After undressing and turning the light off, Aurora settled down beneath the duvet covers. Outside, streetlights beamed and occasional drunken shouts drifted up to the window, but Aurora ignored them. She placed her hands on her stomach and smiled. She was going to have a baby and she now realised why she had felt so happy earlier. She was going to be a mother, but more than that, she now had a little piece of Clint with her wherever she went.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Clint watched from the sofa as Rakhul led the rest of the family out of the flat.
“Don’t break anything,” he growled at Clint, before slamming the door shut behind him.
Alone at the flat, Clint returned his gaze to the television but only half-listened to the programme. He was waiting for Aurora to come over and any slight sound made him leap up, hopeful that it was her knocking on the front door.
In the days since his beating from Rakhul, Clint’s injuries had improved and although the bruises were still evident on his dark skin, they no longer ached as much as they had done before and he was able to move freely without wincing in agony.
Aurora had not been to visit over the past few days and Clint had missed her enormously. She had told him over the phone that she had to stay and look after her mum, and Clint had accepted what she told him, but that hadn’t stopped him thinking about her all day and night, wondering what she was doing and whether he should go and visit her. The thought had quickly been pushed from his mind, as Marlena was unlikely to want him around her. Without Aurora to keep him company, he had been bored and lonely, wondering aimlessly around the flat and occasionally venturing out onto the estate, keeping his hood up in case anybody saw the dark smudges still under his eyes.
Troy had visited him, but the visit had only made Clint more frustrated with his best friend. They had talked and watched football on the television, but Troy had been unsympathetic towards him after noticing the bruises and although Clint wasn’t looking for pity, he had expected more of a reaction from his friend. A few months ago, Troy would have been livid and would have offered to set his brothers on Rakhul as payback, and Clint would have laughed along with him as they discussed ways they could get revenge on Rakhul and his handy fists. Now, though, Troy had simply shrugged and Clint had caught a glimpse of what looked like a smirk on Troy’s face, although he later wondered whether he had simply imagined it or not. Surely Troy, whatever had happened to him lately, would not have been pleased that he had been beaten up and bruised. Then again, Clint found himself thinking, at his darkest moments, Troy was a completely different person now and perhaps the thought of anybody in pain made him happy.
After that uncomfortable visit, Troy had rung a few times but Clint had told him he was busy again, not wanting to spend time with him. He would much rather spend time with Aurora. Although he knew that Troy allowed him to vent his feelings whilst they kicked a ball around, he now found himself increasingly on edge in Troy’s presence. Troy had become an unpredictable force to be reckoned with, and Clint didn’t like the change.
A few long minutes of watching the television, and there was the unmistakable sound of a knock on the door. Clint leapt off the sofa and threw the front door open. Aurora smiled at him and he pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her hungrily on the lips. He knew that he should not make his desire so obvious, especially after days apart, but he wanted her so badly. Each night, separated from her, he had imagined her lying beside him, lips moist and groaning in pleasure as he lowered himself down on top of her.
Now she was here and he felt himself stirring against her as their tongues twisted against each other’s. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her harder against him.
As he manoeuvred down the corridor, he heard her kick the front door shut with her foot. He led her into the lounge and continued kissing her, unwilling to be separated from her even for a few seconds. He backed her against the sofa and they half-fell, half-sat on the cushions, his arms still pulling her body against him. She was moaning, but she was moving her lips away from him and Clint kissed her again, desperate for her touch.
Aurora clearly had other ideas, as she extricated herself from his grip and Clint looked at her face. She was hard to read, though it was obvious that something was bothering her. Clint sat back against the cushions facing her, worried that he may have offended her somehow.
“Is everything all right?” he asked hesitantly.
Aurora nodded, but her face suggested otherwise.
“Come on, Aurora, you can tell me. Is it about your mum?”
“No,” she replied. “Well, she’s being a complete nightmare, but it ain’t her. I just need to talk to you about something.”
Clint waited a moment, expecting her to fill the silence, but she remained silent, looking down at her hands which, he noticed, were clutched together nervously.
“Is it bad?” he asked.
His heart began to beat faster. Aurora was looking serious. Was he about to get dumped? Was this why she had distanced herself from him over the past few days? Why she had pulled away from him, when it had been so obvious what was on his mind.
“First, I just want to say that I love you so much,” Aurora said, her eyes not meeting his. Clint’s palms were sweaty now. He was sure that she was about to dump him. Then he’d have lost the only girl he’d ever felt so strongly about. He was in love with her, he was sure of it, and he had never been in any doubt, since they’d begun dating, that they would be together for the rest of their lives.
“I love you too,” Clint said, trying to keep his voice steady. He didn’t want to betray his nerves. “I love you more than anything else on this planet, seriously.”
Aurora looked up and their eyes met. He looked deep into her beautiful eyes, but she cast her eyes down once more.
“I’ll understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore,” she said, her voice strained, and it was clear to Clint that she was struggling with the words. “I mean, I want to be with you, of course I do. It’s just, well, if you change your mind, I’ll obviously…obviously I’ll understand.”
