Chapter 47

Chapter Forty-Seven

Will

A s I watched Maddy force dry toast into her mouth, I couldn't help but laugh. That earned me a nudge in the ribs from Maya.

"Don't laugh at her."

"Why not? It's funny."

Maddy's eyes lifted to mine as she placed a hand against her stomach. "Maya's right, it's not funny. I feel hideous."

"And it's not even her fault." Maya placed a glass of coke in front of Maddy. "Drink that sweetie, it'll help."

Maddy gave her a nod and a very small smile. "Thank you."

"Has Ana called you to apologise?" I asked, reaching for a piece of toast.

"Nope." Maddy picked up her glass with an unsteady hand. "I don't know whether I want to speak to her anyway."

"Yeah, well," I muttered, "I do. She was stupid and irresponsible and lucky that neither you nor Emma ended up in A they were well worth looking at. "You said an hour, so I thought I'd better make it quick."

There was tension in her voice, and I didn't like it. It unsettled me, made my stomach churn, something I'd never felt before over a woman. Alien though it was, I knew what I had to do to make things better.

"Maya, can we talk?"

She cleared her throat as her hand stalled on her thigh. "Yeah, sure." Putting her foot to the floor, she slowly turned to me. Her shoulders rose as she clutched the bottle of cream in front of her.

I had no idea why, but she looked ready to do battle. Like I was going to yell and scream at her, and she was going to yell and scream back. She chewed down on her bottom lip and watched me with a steely gaze.

"I'm sorry," I told her, taking a step forward and noticing the way she immediately straightened her spine and pulled her shoulders back. "I shouldn't have said what I did downstairs."

She shook her head. "I get it, but I only wanted to help."

As she inhaled slowly, her lips thinned, and I began to feel worried. Was she going to dump me? The idea made me feel sick and suddenly the distance between us felt so much more than a couple of feet. It was like a chasm, and I fucking hated it. With one stride, I was inches from her and taking the bottle of cream from her, throwing it onto my bed and then grabbing her hands.

"I know you were only trying to help, and I snapped your head off for it." When she exhaled, after what felt like a lifetime, I pulled her a little closer. "I'm just so used to dealing with everything on my own, it's hard to let go sometimes."

"I know, and I'm sorry if it felt like I overstepped, but if we are going to be in a relationship, I want to be able to help. Help without fear of being bollocked for it. I was a teenage daughter once, so maybe I can be a help to both of you." She shrugged and paused, I guessed to allow me to protest, but I remained silent, and so she carried on. "I know we haven't been together long, and who knows what will happen in the future, but while we are an ‘ us', I want Maddy to know I'm here for her. I want you to know that I'm here for you, too. You don't have to do this on your own any longer, Will." She licked her lips and swallowed. "Unless that's what you prefer, because if it is?—"

"Maya," I cut her off because I needed her to understand me. "It doesn't matter how long we've been together or how long we've known each other. At the risk of sounding like a corny romance hero and revealing my hand too quickly, I see a future with us. One where?—"

"You do?" she said quietly, interrupting me. "See a future with us?"

Studying her, I saw the shock. She hadn't considered that I was serious about her. How could she not? I thought I'd made it clear. Hadn't I?

Moving a hand to the back of her neck, I pulled her closer, our noses inches apart. "Of course, I do, and I'm so fucking sorry I haven't made that clearer. Maybe deep down I was worried it would scare you off."

"Scare me off?"

"Yeah, seem like I was coming on too strong. Too soon." I shrugged. "Plus, I have no clue how to be a boyfriend. It's not exactly something that I've done a lot of."

She leaned into my touch. "You're doing a brilliant job so far, I promise you. But if you see a future for us then let me be part of the team. Let me take some of the load and if you don't like something I say, explain it to me, don't just bite my head off."

Her reinforcement of my boyfriend skills was a huge relief, because I really didn't have a clue what I was doing most of the time. I also took on board about not biting her head off. It had been wrong of me.

"And," she continued, "I wouldn't be scared off. I'm not scared off because I also want there to be a future with us, Will. I want this to go somewhere but I was scared to say in case that scared you off. And then downstairs, I was scared that was it, although I was really pissed off with you, too"

Chuckling, I kissed her forehead and then wrapped my arms around her, my heart picking up speed just being up close to her. Her scent, the feel of her soft, smooth, almost naked skin, it was all perfect.

"I think maybe we need to improve our communication skills," I told her.

"I think maybe you're right." She nuzzled into my neck and inhaled. "Truth and transparency from now on."

"If we are being honest and transparent from now on, then there's something I need to say."

Leaning back to look up at me, she frowned. "What?"

"I have a huge stonker because this underwear is fucking incredible." I pushed my hips forward making Maya giggle.

"I thought we only had an hour," she replied, running her fingers through my hair.

"That was a very rough estimate. Very rough indeed."

"Well," she said on a breathy sigh, "if that's the case."

We finally made it out over an hour and a half later.

