We both laughed at the sight of him. 'Thanks, Howard,' Matt chuckled.
'Alright, Eve?' he asked, as I stood up to accept his hug.
'I'm fine, thanks. Just a little fed up of Matt having all these accidents. First the bicycle and then this,' I smiled, sitting back down.
'Bicycle?' Howard asked, looking a little confused.
'Yes,' Matt interrupted quickly. 'Remember when I crashed the bike in the storm and stayed overnight at yours?'
Howard looked a little taken aback before he looked at me and then back at Matt.
'Storm, oh yes, of course.' He chuckled. 'I'd clear gone and forgotten all about that. Yes, yes, the accident. The storm.'
I watched them both and shook my head. Blokes were so weird sometimes.
'Right, I'll leave you to it. You two have probably got work to discuss, anyway. Hopefully Matt won't need too much time off.' I chuckled. 'Shall I come back later, darling?'
'No, no need, Eve. Just come and pick me up in the morning. I'll probably just sleep the rest of the day, anyway. Won't be particularly good company.'
'Alright, if you're sure?'
'I'm sure,' he said, as I squeezed his good hand and kissed him on the forehead. I picked up my handbag and headed out the door.
'So how are you feeling, blue balls?' Howard joked as I walked out and shook my head, chuckling.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Matt's new nickname was Buster Gonad. I couldn't help it. When I first saw him naked after the accident, his balls were massive due to the swelling. Not only that, but they were black and blue. It was a little worrying, but just before we left the hospital a few days before, Dr. Johnson had assured us both that it was nothing to worry about.
Naturally though, Matt was worried sick. 'What if I can't get it up any more?' he kept asking. 'Then what will I do? Life won't be worth living if I can't get it up,' he cried.
I was really mean and just laughed. If the doctor said it was nothing to worry about then there was nothing to worry about. But two days had passed and both mornings he had awoken without his usual erection.
'Ring the doctor if you're so worried about it,' I said when I got fed up hearing him moaning about it.
'I will, I'll just give it one more day.'
The next morning, Matt shook me awake at six o'clock with a big grin on his face.
'Check this out. Come on boyo,' he said pulling back the covers to reveal an erection to rival all erections.
'Great,' I said, rolling back over and falling back to sleep again.
When the alarm went off an hour later, I turned around to see him struggling to get dressed, ready to go back to work.
'You're going to work? Isn't it a bit too soon?' I asked.
He shook his head, 'Howard's picking me up. I can work alright, I just can't drive with this bloody thing on,' he said pointing to the neck brace.
'And that,' I said pointing to his ankle. 'And that,' I pointed to his wrist.
'Yeah, I suppose. But as long as Howard drives, I can boss people about.' He grinned. 'Can you give me a hand with my shirt?'
I climbed out of bed and helped button up the warm lumberjack shirt.
'You sure you'll be okay?' I asked, concerned.
'I'll be fine, don't worry,' he said, smiling.
'You certainly seem perkier this morning. It's amazing what a hard on can do to a man.'
He grinned and went to leave the room. 'I'll see you later then. Have a good day.'
'Yeah, you too. See you later.'
I walked into the bathroom and sat on the loo. We seemed to have stopped kissing each other in the morning, and at night. And in between.
We were living this strange life where, apart from occasional seemingly meaningless sex (missionary position only), we were more like roommates. Friends with rather boring benefits, perhaps?
I listened to him open the front door, the sound of Howard's voice drifted up from downstairs and then I heard them drive away down the street.
I flushed the loo and then climbed into the shower, where I stood letting the hot water penetrate deep into my muscles. It had been a while but I suddenly felt the need to be touched. Needless to say, Adam popped into my mind. Even after everything that had happened, he was the only one that made me feel horny. Just the thought of him when I was naked was enough to make me desperate for an orgasm. I covered myself in shower gel and gently rubbed my arms and legs, my back then my chest. My hands hovered over my breasts as I thought about the night in the pool, how close we'd been to actually doing it. I remembered how his hands had touched me all over, before his tongue came so close to licking me right where I desperately needed it to.
I slid my hands down over my belly, through the soft pubic hair until my fingers rested there. I groaned. I cupped myself for a moment before plunging my finger inside myself. My buttocks pushed forward against my hands, and I leaned forward onto the wall with one hand. It wasn't enough though. I needed more.
So I rinsed myself off and towel dried before walking into the bedroom, opening the wardrobe searching around for my special box. I pulled out my favourite vibrator. It had cost a small fortune, but boy did it work. Matt and I used to use it together all the time.
I climbed on the bed and covered myself with the duvet, shutting out the light, then I switched it on to pulse and allowed my thoughts to drift to London, the one and only time Adam and I had ever had full on sex. I say one and only time, but we'd actually done it almost all night long, so quite a few times in total. We'd done it in the shower and in the bath, on the desk in the hotel room, the floor, in front of the mirror and, eventually, in the bed.
The sensation intensified as I thought back to the evening we'd danced in the rain before heading to his house in the country. I let out a deep guttural groan as the vibrations sent my body into convulsions. I came more than once and then removed the device from my body and turned it off. Then I just lay there feeling guilty.
