by BWWM Club
"Louise. How did you get my number? I thought you didn't have it."
"I didn't. I swiped it from your phone when you were with the doctor." Louise paused. "I'm sorry if that was forward."
"No, that's fine."
Carl had no problem with that at all. He found himself smiling, shifting his laptop onto the bed and lying back, propping his head delicately on the pillows.
"Good. How are you feeling now?"
"Head's still sore." Carl closed his eyes as the pressure weighed down between his eyes. "I feel like it's been pulverized."
"It looks like it had been pulverized."
Carl grunted.
"Great. Nice way to impress a woman."
He heard Louise laugh again and felt a warm feeling in his stomach.
"Are you going to school tomorrow?"
"No, the doctor's told me after you left that I needed to stay off school for a couple of weeks. Dad's going to call the school to get me a home tutor until then."
"That's good of him." Louise paused, now sounding awkward. "I'm so sorry about what happened."
"It's not your fault."
"In a way it is. Jason attacked you because of me." Louise sighed. "He could never keep that jealousy under control."
"This is more about control than having problems with his jealousy." Carl gingerly rolled onto his front, putting his phone on the pillow. It didn't do his head any good but at least it didn't feel like he was going to drop the phone onto his face. "If not with me, then with someone else."
"Everyone's scared of him. Even the police are reluctant to go near him because of his connections and his family." Louise sounded bitter. "He thinks he can get away with anything."
"He won't."
"It sounds like you're scared of him. You refused to have the police come and talk to you."
"I'm not scared." Carl lied. "But if a mixed-race boy goes to the police and says a white boy attacked him, do you think they're going to do anything to the white boy other than a slap on the wrist?"
"Of course they are. They're not stupid and it's assault with a deadly weapon. It's their duty."
"Not around here." Carl muttered. He sighed and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Listen, Louise, thanks for staying with me and keeping me company. I didn't want to admit I needed it and Charlie would've been too furious. That would've wound me up even more."
"That's okay. But I was angry, too."
"You were calm, which was what I needed. I love Charlie but she has never been calm in her life."
Carl could see Louise in his mind's eye, lying on her bed as she spoke on her cell phone, her lovely smile on her mouth. The warmth began to spread throughout his body and his jeans suddenly felt tight.
"That's good to know."
Louise paused. Carl had a feeling she was going to ask him for something and braced himself. Could she be about to ask the question he had been dreaming about? It was too much to ask.
"Listen, Carl, I know it's probably not the right time to do this but do you wanna hang out at some point? Just the two of us?"
Carl couldn't stop the smile. He wanted to jump up and down and punch the air but he didn't think his head would manage the jumping.
"I'd like that."
"Great." Louise sounded more chipper. "I've got Saturday evening off. No work for me. Do you want to meet up somewhere?"
"If you're sure? My dad got into trouble with my grandparents because Mom is a different color. I don't want your parents getting angry at you."
"I'm sure. There's nothing to be angry about." There was a rustling at the other end and then Louise came back on. "I'd better go. Dinner's ready. I'll text you with more details in the morning."
"Okay."
"Goodnight, Carl." Louise's voice softened. "I'm glad you're okay."
Carl knew he wouldn't be able to stop smiling for a while now.
Chapter 5
The bath felt really good. Simone allowed herself a little longer to soak, washing her hair and shaving her legs before sinking into the bubbles and lazily lying there until the water started going cold. She took her time drying herself once she got out, blow-drying her hair and putting on her silky night-dress, the one Toby had bought her for her birthday. It was slinky, followed her curves, and had spaghetti straps with a deep V in front.
Her seduction outfit.
She had noticed Toby's behavior had changed when she got back with Nick. He was withdrawn and grumpy, almost snapping when Simone tried to talk to him. Simone had thought he was stressed due to Carl's attack and wanted to help him unwind. Watching Criminal Minds and eating pizza hadn't helped him calm down so Simone tried another tactic. Seduction had always worked in the past and it should work tonight.
When she left the bathroom, Toby was already in his pyjamas trousers and was pulling on his t-shirt. Simone stopped to admire the way his muscles moved across his stomach as he tugged the t-shirt on over his head. He kept himself in shape and Simone never got tired looking at him.
She sauntered over to the bed.
"What did you think of the episode tonight?"
"It was okay." Toby didn't look at her as he adjusted his t-shirt before sitting on the bed. "I think I guessed what was going on within five minutes."
Simone laughed.
"You always do. At least you've stopped telling us out loud what happens so we can work it out on our own."
"I learned pretty quickly when you kept hitting me for it."
"I don't like spoilers."
Toby was still the same. He hadn't even glanced at her and saw the nightwear she had on for him. He kept his gaze firmly averted. Simone pulled back the duvet and slid into bed on her side, shuffling across to touch Toby's shoulder.
"You okay, honey?"
"Yeah." It was subtle but Toby shrugged her hand off. "It's just been a long day and Carl is still refusing to call the cops."
"You spoke to him?"
