by Nikki Ashton
“I’ll kill her,” Martha screamed her eyes wild as she struggled to release herself from Luke’s grip.
“Please, baby, calm down.” Luke whispered in Martha’s ear as he hugged Martha’s back to his chest. “She’s just a stupid bitch.”
Martha’s breathing started to slow down as Luke gently stroked her wild hair from her face. She flopped against him and held a hand to her mouth.
“God, I’ve never lost it like that before, I’m sorry,” she said her voice trembling.
“I should think you are,” Rachel said indignantly.
“Rachel!” Luke barked as Martha tensed in his arms again. “I’ll give you half an hour to get your stuff packed and call a cab for the airport. Unless you want me to let her loose.”
Rachel pulled herself to her feet. “What’s she doing in your bed anyway?”
“Do you really want a biology lesson now?” Luke asked still holding tightly to Martha.
“But you were arguing, and she said you weren’t getting laid,” Rachel cried. “So I thought I’d try and show you what you were missing.”
“Well we made up,” Luke replied.
When Luke had gone to bed he sent Martha a text saying he was sorry. Her reply was that he was still an arse, to which Luke response was that he knew, but he was an arse who thought that she was beautiful and couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else touching her. Martha, who had been ready to cave anyway, didn’t reply, but just went to his room where they then made up - a couple of times.
“I can’t believe you’d even try while I’m in the same bed, you skank” Martha cried, her anger levels rising again.
“Obviously I didn’t see you in the bed, did I?” Rachel thrust her hands to her hips and pouted.
“Obviously,” Luke replied. “But nothing would’ve happened anyway. I’m with Martha.”
“Well it didn’t feel like that when I touched you!” Rachel cried.
“Because I thought that you were Martha. Anyway why are we even discussing this? Get out!” Luke bellowed holding his hands in the air in exasperation.
Martha suddenly free of the shackles of Luke’s arms made a movement towards Rachel. Petrified for her life Rachel turned on her heels and fled for the door. As she disappeared Martha jumped off the bed and ran over to the doorway and watched as Rachel moved swiftly down the corridor to her own room.
“Oi” Martha cried.
Rachel opened her door and stepped inside, poking her head around the door frame, ready to slam it shut and lock it if Martha came any closer.
“What?” she shouted back.
“Next time you come anywhere near Luke I will rip your extensions out and give them back to the horse that they came from.
“They’re all mine,” Rachel cried.
“Really?” Martha laughed. “They look like they’ve come from some old nag to me, but I guess you get what you pay for. And your half hour is ticking away, so hurry up.”
Rachel slammed the door shut and locked it behind her. Taking a deep breath, Martha went back into Luke’s room and closed the door. She fell back against it and closed her eyes.
“I can’t believe I did that,” she groaned. “I have never lost it like that before, ever.”
Luke got out of bed and took hold of Martha’s hands. He dropped a kiss against each of her closed lids and then wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.
“She’s unhinged and I’m sorry that I let her stay. I should’ve kicked her out straight away.”
Martha shook her head as she pushed herself further into Luke’s embrace.
“You weren’t to know she’d turn all ‘Fatal Attraction’ on you. You don’t have a rabbit do you?” she asked with a giggle.
Luke laughed and pulled Martha back to the bed. “Come on let’s get some sleep.”
As Martha got back beneath the sheet she sighed. “I am sorry for my behaviour, Luke.”
Luke grinned. “It was quite sexy to be honest. A little overbearing and Neanderthal of you, but sexy.”
”Yeah well,” Martha groaned. “No one touches my man.”
By the time Luke and Martha got up the next morning, Rachel had gone. They didn’t know whether she had booked a flight or was just going to turn up at the airport, but they didn’t really care. The most important thing was that their last day would be nice and peaceful, and they’d had their first row and got over it, which filled Martha with hope that maybe she was enough for Luke and their relationship might just last.
