Forever & an Engine (The Austin Series)

by C. J. Fallowfield

  ‘Baby you’re so cute when you get excited. I’d already planned on us spending the evening in here, just with a healthier meal. I’ll agree to eating junk food with you, but I draw the line at chick flicks.’

  ‘I absolutely have to see Fast & Furious 6 on this screen, I missed it at the cinema and haven’t seen it yet. Please can we watch that?’

  ‘You like the Fast & Furious films?’ he asked surprised.

  ‘God yes, love them. I love action and martial arts films. Jet Li and Mark Dacascos are two of my favourites, I even have some Chinese ones that are dubbed.’

  ‘You’re the best girlfriend ever Mia Page, you love all the types of films I do. Have you seen Dredd?’

  ‘No, but I really want to and the Alan Partridge film. I don’t know if it’s out yet, but I’ve heard it’s hilarious.’

  ‘I think we have movie night all sewn up then. Doug will have a dodgy copy if any films aren’t out yet.’

  ‘Seriously? You’d really watch three films back to back with me?’

  ‘Mia, I’m a guy. Before you I could spend 10 hours on my xbox, so a mere six hours curled up with you and some excellent film choices sounds absolutely bloody fantastic.’

  ‘I love you so much,’ I squealed as I jumped in his lap and kissed him and he laughed, hugging me tightly.

  ‘Come on, I need more coffee and I’ll text Doug to see if he’s got Alan.’ He pulled me up and led me back upstairs.

  ‘God. Doug and Lexi, they’re out together today. Will you ask him how it’s going? I’ll text Lex and ask the same and we can see if we get the same replies.’

  ‘If you go and grab our phones they’re on the bedside tables, I’ll put the coffee on and I need to throw some laundry in as well.’

  ‘Where is your laundry basket? In your dressing room?’

  ‘Yes, but leave it. I’ll go and get it once I’ve done the coffee.’

  ‘Gabe, I may not be able to cook, but I do good laundry. I’ll bring it down and sort it out.’ I kissed him and ran back up the stairs to his room and sat on the edge of the bed as I checked my phone, I already had a text from her.

  Mornin pisshead. Bet u feel like shite? All humped out? Waitng 4 D. Act feel nerv, WTF?

  Afternoon Lexi. I woke up feeling great and the other question is still a work in progress, but I’ve had a very enjoyable four times so far :-) Take it you’re at the show now? It’s normal to feel nervous on a date, plus you’re sober, so the two events combined are whole new experiences for you! How’s it going? Text me soon with an update, I’m so excited. O and Lex, you’re going to die when I tell you all about Gabe’s cinema room!! Xx

  I grabbed the laundry basket and headed down and dumped it in the Utility room. I took our phones and headed into the kitchen where the delicious aroma of coffee hit me.

  ‘Here you go,’ he smiled as he passed it over. He was leaning on the island drinking his while eating an apple. ‘Are you hungry, do you want anything?’

  ‘No I’m good thanks. I texted Lexi, send one to Doug will you? I’m dying to know what’s going on. I’ll be back in a minute.’ I headed back to the utility and sipped my coffee as I sorted out the dark washing and turned to look at his huge free standing washing machine. I loaded it, amazed at how much it could fit. I fiddled with the buttons and jumped as it started, it was noisy and was shaking all over. I bent over to separate his whites and towels out and heard a groan. I looked around and he was leaning on the door frame watching me.

  ‘Are you objectifying my naked behind?’ I smiled.

  ‘Always baby, I’ve never seen a more tempting sight.’ He strode over to me and lifted me straight up and sat me on top of the washing machine. I gasped as I felt the vibrations work their way up through me and looked at him all wide eyed and he grinned. ‘Let’s see just how good at laundry you actually are.’ He moved between my legs and started kissing me.

  ‘O god Gabe, this feels good,’ I groaned as he moved to kiss my neck and his hands skimmed over my bare buttocks. I caressed the back of his neck as I felt myself quivering and shaking in time with the machine. He moved back to kiss me and moaned as I slipped my tongue in his mouth and wrapped my legs around his waist. I knew my assault on the back of his neck would drive him insane and I reached down and freed him from his sweats. He pulled my bottom forwards and slid straight into me groaning. I came within seconds as I mumbled in his mouth and as I started to crescendo again I felt him start to tense up. Less than a minute later I’d orgasmed for a second time along with him and it was over. He sighed happily on my shoulder as the machine continued to rumble away below us. I kissed his hair and stroked his back until he lifted up his head and smiled at me.

