“Look, it’s not you, okay? The truth is I’m kind of seeing someone. No one knows about it, and I’d like to keep it that way.” I spoke gently and apologetically.
Carly looked like she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You’ve met someone? You, as in Jack Falcon? As in the guy who sleeps with a new chick every night? Are you serious?” she asked, incredulous.
“Yes I’m serious. Would I make that shit up?” I asked, annoyed.
“I don’t know, Jack, you do a lot of things to get yourself out of an awkward situation. And I’m pretty sure what happened a few minutes ago was awkward. At least it was for me.” Carly shrugged.
I sighed. “Shit, Carly, I’m telling the truth here. I know, I know: Jack Falcon has a girlfriend—call the press, announce it to the world. Whatever. I’m telling you the truth.”
“Why? I mean why are you telling me this?” she said, confused. At least she seemed to believe it now.
“Because believe it or not, I actually like having you around. I want you to keep working here, but this,” I motioned between her and me, “it needs to stop.”
“Okay,” Carly agreed. I looked at her, my eyes narrowed. That seemed too easy. There had to be a catch.
“Okay? Just like that, it’s fine?” I said suspiciously.
“What do you want from me, Jack?” she laughed. “You’ve got a girlfriend, which means you don’t need me for any of that, at least not for now,” she added, her eyebrow raised. I scowled at her, not liking her assumption that I’d end up cheating on Belle. “That’s fine. So long as I keep getting my bonuses and I’m allowed to make my snide remarks, then okay. I’ll keep this to myself.”
“Fair enough,” I agreed. “Thanks, Carly,” I said, feeling better about the whole situation. She nodded and left.
I leaned back in my chair and thought about everything. It felt surreal calling Belle my girlfriend but that’s what she was, wasn’t it? And that’s what I wanted, right?
I couldn’t deny to myself that I had some pretty strong feelings for Belle, but something stopped me from telling her exactly how deep those feelings actually ran. I don’t know what it was—maybe I was afraid of getting hurt, which sounded ridiculous because and I’m the king of hurting people. We didn’t speak about the future often, but the suggestion was there. A little comment here and a reference there were enough to make me freeze up.
I thought about the future often, but putting those thoughts into words was hard. Part of the problem was she was so good and so perfect. She had all these great things ahead of her. I didn’t want to drag her down. I didn’t want her regretting being with me, and I couldn’t imagine her not waking up one day and wondering where the hell her life went.
***
Thursday night I had the night to myself. Belle’s parents were getting suspicious about how much time she was spending away from home. I could understand that, considering when she wasn’t at work or school she was at my house. She had actually started to make up shifts at work to buy us time together—which was risky, but it wasn’t like her parents were likely to frequent Levine’s. I laughed, the image of Mr. and Mrs. Gale sitting in a booth at the restaurant floating through my mind, the image stranger than me having a girlfriend.
I hadn’t spoken to Alex for a couple of weeks, not since things with Belle had been getting heavy. I dialed his number, keen to talk out my relationship with Belle with someone I could trust, someone who I knew wouldn’t judge me. I guess having a psychologist as a brother had had its perks.
“Hey, Jack! How are you going?” Alex said, pleased to hear from me. He was always happy to hear from me, the complete opposite of my father.
“Yeah okay, same old. You? How’s work?” I asked, walking into the bedroom to lie down.
“Yeah, work’s great. I might be up for promotion, which is good. It means more money and less hours,” he said, sounding excited.
“That’s awesome,” I said, not quite understanding how you go about getting a promotion when you’re a psychologist in an upscale rehab clinic.
“So what’s up?” Alex asked. “What’s bothering you?”
“What you mean?” I asked, playing dumb. My plan had been to make small talk for a few minutes before launching in to my issues.
Alex chuckled. “Jack, I’m your brother. I know when something’s on your mind.”
“Okay, you’re right. There is something bothering me,” I said, giving in.
“What is it? Have you run out of girls asleep with in London?” he joked.
