by Wells, J
Heather was quite amused that Beth was talking to Frank as she could imagine her talking to one of her children. She watched him get up, a look of utter disdain on his face, and follow her through the patio door.
“Finally alone,” Ruben sighed. Heather could almost have evaporated against his manly form. “Now we’re talking, girl.”
Chapter Five
Alone at Last
It was early evening, the sun lowering but still warm, especially in the tree house. The wooden structure seemed to hold its heat well. Ruben had just nipped down to the car for a sec and Heather sauntered onto the veranda. Breathing deeply, she picked up the woody scents of the forest dancing on the summer breeze, lifting fronds of hair from around her face. Pushing it back with her fingers, she sat on one of the small, galvanised chairs and looked down admiringly at Ruben as he walked back. She noticed he was on the phone. At the moment her emotions were all over the place, but she felt a warmth inside, a glow, and she was almost consumed by this inner feeling. But in the same breath, she was so scared of the unknown, frightened of the next step. She’d never wanted anything as much as she wanted Ruben right now; the ambiance in which she found herself felt perfect. Would she still wait for her special birthday? She really wasn’t sure.
“Checking up on Frank?” Heather enquired as Ruben appeared at the top of the staircase.
“You joking ain’t ya? Out of sight, out of mind. Rang me old dear first, then ordered us a takeaway. Hope you like Chinese.”
“Bet that’ll cost ya?”
“What, a takeaway?” Ruben said, puzzled.
“No, the phone call, silly. Didn’t you say your parents were in the States?”
“No, just my father, on business. Mum couldn’t go. Told her all about us, mind. Said she’s looking forward to meeting you, so we’ll have to arrange sumat when we get back.”
“That’ll be nice. Talking about home, I rang not long after we arrived,” Heather said. “I was quite surprised actually. Dad hasn’t got an ounce of romance in his body normally, but he’s taking Mum away for the night. It’s their silver wedding anniversary the day we get back.”
“So we’ll have the manor to ourselves then?” Ruben jumped in. “And that’s the night Frank’s official chaperone duties end.” His eyes narrowed triumphantly.
Pulling a chair close, he sat down beside her.
“You kept it on then,” he said, moving his hand towards her neck and playing with the chain between his fingers.
“Always,” she said, kissing his lips.
He lifted her on to his lap and she snuggled into his arms, leaning her head back into his chest. They sat cheek to cheek, watching the vivid red and gold colours of the sun intermingling before disappearing slowly behind the trees.
“You’re so beautiful, probably the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” Ruben’s voice was soft against her ear. “I’m so lucky to have ya, you know.”
Turning his head, he began kissing her neck tenderly.
“I love you, Ruben,” she muttered into his ear, unable to hold the words back any longer. She waited, anticipating his reply, longing for the same three words to pass his lips.
As he lifted his head, their noses touched briefly.
“Heather, I...” Ruben paused. “Uh, Chinese is here.” He’d seen a run-down van rattle its way into the parking area. “I’ll be right back,” he said, excusing himself awkwardly.
She’d never seen Ruben move away so quickly. Was it something she’d said? Those three words he’d thrown out many times in text messages, so what was the problem now? But on reflection, the answer was simple; he’d never actually said it in an intimate moment face-to-face. Feeling deflated, unwanted almost, Heather made her way to the kitchen area and grabbed a few plates, knives and forks, before placing them on the dining table. She froze as she heard Ruben’s voice from behind.
“What do ya fancy?” he asked. “Got a bit of everything.”
Between them they dished up a mixture of Chinese food from the disposable trays and sat down to tuck in. There was an unpleasant silence for a good ten minutes as Heather pondered over where to take the conversation.
“I’m glad Beth’s come ya know,” she said, breaking the atmosphere with a topic she thought neutral to their relationship.
“Yeah, Beth’s lovely, isn’t she?” Ruben answered. He didn’t seem able to look up, his eyes focusing on his food.
Curious, Heather asked, “Did anything ever happen between you two?”
