Chapter 46

Chapter Forty-Six

Will

F ull of food and satisfied sexually, I couldn't remember when I'd felt so relaxed. Especially as Maya had agreed to watch Wolf of Wall Street with me. She was also enjoying it, which was a bonus. Although, I was pretty sure it had a lot to do with Leonardo DiCaprio.

"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" she said about Margot Robbie.

"Is there a wrong answer to that?" I asked with a smirk.

Maya flashed me a smile. "No wrong answer. I won't mind if you think she's the sexiest woman alive."

"Well, she isn't." As far as I was concerned, Maya was that. No question.

Maya's eyes twinkled, and she poked my arm with her toe. "You're such a smoothie."

I captured her foot with my hand and gave it a squeeze, trapping it on my lap. She was lounged out on the opposite end of the sofa, both of us having changed into pyjamas after a long shower together. A shower which had included more sex.

"What have we got planned for tomorrow?" Maya asked.

"I thought maybe a lie in to start with." I wiggled my eyebrows, making her giggle.

"Sounds good. Then what?"

"There's a really nice pub about two miles up the road. We could walk…" I saw her smile drop. "Or drive there for lunch."

She did a little dance with her feet, and I loved that she was so excited. I'd been worried that my life in a small town would be too boring for her, but she seemed genuinely enthusiastic about it.

"That sounds perfect. Then what? Can I meet Sam and Louise?"

"You want to?" She nodded. "We can do that. I'll message them and see if we can meet up tomorrow night. That okay?"

"Yes, I'd love that. Anyone else I can get to know?" She poked me with her toe again. "Any old girlfriends?"

"Definitely not." I grimaced at the idea of it. "There is no one else. Certainly not my father."

Maya frowned, folding her arms over her chest. "I can't believe he came here. It sounds like you were remarkably calm, though."

"Not really, but at least I didn't punch him."

It had been hard to keep my temper to just yelling at him.

"How do you feel?" Maya asked. "About him turning up. I know you told me you were angry, but there had to be some sadness there too."

Contemplating her words, I ran my hand slowly up and down her calf. She was right, there was, but it was much more than that.

"Every thought of injustice I didn't think I'd had, has come to the surface," I told her. "Every bloody job my mum had to slog at. Every foster home I lived in. Every birthday or Christmas I'd spent alone. All of it came back like one big ball of black bitterness." Rubbing at the bristles on my chin, I turned to see her green eyes surveying me. "I've always been a positive person. I had to play the cards I was dealt and made the best of them, never thinking about what could have been. Now, though," I sighed, "I can't help but keep wondering what did I miss? What if?"

Maya shuffled closer, moving to straddle me, instantly putting soothing hands against my cheeks. "That's all totally understandable, but don't let his appearance make you think that you've lived an inadequate life." She shook her head. "Because you haven't. Look at what you have—Maddy, the bar, this house. Do you really think having your dad in your life would have changed any of that?"

"No, maybe not." And I didn't think it would. It had been Miriam's generosity and my determination, to provide for Maddy that had given me everything. "Maybe him not being around is exactly why I have all this. Perhaps I'd have taken a different path, like a fucking car salesman."

Maya grinned. "I don't see it myself, but who knows. You in a suit and smelling of Lynx Africa might be sexy."

Laughter moved on to kissing, and the film was forgotten, until there was a banging on the front door. It wasn't just a knock it was a definite bang, and it was frantic.

"Who the hell is that?" Ushering Maya off my lap, I glanced at my watch. "It's half ten."

"Look through the window first, just in case," Maya urged, getting off the sofa and following me to the hallway.

I flicked on the main light, and through the frosted glass panels I saw a tall figure with a shorter one next to him. I knew instantly who it was and rushed for the door, yanking it open.

"What the fuck happened?" I asked, seeing Maddy lolling against Zak, who had his arm firmly around her shoulder, while his other hand lay against her stomach. Over his shoulder, I spotted Liam with Emma who was in a similar state to Maddy. "Get them inside."

"Bloody hell," Maya gasped behind me. "How much have they had to drink?"

As I led them down the hall towards the lounge, I could feel my blood getting hotter and my anger rising to boiling point.

"Get them both on the sofa for now," I snapped. "I'll get a couple of bowls."

"I'll get them," Maya offered. "Where are they."

"Under the sink, gorgeous. Ones got cleaning stuff in it, just tip it out."

Zak and Liam helped the girls to the sofa, who, luckily for the boys were still able to walk. If they hadn't been, it would have been a close call whether the boys would be, after I'd finished with them.

"I understand she's an adult and makes her own decisions," I said, turning on the boys and pointing an accusatory finger at them, "but I would expect you two to keep an eye on them."

"It's not their fault, Dad," Maddy groaned as she flopped back against the cushions, her hand gripping Emma's.

"So, what happened?" I asked again. "How did they get so wasted?"

"Ana," Zak said solemnly. "She spiked their cans of cider with vodka."

I blinked and then looked at Emma and Maddy, who both had their heads back and their eyes closed. "Ana, their friend?"

"She'd been doing it all night," Zak gritted out. "We had no idea. At one point, Maddy felt a bit drunk, so I got her to drink some water, and she sobered up. Then Liam and I went to play darts, for, how long, Liam?"

"Half an hour at most. Honestly, Will, they were fine and then we came back, and they were like this. Zak managed to get it out of Ana what she'd done."

"Is she fucking stupid?" I knelt down in front of Maddy and patted her knee. "Mads, sweetheart, are you okay."

"Feel sick, Dad. Want to sleep."

Sighing, I turned to her friend. "Emma?" I got nothing just a shake of her head.