Chapter 21
When Luke, Martha and Lucia arrived back in the village, the light was fading, and what remaining sunlight there was made the trees cast slanting shadows across the lawns of the big house. The car had dropped Martha and Luke off at the bottom of the drive, before continuing on with Lucia and their luggage.
“Shit Martha, how much did you buy?” Luke laughed. “This case is twice as heavy as it was when we went out.”
“No it is not, you’re just not as strong after a week with me in your bed.” Martha winked as she reached up to kiss him.
“You have turned into a naughty girl Miss Bright. You couldn’t even look at me naked a few weeks ago, now you’re dragging me into bed at every opportunity.”
Martha smiled, recalling the times they’d spent in bed made her skin prickle with sparks of excitement. She put the key in the lock and opened the door, instinctively bending down to pet Ernie who was certain to come rushing out to greet her, but nothing happened. The house was empty.
“Funny,” she said as she led Luke into the lounge. ”I would have expected Betty to be here.”
“Did you tell her what time you’d be back?” Luke asked as he dropped Martha’s case in the hall.
“Yes I said, about eight.”
“Maybe she’s just taken Ernie out, she’ll be back soon I’m sure.” Luke put his arms around Martha’s waist and pulled her to him. “But, while we wait, maybe we can have a little kiss, just to keep me going through a night without you in my bed.”
As she melted into his embrace, Martha couldn’t help but feel a sadness in her heart. Everything had moved on extremely quickly between them, and now they were back home, following their normal lives, it would be strange not being together every day. They’d discussed with Lucia how things were going to work with Martha being employed by Luke, and agreed that it shouldn’t change anything. In fact Martha insisted that it didn’t – she didn’t want him whisking her off for trips out when she should be working, or distracting her with seductive looks and kisses. She had a contract and was going to stick to it.
“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered.
“Me too, so I was thinking maybe…”
The sound of something banging on the floor above where they were standing startled Martha and she put a finger up, indicating for Luke to be quiet. They both listened and heard the noise again.
“It must be Betty,” Luke whispered.
Martha shook her head. “No it’s coming from my room, and in any case if she was here Ernie would be too.”
“I’ll check,” Luke said, looking around. He picked up a candlestick from the fireplace. “You stay here.”
Martha giggled. “Its papier-mâché Luke, Betty made it at school when she was about six.”
“Oh, right. Fuck it, I’ll just have to punch whoever it is.” He quickly kissed Martha and made his way to the hall.
As Luke stealthily crept up the stairs, he could feel a presence behind him.
“Martha, get back in the lounge,” he hissed.
“No, you might need my help.”
“Seriously?” He looked her up and down and grinned.
Martha put her hands on her hips. “Yes!”
“Alright, but if it gets violent I want you to run like hell and get some help, okay?” Martha nodded and followed Luke up the stairs.
Luke reached the top step and moved towards the door he remembered as being Martha’s room. He took a deep breath, pushed down the handle and
ran in with a huge roar.
“Shit,” Noah cried. “Uncle Luke.” He started to climb out of the bed, then thought better of it and instead bunched the covers up to his chest, a look of utter dread on his face.
On hearing Noah’s voice, Martha strode into the room behind Luke and gave an award winning death stare to Noah and Betty, who now cowered beneath the duvet. She was so angry she thought the top of her head would blow off.
“What the…” Martha screamed. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, and in my bed, how dare you?”
“But Mum, it’s not like it’s illegal or anything, I am seventeen. Anyway you can’t talk.”
“Exactly, I want more for you. Did you not listen to what I said about no distractions during your exams?” For the first time ever she wanted to slap Betty. “Get out of my house now,” she shouted at Noah.
“No Mum, he’s done nothing wrong. We love each other.”
Martha shook her head. “You have no idea you silly, stupid girl. Just get your clothes on and go.”
“If he goes, then so do I,” Betty screamed, pulling tightly on Noah’s arm.