“What is it?” Clint asked, his mind racing. She didn’t want to finish with him after all, but she was acting as if he might want to. He knew that whatever she had done, he would forgive her. He couldn’t imagine life without her, no matter what. Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Have you cheated on me?”
Aurora’s head snapped up, her eyes wide.
Clint quickly went on, determined not to worry her anymore, “Because I don’t care. Well, I care, you know, because you’re my girl. But I forgive you. Whatever you’ve done, or think you’ve done, or whatever it is, I forgive you. Just as long as we can stay together.”
He looked at Aurora and saw that a tear glistened in the corner of her eye. She wiped it away but still didn’t speak.
“Come on, Aurora, we can work it out,” Clint persisted. “Whatever it is. I love you.”
Aurora took a deep breath and looked into Clint’s face.
“I’m pregnant.”
Her voice was quiet but Clint heard them as clearly as if she’d shouted them through a megaphone. His heart continued to race and his mind remained filled with thoughts, but he felt relief course through his body, to the tips of his fingers.
She hadn’t cheated on him. She wasn’t going to leave him. Her love had not faltered and he wasn’t going to lose her. He still had her. And now he had a baby as well, a connection between himself and Aurora that would always be there.
The relief choked him and he found himself laughing. Aurora watched him, bewildered and nervous, and Clint clutched her hands in his and smiled at her. Her lips twitched, as if wanting to smile, but her eyes were still wide with apprehension.
“That’s fantastic,” he managed, squeezing her hands.
Aurora seemed frozen for a moment, before her face crumpled into a smile and she pulled him against her and hugged him, and Clint knew that tears were pouring down her face.
“
Don’t cry,” he whispered in her ear, as he held her against him, “This is good news. We should be happy, not sad. This is…it’s just…it’s the best news. The best news ever.”
Aurora released him and took his face in her hands.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “Absolutely, one hundred percent sure about this?”
Clint nodded.
“A hundred and ninety percent sure,” he smiled. “You had me scared, thinking you were going to dump me or something. Right now, I’m just fucking made up.”
Aurora giggled and hit him playfully on the chest.
“You know I’d never dump you,” she said indignantly. “I love you way too much.”
“That’s good, because I don’t ever want to let you go.”
Aurora kissed him playfully on the lips and Clint felt himself stir again. He kissed her back more forcefully and she splayed her hands on his chest.
“Can we still,” Clint murmured, “You know, can we still, erm -”
Aurora giggled again and looked him in the eyes.
“Yeah, we can,” she smiled and jumped off the sofa. Clint watched as she stood above him, a playful look on her face.
She took his hand and Clint allowed her to lead him into his bedroom.
* * *
Troy’s eyes followed Brandy as she crossed his bedroom and threw herself onto his bed. Her skin-tight jeans and stretchy pink top, which showed-off her chest, called out to him but he knew that there was no chance he would get lucky any time soon. She was in a bad mood, he could tell, and he found himself wondering when Brandy hadn’t been in a bad mood lately. On top of that, she hadn’t been in the mood for sex since her attack and although Troy tried to act cool, it was starting to seriously get on his nerves.
“What is it this time?” he asked, going through his phone, uninterested in Brandy’s answer.
“I’ve just seen that bitch again,” Brandy spat out. “Strutting around like she’s something special. Fucking ugly bitch, acting like she’s better than me.”
“Who?” Troy asked dully, though he thought he knew who she was referring to.
“Aurora,” she replied, confirming Troy’s thoughts. “I just seen her on the estate.”
“What do you expect? She lives here too, you’re bound to see her round sometimes.”
“So what? Am I supposed to bow down to her when she passes me or something?”
“Don’t be a twat,” Troy said. “Just fucking ignore her.”
“She was on her way to Clint’s,” she continued. “I could tell.”
“She could’ve been going anywhere.”
“Open your eyes, they’ve been inseparable for ages now. Why do you think your little buddy’s been ditching you so much lately? Got a better offer now, hasn’t he?”
Troy knew that he should ignore Brandy’s jibes about Clint and Aurora’s relationship, but he felt his temper rise and felt the urge to hit her in the face. Raised voices from the lounge stirred his anger further.
“You don’t seem that bothered, though,” Brandy persisted. “Not miss him then?”
“Who?”
“Clint, of course. You two were well tight before, now that bitch is keeping him all to herself. And you aren’t even a little bit jealous?”
“No,” Troy managed through gritted teeth.
Brandy was deliberately fishing for a reaction and Troy was angry that she had succeeded. He was jealous. Not because his friendship with Clint was strained. As far as he was concerned, Clint didn’t deserve to be called a friend until he’d started showing him some serious respect. No, he was jealous because he had grown increasingly aware of the sexual pull that Aurora held over him. His dreams were filled with thoughts of her. Her lips, her body, her silky voice, whispering in his ears, begging for more. He awoke every morning with her on his mind, and Brandy’s refusal to do anything sexual only made him more frustrated.
“Aww, poor Troy,” Brandy cooed, edging closer to him so she was beside him, an arm draped lazily around his shoulders. “Missing his mate. Boo hoo.”
