“Yes. I agree.” I thought quickly about how this lie was really going to bring Len down this time, probably to a breaking point she might not recover from. It was important that we were in a place where we could help minimize the explosive outbreak she would surely have. “So are we settled now? Do we have an understanding then?”
Clint nodded, backing away from me. “Yeah, we are good Voltaggio. I suppose I should thank you for pursuing this and finding out the truth. I can’t believe it. I should have known there was more to how everything played out. It seemed too advantageous for Hollows from the start.” Clint kicked at the ground as he made his way back to his car, turning once before climbing in. “Fuck, she might have married this guy one day and been none the wiser.”
My eye brows raised up at such a notion, an exasperated huff coming out of my throat. “Yeah...Imagine that.”
Present.
I was tip-toeing through the darkness, trying to be quiet as my feet padded along the floor. It was 3am and I was no closer to getting any sleep. I couldn’t sleep. My mind was wide awake with so many thoughts and feelings about what happened at the club, that I needed to be near the one person who would could give me a real sense of comfort. I made my way slowly to the bed. I was just going to crawl in, snuggle up and close my eyes. I wanted the body contact, the support, and to know they were next to me. After the night we had, I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I knew it was a few days before I was leaving, but time already felt like it was slipping away from underneath me. Every second that went by, was already becoming a distant memory. I didn’t want my present to become my past so quickly. I was nowhere near ready to say good-bye. Especially to my best friend.
I knew the huge four-poster bed was close. It was closer than I thought because I kicked the corner of the bed, the wooden pillar stubbing my big toe.
“FUCK!” I screeched, the pain shooting up my leg.
“Can’t sleep either hey?” Tess’s voice emerged from the darkness.
My feet pounded on the floor as I hopped up and down, trying not to put weight on my injured toe. “Arrgghh. No, I can’t sleep.” I half fell onto the edge of the bed as I lost my balance on my feet. “Can I come in into bed with you? I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course,” Tess said. I heard her shuffling in the dark as she moved in her bed, the sound of the comforter being thrown open, allowing me to slide in next to my best friend. I snuggled in next to Tess, my head resting on her pillow, staring up into the black air above us. The moment I rested my head next to hers, I felt calmer. More relaxed. I was taking note of all these little moments, trying to remember every detail, every sound, every conversation. I didn’t want to forget anything.
“Well, what a difference a day can make,” Tess said bluntly. I could hear in her voice the pain behind the expression.
“That’s an understatement.” I said with a bite in my words. My voice became angry as I vented my own frustration. Of course I wasn’t angry with Tess, just angry at the whole course of events that lead to this. I was angry that my father felt he had no other choice but to hide me from the public to keep me safe. I was angry that the small bits of happiness I had pieced together in this real life, that I now had to give up.
“When did you find out?” I asked her, knowing she had knowledge of this secret before I was given the letter. I should have been upset that she hadn’t told me sooner, but again, it became another situation where feeling angry no longer mattered. This was no time to be a sulking bitch. That reaction would be reserved for some girl who would eventually just be known as Lenorah Rossi. A person, who in a couple of days, would no longer exist.
Tess moved so her head was tilted and resting on my shoulder. “I was told this afternoon while you were napping. Clint and Samuel found me in the maze and explained what was really going on.” Tess’s voice cracked a bit. “Sorry for wigging out the way I did before the club, it just hit me there, and I kept thinking if we didn’t find Josh...if we didn’t finish what we had to do, then you would never have to leave.”
I shifted so I could tilt my head and rest it on her shoulder. “Don’t apologize Tess. I get it. I’m sure I would have been the same way.”
We lay silently again for a minute, just thinking again about the night. How quickly our lives changed. It had happened in a blink of an eye, and I never saw it coming.
“So, where did Josh go? You guys not sharing a room?” Tess asked.