"Just now. He wouldn't come out of his room but he said he wasn't putting in a complaint."
Simone sighed. She was still holding anger over what had happened. If it had been her she would have made her way to the nearest precinct immediately. If Craig or Nick were attacked she would make sure the people who did it suffered. She wanted to do the same to Carl but he was an adult and she couldn't help that.
Her eldest might have been an adult but that didn't mean he was able to make important decisions. She was still worried about him.
"That boy is lucky Carl's skull wasn't cracked open." She bit her lip. "What happened if he has a bleed on the brain or his brain started swelling up with all the bruising?"
"Don't be so melodramatic, Simone." Toby snapped. "Carl's doctors said he was well enough to be discharged and Carl is grown up enough to make his own decisions. You know how stubborn he is; we won't change his mind anytime soon."
Simone was getting confused. Toby never snapped at her. He had barely raised his voice at her since before they were married. Racial tension with their families had caused them to fight but since getting married they had been stronger and barely shouted at each other. This was a side of Toby she wasn't comfortable with; it confused her.
"What is the matter with you?" She demanded. "You've been short and grumpy all evening."
"No, I haven't."
"Don't lie to me, Toby. I can tell when you're lying." Simone reached out to him again. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." But Toby's reaction by stiffening under her touch and pulling his arm away again said otherwise. "Why do you have to make a fuss over nothing?"
Simone blinked.
"You what? What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"I don't believe you." Simone moved onto her knees and shuffled over to him. She slid her arms around his neck and rested her head against his. "Toby, you've talked to me about everything before. What's so different about tonight?"
"Nothing is different." Toby pushed her arms off him and unceremoniously dumped her back o
n the bed as he stood and moved away. Still he wouldn't look at her. "Why don't you take the first answer, Simone? I don't want any more questions."
"Or what?" Simone sat up, one of her straps falling off her shoulder. But now she didn't feel like being in a seductive mood; she chose the angry mood. "I want to know what's wrong. I can't go to bed knowing something's wrong."
"Then don't come to bed." Toby nodded at the door. "Go and sleep on the couch."
"No! I won't be reduced to the couch because I want to know what's wrong."
Toby looked at her for the first time since he came in. For a moment his eyes turned heated when she saw what she was wearing but then Simone saw him force it back and growl in frustration.
"Fine. Then I'll go." Snatching his pillows off the bed, Toby stomped around the bed. "Sleep well."
"Toby..."
But Toby had already left the room, slamming the door behind him.
*****
Toby had a bad night's sleep. While the couch was large and comfortable to sit on, it wasn't the best place to spend the night on. Suddenly it felt lumpy and hard and incredibly small. Toby didn't want to count how many times he had rolled over and ended up either with his face in the cushions or on the floor with a thump.
That and getting up every hour to check on Carl. The doctors had told him that he had a concussion and would need to be monitored. Carl had insisted he could handle it and would set his alarm to wake himself up but Toby had wanted to check for himself. Carl was often awake when he stuck his head around the door and Toby was assured that his son was coping. He still looked pale but there was a slight glint in his eyes Toby hadn't seen for a while.
He wished he could get whatever Carl was having. With his doubts about Simone firmly fixed in his mind, Toby couldn't bring himself to look at Simone without seeing her with another man. Someone else taking her out to dinner, someone else treating her like a princess.
Someone else in bed with her.
Toby had had to shut his thoughts down by that point. He didn't want to think about his wife, the woman he loved, in bed with another man.
He was really screwed up if his brother's attempts to taint their marriage were starting to work. Or maybe it was that adage if you go at it long enough something will happen. Toby hoped that wasn't the case.
He had finally fallen asleep just after three, sprawled out across the cushions. The clock on the wall said six-thirty when he woke again. But he wasn't alone. Sometime during the night Simone had come into the lounge and laid down on the couch beside him. Toby had rolled over and now his arm was around her waist with their legs tangled together. He had lain there for a moment before his brain kicked in, shaking away the sleepy cobwebs.
Simone had woken the moment Toby pulled away and sat up, trying to put as much distance between them as he could. The expression on her face had broken Toby's heart. He wanted to go and comfort her, tell her that he was sorry and he was being foolish, but his pride told him he couldn't comfort her until he knew the truth about her.
The rest of the morning had passed awkwardly. Toby had taken his clothes into the bathroom and dressed alone after his shower. Simone was already dressed and making breakfast for the children when he came back in, cooking up their usual breakfast spread. But with the lead settled in his stomach, Toby couldn't eat a thing. He nibbled on a bit of toast before saying he was going into his office.
He had hung around trying to do something that wasn't twiddling his thumbs until he heard the front door open and close. Simone would take Craig and Nick to school and then she was going to see her sister for her weekly coffee morning, which they kept to without fail. Toby had thought Simone was a predictable person and she always shared her schedule with him.
He wondered what she had been keeping from him over the years.
