Forever Yours

by Nikki J Summers

  “Yeah I think so. Look, we are onto him so it won’t be long before it’s all sorted out and we can move on okay?”

  I nodded unconvinced as he sat up and ran his hand under my jaw and stroked my cheek. Then he kissed me and I tried to push my worries to the back of my mind. There was nothing we could do out here at Nan’s and I didn’t want to spoil our last day with her, even if she was mad at me for my night time bed hopping.

  “I think it might be a good idea to go and talk to your Nan. I think she poses more of a threat to my safety than any crazy graffiti artist with a grudge. Does she still have her sawn off shot gun?” He asked smiling his dazzling smile at me and I grinned back.

  “Yes, so you might want to get your running shoes on now.”

  I threw on my clothes and paced reluctantly towards the door.

  “Wish me luck!” I called out as I opened the door and made my way down to the kitchen.

  When I walked in to the kitchen the waft of fresh bread and pastries hit my nose. I inhaled deeply and felt a wave of warmth smother me.

  “I would say my home made pastries are better than sex but I doubt that’d be the case for you this morning.” My Nan said turning round to face me with an accusatory stare. She was unbelievable. The shame flared up onto my cheeks.

  “I’m sorry Nan, I fell asleep in the spare room by accident last night and then…” I shrugged and stared at the floor kicking my feet and feeling like a sixteen year old all over again.

  “Who was I kidding thinking I could keep you two in separate rooms last night?” She huffed then smiled. “At least he treats you well, and makes you happy. Very, very happy!” She winked.

  “Nan!” I hide my face behind my hands utterly mortified now.

  “Oh everyone does it Ella, it’s how we all got here. Your Granddad he was…”

  I held my hands over my ears, “I don’t want to know Nan. Granddad was a sweet old man who sucked toffees and gave me piggy back rides. That’s all I want to remember okay?”

  She threw her head back and laughed. “I know my love, I’m just teasing you.”

  She handed me a tray of pastries, toast, coffees and orange juice and told me to, “put your man out of his misery and tell him it’s safe to come out. I won’t shoot.”

  32

  It seemed that I was the only one embarrassed about the morning’s events, as Nan and Joe joked easily and bantered for most of the morning. I think Joe was Nan’s new favourite person, but I wasn’t jealous he was my favourite too. After a massive breakfast I decided to take Joe on a tour of some of the other places I used to go as a child.

  We held hands and picked our way along rocky paths and sneaked through farmer’s fields making sure we closed the gates behind us. Then we reached the little stream me and my friends used to splash about in during the hot summers. I felt so relaxed and chilled, away from all the noise and rush of the city. I was just about to show him the giant oak tree with the scary roots sticking out of the ground that we used to climb all over, when I heard a familiar sound that had me squealing and jumping up into Joe’s arms, hanging onto him like a crazy pet monkey.

  “Woah! What’s up?” He pulled back grinning at me.

  “Geese!” I pointed and squealed as I spotted a whole gaggle of them waddling over towards us, taking up all the spare path with their stupid webbed feet and getting their evil snappy beaks ready to nip and bite us.

  “Are you scared of a few geese princess?” He was finding this too amusing for my liking.

  “Of course I hate them, they bite and hiss and live to terrorise us.”

  He laughed at me now and I whacked his shoulder but still clung on for dear life.

  The geese came towards us and surrounded us. One evil feathered beast nipped at Joe’s jeans and I screamed, climbing further up his body and clinging to him as he laughed uncontrollably at my distress.

  “Oh Ella, this is just too funny. How can you live all your life in the countryside like this and be petrified of geese? They can’t hurt you, you’re ten times their size!”

  I wasn’t buying it, they had hidden powers of flapping their wings and snapping those deadly beaks.

  “They can hurt you!” I demanded.

  Joe gently kicked his leg out in some show of manly power and the geese scattered.

  “Well they might not attack you…” I argued, “But I’m not taking any chances!” I was praying for a helicopter with a ladder to come over us at that moment and save us. Even my fear of heights would be a better option right now I thought.

