by Serena Lyons
Better get moving, then. I peek through the large cracks in the floorboard, there’s no one down there.
In a plastic freezer-bag, there’s a phone/diary and a sachet of white powder. I stuff them down inside my jacket, do a quick check of the other drawers, then peek through the trapdoor. It’s still empty down there.
[ADD GOING HOME, DISCUSS WHAT SHE FOUND]
“Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” Her hands are fists at her side as she glares from me to Callum.
I squeeze Callum’s hand, but don’t have the energy to say anything. Gran’s going to be furious with me. No, worse, she’s going to be disappointed.
“Why don’t we sit down and I’ll make some tea.” Callum squeezes my hand and amazingly manages to make me feel slightly calmer. “This might be a long conversation.”
Gran nods, but doesn’t take her eyes off me. “What have you done Faith? This is about Millie, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I whisper. “Let’s wait for Callum. Please.”
Gran opens her mouth as if she’s going to argue, but then her expression softens and she starts unbuttoning her rain jacket. We file into the front room, and a few moments later Callum comes in with a tray of tea and biscuits. He sits next to me and squeezes my hand again. I try not to notice how much better it makes me feel.
“So….?” Gran wrinkles her forehead and looks at us.
“We didn’t exactly tell you the truth.” I look down at mine and Callum’s hands as I speak. Gran’s going to be so disappointed in me. “We’re not dating. Callum knows… knew, Millie. We’re trying to figure out what happened to her.”
Gran’s right hand curls into a fist and she hits the sidetable. “Faith, what did I tell you about this?”
“We need to find out what the letter meant, Gran. I can’t let her down.”
Gran stares down at her fist and her fingers slowly uncurl. “She’s dead, petal, nothing will help her now.” The finality of her statement echoes around our room, and it’s never felt less like home. “It’s not safe poking your nose in.”
“I have to find out who hurt her.”
“You have to keep yourself out of trouble!”
“It’s too late for that.” Callum speaks for the first time. “Someone attacked Faith. We think it was the same person who hurt Millie.”
I yank my hand from his. “Shut up! That’s not—.”
“I found her by the towpath. She’d been hit over the back of the head. The police said she mightn’t have made it if I hadn’t passed by.”
Gran makes a whelp like an animal in pain, and I run over to kneel at her feet. I put my head on her lap and wrap my arms around her, trying to make he feel better. “I didn’t want to worry you. I’m sorry… I…”
Gran’s fingers grip my chin and she forces me to look at her. Her hands are shaking uncontrollably and her features have suddenly aged, so she’d easily pass as my great-grandmother now. “You nearly died and you didn’t think to tell me?”
“Callum’s exaggerating.” I glare at him again. “Barely a scratch on me. I didn’t want you to worry.”
“That’s why we have to find out who hurt Millie, so they can’t hurt Faith. And I have a damn good idea where to start looking.”
“What?” I straighten up to look at him, grabbing Gran’s hand. She at least lets me, but something tells me I’m not forgiven just yet.
“I found Lord Charrington’s will.” Callum’s eyes seem to flick to Gran’s for a second and her hand tenses. I spin around and she’s staring at Callum, her eyes on stalks. What the hell?
“And?”
“Millie was in line to inherit everything, well nearly everything.”
“What? What about Phillip and her Mum?”
“There was an allowance for, er, any other children and a lifetime allowance for Lady Charrington, but she was due to get like ninety percent of everything. And the house and the title.”
“Did it say why?” I’m baffled, why would Lord Charrington make Millie his sole hair to all extent and purposes? “And do you think that means Phillip hurt her?”
“Or Lady Charrington. She threw a cup of tea at me when I started asking about Millie’s death.”
“You—” I’m about to shout at him for bringing up Millie’s death when we’d expressly agreed not to, but I guess after finding the will he couldn’t resist. “Nevermind. Can I see the will?”
Callum pauses before answering. “I left it where it was.”
“But you took photos…?” The expression on his face tells me everything I need to know. “Why the hell didn’t you take photos of it?”
“I didn’t… think.” Callum won’t meet my eye. What the hell is going on?
“Tell me where to find it and I’ll get you your photos on Monday,” Gran says, her voice heavy with resignation. “I don’t agree with what you’re doing, but it sounds like it’s too late for arguments now.”
“Really? You’ll do that?”
“For my sins. Maybe it’s time for a new job, anyway.”
I twist around and hug her properly. “I’m sorry, Gran. I have to do avenge Millie though.”
“I know, now I’m going to get a start on dinner.”
Dinner is a muted affair with none of the jolliness of last night.
I linger in the doorway. “Can I sleep next to you tonight?”
Callum’s eyes widen, “Of course, it’s your bed.”
“I just keep thinking about the guy chasing me. And Millie and how horrible she must have felt when she died.”
“How about we just hold each other?” He twists me as he says the words, so my head falls into the hollow between his shoulder and neck.
I’ve never felt so safe.
But I don’t want to just be held. I want all of him. I need all of him.
37: Callum
Why the hell did I say ‘why don’t we just hold each other?’ Fucking idiot. This is torture. Faith’s wearing the tiniest pyjama bottoms and her tight ass is pressing against me every time she breathes out.
