An Untimely Romance: A Time Travel Romance (8 page)

The tall man in a
navy-blue uniform tutted at her suggestion.

“Kids probably messing
around, get it all the time. Parents just can’t control them and they run
amok.” Shaking his head, he continued, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out for
him.”

Heather sat down,
watching as he opened the door of the carriage to leave.

“Thanks, mate,” Ruben
said, taking advantage of the man’s hospitality and barging through the
doorway, with Beth close behind.

“Cheers,” she said,
smiling.

“Enjoy the rest of your
trip with us. I’ll make sure you have no more trouble for the remainder of the
journey,” he said, leaving them to it.

“Trouble?” Ruben
enquired, sitting down and handing Heather a steaming hot cup of soup.

“Just kids messing
around, I guess,” she said, taking a sip.

“Tomato’s okay, isn’t
it?” Ruben asked.

Heather smiled. He’d
obviously remembered the tomato and basil the evening before and thought it
would be a safe bet.

“Have bread rolls in
the bag if ya like?”

Heather reached for the
Snowdon-themed plastic bag, on which was a picture of the train and a website
address printed cleverly on the front.
They don’t miss a trick
, she
thought. Business-minded herself, she thought of Freesdon Manor’s little gift
shop, and wondered if they could do something similar with their souvenir bags.

“And you’ve got
eclairs! Ruben, you shouldn’t have,” Heather joked, her mouth watering as she
took the plastic casing from the bag and placed it beside her for later.

“What have you got,
Beth?”

Brown baguette in hand,
Beth opened her bag and pulled out an identical miniature of the little stream
train they were in, its green outer casing shining up at her. “For the bab,”
she said with her mouth full. Swallowing, she continued. “T-shirts for the
others...”

“That’s nice,” Heather
replied, though she knew she wouldn’t have been happy at fifteen in a bright
pink T-shirt with a beaming train caricature on the front.

Heather could feel the
vibrations from the seat as the train began to move again, screeching and
chuffing as steam billowed high into the air. Turning for one last look out of
the window, since it wasn’t an everyday occurrence for her to be sitting on a
mountainside, she saw the mist thickening and masking the glorious views, but
the memories would stay with her forever.

Without anything much
to hold her attention now, she was about to turn away when she caught sight of
something, or someone.
The boy
, she gasped inwardly. His insipid form
stood looking lost in the white mist, his face covered in tears and his arms
outstretched.

“They need to stop the
train!” Heather shouted, jumping up and nearly spilling her soup in the
process.

“Stop the train? Why?”
Ruben asked.

“The boy, the boy,
they’re going to leave him behind.” Her voice was erratic, and she could feel
her heart racing.

“There’s no one there,
Heather,” Beth piped up, looking out of the window. It was an atmospheric maze
out there, with little to no visibility. “And anyway, we couldn’t leave, not
until everyone had boarded and been checked in, so you must have been mistaken.
We saw a couple of trains come in not long after ours, so my guess is, whoever
he is, he must be off one of those.”

Calming herself
slightly, Heather sat back down.
Makes sense
, she thought. That must be
why he had rushed off so quickly. Feeling a little happier about the situation,
she tucked into her chocolate eclair.

~•••~

The day had flown by.
It’s never six
o’clock already
, Heather thought. What had been hours felt like only a
matter of minutes. She was now sitting comfortably on the settee next to Frank.
The tree house was everything she could have possibly hoped for, and more.

“I would have liked
very much to have been included this afternoon,” Frank complained, his face
drawn, his eyes dull and unhappy.

“Nah, mate, you were
spark out,” said Ruben, “Thought it’d be a shame to wake ya.” Though Ruben’s
eyes and words spoke a very different language.

“Best unpack I suppose,
or it’ll never get done,” Beth said to Heather, getting up. “And you two can
make yourself useful putting the rest of the shopping away.”

“Frank, have you moved
our cases?” Heather asked, looking around. She was sure she had left them by
the door.

“But of course,” Frank
said. He didn’t elaborate further, and simply got up and went to do as he’d
been asked.

Heather and Beth
entered the nearest door, leading to the first of two bedrooms, the larger of
which had a double bed and was fitted with built-in wardrobes, the beauty being
an open glass skylight directly above the bed.
How romantic
, Heather
thought.
Or maybe not
, she wondered when she noticed hers and Beth’s
case either side.

“Looks like we’re
roommates then!” Beth laughed, lifting her small weekend case onto the
right-hand side of the bed.

“Yeah, certainly looks
that way.” Heather smirked. “I think I’ll leave mine for later,” she said,
pushing her case under the bed, remembering the ‘something sexy’ Ruben had
asked her to bring.
Not something for Beth’s eyes
, she thought.

