Our Chance (14 page)

“When did he leave?”

“Friday.”

“Why didn’t you mention it when I spoke to you?”

“You were going away, I didn’t want to spoil your weekend.”

I would’ve fainted if I wasn’t sitting down. Not once in my life had she ever not bitched Dad out because she thought it would taint anything in my life. They both usually let rip without a care in the world, not giving a shit what it did to me to hear them say such horrible things about the other.

“Oh,” I replied. This was new territory and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. Did I thank her? Tell her not to be silly? “Have you spoken to him since?”

“I tried calling this morning but he cut me off. I just don’t know what he’s thinking but I know I’ve had enough.”

Right, it wasn’t like I’d heard that a thousand times before.

“Enough of your dad’s drama though, tell me about Scotland. Did Chloe and Logan like the castle? Bit fancy, hey?”

I was ready to change the subject too, it was giving me a headache. “They loved it. The room they’ll get married in isn’t that fancy really. It’s gorgeous and they’re happy.”

“Well, that’s all that matters in the end. All I got was a rush wedding in a register office.”

Smiling tightly, I nodded. Surely the where didn’t matter? And she fucking said yes! “Yeah, I’m looking forward to their big day.”

“What about that boy you went with. Damon?”

“What about him?”

“Are we going to get to meet him soon?”

Absolutely no way.
I clamped my mouth closed so I wouldn’t laugh in her face. My family was definition of dysfunctional and I didn’t want anyone to see that. Pigs would fly and hell would freeze over before I brought him back to meet my parents.

“Probably not, Mum, we’re not together.”

“I don’t see why not.”

If she looked in the mirror she would understand.

Shrugging, I shifted my legs and reach over for the bag I’d brought with me. “I’m young still. I have plenty of time to settle down. Here, this is for you.”

She took the bag with a smile on her face. “You didn’t have to get me anything. All I want is you home safe and sound.”

“One of them is for Dad but you can choose which one you want.”

She tipped the magnets onto her hand and laughed. How she was genuinely pleased with a shitty fridge magnet I had no idea. “Thank you, hunny, I’ll take the man in the kilt.” I thought she might, it was blowing up with the wind. You couldn’t see anything decent though.

“You’re welcome. Hey, do you want me to go? You look tired.”

She put the magnet down on the cushion in front of her. When she looked down the dark circles under her eyes became more prominent. “No, of course not. I’m alright, just haven’t had much sleep over the last two nights.”

“Are you sure, Mum? I’m worried about you. What are you going to do about Dad?”

“Oh, I don’t know.”

I did, so I wasn’t sure why I even asked the question.

Mum made me dinner and brightened up a little when we got into the kitchen. I started to see a little of how she was without Dad. That version of her wasn’t perfect either, but when she wasn’t slagging him off she was a million times better than when they were together.

I left early evening and went home, waiting for the inevitable text to say Dad was home and all was well. By the time I pulled into my drive I had a message. Only it wasn’t from Mum and it was one that put a smile on my face. Damon:
I’m randy as fuck, talk dirty to me.

Bugger off I’m busy
, I replied with a huge grin on my face.

The following day, after a full day at work I was ready to collapse. Since the weekend when everything was as close to perfect as I was ever going to get, being bossed around by a jumped up prick and his pervert son, sent me spiralling into one of the worst moods.

But I’d made it through the day and kicked my shoes off as I walked towards my bedroom, discarding clothes along the way. I got halfway there and was in my skirt and spaghetti-strap base layer top when the doorbell went.

Of course I knew who it was. We had plans to meet up tonight but I thought it’d be later when I had a chance to change and neck a glass of something.

I’d missed him like crazy so I raced to the door, even though his timing was shit.

“You cannot be here right now!” I said, swinging the door open and holding him outside with a palm to the centre of his chest.

He gripped my wrist. “Why not?”

“Because you’ve given me no time at all. I’ve just got in and haven’t even showered.”

That was absolutely the wrong thing to say. His eyes lit on fire. “I can help you with that.”

“Damon…”

“It’s the perfect solution to both our problems.”

I glared. “How?”

“You’ll get washed and I’ll get inside you,” he said and released my wrist, trailing his hand down my stomach. “It’s been ages.”

“It’s been twenty-four hours.”

“Exactly. Ages.”

He stepped forwards, over the threshold and because I refused to move, his body pressed against mine. We were chest to chest, both breathing a touch heavier because of the contact. My heart thumped against my chest and my lips parted.

I wanted him to kiss me. I ached for his touch.

“So, are you going to let me in?” He asked.

“Looks like you’re already in to me.”

He arched his eyebrow. “You’d know it if I was in.”

I gulped. Yes I would.

“Damon,” I whispered emotionally and closed my eyes. “Please just take me.”

With my eyes shut all I could do was smell his aftershave and hear the sound of his breath. It did things to me that were so intense I thought my heart was going to implode.

After an agonising minute, I looked up. His eyes turned fierce as he watched me for a few seconds. Then he scooped me up in his arms, carried me to my room and did everything I asked. For a while I was whole again.

Nell

I sat on my sofa under a blanket watching in amusement as Chloe paced back and forth across my small living room. She was panicking. The wedding that they were so excited about, and she’d talked about constantly, was in less than two months.