Last night was terrible enough, knowing she was just a few feet away from me on the bedroom floor. I had to bore myself to sleep going over replays of my old chemistry formulas in my head. There’s no way I’m going to be able to fool myself into ignoring her tonight. Not with her body tight against mine. It’s like she’s deliberately teasing me, pushing against my growing hardness…
“Faith?”
“Hmm.” There’s a fake note to her nonchalant response.
I breathe deeply, then jump in. “Did you know your peachy ass pressing against me like that is going to make it impossible for me to sleep?”
“Is it?” Her answer is contradicted by the increased pressure against me. She’s backing into me on purpose.
I sniff in her vanilla scent before answering. If this doesn’t go the way I want it to, I’ll have to sleep on the carpet tonight. I need her and won’t be able to resist her lying next to me.
I move my lips so they’re inches away from her ear and start whispering. “Because every time you brush against me I remember the last time my dick was so hard.” I gulp as I picture her that night. “When I took you back to mine and licked your pretty little pussy until you melted underneath me.”
She gasps, and I know she’s feeling just as turned on as I am.
“You were so hot that night.” My hand moves to the curve of her hip and her whole body jolts against me. I wait a second before doing anything else, enjoying the way my heartbeat shudders through me. “So beautiful as you shook with pleasure.” My lips inch closer to her ear. “You tasted so damn good too. I can’t believe you ran off, I wanted to know how good you’d feel on top of me.” My fingers dig into her hips now, pressing her ass even harder against me.
“You wanted me on top of you?” Faith surprises me by taking up my narrative.
“Oh yeah baby, I wanted to rip that silly dress over your head and have you ride me. Watch your full tits bounce as you took
everything you wanted from me.” I groan as I remember all the times since that night that I’ve closed my eyes and imagined Faith in my bed.
Faith spins around and suddenly her lips are all over mine, her warm tongue plunging into my mouth. My hands move over her rock-hard ass and I move them under the hem of her stupid shorts. Fuck, she’s not wearing any underwear. I groan as I squeeze her bare skin.
I pull away from her heavenly kisses. “Did you plan to seduce me tonight?” My pinkie finger finds the crack between her legs and starts stroking the silky softness there.
Faith laughs and bite her bottom lip. “Define seduce. Today made me realise life’s too short to play it cool.”
“So you’re happy with me doing this?” I twist my hand so all my fingers are cupping her slick sex, my thumb searching for her clit as I massage her entrance.
“More than happy,” she moans before finding my lips again.
I stroke her entrance, deliberately not giving her what she wants. Even though it takes all my willpower not to plunge into her soft core. Her kisses deepen and the liquid oozes out of her as I play her body like a piano.
“Stop teasing,” she murmurs, her hand snaking between us to find my dick.
“Say you want me,” I pull back and marvel at her dishevelled eyes and swollen lips. Her delicate fingers tighten around my shaft and I groan in delight. “Say Callum Carter-Wright, I need you.” I raise my voice higher than I mean to and it echoes around the small room.
“Shh,” she places her index finger over my lips. “Gran’s next door. We need to be quiet.”
“I might have to gag you then,” I whisper. “I’m planning to make you scream. But first you need to tell me.”
“I need you inside me.” She gasps and one of her hands slips under my boxers to finds my hardness. “I need this.” She squeezes my dick, and for one juvenile second I think I’m going to explode right then.
“As the lady desires.” I throw the duvet off us and flip her over so she’s laid out on the bed beneath me. Fuck, she’s beautiful, her expression hungry for me.
I yank her pajama top over her head and groan as I see her full breasts completely naked for the first time. She’s even more perfect than I thought from that first night. All I could see then was bits of her spilling out of that flouncy dress. I dip my head to one tight nipple and suck so hard she writhes underneath me.
“Callum,” she moans pulling at my head. “Stop teasing me.”
“Don’t be so impatient.” I try to pretend I’m not as desperate as she is, but then her hands fly from my head to the side of her silly shorts and I know I’m completely done for.
“Impatient am I?” She asks as she slowly pushes the tartan flannel over the swell of her hips, exposing her neat landing strip and engorged lips. I can smell the musky scent of her arousal and instantly I’m ripping off my own boxers.
“Don’t say I didn’t try to take this slow.” I murmur as I move my hips over her, my dick finding her wet entrance.
“It’s not slow,” she sighs as I draw circles against her. “I’ve wanted this since that first night at your house.”
She’s wanted this for two months? Her words make my last of willpower evaporate and I move against her. Plunging into her is just what I thought it would be and much, much more. She’s burning hot, and she feels like home.
I lever myself up on to one arm and grab her face. “You’re amazing, Faith. I’m sorry things got off to such a bad start.”
“Shut up and fuck me.” She demands, her eyes glassy with desire.
I don’t need asking twice. Her eyes widen as I fill her up, pumping hard then racing out so I can do it again. It’s never been like this before. I’ve never felt like one entity with someone.
I stare at her, unable to tear myself away from her golden eyes and she’s looking back at me like she feels is too. Like this is so much more than just sex.