  “So you’re scared of heights and geese… anything else I should be prepared to protect you from?”

  “Escalators, I hate escalators.”

  “Oh my God Ella, how on earth do you survive living in our city and not being able to use an escalator? And why haven’t I noticed this before?”

  “I avoid the tube and take taxis, use the stairs or walk. It’s really much better for your health.”

  “What do you think an escalator will do exactly?”

  “It’ll suck my feet into the mechanisms or I’ll fall down it. They are the worst invention ever, I mean moving stairs, why? They give me hot sweats.” He laughed and I nudged him again.

  “Don’t laugh at me, I can’t help my fears. What are you scared of?” I snapped indignantly.

  “Nothing.” He shrugged then smiled and kissed me. “Losing you.”

  “Aww…now you’re just trying to sweet talk me after ridiculing me!” I joked.

  He grinned a wide smug grin then said, “I can’t do anything about heights or escalators but I can get you free of these geese…but…I’m gonna need you to get down then jump on my back, I can’t see where I’m going with you plastered to my face.”

  “No way! I’m not going down there.” I cried looking down at the geese circling with their beady eyes and devil beaks.

  I tried to crawl around his body from front to back but it was no use and he was laughing too hard at me.

  “Fuck!” I snapped and jumped to the floor then screamed and did a little crazy dance on the spot to keep the geese away, scrunching my eyes up so I couldn’t see them closing in.

  “Up!” Joe said and bent down so I could jump on his back. “Ella, I know you’re scared but seriously this has been one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. What the hell was that river dance you just did?”

  “I was keeping them away from me.” I sulked and wrapped my legs as high up his waist as I could so no part of my body would be exposed for the geese to get at.

  “By doing a Michael Flatley impression? Baby if I wasn’t so busy saving your ass I’d have been videoing it for YouTube.”

  “Asshole!” I growled in his ear, then giggled to myself at how ridiculous I must have looked. “I love you, thanks for saving me.” I kissed his neck and squeezed him tight.

  “My pleasure, anytime the geese attack you in the city I’m your man.”

  “Yes you are.”

  Once the devil’s creatures from hell had disappeared from sight I jumped down from Joe’s back and took a deep breath to steady myself. Joe pulled me to him and planted a kiss on the top of my head.

  “You’re just too cute Ella.” He said and we walked along together my head resting on him and his arm around my waist. Now it was a perfect Sunday walk.

  We made our way along the rocky path and came to a halt at a field overgrown with wild flowers and grass. This was obviously a farmer free zone. There was a small stone wall running across it and up to the top where trees lined the horizon and a lone horse chestnut tree stood in the middle just begging for us to sit under it and take a break.

  “Come on let’s have a rest.” I said pulling Joe up the small incline towards the tree that was calling out to me.

  We sat taking a breather and staring out at the English countryside. Joe had his arm around me and I was leaning into him, my head on his shoulder.

  “I’ve really enjoyed this weekend.” He said surprised. “I thought I woul
dn’t but spending time with you like this is amazing, and your Nan is a pussy cat really.”

  I was so glad to hear him say that, it made my life a million times better.

  “She really likes you.”

  “I told you not to worry of course she likes me, what’s not to like.” He was so cocky.

  “You are the most modest man I’ve ever met…not.” I rolled my eyes in sarcasm and he just shrugged.

  “I think we need to make one more stop this weekend before we head back home.” I was going to have to broach this idea very very cautiously.

  “Home…I like that. Which ‘home’ are we talking about?” He raised his eyebrows at me and I stalled a little by bringing the conversation back round to my first idea.

  “You know there’s someone else down here that I really should go and visit, just to say hi and try to make amends for some ‘incidents’ that have happened recently.”

  That took his mind of the home situation straight away.

  “Over my dead body are you going to see him.” He snapped.

  “You can’t tell me what to do Joe. If I want to see an old friend I will.” He needed putting in his place, I wasn’t a push over and he needed reminding.

  “I can and I will. You’re not seeing him. I don’t want you anywhere near him.” His face was full of vitriol.