“Nice one,” I said sourly. “Just the opposite, actually. I’ve met someone.”
“Really?” Alex said. “So who is she?”
“That’s where it gets complicated.” I sighed. “Alex, things are really messed up and I don’t know what to do.”
“Okay, you’re scaring me now. You sound really worried. What’s going on? It’s not a dude, is it? You know I’ll still love you, gay or straight, but I can’t imagine you taking the cock up the ass.”
I laughed at my brother’s crassness. “No, it’s not a dude, it’s worse.” I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts. “Okay. I met this chick. She’s like no other girl I’ve ever met. She’s someone I actually like spending time with. Someone I look forward to seeing again. When I’m not with her, she’s all I think about. She’s doing my head in.”
“Okay, I’m failing to see the problem,” Alex said, amused. “It sounds like love to me.”
“Shut up, I’m getting to that,” I grumbled. “There are two major things against me being with this girl. Firstly, she is eighteen, but she was seventeen we…started.”
“Jack, what the fuck? Is that even legal?” Alex asked, shocked.
“Yes, Alex,” I sighed. “Don’t worry, I checked. I can go as low as sixteen if I want.” I tried to joke. “Anyway, it gets worse. You remember Luke? This girl is his wife’s younger sister.”
“Man, why would you go there?” Alex groaned. “Do you do this on purpose or what?”
“In my defense, I didn’t know who she was or her age when we first got together.” I shot back.
“That’s not really much of a defense. Maybe you should start checking ID?” he chuckled.
“Yeah, thanks man. I’m glad you see the funny side of it,” I grumbled, annoyed that he was finding this all so amusing.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’ll behave, I promise. So I’m guessing you really like this girl?”
“Yep,” I said. “Which brings on a whole other load of problems,” I added.
“Like what?” asked Alex
“Like the fact that I’m me? Alex, I am so fucked up. I think I’m falling in love with this girl, but I have so much trouble telling her that, or expressing to her any of what I’m feeling.” I sighed. “I think I like her too much to subject her to a lifetime of my shit.”
“Jack, I need to ask you this. Is she worth losing your friend over? Because I can guarantee you that’s what’s going to happen. Luke will never accept this. Never. You know that, right?”
“I know,” I said simply.
My conversation with Alex left me feeling no clearer about what I was feeling or how to deal with things. I strolled over to the corner of the room and picked up my guitar. My secret release. I’d been playing since I was ten.
My dad’s way of dealing with Mum leaving was to buy us shit. I’d asked for the guitar because it was expensive, not because I wanted to play, but once I had it, it struck a chord (excuse the pun). One thing you would not expect to learn about me is I write my own songs. Nothing special. In fact, I think I’m pretty ordinary, but it helps me clear my head. Kind of like a musical diary. God, I sound like a twelve-year-old girl.
I sat down on the couch and began to play. Sitting back with my eyes closed, I let the sound of the music move through me. This was the only way I knew how to relax. Well, that and a good hard fuck, but unfortunately that wasn’t an option at the moment.
Chapter Fourteen
/> This was going to be fun. I’d been parked out front of Luke and Sally’s for a good ten minutes. Belle was already there—her beat-up shitbox of a car was parked in their driveway. I wasn’t even sure I could pull this off. What if there were things I did subconsciously around her that gave me away? We were going to get busted, I just knew it. I was already planning my apology speech in my head.
After I couldn’t put it off any longer, I got out of my car and made my way to the front door. I banged loudly three times before the door opened and Luke greeted me.
“Hey man, glad you could make it,” he said, patting me on the back as I walked inside. The house was so cozy and warm, a complete contrast to the frosty, cold air outside. “Belle is here already, and dinner is almost ready.”
I took off my coat and laid it over one of the armchairs in the living area. I followed Luke into the kitchen, where Sally and Belle were chatting as they set the table.
“Jack, nice to see you. You remember my sister, Annabelle?” Sally smiled at me.