“Faith, I… You’re…” My voice trails off as I fail to put into words the symphony inside of me.
“Didn’t you want me on top?” There’s something almost nervous in Faith’s voice as she breaks eye contact and starts wriggling underneath me.
“Sure,” I pull away from her. Who am I to say no to that? I lie on to my back and Faith starts straddling me, but with her back towards me.
“No, not that way. I want to look at you.” I grab her hand and twist her so she’s facing me.
She hesitates, then nods. I don’t care if she thinks she has an ugly cum face or whatever’s going on. I can’t break this connection.
She slides down on to me and I think I might have died it feels so good. Nothing, no spliff or pill or high has ever come close to this.
“You’re perfect,” I sigh as she bounces on top of me. I run a hand up the smooth flank of her body and pull her down closer to me. I don’t want any gap between us. Her face is against mine, her eyes inches away and I stare into them as I lose myself in her. Or find myself.
I pull her down, so she’s lying dead on top of me. “You’re fucking amazing Faith Davies.” I brush away a strand of wet hair and whisper into her ear.
“You’re not so shabby yourself, much as I hate to admit it.” Her voice is soft with sleep and she pecks the side of my cheek before rolling on to the mattress beside me. Within seconds her breath is the heavy regular pattern of someone fast asleep.
This—she—is all I ever want. Fuck the slutty girls in Ibiza clubs and wannabee singers hoping to get a way into my father. Faith is everything they can give me and so much more.
I don’t know what’s happening, but one time definitely wasn’t enough. I pull Faith closer into my arms, breathe in the vanilla aroma of her again and drift off into the deepest sleep I’ve ever had.
If I have anything to do with this, we’ll never stop doing this.
38: Faith
I wake slowly, the room already light and I’m vaguely aware of something warm next to me. I blink, it’s my room at home, not my college bed.
“Morning,” Callum smiles down at me, propped up against the headboard flicking through his mobile. Then I remember, my needing someone to hold me last night. His arms around me, telling me he’d keep me safe. Us coming together in a way that makes it feel like I’ve gone from doing a single handstand in a school playing field to competing in the Olympics.
“Have you been up long?” Oh shit, I twist away from him towards the window, I bet I have morning breath.
“Only three hours,” he laughs, presumably at my shocked expression.
I grab my phone. “You woke up at six am? Aren’t you a wild party animal who doesn’t get up until after lunch?”
“I have rowing practice most mornings. And not so many big blow outs these days.”
“Why?”
“Why what?” He shifts next to me, his expression darkening.
“Why don’t you have so many big blow outs anymore?”
There’s a pause as he looks beyond me, through the gaps in the silver blinds. “They stopped being so much fun. I had to take more and more to get the same high, and look how that turned out for my Dad.” His head dips, he doesn’t need to explain his father’s problems with drugs and adultery–the entire country gets a blow-by-blow account in the papers. “And I can’t help thinking that if I hadn’t been getting fucked in Ibiza that night, maybe Millie would still be here.”
A kernel of jealousy twists in my stomach. If Millie was still here, would Callum be with her? God, I’m horrific. She was—is—my best friend.
“What were you doing that night?”
“I was in Ibiza. I was supposed to be taking Millie to her ball, but instead I cancelled last minute and flew to Ibiza with the boys. Axel/ Rafe promised us a weekend to top all others.”
“She’d been planning that night for months.” I close my eyes remembering how many photos of potential ballgowns she sent me. They were all insanely expensive, and she looked stunning in them all, but kept dismissing them as not being ‘magnificent enoug
h for Callum.’
“Don’t make me feel worse. It was just getting too much for me, her insistence on us being serious, official, declaring our everlasting commitment to each other. Don’t get me wrong, she was a great girl, but I didn’t see us having that long a future.”
“Why not?” I try to quell the beating in my chest. I want him to say because she doesn’t make me feel the way you do. Last night means I can’t deny how he makes me feel any longer.
“I was only eighteen. I wanted fun for the moment, not a lifetime’s commitment. And Millie wanted forever and ever.”
I sigh, now I feel worse knowing that she was so distraught over him.
“What about you?”
“What about me what?”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“God, no. I’m not that stupid. Or that loveable.”
“Why’s love stupid?”
“It makes you vulnerable.”
“And what makes you think you aren’t loveable?”
Now it’s my turn to pause. I’ve never said this out loud to anyone, not even Millie. I push past him and jump out of bed. I can’t face the pity I know I’ll see in his eyes. “Neither of my parents bothered to stick around.”
“Faith—”
I walk out of the room before I can hear whatever platitudes Callum was going to offer.
I brush my teeth, then pop my head back into the bedroom. “Smells like Gran’s cooked a fry up.” I run down the stairs before Callum can say anything else.
“Morning,” I wrap my arms around Gran. “This smells great. How come you never do this when it’s just me?”
“Now you’re away at university I can give you a treat.”
“As long as it’s not just for Callum.”
“Well he does seem worth impressing.” Gran winks at me. “As long as he’s not as wild as his father seems—”
So she did put two and two together and get to four. I’m impressed that she didn’t embarrass me by asking lots of questions about all the celebs Callum knows.