I should have been doing that with my husband, not with a bloody machine. I flipped back the covers and looked out of the window. It was such a grey day. Tears filled my eyes, as I thought about what was probably happening in the house next door.
Were they having early morning sex? I'd heard that pregnancy can increase all kinds of sensations during intercourse. I groaned and rolled over, trying to shake the image from my mind, but it wouldn't budge. All I could think about was Adam shoving himself deep inside her, doggie style. She'd have his fingers in her mouth while she touched herself with her own.
The thought made me feel warm down below. I hated it. Hated that such a horrible idea was still turning me on.
I screamed silently and threw the vibrator across the room. It hit the wardrobe and fell to the carpet with a thud.
I jumped off the bed and ran back towards it. Picking it up, I turned it back on and tiptoed to the window, where I knelt down so anyone looking could only see the top half of me. I couldn't care less if anyone saw me as I rubbed it against myself, my lower half gyrating against it. I didn't put it inside me this time, I just thought about Adam and rubbed it against my clitoris. As if reading my mind, their front door opened just as I started to come. He looked up at me and I just stared as I came right in front of him. My mouth opened and I groaned.
He looked shocked, gazing around and then back up at me. His face showed nothing but intense longing. I knew if he could, he would have climbed our stairs two at a time and fucked me long and hard, for the rest of the day. I stood up so he could see my naked self and stepped away from the window.
A couple of minutes later, I heard his tyres screeching as he drove away.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The swelling had gone down and the bruising was almost gone, but Matt had made no effort to have sex with me. Now we really were like roommates. Not even friends with benefits, anymore. We hadn't kissed each other for ages. He totally zoned out around me, but I'd got to the stage where I no longer cared. It suited me just fine. I was having a perfectly
pleasurable relationship with my vibrator, thank you very much.
Walking into the post office to send my mum's birthday present, I spotted Howard at the front of the queue. Smiling, I waited for him to finish and then stopped him as he went to walk out.
'Howard,' I said.
'Eve,' he replied, looking a little uneasy.
'Is everything alright?' I asked.
'Erm, Eve. I've been meaning to tell you something. I shouldn't have lied before. I hate keeping other people's sordid secrets, and Matt is in the wrong.'
'What are you talking about?' I whispered.
He pulled me out of the queue and I followed him outside.
'I'm sorry, love, but I can't do it. That time Matt told you he'd had the accident in the storm?'
I nodded. 'It wasn't true?' I asked, flabbergasted. Why on Earth would he lie to me?
Howard nodded. 'It was. He did have an accident, but he didn't stay with me that night, Eve. I'm so sorry to have to tell you. But I won't lie, not even for Matt. It's wrong. I'm sorry,' he said, dropping his eyes towards the ground.
'B...b-but where did he stay, Howard? If he wasn't with you, who was he with?'
Howard looked terribly guilty. 'I'm sorry, love, but he never told me. He wouldn't.'
'Oh, okay,' I said. 'Well, I appreciate you telling me the truth. Thank you, Howard,' I said, turning away and walking back into the post office, where I got back in the queue as if nothing had happened.
Just as I got to the front and handed the parcel over, my mobile rang. I ignored it. Whoever it was would ring back if it was important. I handled my business, sending the parcel to Portugal, before I walked out in a bit of a daze.
I walked for a while, gazing into shop windows but not really seeing anything, until I stopped in front of a baby shop. The cute outfits called out to me and I smiled.
Pushing the door open, I wandered in and started pulling out all the newborn items. I finally settled on the cutest little yellow onesie, with matching socks and hat. I bought a little green teddy as well, and then headed out to find where I'd parked the car. Where was it?
While I walked through the car park, my phone rang. I fumbled about in my handbag until I picked it up just as it rang off. There were eleven missed calls, all from Adam.
Sensing something was wrong, I called him as I climbed into my little car, carefully placing the beautifully wrapped parcel on the passenger seat.
'Adam?' I said when he picked up. He sounded breathless. 'What's wrong?'
'It's Charlie,' he muttered.
'What's happened?'
'Her waters broke, but she refused to let me take her to hospital. She insisted I call Matt to take her.'
'Matt? Why would she want Matt?'
'Eve, I'm not sure. Look, I know she doesn't want me to be there during the birth, maybe because she doesn't want me to see her like that. I don't know. Just… I just feel like you should come with me.'
'You do?' I asked, overcome with confusion.
'Please. Where are you now?'
'I'm just leaving town.'
'I'll meet you in the car park at the hospital.'
'Okay, Adam, I'll be there as quickly as I can.' I put the phone down and immediately reversed out, heading for the hospital.
'Thanks for coming,' he said as I pulled up alongside him.
'No problem. But I don't understand what's going on. She probably needs as much support as possible, right now. I'm happy to be here for her... and you,' I added as I grabbed the little parcel before locking the car doors.
'I just bought this actually,' I said, handing it to him.
He smiled warmly. 'Thank you.'
Together we walked in, asking for directions to the labour ward. When we got there, Adam asked at the reception for Charlotte Grove.
'Oh, she's actually giving birth right now. But... erm,' the nurse looked embarrassed. 'The father is already in with her.'
