I didn’t believe her. My heart was in my stomach and I felt sick with worry. They were going to get back together and, as always, there would be nothing I could do to change it. Biting my tongue, I helped her finish up cooking.
There was an atmosphere all through dinner. I could barely eat a thing I was so worried. Years may have passed, I may be an adult now and understand more about their relationship, but I still worried just as much as I did when I was younger.
Mum brushed her fringe off her forehead and smiled. She was still so proud that she didn’t have a single grey and I was plain amazed. I was surprised I wasn’t grey already from worrying about my parents so much.
I couldn’t get away fast enough after dessert and helping mum load the dishwasher. I wanted to shout and scream at her and pray that something I said would actually sink in. I wanted them both to stop being so selfish because I could see where this was going and I was tired and terrified of it.
Neither one of their parents had good relationships and they’ve copied traits from both, which has led to this mega fuck up.
I wanted to be done but I hadn’t managed to wash my hands of them yet. What would it take for me to be over it for good? I knew I couldn’t take it each time but I still stayed by for another round.
“I’ll see you soon,” I said at the front door, eager to get home. I needed chocolate and hot bubble bath. And possibly a visit from Damon but I might even be in too much of a bad mood for that.
“Next week, baby.”
Yeah, we’ll see. She’d be back with him by then and I had absolutely no desire to be around them when they were together, ever again.
“I’ll call you,” I replied, giving her the best I could do under the new circumstances. I wanted to be able to fool myself that I was just overreacting and they’d stay away but that ship had long sailed. Ignorance wasn’t something I could indulge in when it came to my parents anymore.
“I love you.”
“Love you, too, Mum.” I gave her one last smile and jogged to my car just as it started to drizzle.
Halfway home my phone rang. Damon’s name lit up on the screen and part of the nagging worry at the forefront of my mind vanished.
I pressed accept on my hands free and said, “Hey.”
“Hey, you left your mum’s yet?” He asked.
“Yeah, almost home.”
“Good, because I’m freezing my balls off on your front step.”
I was momentarily thrown. “Huh? Did I miss plans?”
“Nope.”
“Then how come you’re outside my house?”
“You said you’d probably be home at eight.”
“And you took that as an invitation?”
“No, I knew you were just mentioning it but then I thought about you driving in one of those little skirts you wear and I got hard.”
I’d blush if I wasn’t so used to it. “Damon, I’m not wearing one of my little shirts.”
“You are in my head.”
“Wow, I’m surprised I’m wearing anything at all in your head.”
He laughed and the sound made my heart race. “Me, too.”
Shaking my head, I replied, “Shut up, Damon. I’ll see you in a few and if you’re really lucky I’ll warm those balls up.” He groaned right before I hung up.
Apparently I wasn’t getting my alone evening to wallow and worry but the thought of going home to Damon waiting lifted my mood considerably.
I pulled into my drive ten minutes later and Damon was sitting on the doorstep. He was definitely the best type of therapy.
Damon
My balls had frozen in my boxers by the time Nell pulled into her parking space. She was fully responsible for warming them up, whether she was joking about it or not.
She got out and lifted an eyebrow. “Stalker.”
“I called and told you I was here, how is that stalking?”
“Well maybe you’re just shit at it.”
Her black hair whipped over her shoulder with a cold gust of wind, she shivered and unlocked her door.
“Maybe I just got horny.”
Looking behind at me she rolled her eyes. “You definitely got horny. Why else would you be here?”
I closed her door, holding in because I like spending time with you. Spending time with her was more than physical, we were friends, and I enjoyed her company. And I loved the sex.
“Touché. How was your mum’s?”
Turning her nose up, she discarded her handbag on the floor and replied, “It was good.”
She didn’t share much and there was definitely more to it than what she would ever tell me but we didn’t have the relationship where I could probe and get her to talk. If I pushed she’d pull. Until she was ready – if she ever would be – I wasn’t getting through.
I took off my coat and threw it on the chair by the door. “Good.”
“Coffee?”
“I’ll make it. Why don’t you go change into something more comfortable?”
She narrowed those pretty green eyes. “Meaning get naked, Nell?”
“I’m not apposed to that idea but I thought you’d be more up for this,” I replied, pulling my t-shirt over my head and handing it to her. “But if you want to let it all hang out...”
She bit her bottom lip. “I will if you will.”