God Adam, I’m so sorry” I say dropping to my knees in front of him, he wraps his arms around me and just holds me for a long time.

“Liv, I need to go”

I slowly stand up and we start walking back to the village, we walk all the way without saying a thing, he stops outside the B & B his hand comes to my face “Liv I will leave you alone for one month then I will come back and we will talk, if you still feel the same I will go and not come back” he pulls me to him and whispers into my hair “I love you” he releases me and walks into the building without looking back

I walk home crying all the way, I get back to the house and go straight to my bedroom. I sit on my bed just thinking about Adam. How could I be so stupid, I love him like I could love no other, why did I let him go? Why did I let Bernard talk me into staying? I decide to ring Charlie and tell her what happened. I thought she would tell me I was doing the right thing but she didn’t, she said I was stupid to let Adam go again.

Chapter 18

I spend the next week walking around wallowing in my own pity then I get two calls, one from the solicitor saying that Plum Tree Cottage was now mine and the money was in my bank account and one from the estate agent saying they had sold my apartment for the asking price, I give them the solicitors address and call him back to let him know.

Julie has taken Bernard’s wishes on board and booked a trip that will take her half way around the world, she will be away for three months. My Mum and Dad have decided to take the van away for the weekend, so I invited Charlie up to spend the weekend with me.

I wave Mum and Dad off, Dad was so excited about going away in the van, I have one hour before I need to pick Charlie up, I am borrowing Dad’s truck, perhaps Charlie will help me find a car.

I pull up at the train station as Charlie walks out, I don’t believe my eyes, she has only brought one bag.

“Hey Boo”

“Hi Charlie, you’ve only got one bag” I say laughing

“I know but I am only here for the weekend and there is nothing to do here anyway”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, well that’s what they say in the city isn’t it?”

She jumps in the truck and I tell her I need to get a car, she agrees so we drive on to the next town to have a look around, I can’t decide if I need a car or truck.

“So Boo, tell me about Adam”

“I told him it was over”

“Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know, I’ve been wandering around trying to think why I thought it wouldn’t work, do you think we could make it work?”

“If you love somebody enough, yeah it could work”

“He said he would give me a month”

“Fuck, what you are going to do?”

“Try and forget about him”

“Funny, how are you supposed to forget about that hunk of a man and the love of your life?”

“I know right”

We laugh as we pull into the garage. We have a walk around looking at cars “You know what Charlie I think I want a truck”

“Well, you certainly are a country girl again aren’t you?”

We find a nice Land Rover in red that I love, after giving her a test drive I buy it, the sales assistant offers to deliver it on Monday.

I spend the rest of weekend showing Charlie the countryside, we walk, we eat out, I take her to Plum Tree Cottage and show her what I intend to do with it. She laughs when I say I might get chickens. We met an older man in the pub, once we got chatting I found out he has a decorating company. He was so nice and understood my vision straight away so I hired him on the spot, I ask if he could start on Monday, I decided to do up the cottage and move in then add the extension.

Sunday night as I drive Charlie back to the station she wants to know if I have thought about Adam, of course I’ve thought about him, if I close my eyes I can recall every detail of him making love to me at Plum Tree. I now think it might work, he could come down at the weekends and stay in the city during the week.