  ‘Shit that really was a quickie, even for me. Sorry baby, you were just so ready. What with the added vibrations of the machine and you coming so quickly …’

  ‘Don’t be sorry, I really enjoyed it, though I’m happy doing laundry again in future on a longer, equally hot cycle,’ I smiled. ‘So did Doug reply?’

  ‘Mia,’ he grumbled. ‘I’m still inside you, less of the Doug talk please.’

  ‘Sorry, I just want to know how it went, I’m so excited for them.’

  ‘Baby your legs are really cold, come on we’re going to have a hot bath to warm you up and I’ll dig you out something warmer to wear.’ He slid me off the machine, still inside me, my legs wrapped around him and walked out and started up the stairs.

  ‘Gabe, our phones, I need to see.’

  ‘Bloody hell Mia.’ He turned around and carried me down to the kitchen and I leaned back in his arms and grabbed them off the island. ‘Can we go up now?’

  ‘Yes please.’ I smiled and kissed him and hung onto his shoulder with my one arm as he carried me back up the stairs again. ‘Gabe, I’ve changed my mind I’m hungry after all can we go back down again?’ I asked as he reached the top. He looked at me and saw me smiling and realised I was pulling his leg.

  ‘One day I’m going to make you carry me around and see how you like it.’

  ‘Well you do it to me so often you obviously love it.’

  ‘I do,’ he smiled as he lifted me off him, groaning as he set me down by the toilet.

  ‘Are you ok?’

  ‘Yes, I hate that moment when I pull out of you too Mia. Right I’ll start the bath and go and sort some clothes for you and put the heating on.’

  I sat on the toilet and watched him with a raised eyebrow until he laughed and shook his head as he left me to it. I cleaned myself up again and took off my socks, put my hair up and went to check on the bath. I sat on the edge as I checked my phone and smiled to see she’d replied.

  Only 4? Slacker ;-) Gud ta. Tell G e can stop txtng D 2. Nosey buggers! Tell u bout it Mon. Luv sund of cin. Njoy wkend x

  You’re so miserable making me wait Lexi Clarke and as you’re taking English, you really ought to learn to speak and text it. I’ll need to come back early Monday morning as I’ve no bloody clothes, so wait for me and we can go in together. I need to organise my cover notes. Love you x PS It’s five times now.

  <3 U2 x PS Stop rubin it in!

  You didn’t say how you got on with the rabbit. Didn’t it arrive?

  Damn it!!!!! :-(

  You forget to check the box again didn’t you?! I give up with you Clarke x

  I heard a knock at the door.

  ‘Can I come back in?’

  ‘Yes of course. Check your phone, Lexi isn’t giving anything away. She says she knows you’ve asked Doug too and says to back off.’

  ‘You’re way too excited about this Mia,’ he said as he looked at his screen ‘Hmmmm … great.’

  ‘What, tell me?’

  ‘He says to mind our own business and that he has Alan so I can log into his network and copy it over.’

  ‘Damn them,’ I sighed. I really wanted this to work for Lexi, it would do her the world of good to go steady with someone and have them care for her the way Gabe did for me. ‘Ok I think the bath’s done.’ I
turned off the taps and watched as he dropped his sweats and climbed straight in.

  ‘Come on then bashful, ditch the shirt,’ he said waving a finger at the buttons. I smiled at him and undid them before dropping it down and climbing in quickly and sinking below the bubbles so the water was up to my shoulders.

  ‘Hmmm that’s so nice,’ I said as I lay opposite him and hooked my legs over his. I smiled at him and saw he’d a slight frown on his face. ‘Gabe, what’s the matter?’

  ‘Well I’ve been waiting patiently for you to talk to me all day, but unless I start the conversation now I’ve the feeling that you’re not going to.’ He fixed me with a disapproving look and I sighed, I thought I’d got away with it.

  ‘Gabe, I already apologised for my outfit last night.’

  ‘That’s not what I’m talking about.’