“Well, erm, suppose you could say that,” he said, his eyes slowly lifting to meet hers. “You may as well know. Beth told me to tell you, but I didn’t see the point myself. Now you’ve asked, yes, we were a couple once. Actually, we lived together. I’d say we were on and off for a good five years.”
The shock on her face couldn’t be hidden.
“Oh,” she gasped, her thoughts turning instantly to Beth’s youngest child. It perhaps made sense now why they went round at Christmas. “Is ... er...” She paused, creating an even more uncomfortable silence.
Ruben’s face hardened, as if he knew exactly what she was about to say.
“No, before you ask. Do you not think I would have told you?”
“Why did you split up after so long?” Breaking from his glare, she looked down at her plate and picked up a hot spring roll.
The hunger she had felt earlier had now been replaced by a dull ache, almost as if her heart was breaking inside her chest.
“Do you really need to know all of this? The past is the past for a reason.” Ruben sighed, looking disillusioned. “If you must know everything...” Heather’s demeanour spelt it out that she did. “She cheated on me, okay? I was gutted, but I got over it and moved on... You’re my future now, Heather.”
Leaning forward over the table, he held her hand in his and lifted her chin before once again looking deeply into her eyes.
“I want to be with you. Beth’s just a friend now. We will always be close, that’ll never change, and this is something you need to accept if your gunna be with me.”
Tears distorted her vision as her eyes welled up.
“Okay, Ruben,” she sniffled sheepishly.
“Come here,” he said, standing and pulling Heather to her feet. “I can show you how much I want you, if ya like?”
“Not tonight,” she said.
All of this was just too much to take in. Pictures of Ruben and Beth together were like daggers entering her head as her imagination ran away with her, and she felt an all-consuming raw emotion.
“Think I’m going to have an early night. I’m really tired all of a sudden.”
It took all her strength for her to maintain her composure. Leaving her food, and without another word, she walked to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She undressed, put on a set of silky blue pyjamas and lay awake for hours, watching the changing sky with its variant shades of blue darkening into an empty black void, interrupted only by the silvery brilliance of the stars.
She heard a slight creaking noise. Was that the door? The noise grew louder. Beth, she thought. She couldn’t bear to face her, not tonight. She closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
“Are you awake?” It was Ruben’s voice.
She turned towards him as he made his way through the darkness, sat on the bed and climbed under the covers to join her. They lay staring into space, the silence becoming quite the norm, but she couldn’t bear it any longer, and an overriding jealousy together with a deepening lust overcame her. She pulled Ruben’s body towards her and kissed him passionately on the lips, running her nails roughly up his back and across his shoulder blades. His response was instant. Removing his T-shirt, he covered her body with his, a perfect silhouette outlined by the stars.
“I want you, Ruben, I want you now,” she cried.
She could feel his hands as they ventured underneath her top, caressing the warm skin of her stomach before wandering down her sides and gently slipping off her pyjama bott
oms.
“Oh, Beth...” he moaned.
Heather’s body stiffened and she pushed him away.
“I’m sorry,” he apologised. “But it’s your fault, you know, all this talk of Beth earlier.” He stopped, giving Heather a chance to reply. When she didn’t, he continued. “Can’t you see it’s you I want? Believe me.”
He placed his arms around her to comfort her and show her he was sincere, but Heather’s body was still tense and, quivering, she forced back the tears. Having no idea what to say, she felt like she could hardly breathe.
“Just leave me ... leave me alone,” she cried, pulling away.
But Ruben’s grip tightened, leaving red indentations on her skin as he shook her angrily.
“Bloody hell! Grow up, girl. It’s not like I’ve cheated on you or anything. Put things in perspective,” he snapped, holding her inches from his face.
She shook herself free and threw herself into the pillow, where she lay sobbing, hurt and angry. For quite a while they lay side by side, not touching, gazing at the mass of stars through the skylight. Heather traced the constellations in her mind; a rare kind of beauty her eyes couldn’t help but follow. Then a touch, his fingers linking with hers, and all the bad feelings melted away. There was really nowhere else either of them wanted to be, and nothing more needed to be said.