Before Troy could stop himself, he’d grabbed Brandy around the throat and thrown her from him forcefully, so that she flew off the bed and crashed onto the floor with a loud bang that seemed to shake the room.
Brandy rose to her feet unsteadily, eyeing Troy angrily, tugging her pink top down over her stomach.
“What the fuck was that for?”
“You were pissing me off,” Troy snapped. “And keep your voice down.”
“I was only having a laugh,” Brandy said, her voice rising. “Don’t take it out on me if your friends don’t want to come out and play with you anymore.”
“Shut your mouth.” Troy rose to his feet, anger pulsing from every inch of his body.
Brandy screwed up her face, her eyes narrowed in anger.
“Fucking make me.”
Troy lunged and he felt his fist connect with her jaw, but she had moved and he felt her sharp nails clawing at his face and neck. He winced and aimed another blow at her, which missed. He found her shoulders and pushed her backwards, and she fell away from him. He looked down at her, her hair now messy and her fists clenched.
“You still want to piss me off?” Troy asked, standing over her, his own fists clenched too.
Brandy stood back up and pushed past him, throwing the bedroom door open.
“You’re a class A cunt,” she said, before storming out.
He heard other doors slamming shut and he knew that she’d left the flat. He didn’t regret hitting her. He wanted her to come back, just so that he could hit her again. He’d been wanting to strike her for days now and the urge was still there.
At first, he’d thought it was her bad mood that grated on him but now he wondered whether there was something more to it than that. He’d always greatly admired Brandy, for both her looks and her attitude, but recently he had begun to wonder whether he had ever really loved her. He had wanted and he had gotten her, it had been as simple as that. Now he began to wonder if the reason he found Brandy so irritating and why he wanted to hurt her so much was simply because it was Brandy and not somebody else. Not just anybody else, but not Aurora. Brandy was feisty but Aurora was independent and classy, which he found a lot more attractive.
Aurora was the girl he really wanted. Wanted, but also needed. Perhaps if he had one good session with Aurora he would be able to forget all about her and get her out of her system. He imagined her writhing and groaning underneath him, gasping for more. He felt himself stirring again and knew that he had to be with her.
An added bonus would be that he would be truly showing Clint who was the boss. Fucking Clint’s woman might give Clint the shock he needed to finally start showing him some respect. And Brandy was right, however irritating she was, that Aurora was tightly wound, or at least so it had always seemed to him. A good fuck ought to loosen her up a bit, Troy thought. He’d put a smile on her face, even if Clint couldn’t.
As he stretched out on his bed again, he made his decision. He would have sex with Aurora. That was the solution to his problems with Clint and Brandy, and it was also simply because he wanted to. She was hot and he had never been able to stand other guys enjoying a hot girl without wanting a slice of the action. He would have her, Troy decided, and she would enjoy it.
* * *
Outside the flat, Brandy leant against the low wall overlooking the courtyard, inhaling deeply on her cigarette. Troy could be such a twat sometimes, but she knew that she would forgive him, no matter how angry she was now.
Their relationship was built on a deep love. So deep, in fact, that Brandy sometimes found herself wondering whether it was too deeply buried now. Sometimes, especially recently, she had worried that Troy was starting to resent her. She couldn’t understand why. She had put a sex ban on their relationship, but that was simply because she needed a few more weeks to overcome her fear of a man’s touch on her skin before she could enjoy it again. The attack had shaken her more deeply than she had
ever wanted to believe, but it seemed as if Troy had already forgotten about it. She heard him muttering in his sleep and he always woke up aroused, desperate for relief, yet she still pulled away from him. She knew she was treading a dangerous line. If she waited too long to satisfy him, he would surely find somebody else who was willing. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to let Troy press against her yet. The thought, once a comfort, was now a discomforting image. She knew she’d grow to love it once more, but in the meantime, she worried that Troy would stray.
No, Brandy told herself. No matter how much he wanted to, Troy respected and loved her too much to betray her. After everything she had done for him, after everything they had been through together, he would not hurt her like that.
She looked down at the courtyard and watched a couple walk along, arm-in-arm, laughing about something. She took a deep drag on her cigarette and let it fall to the floor, before lighting another.
A month ago, Brandy thought, she would have been able to spend hours separated from Troy. After a row, she would have stormed out and spent hours with Zoe or Sasha, keeping Troy waiting to see if she would return and accept his apologies.
Now, though, was a different story entirely. She had thought briefly of going to see Zoe, but it seemed Zoe was still ignoring her, as she never answered the door and hung up whenever Brandy tried to ring her. Any texts she sent her were probably just deleted too, Brandy thought miserably.
The door behind her opened and Brandy turned to face Troy’s front door. Tyrese was blocking the doorway, his back to her.
“You ain’t leaving like this,” he was shouting. “Just put the fucking bag down.”
“Fuck off, Ty, I’m not putting up with this anymore,” a woman’s voice shouted back, and Brandy thought she sounded on the verge of tears. She knew the voice, it was Mercy, Tyrese’s girlfriend.
The Goldsworth Series Box Set Page 33