“Come see my room!” Noah said excitedly, taking Jeremy’s hand and I knew the rest of the night would be all about my son and when I saw the smile on his face, I was completely okay with that.
~~~
As much as I wanted Jeremy to sleep with me, he slept in the guest room and as Noah and I fixed breakfast in the kitchen the next morning, I wondered how long he’d sleep. We’d had a late night. We went out for dinner and then we’d played games with Noah until it was bed time. After Noah was settled for the night, we’d cuddled on the couch, holding hands while watching movies, sneaking kisses like teenagers trying not to get caught by their sleeping parents, only we were trying not to get caught by my son. We’d stayed up too late, but neither of us wanted to say goodnight.
He came walking into the kitchen not long after we started fixing breakfast, looking tired still. His hair was an adorable mess and a light beard shaded his face.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked.
“Fine.”
“You look like the walking dead.”
“I hate to break it to you, but you don’t look much better,” he retorted and we both started laughing. “I’ll shower in a bit and then I’ll return to my Adonis like self.”
“What’s Adonis?” Noah chimed in.
“It’s a term delusional men use,” I said, raising my eyebrow at Jeremy who had a cocky smile on his face.
“What’s delusional?” he asked and I just laughed.
“Never mind, Noah,” I said, bringing over a plate of waffles.
“Waffles? Can I expect this kind of service for the rest of my stay?”
“Perhaps,” I said, walking by him and he discreetly grabbed my backside, being careful it was out of Noah’s view.
We finished breakfast and then got Noah ready to go for his day with his father. Darren said he’d be by around ten o’clock and punctual like he was, he pulled in front of the house right when he said he would.
I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous having Jeremy and Darren meet again. It’d only been that one time, but I knew how Darren felt about me seeing someone else and his desire to change our relationship back to the way it’d been before he’d cheated on me, was never far from my mind.
Jeremy had excused himself to the bathroom when Darren pulled up and part of me hoped the waffles hadn’t agreed with him so he’d be in there for the foreseeable future and miss any interaction with Darren.
Noah answered the door when Darren knocked and even before he was invited, he stepped inside. He bent down, hugging Noah and then he came over to me, putting his arms around me too for a hug. It was awkward and I didn’t hug him back.
“How was your first week?” he asked when he pulled back.
“Typical,” I said, hoping he’d pick up Noah’s bag and be on his way.
“Who’s SUV is that outside?”
“Jeremy’s!” Noah answered excitedly.
Darren’s eyes darted quickly over to me and his face immediately formed into a firm line. Before I could say anything, I heard the bathroom door open and Jeremy stepped out, running a hand through his messy hair. It was obvious he’d spent the night and Darren didn’t look happy about that.
“Good to see you again, Darren,” Jeremy said, walking over to us, putting one hand on the small of my back and extending the other one. Darren’s hand remained at his side for a moment, his forceful eyes still on mine until he finally looked away and shook Jeremy’s hand.
“Can I talk to you for a second, Beth?” Darren said curtly, taking me more forcefully than I was comfortable with by the arm and leading me into the kitchen. “What’s he doing here?” he demanded once we were alone.
“He came for a visit,” I said, pulling my arm from his grip.
“He slept here last night? And he’s staying again tonight?”
“Yes, he is.”
“You should’ve told me he was coming.”
“Why?”
“So I could come get Noah.”
“Noah likes Jeremy. He wanted to see him too.”
“But he’s my son and I’m not comfortable with him being in this house when your boyfriend sleeps over.”
I couldn’t help but notice the bitterness in his voice when he said boyfriend.
“Or do you mean you’re not comfortable with Jeremy being in the house with me.”
Stony silence settled between us and I could see the frustration on Darren’s face. He was angry.
“Is everything okay in here?”
I was surprised to hear Jeremy’s voice and I turned to see him standing in the doorway, looking curiously between us.
“Everything’s fine. I’ll just be another second,” I said, but he didn’t budge.
“You sure?”
“Excuse me,” Darren said, shooting a glare over to Jeremy. “But I’m talking to my wife. This doesn’t concern you.”
“I think it does when I watched you drag Beth in here.”
Jeremy started toward us, stopping beside me and lacing his fingers with mine. I saw Darren quickly glance down at our hands before looking back up at us.
“We’ll talk more when I bring him back on Monday.”
Noah trotted in then, stopping and looking between all of us. I smiled at him, hoping he wouldn’t feel the tension in the room
“Ready to go, bud?” Darren asked and Noah nodded.
“Come give me a hug,” I said and he wrapped his arms around me. He hugged Jeremy too and then took Darren’s hand and without a goodbye, they walked out the door.
“You okay?” he asked when the door closed and we were alone. I’d been waiting for this moment since I saw him sitting in my driveway, but now I couldn’t stop thinking about the confrontation with Darren.
“I hate having to deal with him sometimes,” I said softly and I felt his fingers on my chin, encouraging me to look at him.
“I take it you didn’t tell him I was coming?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you tell him?”
“Because I don’t have to. I don’t have to run anything by him anymore. He gave up that right when I found him fucking my friend,” I spat out and made my way upstairs.