When we arrived back in the mansion, Josh had asked Clint to get him set up in a separate room. He was really intent with me not making any decisions until after I went on the dates with Clint and Samuel. He was keeping his distance, which only hurt me more. I just couldn’t wrap my head around his thinking. Was it just about the guilt of what he did to Clint, Samuel and myself that made him suggest such an insane idea? Or did he genuinely believe that I didn’t want to be with him forever and this was his way of pushing me away? I wanted to ask him so many questions, but at the same time, I was so offended by what he asked me to do, that I didn’t want to go near him. I was hurt, sad and disappointed. I felt like I didn’t know Josh at all, and I wasn’t about to chase him for answers. I had already chased him through Europe to get him back. That was more than enough.
“He is in a room down the hall. He has barely said two words to me since the club. I just don’t understand his thinking Tess. I don’t get it. After everything I’ve done. How nothing he did mattered to me. I’m just so...” I stopped talking as the tears rolled down my cheeks. I was thankful I was in the dark. I didn’t want Tess to see how hurt I really was. She moved closer, already sensing from my body my weak emotional state.
“I know Nor. I know it must hurt like a motherfucker what he did. And if it makes you feel better, I went out to the back of the club and tore him a new one. I even punched him. Right in the face. It was a solid effort. He cried like a girl too.”
That made me laugh out loud, the few remaining tears bursting from my eyes. “You did? Really?” I don’t know if Tess was lying or not, but God, it made me feel better. I was going to miss her so much. I was starting to understand the real true meaning of soul mates. They weren’t necessarily people who you are supposed to spend forever with. No, they are people who know you, really know you, and who you’ll always be connected with, no matter what time passes and where you are in the world. I would always have that with Tess. That infinite connection that would not be broken in time. I knew that. I felt it. I believed it wholeheartedly. She was one of my soul mates. She just understood me through and through. Our friendship will live on in spirit — one tequila shot at a time.
“You know Nor, I should probably tell you what I got you for a wedding present,” Tess chimed in, knowing my somber mood had lifted.
“You got me something?” I had a small hint of excitement in my voice.
“Well, not really. Kind of. It was a surprise. But now, uhhh, it sort of doesn’t matter.”
“Everything matters,” I said, nudging Tess with my shoulder.
“Okay...well, I kind of got a new job in New York. I’m going to be moving there next month.”
I gritted my teeth. I didn’t think this situation could be any worse, but just like that, it was. “Oh...” I whispered, hiding my disappointment.
“Yeah I know...surprise.” She sounded how I felt. Sad from the loss of what could have been. Thoughts of Tess and I hanging out, going to cafes, art galleries, museums, restaurants, clubs. The girl times we could have had, but now won’t ever get the chance to share. I was losing more than a friendship; I was losing a life that could have been in New York.
“Tess, I’m going to...”
“I’m going to miss you so much too Nor.”
Tess knew what I was about to say and finished it for me. I loved this girl. I always would.
“So,” she began. “Are you really going to go through with those dates? With Samuel and Clint, like what Josh asked you to do?”
“You know what Tess, I ne
ver thought Josh would ask me to do such a thing. I didn’t think he would hurt me like this. But, now that I think about it, I would like the opportunity to spend time with those guys, say what I need to, and then say good-bye. No regrets, nothing unsaid. It will be good to have that chance before I leave.”
“Will it really be good-bye though? I mean, are you sure there isn’t something more with one of them that could make you change your mind? You know Nor...it’s possible. There is one guy in particular I’ve seen you with over the last couple days, and it looks, well it kind of looks...”
“Tess. Stop. Please. Honestly, I’m just going to do it so I can say a proper good-bye to them both, and then Josh and I...well...we will figure it out.”
Tess's body tensed next to me. I think she was debating her next words. I sensed a part of her telling her to let it go, but I knew the more determined side her personality would never allow her real feelings to stay silenced. “Norah. It’s alright if it is not Josh in the end. Just so you know. You really do deserve someone who...well...is really in your heart. Someone who understands you wholly and solely. Someone who will always take care of you and keep you safe. Someone who you have known you’ve had a connection with from the very first moment your eyes met. Someone you’ve always known is everything you’ve always wanted. Who compliments you. Someone who isn’t necessarily a soul mate but a real true love.”