Toby waited a few minutes until he was sure they were out the house before venturing out. Carl was still at the dining table. He had ventured out for breakfast and managed a healthy amount, which had made Simone relieved that his appetite was back. He was still finishing off another helping. Toby wondered where the food went and how his three children weren't built like balloons; the amount of food they ate needed to go somewhere.
"Dad?"
Toby realized he had been staring and pressed his fingers to his temples, telling himself to get back to reality.
"Sorry, Carl, I was miles away."
"I noticed." Carl sipped at his juice and peered at his father curiously. "You okay?"
Toby sat in his usual chair and sat back, snagging a piece of toast.
"Shouldn't that be my question to you?"
"Possibly." Carl looked pained. "My head hurts like hell. I'm lucky my skull wasn't cracked, just bruised."
Toby was glad as well. It went to show that the Reynolds boys were certainly hard-headed. He sat forward and reached for the coffee pot, finding it still warm, and poured himself a cup.
"Well, you don't need to worry about anything today. The school said they can get a tutor out to you but not until tomorrow so all you need to do is just rest."
"Are they going to press charges?"
Carl sounded worried. Toby didn't blame him. He sighed.
"If you don't I'm sure the school will if they find security footage. It would be easier if you're more forthcoming about it but until someone presses charges you don't have to do anything right now."
That seemed to ease Carl a little bit. But not much. Toby knew if it had been him he would have said something immediately. But Carl was different and always thought of the wider picture. He was a lot like his mother in that aspect.
"I'll also be at home today so I can check on you."
"I managed to get through last night on my own. I'm okay."
"Says the boy who tried to put the milk on the kettle stand and the kettle in the fridge this morning."
Carl hung his head but he gave a small chuckle. Toby bit back a laugh, remembering the look on his son's face as he tried to figure out what was going on when he couldn't get the milk carton to stay on the stand where the kettle was housed, nearly spilling it everywhere. Craig and Nick had been in stitches and Simone didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Okay, I am a bit sleep-deprived. Those painkillers eased the headaches but they gave me insomnia." Carl stood, refilling his glass with juice. "I'm going to my room for a bit. I'll try and get some sleep."
"If you need me I'll be outside." Toby sipped his coffee. "I'm going to make the most of the sun today."
*****
"Dad?"
Toby looked up from his book. He had been reading but the words had been blurring together. He couldn't concentrate. Doubts about Simone and worries that she was doing exactly what Mike predicted had been going around in his head. He didn't believe Simone could do something like that but people did things others didn't expect.
Squinting against the sun behind his glasses, Toby saw Carl standing next to his sun lounger. He had changed from the t-shirt and shorts he had been wearing for bed into his swimming shorts and a clean t-shirt. The bandage around his head had gone but the one holding the wad over his wound was still there, held down by medical tape. His hair was stuck up in different directions from being stuck in the same position for twelve hours.
"What's the matter, Carl?" Toby put his book aside and sat forward. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Carl looked sheepish. "Can I ask for some help with something?"
"Of course you can." Toby urged him to sit on the lounger beside him. Then he swung his legs around so he sat on the edge, elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. "What sort of help were you asking for?"
Carl sat opposite, holding himself in the same position as his father. Toby couldn't believe how grown up his son looked. Seventeen years old and the world ahead of him. He would be grown up and leaving the home soon. Toby suddenly realized he didn't want his son to leave him.
Where had that come from?
Carl sighed and looked down at the floor.
"The girl I met at the hospital? The one who used to date the guy who attacked you with a baseball bat?"
"Erm, yeah."
"And you really like her."
Carl nodded. Toby didn't need to be a genius to know that Carl had a thing for the girl who had stood at his bedside holding his hand while the doctors worked on him. She seemed to be a calming influence on him. Toby had been surprised to see her - Charlotte was Carl's best friend and would always run to support him - but was pleased that she had calmed Carl down enough so they could treat him. Carl hated hospitals but this was the first time he sat still.
"She's a pretty girl, Carl. I can see why you and this guy are fighting over her. Although I would prefer baseball bats not being in the equation."
"We weren't fighting, Dad." Carl protested. "Louise is single and her ex is jealous even though they broke up weeks ago. He intimidates any man who goes near her."
Toby sighed. Some things didn't change. Guys who thought they were macho and saw a certain woman as their property tended to make sure no one strayed onto their property. Even when they weren't together they tried to make certain nobody else took what was theirs.
"But you still like her."
From the way Carl blushed he did. And it was more than a simple crush.
"She's a lovely person, Dad. We talked last night after dinner and she asked if we could hang out sometime."
"Does that constitute as a date nowadays?"
"Yes, it does."
Toby raised his hands.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I haven't only had one girlfriend and our dating days were nearly thirty years ago. I'm not exactly 'down' with the terminology nowadays."
Carl chuckled.
"You don't do too bad for an old man."
"You watch it. When you get to my age you'll think seventeen is a baby."
Carl grunted.
"Anyway, she asked if we could hang out. I said yes but..."
He trailed off, waggling a hand that said he was uncertain. Toby caught on quickly.
"You're having second thoughts."