“Well,” I laugh, picking up my stuff from the ground, “you needn’t worry about him because I actually like someone else.”
“Who?”
I can’t stop grinning as I rush down the grassy verge towards Bodhi’s shit-box of a car.
“Hey!” Ash yells behind me. “Don’t leave me hanging!”
“But Tommy, that’s exactly what you did to me.” I laugh, giving him a wave as I slip into Fire Boy’s car and close the door behind me.
SEVEN
“Wow, who is he?” Mel laughs.
“Who’s who?” I wink, throwing my shopping bags down onto the counter.
“The guy who is making you smile more than I’ve seen you smile in years.”
“How do you even know it’s got anything to do with a guy?”
She taps the side of her head with her fingertip. “Ah, because, grasshopper, you’re glowing! You look normal again. It has to be because of the opposite sex.”
“What, so there’s no other reason I might be happy?”
“The word is glowing.” She grins.
“Glowing, then.”
“The only other possible way is ‘cause you just won a trillion dollars.”
“Money?” I snort. “Yuck. Who needs that? Money can’t buy you happiness!”
“Oh my god. It’s so because of a guy. I knew it!”
I exhale, my eyes scanning over the credit card bill in my hands. “Damn, can I take that back?”
“Bad, huh?”
I drop my bottom lip. “It’s got a comma.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Oh well … what’s done is done. A girl has to live.”
She purses her lips as she looks me up and down. “And you’ve just added to the bill? Even though you knew it was due to arrive any day?”
“Guilty.” I throw my hands in the air. “You got me, and I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry.”
Her bright blue eyes flash with excitement. “Whatever is in that little bag?”
“Nothing,” I giggle.
She takes a step forward and leans over the counter. “Oooh … I see pink tissue paper, and that only means one thing!”
“No, it doesn’t!” I laugh loudly, swiping the bag up into my arms. “Really, it could mean anything … baby clothes, fine china, a nice new vase for mom?”
She lifts one of her eyebrows. “Sorry, babe. But I’m not buying what you’re selling.”
I cover my face with my hands before she sees me flush the same color as the tissue. I didn’t think she’d be home so early, or at least, I didn’t think she’d bombard me the moment I got inside.
“So it is a man!” she squeals, pulling the bag from my hands. “It’s gotta be Climber; am I right?”
I shake my head, but there’s no point. She’s on to me, and I can’t lie to save myself. “I needed new underwear, that’s all,” I mumble, avoiding her gaze.
She peers into the bag, her mouth dropping ever so slightly. “My, my! Not like this, you don’t. I mean, the stuff in here wouldn’t even cover a flea!”
“It’s cute though, right?”
“It’s frickin’ naughty!” she squeals, her eyes widening as she sticks her head into the bag.
“Enough!” I laugh at her crazy cat-like behavior. “Honestly, I don’t know what you want me to say. I’ve had the same underwear for ages, and I don’t feel sexy in it anymore.”
“So you’re trying to tell me that you’ve gone and bought a heap of x-rated lingerie that comes with a guaranteed boner, and it’s just for your dildo’s enjoyment?”
I squeak, “Mel. Shut your mouth. I don’t have a dildo.”
“Really?” She’s looking at me like I’m Snow White. “Seriously, you should get one. They are awesome. I have three. Bruce, Brad, and George.”
I cannot stop laughing. Bruce, Brad, and George. Seriously? How does she come up with this crap? “You just made that up!” I gasp for air, clutching my stomach. “I’ve never heard something so crazy.”
“No, it’s all true.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “In fact, this morning it was George’s turn to serve me, and he did so well I thought about calling in sick, so I could stay in bed with him. And maybe invite the other two over.”
I roll my eyes. What a whore!
“Don’t look at me like that, Miss Naughty Pants. Do you wanna meet them? They’d soon stop your eye-rolling. Or increase it ...”
“Yuck! And no, thank you!” I shudder.
She giggles, a coy look sweeping over her face “Well, if you change your mind, they all have brothers, brand new and boxed. As big, long, and energetic as you could ever wish.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll just stick with the traditional un-battery operated type.”
“Ah-ha!” She points her long finger at me. “And there’s the confession I’ve been waiting for.”
I throw my hands in the air. “I don’t even know if he likes me yet, but I thought I better be prepared just in case.”
“Do I know him?”
I shake my head.
“So it’s not Trent?”
“No.” I shove her shoulder. “He’s just a guy from college.”
“Well, then. It has to be Climber! You couldn’t stop going on about him the other night.”
I shrug. “Do you know how many guys are on campus at any one time?”
“Is he your age?”
“Man, what’s with all the questions?” I laugh, “Seriously, you’re almost worse than Dad.”
