Betrayal

by Lucy-Anne Smith

  “Has Jason got in touch since last night?” Worry was in his voice.

  “No. I texted him about his things.” He looked like he was expecting something else. “Jason and I aren’t getting back together,” I finished. From then on, it looked like he breathed a little lighter.

  “So are you hungry?” He offered me a menu. I hadn’t eaten anything since the night before, so I was ravenous.

  “Yes.” I took the menu from him and looked him square in the face. “Are you?”

  “Sure,” he said, smiling.

  Our drive home was a different atmosphere than ever before. It was happier. I could finally relax properly. I drove to my house and Russell took his bags inside. We went into the living room. I sat down. Russell came over and sat next to me. I didn’t know what to do, so I just sat still. I was too nervous to move.

  He put his hand under my chin and turned it to face him. We looked into each other’s eyes. He moved slowly towards me until finally, his lips touched mine. They were soft and warm. He moved back into focus. He removed his hand from my chin, taking my hands in his instead.

  “Do you want to? If not, I understand,” he said softly.

  I just nodded my head. He smiled, leaned in and kissed me again. This time it was harder and faster than before. With his mouth now open, he moved his tongue inside, gently. His hands began to move, from my lap to my shoulders and he pulled me in tighter to him. My breathing was heavy; it told him that I wanted this as much as he did. He stood up and as he did, he brought me up with him.

  Placing one hand underneath me and one around my shoulders, he carefully lifted me and carried me upstairs, to the bedroom. Once there, he laid me down on the covers and took his shirt off. His body was just how I’d imagined it: perfect. He moved towards me, lifted up my top so it showed my abdomen. He gently kissed around my belly button. Pulling me towards him, he took my hands and lifted them, so they were up in the air. He pulled my top off over my head. He kissed me again and carried on down my body until he reached my jeans.

  Undoing the button, he gently tugged off and dropped them to the floor. His urgency was increasing and I could feel he had waited a long time for this. He was devouring me slowly, an inch at a time; and I could tell that he would continue to do so until I was no more. He finished removing every piece of his clothing and climbed on the bed beside me.

  His warm, muscular body against, on and in mine was, at times, too much to bear. I, too, had waited so long for this. I thought it would never happen and now we were together. And happy, finally. Happier than we had ever been. I felt safe and loved.

  The late afternoon sun shone in through the window. As it hit him, washing over his taut body and suffusing it with a warm glow, I felt as though I was swimming in a dream and starting to drown. I sank further and further into a void of ecstasy; never to re-emerge, it seemed. His strength crashed against my weakness, overwhelming it. I yielded without hesitation or shame.

  I looked at him and he returned my wanton gaze. I closed my eyes and smiled to show him I appreciated the gift that he was giving to me. He moaned deep in his throat and it made me want him more.

  When it was over and we were entwined together, dishevelled, he turned to look at me. He smiled and kissed me on the forehead.

  “I love you,” he said.

  I couldn’t believe that I had got what I wanted; what I deserved.

  “I love you, too,” I told him.

  We fell asleep, exhausted.

  CHAPTER 20

  We woke in the morning, both of us feeling fresh and bright. The sun was still shining and the birds were singing.

  As I cleaned my teeth, I looked in the mirror. I looked younger. When I walked downstairs to the kitchen, there he was. I could have leapt into the air, I was so happy.

  “Hi, want a coffee?” he asked.

  “Yes, please.” I couldn’t stop smiling. He grinned back, acknowledging that this was the beginning of something great.

  We had coffee, and sat chatting and giggling like we were two teenagers again. After I cleared the cups and saucers, I went to have a shower. The water felt wonderful trailing down my back. I could have stayed there for hours.

  I didn’t hear Russell come in. Seizing me from behind, Russell pinned me against the tiles. His mouth turned up in a smirk.

  “Hello, again,” he said.

  I looked at him. I couldn’t believe he was mine at last. I put my arms around his neck.

  “What are you doing here? This shower was only made for one, mind you,” I laughed.

  “Well, we’ll have to change that. This will probably become a regular thing,” he replied.

  I laughed again, and kissed him.

  “So, is this it then? We’re together? Officially?”

  “Is that what you want?” he questioned, apparently unsure of my answer.

  “Yes. If it’s what you want, too.”

  “Then it’s official,” Russell replied moving his hands lower.

  “When will we tell everyone?”

  He leaned in to kiss me softly.

  “Whenever you want. I’ll let you set the pace for all this.”

  I thought about how best to broach the subject with everyone.

  “Perhaps we should let the dust settle a bit first?” I was worried that he would see this as a rejection.

  “Sure. Anything you want is good for me.” He smiled. I breathed a sigh of relief. He kissed me again, but harder this time, and I could suddenly feel his erection on my leg. The rest of the shower finished like last night had... Blissfully.

  Getting dressed, I heard the doorbell ring downstairs. My heart leapt, not sure of who it might be. I walked down the stairs to answer it, but Russell got there first. I peered ’round the door, and saw Jason standing there. I looked at Russell.

  “It’s OK. I got this,” I told Russell, with a slightly unsure tone to my voice.