For Heather sleep didn’t come easily that night. She couldn’t turn over or get comfortable due to Ruben’s arm weighing down heavily on her chest. She must have lain awake most of the night, until she saw the iridescent glow of the sun rising. Distracted, she heard voices and laughter. Frank must have left his inner monologue behind, she thought. Perhaps the interruption lulled her to sleep.
~•••~
Woken by her phone, she felt strange, and anything but happy. Perhaps she just needed time on her own, a place to think without interruption. She moved Ruben’s arm very slowly, and with a deep open-mouthed sigh and throaty snore, he rolled over. Heather managed to slip from the bed, leaving him still very much asleep. The wooden floorboards creaked slightly as she made her way to the en suite. It was more like a steam room as she opened the door, and she saw Beth lying lost in a bath full of foaming bubbles.
“Sorry,” an embarrassed Heather said, turning to walk out.
“Don’t be daft, come in.”
Heather couldn’t help but wonder if the unlocked door hadn’t been meant for Ruben.
“You’re okay. Shout me when you’ve finished,” Heather insisted, excusing herself.
“There’s something you should know,” Beth said, standing and wrapping herself in a cotton towel. “Ruben text me last night, told me everything... Well, at least we have no secrets now.”
Heather lowered the toilet seat and sat down, waiting to hear what Beth had to say for herself. But her questions couldn’t wait.
“Why did you agree to come, Beth? You lived together for God’s sake! Is it just an excuse to spend time with Ruben? You want him back, don’t you? Yeah, course you do.” Heather’s eyes narrowed and she felt them stinging with tears, which she quickly wiped away.
“You’re so wrong,” Beth laughed, lowering herself onto the side of the bath to be face-to-face with Heather. Her damp skin shimmered as she pushed her wet hair behind her ears. “It’s not like that at all.” She reached for Heather’s hands reassuringly. “You’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about. We are just friends. I think you’re good for Ruben, what he needs. You’re jumping to all the wrong conclusions, and ruining something good before it has time to start.”
~•••~
Heather sat down for breakfast, her earlier conversation with Beth playing on her mind. She watched as a semi-dressed Ruben walked from the bedroom, his top draped around his shoulders.
“Morning,” he yawned, sneaking up behind Beth who was busy cooking breakfast and pinching a small piece of bacon.
“Oi!” she scolded, slapping his fingers, before cracking two eggs onto the hot plates heating nicely above the wood burner. Turning to Heather, she asked, “Would you like one with your bacon?”
“Can do,” Heather replied, suddenly losing her appetite as she watched the interaction and body language between the two. They made so little effort, yet seemed so at ease in one another’s company.
The door to the second bedroom was slightly ajar, and Ruben peered inside before opening it wider for a better view.
“Bloody hell, Beth, where did you go last night?” he asked, looking at a semi-conscious Frank lying in the bottom bunk. “He looks bloody awful.”
Laughing to herself, Beth replied, “Took a drive out, found a few night clubs on the way, ended up in Artemis. The music was great; he was dancing on the bar by the end of the night.”
“How much did he have to drink?” Heather enquired, leaning back on her chair and noticing a bucket on the floor beside the bed.
“He had exactly the same as me,” Beth said, looking under her eyes at Ruben.
“I know what that means,” he laughed. “Up to your old tricks?”
“What?” Heather asked. Another little joke they had between them, she thought to herself.
“Well, for every Red Bull I ordered for myself, I ordered our little friend the same with a double vodka... Don’t forget, I was driving,” Beth said innocently, twizzling the ends of her hair between her fingers. “I feel great, bit tired mind, but nothing a strong cuppa won’t put right.”
“Well, he’s absolutely smashed,” Ruben laughed, clapping his hands. “Beth, you’re a legend. Would have paid to see you get him up those stairs.”
Imitating her actions, Beth replied, “Just stood behind him, shoved and hoped for the best.”