“What are you pair wittering
on about?” Ruben said as he entered with two ceramic mugs filled to the brim
with tea. “Are you serious?” His face dropped. “You’re telling me I’ve come all
this way to share a bedroom with bloody Frank? They’re bunks too!”

“Looks a bit that way,
don’t it?” Beth replied, hanging a pair of jeans on a wire coat hanger, and
opening another door with a couple of towels draped over her arm.

“That’s nice; least
we’ve got our own en suite.”

“Not exactly, Heather,”
Ruben added, resting his arms on her shoulders. “If you look, there’s a door
the other side, and that’s to our room,” he said, half smiling.

“Better known as a Jack
and Jill en suite,” Beth informed them.

It was quite a good
size, with its own corner bath and two ceramic sinks with cupboards beneath,
providing plenty of storage space.

“Yeah, sumat like
that,” he answered nonchalantly, gazing over at Beth, who was sipping her tea.
Lowering his voice, he said, “Is there anywhere you could think of to take
Frank for a couple of hours?”

“Say no more, just
leave it to me,” she said, walking back into the main living area and picking
up her car keys. “Frank, I’m taking you out,” she insisted, slipping on her
boots.

“But I’m quite
comfortable,” he replied, slouched on the settee.

“Now!” she demanded, her
voice authoritative. 

Frank looked up, almost
in horror, obviously taken aback by the crisp edge to her voice.

“Will Ruben and Heather
be accompanying us on this venture?”

“Frank, I’m not asking,
I’m telling you. And no, they won’t,” was her reply.

Heather was quite
amused that Beth was talking to Frank as she could imagine her talking to one
of her children. She watched him get up, a look of utter disdain on his face,
and follow her through the patio door.

“Finally alone,” Ruben
sighed. Heather could almost have evaporated against his manly form. “Now we’re
talking, girl.”

Alone at Last

I
t was early evening, the sun lowering but still warm, especially in
the tree house. The wooden structure seemed to hold its heat well. Ruben had just
nipped down to the car for a sec and Heather sauntered onto the veranda.
Breathing deeply, she picked up the woody scents of the forest dancing on the
summer breeze, lifting fronds of hair from around her face. Pushing it back
with her fingers, she sat on one of the small, galvanised chairs and looked
down admiringly at Ruben as he walked back. She noticed he was on the phone. At
the moment her emotions were all over the place, but she felt a warmth inside,
a glow, and she was almost consumed by this inner feeling. But in the same
breath, she was so scared of the unknown, frightened of the next step. She’d
never wanted anything as much as she wanted Ruben right now; the ambiance in
which she found herself felt perfect. Would she still wait for her special
birthday? She really wasn’t sure.

“Checking up on Frank?”
Heather enquired as Ruben appeared at the top of the staircase.

“You joking ain’t ya?
Out of sight, out of mind. Rang me old dear first, then ordered us a takeaway.
Hope you like Chinese.”

“Bet that’ll cost ya?”

“What, a takeaway?”
Ruben said, puzzled.

“No, the phone call,
silly. Didn’t you say your parents were in the States?”

“No, just my father, on
business. Mum couldn’t go. Told her all about us, mind. Said she’s looking
forward to meeting you, so we’ll have to arrange sumat when we get back.”

“That’ll be nice.
Talking about home, I rang not long after we arrived,” Heather said. “I was
quite surprised actually. Dad hasn’t got an ounce of romance in his body
normally, but he’s taking Mum away for the night. It’s their silver wedding
anniversary the day we get back.”

“So we’ll have the
manor to ourselves then?” Ruben jumped in. “And that’s the night Frank’s
official chaperone duties end.” His eyes narrowed triumphantly.

Pulling a chair close,
he sat down beside her.

“You kept it on then,”
he said, moving his hand towards her neck and playing with the chain
between his fingers.

“Always,” she said,
kissing his lips.

He lifted her on to his
lap and she snuggled into his arms, leaning her head back into his chest. They
sat cheek to cheek, watching the vivid red and gold colours of the sun
intermingling before disappearing slowly behind the trees.

“You’re so beautiful,
probably the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” Ruben’s voice was soft against
her ear. “I’m so lucky to have ya, you know.”

Turning his head, he
began kissing her neck tenderly.

“I love you, Ruben,”
she muttered into his ear, unable to hold the words back any longer. She
waited, anticipating his reply, longing for the same three words to pass his
lips.

As he lifted his head,
their noses touched briefly.

“Heather, I...” Ruben
paused. “Uh, Chinese is here.” He’d seen a run-down van rattle its way into the
parking area. “I’ll be right back,” he said, excusing himself awkwardly.