I could hear Jeremy following me and I went into my room, sitting on my bed. He stood in the doorway, leaning against it, his arms folded.
“I can’t pretend I know what you deal with, and you’re right, you don’t owe him explanations, but,” he said and I didn’t like the hesitation in his voice. “I can kind of see his point.”
“What?” I exclaimed.
“I’d want to know if a man was staying at the same house as my son. I can see why he’s upset.”
I stared at him, not wanting to tell him that while Darren might be hiding under the guise of Noah’s wellbeing, the real reason for his reaction was because Darren wanted me back.
“You wouldn’t understand,” I said bitterly and it grew quiet as we stared at each other.
“Please don’t let this ruin our weekend,” he said.
“Just go take your shower. Towels are in the linen closet across the hall.”
He stood there for a few more moments, staring at me with those chocolate eyes and I could see he was concerned. I knew I should tell him what Darren had been up to lately…why I was overly sensitive to anything Darren did because he was trying to ruin everything by planting visions of a fairy tale life for Noah in my head and making me rethink everything I’d done to get past how he’d hurt me. I knew I should tell Jeremy all of this because that’s what couples do. They talk about their problems and help each other figure it out, but I didn’t tell him and when I remained quiet, he finally turned and left.
I stayed sitting on the bed and I could hear him gathering a towel and washcloth from the linen closet before the bathroom door shut. When I heard the water turn on, I got up and went to my dresser, opening the top drawer and digging around the pile of socks and underwear that desperately needed to be organized until I found what I was lo
oking for.
I stared at the picture. I’d told myself to toss all of our wedding photos, and I had thrown many of them away. I’d forced myself to keep a few though for Noah so that he could see his parents had once been in love…that we had been in love when we’d conceived him.
We’d been so happy the day of the wedding. Darren looked handsome in his tux and the moment I’d put my wedding dress on, I’d known it was the one. Darren had even cried a little when he saw me for the first time in it as my father walked me down the aisle. My dad had given Darren my hand, and he promised to take care of me and I’d believed him. I believed he’d always love me and that he’d never hurt me. Looking down at the picture now, I believed at the time he had meant it. The way his eyes were watching me in the picture showed nothing but total adoration. Something had gone wrong though. Something had changed and he had hurt me. He’d hurt me so badly that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to let anyone in again, but somehow I had and he was only a few feet away.
I put the picture away and made my way to the bathroom. I hoped he hadn’t locked the door and when I slowly turned the knob, I was relieved to feel it twist. I slowly pushed it open and was greeted with a sea of steam. I could hear the water cascading over him. I went slowly to the shower, pushing the curtain back. He was rinsing his hair, his eyes closed as the water poured down. His body was wet and slick and all I could think about was stepping inside and running my hands over his skin.
“Mind if I join you?” I asked and I saw him jump, his eyes popping open.
“You scared the crap outta me, Beth!” he exclaimed.
“Should I leave?”
“Not a chance. You owe me after nearly giving me a heart attack.”
“I’ll make it up to you if you let me come in.”
I was grinning coyly at him and when I looked down, it was becoming apparent that the mere mention of me stepping into the shower was a good idea to him.
“What are you waiting for then?”
I peeled off my shirt and then slid out of my shorts, his eyes never once leaving me. I slowly stepped into the shower, the hot water stinging my skin. My heart was pounding as I stood before him.
“I’m sorry for snapping at you,” I began. “I know you’re just trying to help and I shouldn’t have been so rude to you.”
“It’s fine, Beth. I understand your frustration, but I just want to enjoy you while I can.”
“I want to enjoy you too.”
“Then let’s start enjoying each other,” he said with a needy smile and before I knew what was happening, his wet arms had slid around my waist, slamming my body against his slick chest, pulling me under the spray of the faucet. He started kissing me then, the water running between us and I could imagine this is what it felt like to kiss someone in the rain, something I’d never done before.
Our kiss started slowly, his tongue seeming to devour every bit of my mouth until the point I thought my knees might buckle. Then he started moving faster, his lips gliding over mine more frantically as his hands moved over my wet body. My hands were flying over his body too, his muscles bending and flexing under my touch. His lips moved to my neck and I arched towards the ceiling as his tongue ran over my throat. He pushed me against the wall then, his lips returning to my neck and then onto my breasts, where he stayed for a while, much to my approval, before his tongue trailed down my stomach and further down still until I leaned against the shower wall, trying my hardest to keep myself from falling apart and sliding down into the tub. Just when I didn’t think I could take much more, he began making his way up again, placing his hands on either side of my head, essentially trapping me.
“I want to take you right now,” he panted, the water streaming down his face, but I couldn’t help but focus on the little droplets hanging on his lashes, framing his beautiful dark eyes.
“Then take me,” I returned breathlessly.
I’d never done it in the shower. Darren and I had tried a few times and it had been nothing but a disaster, comical almost. I didn’t think it could be possible, but for some reason, I thought it might be with Jeremy.
“I wasn’t expecting you to seduce me in the shower, Beth. I don’t have a condom on me.”