“Of course. Nice to meet you again,” I said as Belle smirked in my direction. I narrowed my eyes at her. She was enjoying this, kinky girl.
“Can I get you a drink?” asked Luke. I nodded, accepting the beer he handed me.
“So, how’s things? How’s work?” I asked Luke. I sat down, shifting my weight so I faced away from Belle. Being in the same room as she was and not being able to her watch her laugh and smile was pure hell.
Boy, I had it bad. I needed to keep myself occupied. I listened to Luke as he rambled on about his job, trying to stop my mind from wandering over to Belle. I couldn’t think about her now. I needed to keep my mind off her beautiful face,the sexy curve of her breasts…her tight, wet pussy…
“Jack?” Luke prodded. Fuck, this listening thing was going really well.
“Sorry, man, what did you say?” I replied, flustered.
“I asked if you’re okay. You seem really quiet.”
“Yeah, sorry, dude. I’m good. I’ve got some family stuff getting me down, that’s all. I’m thinking about going over to see Alex in a little while.”
“Really? That’s awesome. It will be good for you to get away,” he added. “How’s he going? Still enjoying it over there?”
“Yeah, he really loves it. Honestly, I don’t think he’ll ever be back. Not that I blame him,” I said, rolling my eyes. Luke laughed.
“Trouble with your father, hey?”
“Is there ever not trouble with my father?” I asked dryly.
Luke laughed again. “True.” He stood up to take the roast beef off Sally, and carried it over to the table. “I think we’re ready.”
Turning around in my chair, my heart rate increased by about a thousand. Belle was sitting opposite me. If I tilted my head slightly, I could see far enough down her top to know she wasn’t wearing a bra. Was she not wearing underwear either? I groaned under my breath. She wasn’t playing fair!
“So, how have you been, Jack?” Belle asked sweetly, handing me the plate of potatoes. I took the plate, my eyes burning into hers as our fingers touched.
“Good, thanks,” I replied. “How’s school?” I asked evenly, passing the potatoes to Luke. She hid a smile as she watched me.
“Great. I’ve been learning a lot lately.”
I nearly dropped the glass of water I was holding. I gave her a look, annoyed at how much she seemed to be enjoying this. If she wanted to play dirty, then things were about to get messy. If there was one thing I knew how to do, it was play dirty. I slid my foot from out of my loafer.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do next year?” Sally asked her. Belle began to run through her post-high school plan.
“I think I want to study psychology. I’ve always been interested in the m—OH!” she gasped, her eyes growing wide as she reacted to my big toe working its way inside of her. I smothered a laugh. I knew she wasn’t wearing underwear.
“What is it?” asked Sally, alarmed.
“Are you okay?” I chimed in. She glared at me as my toe slowly moved in and out of her. She looked like she wanted to be so angry at me, but at the same time couldn’t resist how good it felt.
“I, uh, swallowed a bean the wrong way,” she stammered, coughing for effect. Her hand reached under the table, pushing away my foot. I snorted. Both Luke and Sally turned to stare at me.
“Sorry,” I muttered, straightening up in my seat. “So what’s up with you guys?” I said, trying to change the subject.
“We just wanted to talk to you guys about the christening. And we just wanted to make sure you were okay with being godparents.” In particular, Luke looked at me.
I shrugged uneasily. “I’m honored, guys. That you want me to be a godparent is amazing. My first thought was why anyone would bestow me that honor,” I said, half-joking.
“If you don’t want to, we understand. Just think about it, okay?” Sally asked. I nodded, relieved that I might be able to get out of this without harming our friendship.
After dinner, I excused myself to the bathroom. I leaned against the sink, my head tilting against the mirror. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This was hard. I was sure we were giving ourselves away, but I didn’t know how to stop it. I looked up, surprised, as the door creaked open. Belle squeezed through the small crack, her eyes on mine.
“What are you doing?” I hissed, angry at her for taking a risk that could potentially mess this up. She was so close to me that I was aching to kiss her. Not seeing her the day before and not being able to touch her now was torture. Her fingers placed on my chest was all it took for me to give in.