She’d never seen Ruben
move away so quickly. Was it something she’d said? Those three words he’d
thrown out many times in text messages, so what was the problem now? But on
reflection, the answer was simple; he’d never actually said it in an intimate
moment face-to-face. Feeling deflated, unwanted almost, Heather made her way to
the kitchen area and grabbed a few plates, knives and forks, before placing
them on the dining table. She froze as she heard Ruben’s voice from behind.

“What do ya fancy?” he
asked. “Got a bit of everything.”

Between them they
dished up a mixture of Chinese food from the disposable trays and sat down to
tuck in. There was an unpleasant silence for a good ten minutes as Heather
pondered over where to take the conversation.

“I’m glad Beth’s come
ya know,” she said, breaking the atmosphere with a topic she thought neutral to
their relationship.

“Yeah, Beth’s lovely,
isn’t she?” Ruben answered. He didn’t seem able to look up, his eyes focusing
on his food. 

Curious, Heather asked,
“Did anything ever happen between you two?”

“Well, erm, suppose you
could say that,” he said, his eyes slowly lifting to meet hers. “You may as
well know. Beth told me to tell you, but I didn’t see the point myself. Now
you’ve asked, yes, we were a couple once. Actually, we lived together. I’d say
we were on and off for a good five years.”

The shock on her face
couldn’t be hidden.

“Oh,” she gasped, her
thoughts turning instantly to Beth’s youngest child. It perhaps made sense now
why they went round at Christmas. “Is ... er...” She paused, creating an even more
uncomfortable silence.

Ruben’s face hardened,
as if he knew exactly what she was about to say.

“No, before you ask. Do
you not think I would have told you?”

“Why did you split up
after so long?” Breaking from his glare, she looked down at her plate and
picked up a hot spring roll.

The hunger she had felt
earlier had now been replaced by a dull ache, almost as if her heart was
breaking inside her chest.

“Do you really need to
know all of this? The past is the past for a reason.” Ruben sighed, looking
disillusioned. “If you must know everything...” Heather’s demeanour spelt it out
that she did. “She cheated on me, okay? I was gutted, but I got over it and
moved on... You’re my future now, Heather.”

Leaning forward over the
table, he held her hand in his and lifted her chin before once again looking
deeply into her eyes.

“I want to be with you.
Beth’s just a friend now. We will always be close, that’ll never change, and
this is something you need to accept if your gunna be with me.” 

Tears distorted her
vision as her eyes welled up.

“Okay, Ruben,” she
sniffled sheepishly.

“Come here,” he said,
standing and pulling Heather to her feet. “I can show you how much I want you,
if ya like?”

“Not tonight,” she
said.

All of this was just
too much to take in. Pictures of Ruben and Beth together were like daggers
entering her head as her imagination ran away with her, and she felt an
all-consuming raw emotion.

“Think I’m going to
have an early night. I’m really tired all of a sudden.”

It took all her
strength for her to maintain her composure. Leaving her food, and without
another word, she walked to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She
undressed, put on a set of silky blue pyjamas and lay awake for hours, watching
the changing sky with its variant shades of blue darkening into an empty black
void, interrupted only by the silvery brilliance of the stars.

She heard a slight
creaking noise. Was that the door? The noise grew louder.
Beth
, she
thought. She couldn’t bear to face her, not tonight. She closed her eyes,
pretending to be asleep.

“Are you awake?” It was
Ruben’s voice.

She turned towards him
as he made his way through the darkness, sat on the bed and climbed under the
covers to join her. They lay staring into space, the silence becoming quite the
norm, but she couldn’t bear it any longer, and an overriding jealousy together
with a deepening lust overcame her. She pulled Ruben’s body towards her and
kissed him passionately on the lips, running her nails roughly up his back and
across his shoulder blades. His response was instant. Removing his T-shirt, he
covered her body with his, a perfect silhouette outlined by the stars.

“I want you, Ruben, I
want you now,” she cried.

She could feel his
hands as they ventured underneath her top, caressing the warm skin of her
stomach before wandering down her sides and gently slipping off her pyjama
bottoms. 

“Oh, Beth...” he moaned.

Heather’s body
stiffened and she pushed him away.

“I’m sorry,” he
apologised. “But it’s your fault, you know, all this talk of Beth earlier.” He
stopped, giving Heather a chance to reply. When she didn’t, he continued.
“Can’t you see it’s you I want? Believe me.”

He placed his arms
around her to comfort her and show her he was sincere, but Heather’s body was
still tense and, quivering, she forced back the tears. Having no idea what to
say, she felt like she could hardly breathe.

“Just leave me ... leave
me alone,” she cried, pulling away.

But Ruben’s grip
tightened, leaving red indentations on her skin as he shook her angrily.

“Bloody hell! Grow up,
girl. It’s not like I’ve cheated on you or anything. Put things in
perspective,” he snapped, holding her inches from his face.