We both went very quiet. The darkness speaking for us. I knew who Tess was talking about. I knew who she believed that I still had a connection with. Tess then giggled to herself, breaking the tension. “Well, I’d never thought I’d get all deep and meaningful like that. Shit, fuck, bitch.”
I laughed back at her. “I really do love you Tess, and it fucking sucks we won’t get to take on New York together.”
“Yeah, it totally does,” she said back immediately. Her arms lifted above her head as she stretched her body, like she was relieving it from being wound up with pressure. Another deep, heavy sigh escaped her lips. “God damn it Norah. How do we say good-bye? How do I pretend you are dead and go to a fake funeral? How the hell am I going to do all that?”
I fell back into a state of numbness and silence, pondering her questions, trying to figure out how I was going to start all over again in whatever place I was being sent. I reached across Tess’s body and held her hand. She squeezed my hand tight. We didn’t have any of the answers about how we were going to handle the next step, but for tonight, we would lean on each other for strength, and hold onto this moment of closeness for as long as we could.
How do I plan the best date of my life in less than twenty-four hours? I’ll tell you how. With skill, charm and ingenuity. I can’t say it wasn’t a challenge pulling it together, especially so last minute, but I managed to find a place in London that happened to be doing exactly what I wanted, on this very special night. Someone above was looking out for me.
I had blindfolded Len for our date. I wanted it to be a surprise. It will have more impact this way, and I wanted maximum impact. When you are in the final round of a boxing match, you have to go in hard, arms swinging. It was all or nothing.
Delia had given us all free-range at using the cars at the estate. I had to admit, the Westons had decent taste when it came to collecting cars. They had everything from Rolls Royces, to Cadillacs, to a very nice Jaguar, which was my second choice, but I settled on a Dodge Charger for the evening. It was gun-smoke grey, and I figured it would remind Len of my Mustang. Bringing up our happiest memories was my game plan for the night.
“Where are we?” Len asked, as we came to a stop at our destination. I sat staring at Len for a minute in the car. I was admiring her, taking a moment to remember all the times Len and I had parked in New York when we were sneaking around behind our families’ backs. It was such a familiar sight seeing her dressed up in the passenger’s side. I wanted to slide across the seat, put my arm around her shoulder, and pull her next to me. It’s funny how time works. Some things feel like they happened only yesterday, and other things, like the painful memory of when Norah’s Dad burst in on us and stopped our engagement, felt so long ago.
I wondered how long I could sit here and admire her before she got restless and clued into my perversion. She knew I liked to watch her when we were together. I used to watch her sleep, and read, and drive. Pretty much anytime I could sit back and just look at her, I would be staring at her, taking in the way she moved, with her grace and her beauty. She was a hard woman not to watch, especially once you got to know her. There was something about her unique way of moving and talking that drew you in.
Tonight she looked every bit as beautiful as the first moment I saw her outside NYU. She was wearing a short, yet flowy black dress with spaghetti straps that tied up around her neck, and her hemline fell just higher than mid thigh exposing her long elegant legs. Her hair was down too, all wavy and wild. Exactly how I liked it. I was going to miss this vision, this beauty who was so sexy in such a natural way. If I could frame this picture of Len sitting in the car, blindfolded for me, I would.
“Seriously Samuel. Where are we? Can I take off the blindfold now?” her ruby red lips asked. Len had gone to some effort with her makeup, getting a little dolled up for me tonight. Of course I noticed. I didn’t miss a beat. Our chemistry was still undeniable.
“Just one more minute please,” I begged. I didn’t need one more minute. I needed a lifetime of minutes with this girl beside me. But for tonight, I planned on taking advantage of what little time I had left. Finally, I reached across to her face and slowly removed the blindfold, moving her lustrous mane out of the way. Fuck I wanted my hands to get lost in that hair. Just running my fingers through it ever so slightly made the decent side of me that held out for so long, want to push her down on these seats and climb on top.