“It’s only ‘cause I love you.” She smiles. “Now, come on, how old is he?”
“Um …” I pause, tussling my fingers through my hair. “He’s quite a bit older than me.”
She claws her fingers down her cheeks. “Oh, gawd. Babe. Please tell me you’re not about to bonk the head of the department? If you want to bonk, I get it. But don’t go down that road. I did, and it ended badly.”
I smirk. “I remember, and thanks, but I’m not you.”
She leans back against the counter, her face covered in panic. “So it is a member of staff! I’m meant to be looking out for you, you know! Shit, your dad is gonna go off his head at me if anything bad happens.”
“No, he won’t,” I laugh. “Calm yourself down. The guy I like is just another student, and he hardly bothers coming to class anyway. So …” I pause, chewing at the edge of my nail, “even if things didn’t pan out, it’s not like it would get awkward, ‘cause he’s hardly there anyway.”
Her shoulders slump forward. “So he’s a drop-out?”
“No,” I exhale. “According to one of the lecturers he’s a genius, but it’s not about that.”
“So what’s it about?”
I begin to smile, and I can’t stop. “What do you want me to say, Mel? He’s hot, hot, naughty, hot.”
Her bright, sparkling eyes widen. “And you’re attracted to that? But Hugo was so ...”
“Boring?” I snort with laughter. “I know, but this guy … he makes me burn up every time I’m near him. Honestly, he makes me want to drop my panties the moment I see him; he really is sex on a hotdog.”
“But you don’t even like hotdogs.”
“I do now!” I grin. “And all I want to do is lick him from head to toe.”
“Damn! So those panties are definitely for him!” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “I knew it; they are almost raunchier than mine.”
“Well, I don’t even know if anything is gonna happen, but if it does, I’ll be ready.”
“I shouldn’t say another word ‘cause your dad would kill me.”
“Please, Mel!” I rush towards her, wrapping my arms around her. “What were you going to say? He won’t kill you; well, at least, I don’t think he will.”
Her eyes sparkle as she looks at me. “Why wait for this guy to make a move? It’s not the 1940s, you know. Why don’t you let him know how you feel?”
My stomach twists as I look down at my left hand. That finger is so bare now, so light without his stone. “I r
eally shouldn’t be even thinking about anyone else. It’s wrong. I’m not a free woman.”
“Wrong?” She scowls, grabbing my shoulders. “No! He was wrong. There’s no way he can think it will go ahead after everything that happened. Don’t feel guilty about something that has nothing to do with you. Honestly, babe. Give yourself a break.”
My voice cracks. “But I still love him, Mel.”
“Even after everything that he’s done? Even after all this time?”
“It’s stupid isn’t it?! I’m stupid. That’s why I’m encouraging myself to move on. And my body wants to; boy, does it want to. It’s just my heart is still really confused.”
“Do you think about Hugo when you’re around this other guy?”
I shake my head. “No, not even a little. I can’t think of anything other than what it would be like to kiss him.”
“Well then, there’s your answer.”
“But it’s just horny, hot, dirty lust. What good can come from that?”
“Every relationship starts with sizzle; it’s healthy, not wrong. Please, sweetie, just get out of the way of yourself and give into the chance of being with somebody else who may even end up being ‘the one.’ I know you love Hugo, but you’ve only ever been with one guy. How can you know if he’s meant to be ‘the one’ if you have nothing to compare him to?”
I lean back against the bench. She’s right. I have nothing to compare him to. Well, other than the romantic movies and TV programs I’ve watched these past few months before crying myself to sleep most nights. And it’s not like Hugo followed the script when it came to our fairytale. In fact, when I think about it, our happy ending never had a chance of happening, not when he was out doing someone else.
Mel elbows me in the side, snapping me out of my thoughts. “It’s Climber, isn’t it?” she whispers.
“I can’t confirm or deny,” I giggle. “But whoever it is, I can tell you he’s smokin’ hot, and I wish he would climb on top of me.”
EIGHT
Ring. Ring.
That night, I fell asleep faster than I had in months. Even the monkey didn’t bother keeping me awake with its idiotic dramas. Mel was completely right. I did need to get out of the way of myself. And even though a part of me feels guilty for being attracted to someone else, deep down I know there’s nothing wrong with it. Of course, it isn’t official, official. But Hugo and I are over. And as much as it cuts me up to admit it, I need to move on with my life.
Ring. Ring.
My sleep had been so coma-like, prior to the call, it was almost like I’d been out drinking into the early hours of the morning. Truth was, I’d actually gone to bed without a drop of alcohol in me. Just relief. Relief I’d finally given myself permission to live.