“You’re going to wear a hole in my carpet,” I said, laughing as she stopped on the spot and glared.

“Chlo, you’ll be fine. You have a venue and have contacted someone to marry you. Nothing else matters, not really.”

She pouted. “I know but…”

“But you want to be a princess for a day?”

“Yeah.” Sighing, she sat down. “Does that make me a bad person?”

I shook my head. “Of course not. This is yours and Logan’s day and you can have what you like. As long as I get free wine I’m cool.”

Laughing, she threw a cushion at me and flopped back. “I’m spending fifteen thousand pounds of Logan’s savings, Nell. It’s his inheritance and I’m terrified he won’t like it.” A few months ago Logan’s great uncle died and because he had no children he left the money to Logan’s mum and her children.

I snorted. “You’re an idiot. He won’t care about the little details.”

“Exactly! So I should just have a register office ceremony and go back to the local.”

“You don’t want that and Logan won’t be happy that you’re not happy.”

“So I just spend all of his money? It took him years to save for a place and now he’s inherited some money, he could do something he really wants.”

I held my hand up. “Let me stop you right there, you tit. I don’t think there’s anything he wants more than for you to be his wife. Plus you’re getting married so technically it’s your money too. Stop feeling bad. Logan wouldn’t have told you to spend more than what he’s comfortable to spend. Now I will slap your skinny arse if I have to or can we move past this and get the rest of your day planned?”

She leant forwards, taking her glass of white from the table. “You’re the best, Nell.”

“Yes. So…what are you feeding us? Not something posh and tiny. Please!”

“Logan wants fish and chips.”

“Sounds good.”

“It does. But you should’ve seen the wedding planner’s face when he asked if they could do that instead of something from the menu. Good thing he was wearing that fitted, black t-shirt.” She bit her lip, her mind diving into the gutter.

In all fairness Logan was gorgeous.

She grabbed her full folder from the coffee table. “Before we get sucked into this shall we talk about why you’ve been quiet the last few days?”

“I thought you liked it when I’m quiet?”

“My head does but it worries me. Is something wrong?”

I ran my finger up and down the stem of the wine glass. There was something wrong but I didn’t want to talk about it. Chloe knew that my parents argued and broke up a lot but I was trying to keep my mind off their relationship issues.

“Nell,” she said much more sternly. “We talk about my problems often so bloody tell me what’s going on!”

“We talk about my stuff too.”

“No, we talk about what you want to do to your flat, how you wish you had a spare room, that your boss is an arsehole, you want to start your career, and that you have mind-blowing sex with Damon but we don’t talk about anything
real
.” She dropped the folder back on the coffee table.

Shit, she’s getting serious now.

“Talk to me about what you’re feeling and maybe I can help.”

No one could help. The only ones that had the power to stop me feeling like a terrified child were my parents and they didn’t care when I was a kid so why would they give a flying fuck now?

“Nell!”

“Fine! Jesus, you’re annoying when you’re determined.”

“I could say the same about you,” she shot back. “Spill.”

Tucking my legs underneath me, I pulled the blanket higher. “It’s my parents. They were back on but Dad left after an argument.”

“Well, that’s not unusual, right?”

“No.” But she didn’t know the whole story so she wouldn’t get why I was so distracted with it. I shook my head. “Yeah, you’re right. I shouldn’t let their petty dramas get to me but they’re my parents, you know, and I just want them to be happy.”

“Their happiness is down to them. I’d like to see you worry less about people almost twice your age and focus on what makes you happy.”

She may as well have said ‘focus on Damon’ because that was exactly what she meant. He did make me happy, ridiculously so, but I loved being free and the sex was out of this world. What was there not to be happy about?

I nodded once. “Sounds like a good plan to me.” And it was one I had been trying to put into action since I was sixteen. Life just wasn’t that clear-cut.

“How
are
things going with Damon?”

“Good. I’m seeing him tomorrow after work. I hope he has a weekend of bedroom antics–”

Chloe held her hands up. “Alright! I don’t need to know the details.”

“Why not? I wanted to know all of the details between you and Jace and now you and Logan. You still haven’t told me who’s bigger or better in bed.” I almost finished speaking without laughing. Chloe’s death stare was actually pretty good.

“We will
never
be talking about that.”

“Sodding prude,” I muttered. “Anyway, enough about me and the size of you men’s dicks, let’s do this wedding thing.”

“Sounds good but they are not
my
men. Me and Jace have been over for a long time.”

“I know. You don’t have to say that. So, what’re we planning tonight?”

She grinned. “We’re researching local florists and DJs.”

There was a reason I hadn’t chosen a wedding planning career like Chlo. For the next
three
hours I was bored to tears but happy to help my bestie.

After we’d narrowed it down to three based on reviews and a bit of internet stalking, Chloe left to go cuddle with her fiancé and I was alone. Being alone when you were stressing and worrying about something was the worst. I tried to put everything to the back of my mind but I’d never been too successful at that.

A huge part of me wanted to just pack my bags and leave so I wouldn’t have to deal with it again. Running was easier. I’d been running my whole life but now I wanted to physically do it too. Watching them do the same shit time and time again was emotionally exhausting.