I squeezed Maya's hand as we walked across the car park of the pub. "Apparently the food here is amazing."

"It looks a nice place." The Devonshire was an old farmhouse that had been converted to a pub with a load of money spent on it and the grounds, and it was where we were meeting Sam and Louise for lunch. "I bet it's lovely in the summer."

"We'll have to try it," I said, lifting her hand to kiss her knuckles. "I can see us sitting out here on long sunny afternoons."

"Sounds perfect."

It did, and I was sure that it would happen, now that we'd had the conversation. I wished I hadn't been so scared to do it before, but at least both our feelings were now out in the open. We could see a future with each other, and for once, I liked the idea of being with one woman for the rest of my life. With her.

"Sam and Louise said they'd meet us inside," I told her.

Maya blew out a breath and gave me a tentative smile. "I hope they like me."

"Of course they will." I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her closer. "What's not to like?"

Laughing together, we walked inside, and I immediately spotted my friends sitting by the open fire. Giving Maya another comforting squeeze, we walked over to them. Louise grinned from ear to ear, and Sam looked at me like a proud father.

"Hey." I gave them a chin lift and they both got out of their chairs.

"Maya, hi, I'm Louise." Before Maya had chance to respond, she was taken out of my arms. "It's so good to meet you."

Sam raised an eyebrow behind Lou's back and gave me a thumbs up. I clearly had his seal of approval for my girlfriend. After a little more hugging, Maya was finally let go and Sam took his turn. He didn't keep hold of her for as long as Louise had, but I did wonder if maybe she'd stopped breathing at one point.

"So lovely to meet you both," Maya was finally able to say as we all sat down.

"Same. We've heard a lot about you." Louise grinned at me, causing me to roll my eyes.

I took Maya's Puffa jacket and hung it with mine on a coat stand near to the table. She was wearing tight jeans with a long sleeve t-shirt, and she looked beautiful, her hair cascading down over her shoulders.

"The fire is gorgeous," she said, glancing over at the flames. I took her hand and pulled into my lap. She was obviously nervous but had no need to be.

"Being a woman of a certain age, I'm not sure whether it's a good spot or not," Louise said, fanning herself.

"What she means is she's forty-two and menopausal," Sam quipped, earning himself a glacial stare from his wife.

"You are asking for trouble, mate," I told him.

"He's asking for a considerable ban on sex, that's what he's asking for." Louise smiled at him with dead eyes. "Maybe you could go and get us some drinks. I'm ready for another. And take Will with you."

I grinned because she still had half a glass of wine, so she either wanted to get rid of Sam because he was pissing her off, or me because she wanted to find out the gossip from Maya. More likely, a mixture of both. I was happy to leave them to, it whatever the reason.

I stood and patted Sam's shoulder. "Looks like we've got our orders, come on. Wine, rum or beer, gorgeous?"

"Beer, please," Sam replied, and I rolled my eyes.

"I said gorgeous, not gormless."

Maya giggled and then said, "I'll have a beer too, please."

Dropping a kiss to her head, I went with Sam to the bar, hearing a gushing aww from Louise as we left.

"She seems lovely." Sam nudged me. "But you're definitely punching, mate."

I was totally aware of that. "That's two of us then."

"Don't let how average I am compared to my wife fool you. I, my friend am a great catch."

"What, like a huge scaly fish that needs throwing back into the water?"

"Fucking hilarious, dickhead." He leaned against the bar as we waited to be served. "Anyway, I heard about last night. How's Maddy?"

"Rough as a bear's arse. Emma actually puked on the pavement outside her house when I dropped her off this morning." I was just grateful she'd managed to avoid splashing my car. "Liam and Zak did well last night, bringing the girls home."

"Good, I'm glad that I taught him well. What's happening with Ana anyway? Have you told her mum?"

I shook my head, still angry about it, but I'd promised Maddy. "I'm not allowed. My daughter will never to speak to me again if I do."

"Someone needs to tell that little madam what she could have done." Sam sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Funny, isn't it, how when it's your kid, it's not right. I'm sure we must have done it to people when we were younger."

He was right, because it had happened to my daughter, I was furious. Yet working in bars and pubs over the years, I'd seen people slipping something stronger into their friend's drinks loads of times. I mean I'd stopped it happening a lot, but there'd been occasions when I'd found it amusing and gone along with it. I was happy to say that I'd grown up since then, and if I spotted it happening these days, I pulled the plug on it and threw the perpetrators out of my bar.

"Yeah, I suppose we all grow up eventually."

"Just not too quickly, though, hey." Sam shook his head. "You know, I'm glad that Liam isn't leaving home just yet. I'd hate it."

At least I wasn't alone. I thought it was just me who was a helicopter dad, freaking out about her leaving one minute and then angry the next that she wanted to stay.

"Who'd be a parent, hey mate." Sam slapped me on the back and laughed.

"I don't know," I replied, turning to watch my girlfriend as she laughed raucously. "It's not all that bad."

It wasn't, and I knew that I would do it all again if it was what she wanted.