It was then that Maya, appeared carrying two washing up bowls. "Are you putting them to bed or leaving them here?" she asked.

I stood up, grabbed the remote, and turned off the TV. "I think maybe we should leave them down here. At least they're sitting up." I took the bowls from Maya and thanked her. "Where's Ana now?" I asked, placing a bowl in each girl's lap.

"She stayed at the party," Zak informed me. "I tried to get her to come with us, to make sure she got home, but she got her mum to pick her up."

I rolled my eyes, hoping her bloody mother had stayed off the booze. "Was Ana drunk?"

Liam shrugged. "A bit, but obviously not as bad as these two."

"She was really drunk earlier, but Maddy told her to slow down." Zak moved towards Maddy as she made a groaning sound and took her hand in his. "You okay, babe?"

She gave him a strained smile and a little nod, and as much as I wanted to tell him to get his hands off her, I knew he was a good kid who cared about her.

"I take it they've already been sick?" I asked.

"Yeah, and on the way home in bags in Zak's car." Liam gave an empty laugh. "It was synchronised puking."

"I bet." I shook my head, knowing they were going to feel like shit the next day. "The zombie makeup didn't really survive, did it?"

"Poor kids," Maya said from my side. "Cider is crap at the best of times, but with vodka." She shivered.

"Liam, this is Maya, Maya this is Liam, Sam and Louise's eldest."

"Hi, Liam." She gave him one of her gorgeous smiles and then nodded at Emma. "You two are an item, are you?"

Liam hesitated, looking at me, and I grinned, holding up my hands.

"Hey, nothing will pass my lips to your mum and dad."

He looked back at Maya. "Yeah, we are."

Maddy giggled, held up a finger, and said, "I knew it." Then she slapped her hand back down and fell silent again. Zak chuckled and pushed some hair from her face which was sweaty and smeared with white and black makeup.

"I'll get them some water," Maya said.

Leaning over the girls, I pulled the woollen throw off the back of the sofa. "Liam, pass me the throw off that armchair." As I placed the one I had over Maddy, Zak picked up the bowl, putting it back down after tucking it around her. When I turned to Emma, Liam was sorting her out, with a damn stupid grin on his face. It seemed that he was a fucking smitten with Emma as Zak was with Maddy. Then, as Maya came back into the room with two pints of water, I knew I was in exactly the same boat.

She placed the glasses on the coffee table. "I wasn't sure where the painkillers were."

I cupped her face, once more thankful for meeting her. "I'll get them. Thanks."

"We are sorry, Mr Newman." I chose not to correct Zak on my name for once. I knew it wasn't really his fault, but it didn't hurt to let him feel a bit of my anger. "If I'd know what Ana was doing."

"If either of us had known," Liam added, "We'd have stopped her."

"I know," I said with a heavy sigh. "And I will be talking to her mum." I knew Ana was suffering, but what she'd done was stupid and dangerous. "You didn't drink and drive, did you Zak?"

"I would never do that," he told me with no uncertainty. "I was on water all night."

"Well, maybe you two should get off home," I suggested.

Zak looked at Maddy and then at Liam before opening his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it.

"You can come back tomorrow, but I think for now they need to sleep it off."

After a couple of beats, he nodded and turned to Liam. "I'll drop you off, mate." He then turned to me. "Could you make sure Ana's mum picked her up?"

"Yeah, sure. No problem." I scratched my nose, studying the boys and realising maybe I'd been a little hard on them. "Sorry, I yelled boys."

Zak shook his head. "Honestly, it's fine. I get it, and we should have probably kept a better eye on them."

"No, like I said, they're old enough to make their own decisions. Plus, Ana shouldn't have spiked them. I appreciate you bringing them back."

Zak pulled his car keys from the pocket of his jacket and gave Maddy one last look. He went to move away but then stepped back and kissed her cheek.

"See you tomorrow, babe." Maddy smiled softly and gave him a finger wave.

Liam leaned down to Emma and whispered, "Try and get some sleep." He brushed hair from her face and then kissed the tip of her nose.

Watching both boys gave me a little bit of peace. They were good lads, and Sam and Louise should definitely be proud of their boy, as should the Hoylands.

Once I'd seen them out and watched them pull away in Zak's mum's Mini, I wandered back into the lounge to find Maya turning the fire up.

"Okay?" I asked her.

She stood to her full height and moved over to me. "Yeah, I thought maybe if they're sleeping down here they might need a bit more warmth."

"Good idea." I peered at both girls who appeared to be sleeping. "They're both zonked. Let's hope they've got everything up already."

Maya's arm linked mine and feeling of her warm body leaning against my side filled my chest with something strange and warm. Something that I was feeling more and more each day.

"Fancy an early night?" I asked her. "Seeing as the pair of zombie drunks have taken our spot."

"Will they be okay? Should they be left on their own?"

"Believe me, they're fine. They're sitting up, they have a bowl each and they're warm." I kissed her forehead. "They're perfectly fine, but I'll check on them later. I promise."

"You sure?" Her brow screwed up in concern.

"I run a bar and have dealt with a lot of drunks in my time. Believe me they'll be okay."

"Are you going to ground her or anything?" she asked, looking at the girls.

"No. I'll give her the lecture, but she's seventeen. Who doesn't get legless and puke in a bowl when they're that age?"

"Very true." Maya laughed quietly and slapped my bum. "An early night sounds good."

Giving the girls one last check over, I left them a lamp on and then took Maya to bed, giving her one more orgasm before she fell asleep. After that I went back downstairs to find both girls still sleeping soundly.