  “You’d be there too, what’s the big deal? It’s not like I’m going to jump into bed with him!” Oh dear, I think I took it a step too far as he stood up and started to stomp off back down the hill, an air of hostility circling around him.

  “Joe, it wouldn’t hurt to apologise. He’s a good guy, he didn’t deserve to be treated the way he was that night. I just want to say sorry and let him know I’m happy for him. He’s moved on. He’s got a girlfriend for Christs sake, it’s not like he’s still pining after me.” Joe wasn’t buying it.

  “He’ll always be pining after you. You’re not going.”

  “Oh yes I am!” I said speed walking to catch him up, “and you’re coming with me.”

  I laced my arm through his as he huffed like a petulant child and clenched his jaw.

  “You’ll feel so much better for doing it. Plus I’ll do anything you want tonight if you say yes…” I bit my lip and gave him my best puppy dog eyes.

  “Fine.” He snapped snarkily, “but don’t expect me to be civil to him. I’ll go but I’m not apologising for shit.”

  “I can accept that. As long as you aren’t horrible, and don’t provoke him.”

  He grunted in disdain but I smiled and did another inner river dance. I’d won a little victory and that was important where Joe was concerned, he didn’t relent to anybody ever. Well he did now.

  Once we got back to Nan’s we enjoyed some more of her home cooked food and witty banter, then got ready to leave.

  “I’ve loved having you down here for the weekend Ella.” Nan said squeezing me tight.

  She turned to Joe and then launched herself at him giving him an equally big hug.

  “Take care of my girl, she means a lot to me.” She said and Joe smiled.

  “She means a lot to me too. I’ll take care of our girl don’t you worry.”

  These two made my heart melt, I loved them both to pieces and I was so blessed that they got on so well.

  “Wait I need a photograph.” Nan started hopping about looking for her new mobile phone, then proceeded to take a picture of Joe, not me, just Joe.

  “Why are you taking my picture? Are you going to use it for a mug shot?” Joe laughed.

  “No, I’m going to show all my friends at the village hall how hot my new Grandson in law is when I see them tonight. They’ll be so jealous when I tell them all about our Joe.”

  “Nan, you are crazy.” I shook my head at her and laughed.

  “I know. I like being crazy.” She grinned and I agreed with her.

  We said our goodbyes and drove off leaving Nan grinning down at her phone in the bumpy driveway. Lost in her own world and admiring the picture of ‘her Joe’.

  33

  “I hope you haven’t forgotten we need to take a quick detour before we get onto the motorway.” I looked sideways at Joe as he clenched that jaw of his again.

  “Well I was hoping you’d forgotten but I suppose you’d better tell me where to go so we can get this over with. I don’t want to be late back. I have a lot of plans for you tonight in pay back for this.”

  “I expect nothing less.” I giggled removing my shoes, swivelling to the side in my chair and putting my feet on Joe’s lap as he drove.

  He smiled a smug smile and started to rub my now aching feet, it felt like heaven and I couldn’t keep in the long groan that escaped me.

  “Make that noise again and I’m pulling over to take pay back now.” He glared at me, his nostrils flared and his eyes showing he was ready to pounce.

  “Sorry, couldn’t help it.” I tried to look remorseful but just looked lustful, so he growled.

  “Easy tiger, it’s the next right up ahead. Number 32.”

  “Great. This guy always gets in the way of my fun.” He snapped again.

  I could sense the air of hostility swirling again as we parked up in front of Simon’s drive way. His house was neat with a perfect lawn, well-tended pot plants and a clean paved driveway. Just what you would expect from someone like Simon. It was clinically perfect but more like a show home than a real home.

  I held Joe’s hand for support as we walked up the drive and he linked his fingers through mine. I took a deep breath as I rang the highly polished doorbell and Joe grunted his disagreement at what we were doing one last time. Then the door swung open and there stood Simon, dressed in blue jeans and a casual navy blue sweater. His facial expression was one of absolute shock at seeing us both here.