  “If you need me, I’ll be just a shout away.” He winked.

  I turned my attention back to Jason as Russell walked away to the kitchen.

  I said to him, “What do you want?” I wasn’t happy. I couldn’t believe that he had shown up at my door.

  “I came to pick up my things. I wondered if there was any point talking to you, but I guess I have my answer,” he said with an air of spite.

  I laughed and shook my head. “Jason, you are unbelievable! You sleep with my sister, lie about it then come ’round here acting hurt.”

  “All I’m saying is, you could have waited a day or two.”

  “Why would I have?”

  “Your sister?”

  “What—wait while she sleeps with a few more people?”

  “You’re cruel.”

  “You’re probably a daddy. I’d go and check if I were you. Goodbye.” I slammed the door in his face. It felt good. When I found Russell, he was in the garden, leaned back in a chair with a cold drink at his side. There was one for me, too. He opened his eyes and glanced at me.

  “What did he want?”

  “To collect his things and talk. I think the cat’s out of the bag.”

  He sat up. “It was gonna happen sooner or later,” he said. “Just remember, I’m right behind you, whatever happens.”

  I smiled. It was good to have that reassurance.

  “I’ll go ’round Mum’s later to break the news. It’s probably better coming from me.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No, I’ll go by myself.”

  He smiled, to let me know he understood why I needed to do this.

  I rang Mum to tell her that I would be round later that day. She didn’t say anything, so I gathered the news hadn’t spread yet. Walking up to her door, though, I was still scared. I had a figurative bomb in my hand and I was about to drop it. When Mum answered the door, she was happy to see me. I walked through to the kitchen.

  “So how are you?” she asked.

  “I’m good, actually. Have you seen Sam?”

  �
�Yes. I spoke to her yesterday.” Mum looked at me with concern. “You’re still not ready to forgive her yet, then?”

  “Mum, it’s only been a couple of days. That could take months; maybe even years. What she did really hurt me. I didn’t expect it from my own sister.”

  “I’m sorry, love. I hate it when you two fight. You take your time. Heal the rift properly. You know I’ll always be here for you.”

  She hugged me tightly, as if to seal that promise. Then hell erupted in the peaceful kitchen.

  “So you think you can pick up from where I left off, do you?” Sam walked in, her face as red as a beetroot. She was fuming. Mum looked ’round in horror.

  “What’s wrong, Sam?” Mum gasped.

  Sam looked at Mum.

  “I think you need to ask Beth that!” She glared at me, her nostrils flaring like a dragon’s. Mum looked at me in shock.

  “What is Sam talking about?” Mum asked.

  “That’s what I was coming to tell you,” I replied.

  Mum looked confused. Sam said it for me.

  “Beth and Russell are together now!”

  Mum’s mouth fell open. “Beth is this true?”

  “Yes.” I nodded.

  “But how? Why?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know.” Sam forced the words out through her teeth. It annoyed me, after what she had done.

  “It’s just something that happened,” I replied, telling only half the truth.

  Mum said, “What do you mean, it just happened? He was with Sam and now he’s with you? What’s going on, Beth?”

  I couldn’t believe this. Sam was in the wrong, but it was me being punished. They were acting as if Sam was innocent. I tried to unruffle my feathers.

  “Beth, you disgust me,” Sam carried on. “You couldn’t wait to get him. I thought that, right from when you first laid your eyes on him.”

  That was it; I’d had enough.

  “Sam, you couldn’t stand the thought of not being in the spotlight for one second. So, instead of working things out with Russell, you slept with not one, but two, people behind his back! One of those being my boyfriend!

  “Now that I’m willing to make Russell happy, you can’t stand it, can you? You had your chance and you blew it! Mum, yes; we are together and hopefully, we are going to stay together and be happy.

  “Sam did wrong here, not me, but I’m being treated like the bad guy! I hoped you could be happy for me, Mum. But that’s not going to happen.” I began to cry. “I’m sorry things didn’t turn out how they were supposed to, but,” I pointed to Sam, “she is the reason things went wrong.” With that, I walked out of the house to drive home.

  When I arrived home, I rushed into Russell’s arms, still crying.

  “What happened?” he asked, gripping me tightly.

  “Sam was there. Jason had obviously gone straight to her after coming here.”

  “What did she say?”

  “It’s not Sam I’m upset with. It’s Mum. After all Sam has done, Mum’s still on her side.”

  Russell rocked me to and fro.

  “I’m sorry, Beth. She’ll come ’round eventually.”

  “What if I don’t want to wait for her to come ’round? What if I want to make a fresh start now?”

  Russell stopped rocking me and held me away from him so he could look at me.

  “What if we moved away from here?” Russell asked me.

  I stopped crying. “Where in England would we go?”

  “What if we didn’t stay in England? What if we moved to America?” This stunned me. I didn’t answer. He continued: “If you don’t want to go, I’ll understand.”

  “No, it was just a shock. I didn’t expect you to say that. I suppose we could. I mean, there’s nothing really to leave behind except Megan, but she’d understand. Where would we live?”

  “We could stay with my mom for a while. I know she wouldn’t mind.”