  ‘Then what?’

  ‘Mia, you’re going into hospital on Tuesday. You haven’t mentioned it once since you put the phone down on me mid conversation on Friday, which I’m still very unhappy about.’

  ‘Gabe do we have to do this now? We’ve been having such a lovely day.’

  ‘There’s always some damn excuse with you Mia, last night I wanted to talk and you said “not tonight” so I let it slide, I let you enjoy yourself and forget it.’

  ‘Can’t we forget it now, I don’t want to ruin the weekend Gabe.’

  ‘So when? Five minutes before you go in for surgery so you can cut me off again?’ He’d changed from playful to serious in the space of a minute and I sighed again.

  ‘That’s unfair Gabe, it was a bad time for you, you needed to focus.’

  ‘Where you’re concerned it’s never a bad time. I was bloody furious with you.’

  ‘I’ll try and remember to make you more angry in future then, as you won your races and set a personal best,’ I smiled, but saw from the look on his face that it wasn’t the time. ‘Ok I’m sorry, I won’t cut you off again like that. It was just a lot to take in and I wasn’t ready to talk, I needed time to process it all myself.’

  ‘So you’ve had time now, talk, we’ve nothing to do, nowhere to go.’

  ‘What do you want me to say?’

  ‘Tell me if you’re worried, upset, scared. I don’t know bloody Mia,’ he sighed, frustration oozing from every pore. ‘That’s why I need you to tell me how you’re feeling about it.’

  ‘What’s the point me worrying? It is what it is. I can’t do anything to change what’s wrong with me. I just have to hope that the operation goes ok and that they can help.’

  ‘So these stabbing pains are from the cysts in your ovaries?’

  ‘She thinks so yes.’

  ‘And it’s the endometriosis that’s messed up your insides and gives you the painful periods?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, looking at him puzzled. ‘How do you know all this?’

  ‘I spent some of my four hour taxi ride home on Friday googling the bloody conditions as you wouldn’t take the time to explain them to me,’ he responded with a look that clearly told me how annoyed he still was with me about it. ‘So she’s going to knock you out and put a couple of holes in your stomach and have a look inside?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I also read that they can try and drain the cysts and do some repair work?’

  ‘Yes and then we’ll discuss the treatment options when she knows more.’

  ‘Will it stop you from having children?’

  ‘I don’t really know, she mentioned it could cause infertility but I didn’t ask.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘It didn’t seem important,’ I shrugged.

  ‘Why wouldn’t it be important?’

  ‘Because I’m not really bothered whether I can or not,’ I mumbled, knowing I’d probably get the usual bad reaction I got to that statement.

  ‘You don’t want children?’ He asked and I could hear the shock in his voice. I knew it, everyone reacted that way when I was asked that question. I looked at him as I sighed, but he was looking down and playing with his fingers.

  ‘No not really, I’ve never been into playing with dolls or getting all gushy at the sight of babies. I just don’t think I’ve got the maternal gene.’ There was a lengthy uncomfortable silence and he remained head down. ‘Gabe, why won’t you look at me?’

  ‘I’m just a bit taken aback that’s all,’ he said as glanced up at me, rubbed his mouth with his hand and looked away again. Everyone thought I was abnormal that I didn’t want kids, why did I expect that he would have reacted differently?

  ‘Sorry to shatter the illusion that all women want to do is settle down and squirt out one sprog after another, but not all of us are like that,’ I said feeling annoyed.

  ‘No, you’ve made that quite clear.’ I could hear a hint of annoyance in his voice too.

  ‘Meaning?’

  ‘You said you didn’t want to settle down yet, I just assumed that at some stage you’d want to and you’d want to have kids.’

  ‘No.’ Shit where was he going with this? This wasn’t a topic I ever wanted to discuss, let alone this early in a relationship.

  ‘So you don’t believe in marriage or having children?’

  ‘Gabe,’ I sighed.

  ‘What?’

  ‘This is a bit intense, do we have to discuss this now?’

  ‘When would be a good time for you to discuss this Mia? I’m just interested to know.’

  ‘We’ve been dating less than three weeks Gabe, this isn’t a topic of conversation I want to discuss.’ I gave him a look, warning him to back off.