  “Ella. I knew you were here visiting you’re Nan but I wasn’t expecting to see you.” He kept his eyes locked on me, his body language giving his obvious tension away. “I hope you don’t think I was rude for not coming over, I didn’t think it would be wise for me to intrude under the circumstances.” He lifted his eyes to Joe now and seemed hesitant.

  “Simon, I wanted to come over to see you before we head home just to say how sorry I am about everything. I hope we can still be friends?” I shrugged looking hopefully up at him. Joe squeezed my hand, I don’t think he liked the friend comment.

  “Of course, Ella. I’ll always be here for you, you know that.” I heard Joe take a deep intake of breath.

  “I’d like you two to be friends too…or at least not the enemies you seem to be at the moment.” I tiptoed into that one and looked cautiously up at Joe then across to Simon.

  Joe was glaring at Simon now, but Simon gave a shy smile and put his hand out.

  “Any friend of Ella’s is a friend of mine.” He said by way of a truce.

  “I’m her fiancé actually, not a friend.” Joe didn’t move a muscle but that jaw of his was clenched and the veins in his neck were pulsing like mad.

  “Yes and we’d love you to come to the wedding Simon, if you can make it. Bring your girlfriend too, Rebecca is it?”

  I congratulated myself at thinking up that quick save right there.

  “We would?” Joe turned to me with his eye brows raised questioningly.

  “Yes we would.” I snapped.

  Simon held his hand out a little further for Joe to shake. There really was no end to his forgiveness.

  “Fine, no hard feelings then.” Joe grunted shaking Simons hand a little too hard and making Simon wince and rub his palm once he’d got it back.

  “Would you like to come in for a cuppa before you head back? Rebecca is here, she’d love to meet you both.” Simon chirped happily.

  “Oh no, that’s lovely of you to ask but we need to get off, you know, avoid the Sunday evening traffic.” I wanted to leave on a high and this was about as high as it was going to get with Joe and Simon being within 5 metres of each other. I was impressed Joe had behaved himself so well.
r />   “Next time maybe. Well lovely to see you both and safe journey home.”

  I let Joe’s hand go and gave Simon a hug. He hugged me back then looked down at the ground nervously as he stepped back, obviously scared about Joe’s reaction to his show of affection for me. I grabbed Joe’s hand again and planted a big kiss on his cheek as he stared at me in shock.

  “Come on you, the earlier we get home the more fun we can have tonight.” I wiggled my eyebrows giving Joe the upper hand over Simon as we left. I knew from his face and body language he needed that. I squeezed his butt as we walked away knowing Simon would see. Joe laughed and said, “Thanks for that.”

  “For what?” I asked.

  “For not making me feel like a total loser and giving him an image he won’t forget in a hurry that keeps him well away from you. I like him knowing you’re mine.” He grinned slapping my ass as I jumped up into his car.

  “I meant it though. Drive quickly and no stopping, I want a whole evening of you and I’m not sharing you with anyone else tonight.” I purred.

  “Me neither. I’ve spent most of today thinking of different ways to make you come Ella, and believe me I’m gonna try every single one out tonight so get ready.”

  I groaned seductively and wished there was such a thing as teleportation. I was so ready for what he was going to dish out.

  34

  Life was going pretty good right now. I spent most nights at Joe’s making up for lost time and making the most of him. Friday’s I still made time for Robyn and Chris, but more often than not Ed and then Joe would end up meeting us at whatever bar or club we were at towards the end of the night. Robyn had started seeing a guy she’d met at her coffee shop. She told me he came in two to three times a day to order coffee or various other cakes and pastries. I told her coffee was the last thing on his mind, but she didn’t believe me until the day he turned up with a bunch of flowers and an invitation to dinner.

  Mike wasn’t Robyn’s usual type, he didn’t have bulging biceps and tattoos on every available bit of skin he had, but he was handsome, smart, well dressed and most of all he had a wicked sense of humour. They clicked right away and I was so pleased she’d found someone to fill her nights with now that Chris and I were otherwise engaged most of the time.