These Twin Souls: Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Trust

When Gail finally woke up, she immediately smiled at the sight of me. "Mornin'!" I mumbled as she rolled onto her back and stretched out her arms.

"You're a sight for sore eyes!" she giggled and let out a huge yawn.

"I'm sorry about last night I..."

"Oh don't worry sweetie! Maybe it wasn't the time!" she shrugged and sat up, straightening out her dress and heading for the bathroom. Suddenly she turned and gave me an impish grin, "Unless you want to join me in the shower? Save some water? I promise not to fall asleep again!" she winked, but after what I'd seen the night before I was in no mood for any of that.

"I need to get back home for Ben, I'll call you later okay?" I made my excuses and gathered up my jacket and car keys. "Here's some money for a cab, sorry to love you and leave you but..." she waved a hand at me and shook her head smiling, but nothing could hide the hurt in her eyes.

"Go! We'll talk later!" I gave her a meaningful look and replied,

"Yes we will, I promise! Bye!" As I left her standing in the motel room I checked my watch, it was 7:38am! I really did have to get back for Ben! I glanced over to where I spotted Nick's Jaguar, it was still there. Feeling rather brave, I made my way across the car park towards the room I saw him enter. I knocked forcefully on the door and almost immediately the young brunette I saw him with answered the door.

"Yeah?" she looked at me in confusion.

"Is Nick with you?" I asked casually as she frowned at me and shook her head.

"He's in the shower, why? What do you want?"

"Oh nothing, could you just tell him Ryan was asking for him?" the girl nodded again with a puzzled look on her face. I headed over to my car smirking all the way, that was bound to give him a fright!

As I drew up to my house, Verona came running out of hers as if she'd been waiting for me. "Ry?" I instantly panicked thinking something was wrong with Ben.

"What? What is it? Is Ben okay?" I looked frantically towards the house as she grabbed me by the arms and shook me.

"No Ry he's fine just...please! We need to talk!" I pulled away from her roughly and tried to leave her out in the street, but she followed me. "Ry?"

"MY NAME IS RYAN!!!" I shouted at the top of my voice surprising not only Verona, but myself too. Ben opened his bedroom window and shouted down at us.

"Yo, keep it down eh???" Verona took hold of my hand gently, making me tingle all over.

"I just want us to be friends again, I don't know what I did! I lost Denny and now you won't give me the time of day..."

"I'm seeing someone Verona, I don't have time for your silly games! You have Nick now so..."

"Is that what this is all about??? Really Ry? You're still wrapped up in the past???" I wanted to hurt her so badly, I wanted to shove her to the ground and leave her there. I balled my fists and the veins in my neck pulsed with rage.

"Don't play innocent with me girl, you've been playing me since you were old enough to know how I felt about you! You used me and took off like it was nothing! Now you're engaged to this total prick who doesn't respect you, heck he doesn't even love you Verona! He's too busy..." I stopped myself almost in time, but now she wanted to know what I was talking about, my bad!

"He's too busy what Ry? Huh? What is it that you know about my fiance that I don't???" I let my hands relax and turned away from her, opening my front door I simply said,

"Ask him!" and left her standing alone in my drive.

"What the f*ck was that???" Ben yelled down to me from the top of the stairs.

"None of your business!" I snapped and threw my keys onto the side table angrily.

"I thought you were over her?" he probed and padded downstairs.

"I never said that Ben! You don't just get over a girl like Verona Marsh!"

"What about Jade's mum? Where have you been all night? Not with Verona? Please tell me you didn't..."

"NO! Gail and I, we spent the night at the motel and..." A huge grin spread across Ben's face and he punched me hard on the shoulder.

"You dirty old dog!" he laughed loudly. "You been giving her a good seeing to eh???"

"No Ben, we just spent the night there together, away from you and Jade and Evan. Is that okay with you???" I was still snapping at him, Verona had put me in a really bad mood.

"It's a good sh*gging you're needing mate!" he called to me before heading back upstairs. Maybe he was right, maybe if I did just sleep with Gail I might get Verona out of my system. But was that fair on Gail?

I decided to go into work to keep my mind off of everything. Natalie was being very cold towards me ever since she found out I was seeing another woman. "I mean she's old Ryan!" she had said to me, curling up her lip with her hands on her hips tutting to herself. She was so jealous and I didn't know how to handle it, so I ignored her. My phone beeped, I had a text message. Hoping it was from Gail I didn't bother to wipe my hands before retrieving it from my pocket under my overalls. I could just make out what it said through the greasy fingerprints. It was from Verona:

Who are you seeing then Ry? Is it someone I know? V xxx

I couldn't help myself, before I knew it I was sending her a reply:

F*ck you Verona!!!

Understandably I didn't receive a reply back! She really had no comeback from that! Natalie was giving me the evil eye from the office and I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. I was going to call Gail when I got home from work, hopefully she would be kind to me unlike the other women in my life!