“You don’t need one,” I said hurriedly, nearly ready to burst from him not touching me. “I got on the pill when I got back. We’re good.”
I watched as a wicked smile spread on his face. This news made him happy. Very happy and he didn’t wait for another word. He scooped me up effortlessly, my legs wrapping around him, my arms dangling around his neck. I waited in anticipation, but I didn’t have to wait long. In one easy motion, he showed me making love in the shower was not only possible, but it was downright amazing.
Twenty-Six
The shower was just the start to our weekend. We went to dinner and a movie and then Sunday we laid around the house, which is exactly what I wanted. He’d helped me make potato salad and deviled eggs for the Labor Day picnic at my parents’ house the next day before he had to head back to Maine in the evening.
He said he wasn’t nervous about meeting my family, but I think he was. It was always nerve-wracking meeting the family of the person you’re dating. I noticed he’d taken care when getting ready for the day. He’d chosen dark jeans that appeared to be brand new since most of his jeans seemed well worn, paired with a green polo short, a departure from his usual t-shirts. He had a fresh shave and his hair was styled neatly, when he usually just let it dry however it wanted.
“Ready to meet my parents?” I asked when we arrived.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he said and I knew for sure he was nervous now.
I opened the front door and we made our way towards the kitchen. From outside the sliding glass door, I could see people gathered on the deck and I could smell the meat cooking on the grill, my dad standing in front of it with his apron on and holding a large pair of tongs. I prayed he hadn’t chosen the apron he’d been given as a gag gift. He loved to wear it. It was a hideous thing with the cartoon body of a bikini clad woman so his head looked like it sat atop the body. When he turned and saw us coming, he raised a hand to greet us and I was relieved to see a simple black apron with the words: “Jim: The Man, The Myth, The Legend”. While my father might appear arrogant, at least Jeremy wouldn’t think he was some kind of pervert.
When my dad waved, it was like a signal for the rest of my family to turn and look at us. I saw the wide smile on my mom’s face and she instantly stood up to greet us. She gave me a big hug and then turned her attention to Jeremy.
“And you must be Jeremy,” she said and he nodded.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Davis.”
“Please call me Michelle,” she said, pulling him in for a hug. I wasn’t sure if he was taken aback by her overly warm greeting, but he hugged her back and then she took him by the arm as he balanced the tray of deviled eggs. “Come on, Jeremy. Let me introduce you to everyone.”
He shot me a grin with wide eyes and I tried not to laugh as my mom led him outside. I followed and set the potato salad on the table next to the rest of the sides. My mom was already busily making the introductions. Amy, he already knew, but he’d yet to meet her husband, Dale. My Uncle Jerry and Aunt Linda were there as well. Jeremy and Jerry were already familiar with each other since Jerry had been the one to hire Jeremy to tend to the yard. Jerry gave him the third degree in the Rhode Island way that seemed rough, but wasn’t meant to be, about how well he was maintaining the yard. I quickly attested that Jeremy was doing a fine job and that seemed to appease my uncle.
Then Jeremy formally met my father. He put on a good front, but I knew he was nervous. I could tell even if no one else could.
“How are you, sir?” Jeremy said, extending his hand to my father.
I watched as they exchanged a firm handshake. Jeremy looked my father directly in the eyes, which I knew he would appreciate.
“I’m good. How’re you, Jeremy?”
“Good. Thank
you for having me.”
“Of course. We’re glad to finally meet the man who’s been taking up so much of Beth’s attention.”
My father’s voice was lighthearted, but there was a warning tone to it. It was discreet, but it was there. After what Darren had done to me, he was even more protective.
“I’d offer to give you a hand with the grill, but seeing as how you’re a legend and all,” Jeremy grinned, pointing to my father’s apron. “I doubt I’d be any help.”
My dad chuckled loudly, slapping Jeremy on the back.
“I like this guy already, Beth,” he said and I smiled, walking over and taking Jeremy’s hand.
Jeremy settled in with my family easily. We even played a round of horseshoes against Dale and Amy while my dad finished grilling and then sat around stuffing our faces with all of the food everyone brought. We were having a great time and then I heard my phone chime with a text message. It was from Darren. He was sitting outside waiting to drop off Noah. Darren knew better than to show his face around my family, hence the text.
“I’ve got to get Noah. Darren’s out front with him,” I said, standing up and I heard my dad scoff, mumbling some incoherent insult about my ex.
I tried not to laugh as I made my way to the front yard where Darren was waiting. He was sitting in his truck, the window rolled down and Noah still in the backseat. The driver’s side door opened as I approached and he stepped out.
“Beth,” he said, walking towards me. “Before you get Noah, can we talk?”
“What is it?”
I felt his hand on my arm, only this time it was gentle, unlike when he’d practically yanked my shoulder out of its socket as he dragged me into the kitchen when he came to pick up Noah. He led me to the opposite side of the truck, tucked away from the view of my parents’ house.
“I wanted to apologize for the way I reacted when I picked up Noah.”
“Thank you, Darren,” I said, moving towards Noah’s door, hoping to keep the conversation short and sweet and be done with it, but the grip on my arm was still there and he pulled me back to him.
Every Breaking Wave Page 20