She shook herself free
and threw herself into the pillow, where she lay sobbing, hurt and angry. For
quite a while they lay side by side, not touching, gazing at the mass of stars
through the skylight. Heather traced the constellations in her mind; a rare
kind of beauty her eyes couldn’t help but follow. Then a touch, his fingers
linking with hers, and all the bad feelings melted away. There was really
nowhere else either of them wanted to be, and nothing more needed to be said.

For Heather sleep
didn’t come easily that night. She couldn’t turn over or get comfortable due to
Ruben’s arm weighing down heavily on her chest. She must have lain awake most
of the night, until she saw the iridescent glow of the sun rising. Distracted,
she heard voices and laughter.
Frank must have left his inner monologue
behind
, she thought. Perhaps the interruption lulled her to sleep.

~•••~

Woken by her phone, she felt strange, and
anything but happy. Perhaps she just needed time on her own, a place to think
without interruption. She moved Ruben’s arm very slowly, and with a deep
open-mouthed sigh and throaty snore, he rolled over. Heather managed to slip
from the bed, leaving him still very much asleep. The wooden floorboards
creaked slightly as she made her way to the en suite. It was more like a steam
room as she opened the door, and she saw Beth lying lost in a bath full of
foaming bubbles.

“Sorry,” an embarrassed
Heather said, turning to walk out.

“Don’t be daft, come
in.”

Heather couldn’t help
but wonder if the unlocked door hadn’t been meant for Ruben.

“You’re okay. Shout me
when you’ve finished,” Heather insisted, excusing herself.

“There’s something you
should know,” Beth said, standing and wrapping herself in a cotton towel.
“Ruben text me last night, told me everything... Well, at least we have no
secrets now.”

Heather lowered the
toilet seat and sat down, waiting to hear what Beth had to say for herself. But
her questions couldn’t wait.

“Why did you agree to
come, Beth? You lived together for God’s sake! Is it just an excuse to spend
time with Ruben? You want him back, don’t you? Yeah, course you do.” Heather’s
eyes narrowed and she felt them stinging with tears, which she quickly wiped
away.

“You’re so wrong,” Beth
laughed, lowering herself onto the side of the bath to be face-to-face with
Heather. Her damp skin shimmered as she pushed her wet hair behind her ears.
“It’s not like that at all.” She reached for Heather’s hands reassuringly.
“You’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about. We are just friends. I think
you’re good for Ruben, what he needs. You’re jumping to all the wrong
conclusions, and ruining something good before it has time to start.”

~•••~

Heather sat down for breakfast, her
earlier conversation with Beth playing on her mind. She watched as a
semi-dressed Ruben walked from the bedroom, his top draped around his
shoulders.

“Morning,” he yawned,
sneaking up behind Beth who was busy cooking breakfast and pinching a small
piece of bacon.

“Oi!” she scolded,
slapping his fingers, before cracking two eggs onto the hot plates heating
nicely above the wood burner. Turning to Heather, she asked, “Would you like
one with your bacon?”

“Can do,” Heather
replied, suddenly losing her appetite as she watched the interaction and body
language between the two. They made so little effort, yet seemed so at ease in
one another’s company.

The door to the second
bedroom was slightly ajar, and Ruben peered inside before opening it wider for
a better view.

“Bloody hell, Beth,
where did you go last night?” he asked, looking at a semi-conscious Frank lying
in the bottom bunk. “He looks bloody awful.”

Laughing to herself,
Beth replied, “Took a drive out, found a few night clubs on the way, ended up
in Artemis. The music was great; he was dancing on the bar by the end of the
night.”

“How much did he have
to drink?” Heather enquired, leaning back on her chair and noticing a bucket on
the floor beside the bed.

“He had exactly the
same as me,” Beth said, looking under her eyes at Ruben.

“I know what
that
means,” he laughed. “Up to your old tricks?”

“What?” Heather asked.
Another little joke they had between them
, she thought to herself.

“Well, for every Red
Bull I ordered for myself, I ordered our little friend the same with a double
vodka... Don’t forget, I was driving,” Beth said innocently, twizzling the ends
of her hair between her fingers. “I feel great, bit tired mind, but nothing a
strong cuppa won’t put right.”

“Well, he’s absolutely
smashed,” Ruben laughed, clapping his hands. “Beth, you’re a legend. Would have
paid to see you get him up those stairs.”

Imitating her actions,
Beth replied, “Just stood behind him, shoved and hoped for the best.”

“Oi, Frank, fancy a
bacon sarni? Or runny eggs, or both, mate?” Ruben said, taking great pleasure
in rubbing it in.

Only a half-hearted
groan came back.

“Don’t be nasty,” Beth
responded, poker-faced but laughter lines not far away.