  ‘It’s not like I’m proposing and need a definitive answer Mia. I just can’t believe you haven’t thought generically about the future.’

  ‘Well I haven’t, we already had this discussion, it’s way too early to think about the future, I’m only 18,’ I snapped, frustrated.

  ‘And I’m only 19, but I know that one day I’ll want to get married and have a family of my own. You really don’t see that in your future?’

  ‘Marriage is just a meaningless bit of paper Gabe and no I don’t see myself having kids either, so if that makes me less of a woman in your eyes … whatever.’ I tried to get up out of the bath, he was making me really uncomfortable with this line of questioning. He grabbed my legs and pulled me right up to him, my legs parted on each side of his hips and he put his arms around me, holding me tightly to stop me leaving.

  ‘Gabe let me go, I want to get out.’ I pushed on his shoulders, but he didn’t budge. I sighed and looked down at his chest.

  ‘No. We’re having another conversation you find difficult so you want to bale. Mia look at me please.’

  ‘No. I’m angry now.’

  ‘Why are you angry? Because I’m asking you questions?’

  ‘No, because you’re judging me, just like my dad judges me. It’s my life and I get to choose what I do with it no one else.’ I glared at him as I struggled again, but he just tightened his grip, I was seriously irritated now.

  ‘I’m not telling you what to do with your life Mia.’

  ‘Well it feels like it, I saw the look you think I’m abnormal. Let me go Gabe, I want to get out.’

  ‘I don’t think you’re abnormal, I think you’re scared. Marriage and kids are another big commitment and you’ve already admitted that you’re not good with commitment. I’m not asking you to promise me anything Mia, I’m just explaining that when I think about my future I see you in it. I just hope that one day you’ll trust me enough to want to marry me and have a family.’

  ‘What if I don’t want that?’ I sighed, as I gave up my futile struggle.

  ‘That or me?’ He looked at me intently and I had to look down, this really was too much.

  ‘I want you, but I’m just not interested in all the other stuff Gabe,’ I whispered.

  ‘Is this about you and your relationship with your dad again?’

  ‘Gabe not now, please just drop it,’ I said as firmly as I could.

  ‘Y
ou think I’ll do what your dad did to your mum? That I’ll marry you, get you pregnant and leave you?’

  ‘Gabe you’re not listening, I said not now. Let. me. go.’ I pushed on his shoulders again, I felt confused, angry and seriously emotional. Why did he have to push? This was a can of worms I wasn’t ready to open, in fact right now I wanted that can buried and out of sight. He sighed and pulled me onto his chest and started to stroke my hair.

  ‘Ok baby I’m sorry, I get the hint I’ll drop the subject, but I don’t want you making any rash impulsive decisions based on your past. Just promise me you’ll keep your options open for the future, I never want you to have any regrets.’

  ‘Would you mind giving me some space to clean myself up? I wouldn’t mind going to have a sleep as well, I’m tired.’ I didn’t care he’d apologised, he was still judging me and all of a sudden I was exhausted and very emotional and wanted some alone time.

  ‘I’ll come and sleep with you if that’s ok?’

  ‘Whatever. I still need to have a wash in peace please,’ I said as I struggled to sit up straight.

  ‘So have a wash.’

  ‘I don’t want you to watch, I’d like some privacy.’

  ‘We shower together all the time Mia,’ he said looking amused, which made me scowl at him again.

  ‘This is different. Please go away, I need some space.’

  ‘You need to clean my come out from inside you, don’t you?’ he said with a grin.

  ‘Gabe you’re so bloody crude, why do you have to be like that?’

  ‘I’ve watched you masturbate Mia, it’s the same thing. Do it in front of me.’

  ‘No,’ I exclaimed looking at him horrified.

  ‘Ok, I’ll do it for you Miss Prudie Pants.’ Before I had time to react, he put one of his hands between my legs and quickly inserted two fingers making me gasp.

  ‘GABE,’ I snapped as I glared at him and slapped one of his shoulders hard, making my palm sting.

  ‘What? Cleaning can be fun too,’ he grinned at me.

  ‘Stop that right now, I’m still cross with you.’ I pushed my hands against his chest but even holding me one armed, he was too strong for me. As he pushed his fingers further inside me I glowered at him.