“I need to kiss you,” she whispered. Her fingers played with my hair as she gazed up at me. When she pulled my head down to hers, I didn’t resist. Her lips crushed against mine. My hands wandered to her face, cradling her head in my hands as we kissed. I maneuvered her so she was up against the sink and I was up against her. She lifted herself onto the vanity, her hands working to unbutton my pants. She reached inside and freed my dick, her fingers running along its length, teasing me, payback for my antics over dinner. I pulled out a condom and handed it to her. She smiled, and slipped it on, her eyes on mine.
“You almost had me coming over dinner,” she whispered, nibbling on my ear as she lined herself up with the tip of my cock. She groaned, her arms wrapping around my neck as I frantically pushed myself inside her.
“Shh,” I whispered, kissing her neck. She nodded, her eyes closed, concentrating on the intensely erotic feelings that were produced by having sex in the bathroom at her brother-in-law and sister’s house while they waited in the other room. I pushed harder, knowing my release was near and that Belle, too, was on the verge of climaxing.
“Oh god!” The words escaped from her mouth before she could stop them, at the same time my load released inside her. I secured my hand over her mouth, not trusting her not to scream as she came. I chuckled softly as she bit down on my finger.
“I’d be very surprised if they didn’t hear anything,” I said, kissing her neck as she caught her breath. I pulled out of her and flicked the condom off into the toilet and flushed.
“Was I that loud?” she said, looking nervous.
I chuckled. “You might want to say you stubbed your toe or something.” I peeked out from the bathroom door, making sure the coast was clear. “Bye,” I said, kissing her.
Chapter Fifteen
I looked at Belle lying on my bed, wearing nothing but my shirt. She was on her stomach, her long legs kicked up in the air as she watched me get dressed. She cocked her head and grinned at me.
“You sure you don’t want to spend the day in bed with me?” she asked, her eyebrows raised as she flexed her toes in the air.
I chuckled as I finished buttoning up my top. “I’d love to, but I really need to get some work done, which I can’t seem to do with you around.” She rolled over onto her back, the shirt spilling open. She was such a tease. Shaking my head, I walked out of the bedroom a
nd toward the kitchen, flicking the coffee pot on. Belle followed me. She leaned up against the wall, her hands behind her back.
Fuck, she was so hot. She looked disheveled and naughty, like she was begging me to play with her. I walked over and looped my hand around her waist. She screamed as I lifted her up, sitting her on the kitchen counter. Her legs wrapped around my waist as my hands roamed her naked body.
“Stop! It tickles!” she laughed, swatting my arms away. I chuckled and continued my assault, ignoring her pleas. Suddenly she froze. She stared past me to the door, quickly wrapping the shirt around her body.
“What is it?” I asked. I turned to the door, confused. My heart stopped beating as the blood rushed from my face. Luke stood in the doorway, his hand on the doorknob, anger and confusion flashing through his eyes. His eyes narrowed as they rested on mine.
“What the fuck is this?” he gasped.
“Luke, it’s not what it looks like,” I said, buckling up my pants.
“Really?” Luke snapped sarcastically. “Because it looked like you were sticking your fucking cock inside my seventeen-year-old sister-in-law.” He slammed the door shut. “Annabelle, get dressed.” His voice was laced with disgust. He turned away as Belle slid off the counter and ran into my room.
“Luke,” I began.
“Don’t you fucking talk to me!” he shouted. He turned around and punched the wall, his fist smashing through the plaster. Blood trickled down his fingers and onto the cream carpet. That’s going to be an ass to get out.
“Why the fuck did you just walk in? Why couldn’t you have knocked?” I asked. Yes, I was poking the beast, but if he wasn’t going to let me explain, then fuck him, I was going to poke away.
“Don’t you dare try and turn this around on me,” Luke cautioned, stepping toward me threateningly. Belle walked out of the bedroom, dressed. I could tell she’d been crying. God knows how long it would be before I was going to see her again.
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