“I think I’d better go, I’ll call you tomorrow, I promise.” Noah climbed out of the bed and started inching his way across the room with only his hand covering himself.
Martha turned her back to him. “Luke get him his clothes.”
“I told you to stay away, Noah,” Luke said, picking up a pile of clothes from the floor and throwing them at his nephew. “What didn’t you understand about that?”
“I’m sorry, but Betty’s right, we love each other.” Noah stumbled out of the room, frantically trying to pull on his clothes and cover his modesty at the same time.
“You love each other?” snorted Martha. “Luke, you need to go, and take him with you.”
“No,” Luke said. “I want to stay here and make sure you’re okay.”
Betty frowned and looked from her mother to Luke.
“Oh,” she laughed darkly, “I get it. So it’s okay for you to be shagging a member of the Mahoney family, but not me?”
“Don’t push me young lady,” said Martha, wagging her finger at Betty.
“What is it, Mum? Just because you were stupid and got yourself pregnant you think I’m going to do the same.”
“How dare you?” Martha spat. “You are the best thing to ever happen to me and there has never been one moment where I regret having you, except now.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Martha saw the crushing hurt in Betty’s face.
“Well, thank you Mother, at least I know where I stand.”
“Betty, you know I don’t mean it,” Martha sighed, burying her face in her hands. “I’m just so angry with you right now.”
Luke moved across to Martha and took her hand. “Look, you two need to sort this out. I’ll take Noah home, and I’ll come back later, okay?”
“No,” Martha said simply. “I think it’s best if you don’t.”
“Okay,” Luke said hesitantly. “But ring me if you need anything at all.”
He gently squeezed Martha’s hand and then left, with Noah thudding down the stairs before him.
“Right,” Martha said when they had gone. “Get out of my bed and get the sheets changed, and why is there a half-eaten pizza on the floor?”
“We were hungry,” Betty said sullenly.
“Well get it tidied up. You’ve made it look like a pig sty in here. I’m going downstairs to calm down.” Martha started towards the door but then stopped and turned to her daughter again.
“By the way,” she said. “Where the hell is Ernie?”
“He’s with Uncle Graham,” Betty said. “I told him I was going out for the evening.”
“Oh so you palmed the dog off on him just so you could spend the night having sex in my bed. Classy Betty, very classy.”
“But Mum...”
“I’ll make it simple for you, just so there’s no more confusion. You are grounded until the end of your exams. Understand?”
“Mum, no, please.”
“That’s final,” Martha said, her words as rigid as if they’d been set in stone. She looked around the room, and then at Betty, with an expression of disgust. “Now get this tidied.”
Martha sat on the sofa in the living room and looked out of the window. The shadows had now fallen and the darkness made her feel even worse about what she’d said to Betty, if it were possible. She’d left Betty sobbing on the bed and it hurt, but she had to understand that this was all for the best for her. She actually didn’t have a problem with Noah, he seemed like a lovely, polite young man, but she did have a problem with Betty potentially throwing her life away for what would probably be a summer fling. She wanted more for her daughter than cooking and cleaning for other people, and if it meant Betty hating her for a while, then so be it.
Chapter 22
“Martha, it’s me again,” Luke said, pacing the room. “Please just answer your phone, I need to speak to you.” He ended the call and threw his phone down onto the sofa. “Stubborn bloody woman.”
“Is she still not answering?” Lucia patted Luke’s back and sighed. “Give her a little space, it must have been a huge shock for her. They’re probably still arguing about it.”
Luke flopped down onto the sofa.
“She had all last night to argue with her,” he said. “Surely she’s had five minutes to just speak to me. Even a text would be something.”