'No, I'm afraid not.' Adam smiled nervously. 'I'm the father. I'm Charlie's... Charlotte's husband.'
'Oh, erm... Please just give me a moment,' she said, disappearing to probably find someone in charge.
After a few minutes, a large older woman appeared. 'Hello, I understand you're looking for your wife. Can I have her name, please?' she said, looking down at her papers.
'Charlotte Grove.'
'Right, she's in room sixteen but,' she said placing her hand on Adam's arm, 'please understand that there is another man in there with her.'
'Oh, that's alright. That's my husband. We're all friends,' I said, smiling.
'Of course,' said the nurse. Please, follow me.
We both walked behind the woman until she stood in front of a cozy looking room. She pushed it open a little and peered inside.
'Oh, it seems like it was a quick labour,' she said, pushing the door open so Adam and I could walk in. But as we did, the first thing we saw was Eve with tears pouring down her face. Her face was lit up and she was smiling. Matt turned around slowly, holding the tiniest little baby. A baby that looked exactly like him, with his shade of dark red hair.
'Son of a bitch,' Adam growled as he turned away. He looked at me and shook his head before he walked quickly away.
'Matt?' I muttered. 'Matt? Charlie?'
Neither of them said a word.
I literally felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I turned, looking for the bathroom. Rushing down the corridor towards it, I only just reached the toilet when everything I'd eaten earlier came up. I retched until there was nothing left. And then I calmly washed my face and walked out of the hospital.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Everything started to make sense. I felt like such a fool. It had been right in front of me, the whole time. There I was, trying so hard not to be with the man I loved more than anyone else, while his wife was busy screwing my husband.
I laughed as I drove through the busy streets, not really taking any notice where I was going. Soon I found myself out of town and speeding down country lanes. Eventually I recognised a road I'd only been down once in my life. I switched on the indicator and turned in, driving until I came upon a large set of gates. I parked the car just as it began to rain, not that I cared.
I walked through the little pedestrian gate beside the larger one and headed up the driveway until I stood in front of the large manor house that used to belong to Adam's Nana Grove. He wasn't there, of course, but I just didn't want to go home. So I sat on the grass in front of the house. After a couple of minutes I lay down, facing up to the grey clouds that were dumping water all over me. Tears blended with the droplets of rain, and I shouted at the top of my voice, 'Fuck you! Fuck all of you!'
After about half an hour, I got to my feet and danced in the rain like some kind of crazy woman.
The sound of a car coming up the driveway scared the life out of me and I stopped abruptly, almost falling over from dizziness.
A very pretty woman, about my age, with dark curly hair climbed out and walked towards me. 'I'm guessing you're Eve,' she said.
I nodded breathlessly.
'We figured you might come here. Come on,' she said, putting her arm around my shoulders and leading me towards the main entrance. She pulled out the same set of keys that Adam had used a few months earlier, and I just stood, soaked to the bone, like a corpse. Not saying a word. Not moving a muscle. 'Eve,' she said. 'Let me get you a towel.'
Disappearing for a minute, she returned with a huge white towel which she gently placed over my shoulders. 'Come on.'
I followed her through into the large country kitchen, where she opened a cupboard and poured two glasses of wine.
'Come and sit down,' she instructed, handing me the drink. 'I'm Lisa,' she smiled.
'Lisa,' I whispered. 'Adam's ex?'
She nodded with a smile, taking a long sip of her drink.
'Why are you being so nice to me?'
'Adam is very dear to me. I will always love him – not in that way though, don't worry.'
; 'I don't understand. How did you know who I was? I was acting like some kind of insane person. You should have called the police or something. I would've done.'
'Adam called me when he left the hospital. He was in a bit of a state, as you can imagine. He was worried about you.'
'He was?'
'Of course, Eve.'
'Then why didn't he come?'
'I told him not to,' she stated, pushing the wine in front of me. 'Drink. It'll help.'
I took a long swig. 'I don't suppose you've got something stronger?'
Lisa laughed and stood up. 'Sure. Brandy? Whisky?'
'Brandy, please,' I said gratefully.
'The good stuff is in the bar. Give me a sec. On second thoughts, let's go and sit in there, I can put the fire on. You'll be able to get drier quicker. We wouldn't want you to get a cold, now.'
Nodding, I stood up and followed her, with the towel dragging along the floor behind me.
'I told him not to come because I was worried he'd end up crashing the car or something. He's already started on the brandy too.' She smiled reassuringly, looking behind her as we walked through the vast lounge. 'So I told him I'd come and find you.'
'But how did you know to come here?'
'Adam waited for you to come home, and when you didn't, he just had a feeling this is where you would come. He was right. He's often right about you. It's like a sixth sense, or something.'
'It is?' I whispered, warming myself in front of the grand gas fire that looked more like a real log fire.
'All those holidays you went on and he just happened to be there at the same time?'
'He told you about that?'
Lisa nodded. 'It's fate, trying to get the two of you together.'
'You think so?' I asked, as I started to feel a little woozy.
She nodded. 'Don't you?'
'Just a series of bizarre coincidences, probably.'