When he finally ended the kiss, he growled, “Fuck…I need to fuck you before I go.” His eyes were all over me, and his hands moved to slide under my ass. “A week without you is gonna fuckin’ kill me.”
I knew how he felt – I felt the same way. My hands moved to his belt. “I need you, too.” God, how I needed him.
Our hands were a wild tangle of fighting against the clock to get enough clothes off so we could say goodbye in the one way we both needed. Sex was the glue that held us together at the moment in a way that nothing else could. Even when I felt like the words I spoke were all wrong and not useful in moving us back together after I’d held him away, the sex reassured me that we’d be okay.
“Harlow.” Lisa’s voice cut through the darkness and my body stilled.
Shit.
Scott pulled away from me and quickly did up his pants before standing. Turning to face her, he said, “Hey, darlin’, how you feeling?”
He moved towards her as I gathered my thoughts.
“I think I’m going to vomit,” she admitted, sounding disoriented from sleep.
Moving fast, he took her to the bathroom and I could hear his soothing voice as he looked after her. Eventually, I stood and stretched my body. The pain had eased a little, allowing me to move without too much trouble.
Knowing that Scott had to leave, I joined them in the bathroom. “You should go,” I suggested as his eyes came to mine. “I’ll take over with Lisa.”
Conflict sat heavy in his eyes. He was clearly torn about leaving. When his phone sounded with a text, he muttered, “Fuck.” After checking it he found my gaze again. “I hate leaving you like this, but that was J…I gotta go.”
I nodded. “I know,” I whispered.
We swapped positions so I could take over with Lisa. His hand settled around my waist for a moment and he kissed me goodbye. God, what a way to say goodbye – standing in the toilet as you waited for a child to vomit. And both of us frustrated by no goodbye sex.
He rested his forehead against mine and remained silent for a beat. When he finally lifted it, he said, “I swear, I’m gonna make this asshole pay for dragging me away from you.” His tone made it clear he would follow through on that promise.
I squeezed his hand. “Okay, you should go before I try and stop you from leaving.”
He hesitated for another minute and then blew out a long breath. “Yeah,” he said gruffly.
After saying goodbye to Lisa, and after giving me one more kiss, he left us. My heart constricted and I wondered again how I would get through the next six or seven days.
You’ll be fine and he’ll be home soon.
And yet, a sense of foreboding had lodged itself deep in the pit of my stomach.
What if he isn’t as invincible as he thinks he is?
* * *
I was supposed to work at the café that day and then at Indigo that night. My dilemma over this centred on the fact Lisa and Michelle were both sick. If I’d believed Michelle was well enough to care for Lisa, I would have had no problem leaving them to go to work. But she was far from being well enough to do that.
My saving grace appeared in the most unlikely form.
Scott’s mother.
She phoned me a couple of hours after Scott left, to see how I was doing.
“Madison told me that Scott and J left for Adelaide this morning. I’m just calling to see if there is anything I can do to help you while Scott’s away,” she said.
I sighed as I slumped down into a chair at Michelle’s kitchen table. I’d just gotten Lisa back to sleep after giving her more Advil. My weariness caused my tongue to loosen in a way it never had around Sharon. “Can you work some shifts for me at my mum’s café and then at Indigo? That’s my biggest worry today,” I blurted out, not really meaning for her to do what I’d asked – it was more a way for me to get my frustrations out.
She was silent for a moment, probably trying to process my strange request. And then she came through for me. “I’ve got the day off today. I can help however you need me to, Harlow. What’s going on?”
I sat up straight. “Really? That would be awesome, because Lisa and Michelle are really sick and I feel like they need someone to stay and help them. Maybe you could do that while I go to work.”
She didn’t hesitate. “I can be there in half an hour.”
Relief coursed through me. “Thank you so much, Sharon. I really appreciate it.”
“I’ll see you soon,” she promised and hung up, leaving me staring at my phone with a mixture of surprise and gratitude.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I murmured before dragging myself off the chair so I could go home and get showered and dressed for work.
* * *
Just after half an hour later, Sharon turned up and I let her in as I combed my wet hair.