***
Ring. Ring.
I stir in my bed, suddenly aware of a noise. Am I dreaming? There’s no way anyone would call me this late. And it must be late because I feel like I’ve been sleeping for hours. Slowly, I pry my eyes open and blink into the darkness of the room. But it makes no difference—I can’t see a thing.
Ring. Ring.
“Mel, is that you?” I call out. “If you wanna tell me something, just knock on my door. Why would you phone me? You crazy head.”
Nothing.
I moan, inelegantly stumbling out of bed. My purse is on top of the buckled wooden dresser, across the far side of the room. And even though my bag is completely zipped up, the muffled rings aren’t going away. “I’m coming, okay? I’m coming,” I grumble, shuffling through the blackness, my arms outstretched like I’m some sort of mummy, bandaged from head to toe.
“Enough.” I yawn, dragging the purse over and unzipping it in one smooth motion. Sure enough, there’s the culprit—illuminating the inside of my purse like it’s a magical scene out of Disney. But it doesn’t warm my heart. I wrap my fingers around the phone and stare down at the screen. I don’t know the number, but a dark feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me I can’t ignore it. It’s too late, or early, to ignore it. What if it’s Mel, or Mom or … Dad?
“Hello?” My voice wavers as I press the phone to my ear.
“I’m sorry, doll, did I wake you?”
I just about drop the phone, hearing his voice again. All these months, I’ve dreamed and near-on prayed for this moment, but now that I’m faced with the reality of my past, it’s like a train is crushing down on top of me. And no matter how much I writhe against the tracks, I can’t escape the pain.
“Baby?”
Tears begin streaming down my face. I was his baby. And he was my everything. Every first, I had with him. First crush. First date. First kiss. First love. First … time. My throat is dry, and my heart thrashes in my chest so quickly it feels like the final beat is only seconds away.
My voice cracks, along with my heart. “What do you want?”
“I’m back.”
“And?”
“I miss you.”
I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out.
“Did you hear what I said, darling?” He pauses. “I miss you.”
Does he have any idea what that word actually means or feels like? I’ve missed him for months. I missed him when I refused to come out of my room and my parents thought I’d lost my mind. I missed him when I moved away from everything I’ve ever known. Stupidly, I even missed him after I saw him with someone else. And if I’m completely honest, my heart misses him …
Every
Single
Day.
But my head refuses to, and I won’t be lulled into the past ‘cause what’s done is done, and the damage is irreversible.
“Laura, say something—anything.”
There is a knot in my throat, and it’s tightening as the seconds slip by, but I don’t want him to know how much he’s hurt me. So I choose to be strong even though every inch of my being feels weak.
“It’s too late, Hugo.”
“Nonsense.” He laughs. “It’s no big deal, dollface. Stuff happens.”
“No big deal?” I whisper, his laughter crashing through my senses like a red-hot iron. “Stuff happens?” I raise my voice. “What planet are you fucking on?”
“Language.”
“No, fuck you, Hugo! I’ll swear if I want to.”
“What do you want me to say?”
I squeeze my eyes shut, leaning my forehead against the pale green-papered wall. “If you don’t know … what do you expect me to say? I moved a million miles away. I’ve changed my whole damn life to try and forget you, and you think you can just change your number and call up like nothing has happened?”
“What?” he snarls. “What do you mean you moved?”
“I moved away, Hugo! I lost everything being with you. And as much as it kills me to say it, I’ve lost even more now that I’m without you.”
“We’re engaged, Laura; you can’t just walk away from that. How dare you move away from me? We have an agreement, remember? You’re going to be my wife.”
“What?” I sob, slapping my palm against the wall. “Don’t you remember what you did? This has nothing to do with me. Nothing. You’re the one who stuffed everything up. I just happened to catch you.”
“See?” His laughter echoes on the line. “And up until then, we had been very happy. So really, it makes no difference.”
My knees buckle, hearing his words, and I crumble to the ground like a leaf in fall.
“Well, aren’t you going to say something?”
“I can’t believe you thought I’d be waiting for you! It’s been months since I heard from you. Months and months.”
“You know I had to go away on business. I didn’t have a choice, baby. I only just landed a few minutes ago. You’re the first person I called!”
“Am I meant to be impressed?”
“Well,” he paused, “I would’ve driven around to see you, but I didn’t think turning up on your doorstep at this time of day was a good idea.”
“What, and phoning me is?�
�
“We’re talking, aren’t we?”
“Why didn’t you call or email me the whole time you were gone?”
He paused. “I had a lot going on, and most of the time, I didn’t have reception.”
“What? That’s bullshit.”
“Diamond deals are made in remote places. You know that.”
Urban Climber Page 5