  Were we actually going to do this? Was Boring Old Me actually going to have an adventure for once?

  “OK, let’s do it!” My heart was pounding beneath my ribcage. “I’ll ring Meg to arrange to meet with everyone else, then I can tell everyone that matters in person.”

  For the next hour, I was on the phone, ringing each of my friends and telling them where to meet up.

  I arrived a little early, so as not to keep anyone waiting. Walking in to see all their wondering faces was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. Russell was holding my hand. He would squeeze it every now and then to remind me that he was still here.

  “Oh, my God! It’s true!” Rachel screamed.

  “Yes.” I smiled nervously. I still didn’t know how they would all take it.

  I looked at Megan. I really needed her, more than anyone, to be with me on this.

  “So, was that what you wanted to tell us?” Meg asked with a happy look.

  “A part of it,” I answered.

  We sat down with all my friends around us.

  “What else is it then?” Joe asked; he was half-excited and half nervous. Rachel was by his side. Just how Russell was with me, now. I took a deep breath.

  I said, “Well, in light of all that has happened with Sam and Jason, Russell and I are moving away to start fresh.”

  I sat back and waited for all the questions to start flying.

  “What? Why?” Meg asked in a horror.

  “Where will you be going?” Joe was slightly better than Meg at things like this. The rest just waited on the answers.

  “Meg, we have to go to have anything like a normal life. You can visit; you’d always be welcome.”

  “Where will you be going?” Joe repeated, louder.

  “That’s the thing... We’re going to America.” My breathing got faster. Everyone was silent.

  “But... why America?” Izzy asked.

  “Why not? It’s far enough away that Sam can’t meddle with our lives, but not so far away you wouldn’t want to visit us. Besides, Russell’s family is there and it would be nice to get to know them.”

  “When will you be going?” Ben questioned.

  “Well...” I looked at Russell and then back. “We’ll sort everything out. I’ll sell the house and that will be it, really. Nothing then to hold us back.”

  “That’s it, then? Nothing else to say?” Megan wasn’t happy with all this, but she’d get used to it. She would have to.

  “There’s only one thing left, then.” Joe raised his drink. “I, for one, hope you both blow America away and have a great time doing it.” He smiled. I smiled back and everyone else raised their glasses and bottles.

  We stayed out ’til late laughing and reminiscing. Eventually, I looked at my watch.

  “I think it’s time to go,” I said.

  “Come on, then,” Russell told me. We said our goodbyes and left.

  A few months later, after we sold the house, the day came when we had nothing left but to get on the aeroplane. Everyone came to see us off except Sam. With my bag in one hand, and Russell holding the other, we were ready to go.

  “Well, this is goodbye, then,” I told the group. I went ’round to them individually in turn. Joe was first, with Rachel. “I hope we will still be invited to your wedding?” I asked them.

  “Of course you will,” Joe grinned

  “Whoa betide you, if you’re not there!” Rachel inserted and we laughed.

  Next was Ben.

  “ ’Bye, Benny. If she’ll let you, keep an eye out for Sam, won’t you?”

  “You know I will,” he said. He squeezed me hard. “You never know; she may accept me one day.”

  “You never know,” I said with a giggle. Then to Izzy. “I’ll see you soon, Izz. Keep a watch over ‘you know who.’” I winked and peeked at Meg, who had her arms crossed.

  Izabelle smiled. “You take care, Beth. I’ll be over there as soon as you’re settled.” She kissed my cheek.

  Finally, it was Meg’s turn. This was going to be the hardest. I moved in and
held her as tight as I could.

  I told her, “I love you, and I always will. Please be good while I’m not around to watch after you. I’ll miss you like crazy! promise me you’ll visit, because I’ll still need you, even if I am across the pond.”

  Megan was so quiet, I worried that she would never forgive me. I pulled away from her to see that she had tears dripping down her cheeks. That was why she hadn’t been talking.

  I said, “Oh Meg, please don’t cry.” I had hardly ever seen Meg cry and we’d been friends since forever. I blinked back the water that was about to escape from my own eyes.

  “I’m gonna miss you so much, Beth. Write to me every day, you promise?”

  “I promise.” I said, wiping a tear away.

  I walked over to Mum and Dad.

  “ ’Bye. I’ll miss you both, too.” I kissed them both and Mum hugged me.

  “I’m sorry that it came to this, dear. I love you. Don’t ever forget that. You can ring me whenever you like.”

  “Visit often,” Dad said. “Don’t let Sam stop you from coming.”

  The announcer’s voice then came over the Tannoy. It was time to go. I hugged everyone again and walked away to an unknown world. This was going to be quite a journey. One I was going to enjoy.

  About the Author

  A longtime romance reader, Lucy Anne Smith's first published novel is this novel, Betrayal. Like many writers, she has previously worked in a variety of fields, including hairdressing, retail, manufacturing and hospitality.

  Lucy lives in Bristol, England with her partner and four children. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

  Follow Lucy on Twitter @lucyannesmith1.

  If you enjoyed BETRAYAL, you might also enjoy Ladies of Market Street by Emily Lear or Double by Mike Backus.

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