Her eyes blinked quickly, adjusting to the headlights shining at the sign in front of the car. She moved her head forward, reading the sign and then turned to me, her smile wide and beautiful.
“Really?” she said, sounding excited, and pleased, and everything good I had hoped in the reaction I was after.
I half shrugged, trying to be the cool guy I always was with her. “What can I say? I deliver only the best, for the best girl I know.”
Len clapped her hands and jumped enthusiastically out of the car, going and standing near the sign leading into the garden path. It read, ‘Shakespeare in the Park. Tonight’s feature — Romeo and Juliet.’
I went round and opened the trunk of the car and pulled out a picnic hamper, complete with all sorts of treats and a blanket for the evening. Some of the staff at the estate helped me source all the supplies I needed, which wasn’t hard given the place had everything you could imagine. I closed the trunk, picnic hamper in hand, and went over to where Len was waiting, her eyes growing bigger at the sight of the hamper.
“I have no words Samuel. This is...”
I loved that my plans had made her speechless. I wanted her never to forget me. I wanted her to always keep a piece of my heart. She smiled that glorious smile at me again, and out of pure old habit I took hold of her hand with my free one. “Is this alright?” I asked. “Can I hold your hand?”
“I didn’t stop you, did I?” She gripped my hand tighter in hers and we started our little trek through the dimly lit woodland path. I could already tell that Len wasn’t going to hold back this evening. She was allowing herself to be open. Open to possibility maybe? The possibility of me? Maybe I still had a chance.
The path came to an open clearing where a stage was set up and big spotlights shone upon the actors preparing to start. The small stage was surrounded by deck chairs and people relaxing on blankets in readiness for the show. The trees were covered in sparkling lights, and the moon and the stars were shining brightly, adding extra lighting to the performance. We found a large tree, slightly off to the left side of the stage. It was a little more private than some of the closer trees but still had a good view.
I laid out the bl
anket and we sat down, close to one another, our shoulders touching as we leant in to watch. I reached into the hamper and pulled out one of the containers which held chocolate covered strawberries that I had prepared earlier. I held out one to Len, her eyes gleaming at the sight of food. “Yes please.” She took the strawberry and began to devour it, moaning and licking her lips like it was pleasure in her mouth.
“Gosh Len, if I had known you’d be this hungry, I would have packed a buffet.”
“Oh my god, thank you. They taste amazing Samuel. It’s exactly what I feel like eating. Hmmm. Sooo good. I’ve never been this hungry before. Hmmm.”
Holy fuck! If that was her reaction to her food, I can’t imagine what she was like when she had an orgasm. Actually I could imagine what it would be like. I had imagined myself inside her making her come nearly every fucking day since we met. It was no wonder Clint and Josh fought black and blue for this girl. She had this sexy yet sweet addictive quality about her. And she used her whole body in the way she expressed herself. Like right now while she was eating. It wasn’t just her mouth enjoying the delicious treat, her entire body had the same movement and flow that was absolutely desirable and intoxicating to watch. You wanted to own her. You wanted her all to yourself. You wanted her to be your one and only because when she looked at you, you felt special, you felt complete, you felt like you could do anything. You felt like her hero, and her gift.
After she finished her strawberry, she held out her hand for another. Hell, I could watch her eat like this all night. After she ate the second strawberry with similar pleasurable moans as the first, she turned to look at me, her face smiling in satisfaction. I noticed then that she had a smidgen of chocolate near her lips. I stared at the small brown patch of chocolate, thinking about my new dilemma. Did I want to be that guy in the movie who reaches out, wiping the chocolate away with my lips in a subtle but not so subtle attempt at kissing her? Could I really be that cheesy?
All The Pieces (Pieces of Lies 3) Page 15