“Oi, Frank, fancy a bacon sarni? Or runny eggs, or both, mate?” Ruben said, taking great pleasure in rubbing it in.
Only a half-hearted groan came back.
“Don’t be nasty,” Beth responded, poker-faced but laughter lines not far away.
Ruben’s gaze wandered to the patio windows. A thickening mist hanging over the trees had replaced yesterday’s sun.
“Typical,” he grumbled. “Looks like we won’t be flying today after all.”
“Flying?” Heather asked, a sudden rush of excitement taking hold.
“That was the plan. The airfield’s only a forty-minute drive from here. Got me licence this time last year. Oh well, maybe tomorrow...”
Beth picked up on Heather’s disappointment. “I have an idea,” she said, taking her phone from her handbag. “Ruben, be a love and finish the bacon off.”
Pressing a number into her keypad, she disappeared into the bedroom. A few seconds later, she poked her head round the door.
“Heather, have you got any skin allergies?”
“Not as far as I know. Why?”
“That’s great, sorted,” she announced. “We’ll see you at half eleven. Thank you,” she said, ending the conversation.
She pulled out a chair and sat next to Heather as Ruben plated up their breakfast. Beth dominated the conversation while they ate, mainly telling them about her antics the night before, and Frank’s drunken behaviour.
An hour later, Frank walked out of the bedroom looking whiter than white.
“Liven up,” Beth said as she wiped down the work surfaces. “We’re off out in sec. Get this cuppa down ya.”
Still feeling nauseous, Frank sipped at the lukewarm liquid, oblivious to the fact that he’d actually been drinking alone. From the strange looks he kept giving her, it was clear that he couldn’t work out why she was waltzing around as fresh as a daisy.
“You’re a lightweight,” she laughed, but Frank either couldn’t be bothered to respond, or didn’t feel up to answering. “We off then?” Looking at the time, Beth grabbed her handbag. “Just checking I’ve got my purse...”
“Are Heather and Ruben accompanying us?” Frank enquired.
Looking around, he gasped, focusing on the closed bedroom door, putting two and two together.
“They’re i
n the car waiting,” Beth said. She could see a slight smile on Frank’s face, but nevertheless continued. “I asked Ruben to quickly check my oil and tyre pressure after the journey.”
The weather was gloomy and depressing, and the air felt damp. With the moisture clinging to their skin, it was almost like being back on top of Snowdon. Frank sat in the front seat next to Beth where he thought there would be less jolting – far better for his hangover.
“Well, Beth, you’re very secretive. Where you taking us?” Heather asked, looking at her in the rear-view mirror.
“It’s weather appropriate, and I’m sure you’ll love it.”
She didn’t intend on elaborating further, so turned on the radio and hummed along as she drove. Heather sat back and relaxed, enjoying the journey, but wondering what on earth Beth had planned. She looked at Ruben, then Frank, and back at Ruben, who seemed to have a change of clothes for every day. Although casual, he always liked to look the part, and today he was in yet another pair of sweat pants and a tight-fitting black sweatshirt she hadn’t seen before. Meanwhile, Frank had no dress sense whatsoever and looked like he was on a golfing holiday, wearing the same bland attire as he had done the night before. Beth, on the other hand, looked nice dressed in a pair of brown tailored trousers and low-cut cream top that tied at the waist. Her striking red hair was tied back neatly in a French plait.
As they approached the village, they passed a few houses and then turned to meet a row of shops. Slowing down, Beth indicated left, veering into a small car park that probably only had space to hold around ten cars, if that.
“Doesn’t look much of a day out to me,” Heather whispered in Ruben’s ear.
“Shhh, wait and see, you’ll love it.”
Heather frowned. Was there anything at all that he hadn’t done with Beth? The whole Beth and Ruben facade had already begun to put a dampener on the day ahead.
They followed Beth into a beauty salon. The receptionist was on the phone, but looked up with a familiarity on her face upon seeing Beth.
Replacing the phone, she said, “I’ll let them know you’re here.”
Smiling, she disappeared through one of the many doors.