Lucia had never seen her son like this over a woman before, but she could understand why he liked Martha so much. Lucia also enjoyed having Martha around, and it had been wonderful to see her and Luke having fun together when they’d been in Italy. Although it was obvious in Martha’s eyes that she adored Luke, she didn’t let him act like the big rock star, telling him when he was wrong, or if he was being overbearing, and the amazing thing was that Luke seemed to listen to her. He was calmer around Martha, his eyes shone when he looked at her and his laugh boomed when she said something that amused him.
“Do you love her, Luciano?”
Luke looked up at his mother with suspicion in his eyes.
“What makes you say that?”
“Well do you?”
“I’ve known her less than a couple of months, and we’ve only been together for a week.” Luke reached across for his phone and checked the screen.
“Yes but you’ve slept together,”
Luke groaned “Mamma, do I have to talk about this now, with you?”
“When I was young making love with someone meant that you loved them. But, times were different then I suppose.” Lucia smiled as she watched Luke frown down at his phone and touch the screen, obviously wanting to look anywhere except at her
“Well Luciano?”
Luke looked up and sighed, she wasn’t going to give this up.
“Look, Mamma I like her a lot, but love...” He shook his head and looked back at his phone. “I don’t know.” He’d thought that he loved Rachel for the sum total of two days when they’d first met, and his feelings for Martha were certainly a lot stronger than the ones he’d had for her; but still he worried about whether to trust those feelings. He was such a failure at relationships that surely it was doomed to fail. He’d hurt enough people in his life and couldn’t stand the thought of treating Martha as badly them.
“Okay, but if you do like her ‘a lot’ then give her the time she needs to sort things out with her daughter.”
At that moment, the door opened and Noah came in. His cheeks reddened as he looked at Luke and saw the anger in his eyes.
“I’ve said I’m sorry,” he said, raising his hands in defence.
“I asked you not to go there, but to be honest I don’t know whether I’m angrier about you disobeying me or disrespecting Martha by having sex in her bed.”
“Seriously?” Noah said, a look of disbelief on his face. ”Disobeying you? You’re not my father, I’m twenty years old, and you can’t tell me what to do.” Noah’s fists
were clenched at his sides as he glared at Luke.
“I pay you extremely well to do a job for me, and if I find that you were seeing Betty on my time then I can rectify that. You know I love you but I’m damned if I’m going to let you think you can do whatever you like.”
“Luciano.” Lucia’s spoke in a warning tone.
“No, Mamma,” Luke said. “He has to learn respect, and I asked him not to do something out of respect for Martha.”
“I know that Uncle Luke, but I really do love her.”
“How long have you known her, six or seven weeks? Not possible.”
“Luciano, have we not just had the same conversation about Betty’s mother?”
“Yes, and I told you the same, it’s only been a few weeks.”
“Betty’s different though,” Noah said. ”She’s nothing like the other girls I’ve been out with. She’s funny, and ballsy and clever and I love her.”
Luke couldn’t help but smile. Betty sounded so much like her mother that he could understand why Noah had fallen for her.
“Look Noah,” Luke sighed. “If you love her, then I feel for you, I really do, but just at the moment you have to stay away. You have to let Betty and Martha sort this out between themselves, and if you’re meant to be together then you will be.”
“Sounds like good advice to me,” Lucia muttered staring out of the window.
“Okay Mamma, I hear you.” Luke smiled. His mother was right, as usual. He had to give Martha time.
“What do I do until then?” Noah asked, sitting down next to Luke and dropping his head into his hands.
“I’m sure you and Uncle Luke can find something to do while you wait for your ladies.” Lucia smiled. She stood up, patted them both on the head and left the room.
Martha flicked her phone to silent, as it rang out the Dirty Riches song, Immobile. It was Luke, for about the tenth time that day. He’d downloaded the song for her when they’d been in Italy, and then set it as the ring tone for ‘Sexy Lukey’. She dismissed the call, without really knowing why. This shouldn’t affect her and Luke, but at the moment she needed to make sure that Betty understood why she was so angry, and if Luke was around she knew that she’d be distracted, so she promised herself to call him later.