Gail's phone rang out for ages, no answer so I left her a message hoping she would eventually call me back. And ten minutes later she did, "HI Ryan! Sorry I missed you I was dropping Evan off at his dad's!" I was relieved to hear she wasn't blanking me.
"Oh that's cool, listen what are you doing tonight?" there was a short pause and I could have sworn I heard her smiling on the other end.
"Not much, night in front of the TV...unless...you wanna do something?" Oh yes I did, very much!
"Well Ben is out with Jade if you wanna come over here or..." This was just like being a teenager again, and it felt great.
"I tell you what, you come over here and I'll text Jade to tell her she's spending the night at yours with Ben!" I liked that plan! As soon as I got off the phone I raced upstairs and stripped my dirty clothes off leaving them in a heap on my bedroom floor, I jumped into the shower and washed away all the grief and grease and grime of the day. I put on my best shirt and dress trousers and slid open my bedside table drawer, just in case I was going to be prepared this time, no running out to the late night shops again! Was I really going to do this? Was I going to get serious with Gail? I wasn't the kind of guy who got into situations I didn't want to be in, I wanted this! I really did! I wanted to love Gail, I wanted to be with her and forget the past, move onto the future!

But that wasn't going to be so easy with her on my case! Verona stood outside my door as I switched off the hall light and exited the house, I almost bumped into her she was so close. "Why did you tell me to f*ck off Ry?" she pouted as I took hold of her shoulders and gently shuffled her to the side out of my way.
"I have not got time for this right now!" I sprinted to my car as she followed me.
"Why did you say Nicky doesn't love me???" Oh so we were going to do this, really?
"Verona!" I sighed and turned to face her, "Please go away, I'm late for my date with Gail and you really need to call Nick and have a serious talk! If he is the one for you then there is a LOT you need to fix! I'll see ya!" I got in my car and slammed the door in frustration, the blood was pumping in an awkward place as I thought about Gail and her soft, red hair. How I wanted to run my hands through it right now! As I started the engine, Verona stood puzzled on the driveway and I reversed out, thinking of how Gail's big green eyes would be inviting me into her house, how she would lead me upstairs and show me her bedroom...and still Verona stood as I drove off and left her there. As she became a little dot in my rearview mirror, she couldn't stop me from getting excited about seeing Gail! 

As I drew up at her house, I began to sweat and my heart was thumping in my eardrums. Something else was thumping too but I took that as a good thing, it meant I was getting over Verona and falling for Gail! I found myself standing outside her door, licking my dry lips and fussing with my floppy hair that never did what I wanted it to. Before I could knock she flung the door open and her negligee flapped in the breeze, she looked stunning with her red hair flowing down her back and those big green eyes pleading with me. Not only was she wearing this skimpy undergarment, but she was also wearing stockings with high heels...my heart raced and my hands grew moist with excitement and a little fear too. She smiled nervously at me and pulled me inside.
"Hi!" she whispered and pressed herself against me as I hugged the wall.
"Hey gorgeous!" I managed to reply as my hands left the wall and found their rightful place on her hips, exploring her curves apprehensively at first, but as my palms began to dry I gained a little confidence with every tiny satisfied sigh she made.
"I thought...when you left me this morning that..." she could hardly get the words out, obviously she was as excited as I was, "...that you didn't...want...me!" I could feel her soft, hot breath on my neck and it made me shiver, but in a good way. I may have been overcome with arousal but I did manage to detect the hurt in her voice from being left on her own.
"I...I'm sorry Gail I..." she put her hand under my shirt and slid it up and down my bare chest and I sucked in a sharp breath, her hands were cold and it was unexpected but deliciously so.
"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" she whispered as she began to unbutton my shirt, slowly.
"I think I do, if it's anything like what you do to me then...yeah!" she giggled softly and continued to undress me, now my shirt was off and on the floor she started on my trousers. My heart was doing somersaults in my chest, threatening to explode as she took her time removing my clothes. After an agonising few minutes where even the slightest touch of her hand on any part of my body made me want her more, I was left standing in only my boxers as she surveyed me. Looking up and down at me smiling with satisfaction, now I was totally exposed it was obvious how much I wanted her and she laughed softly and pulled me towards her. Covering my mouth with her own she kissed me hungrily and guided me towards the stairs. "Wait!" I drew back and searched amongst my clothes on the floor, retrieving something in my pocket that I knew I would definitely be needing now. Her bedroom was plain, white walls and cream carpet, basic double bed with plain bedding. I expected a boudoir, she was just that classy, but obviously she was a mother first and a radiant beauty second. She pushed me onto the bed and I let her, as I lay on my back looking up at her my heart sank at the sight of her expression. Tears were blinding her as she sobbed uncontrollably, I sat up and grabbed hold of her, sitting her on my knee I pulled her close and stroked her hair, but not in the way I had fantasised! "Baby what's wrong?" I kissed her cheek lightly and brushed her hair out of her face as her mascara ran down her cheeks, I wanted to lick it off and taste her tears...how inappropriate!
"I don't know!" she sniffed and buried her head in my shoulder, I felt her wet face stick to my skin and it felt weird, but I just went with it.
"Did I...do something wrong?" I mumbled and pressed my lips against her soft hair that smelled of strawberries.
"No, you're so beautiful and sweet Ryan! I guess I'm just scared, Gerry hurt me you know! He was my first boyfriend, my only boyfriend and then I married him! So you're only the second man I've ever kissed let alone slept with!" I felt awful, although I liked her, I never took her feelings into consideration! I just saw her as a means to get over Verona! And all along this was as hard for her as it was for me, possibly more so! I took her pale, gorgeous face in my hands and looked her straight in the eyes.
"I can wait, for as long as it takes! I can wait!" she began to sob again but this time she was smiling, she took hold of my hands and kissed them repeatedly.
"So, we're still...you know..." she looked at me with hope and with a little apprehension.
"I would like to think of you as my girlfriend if I may!" I closed my eyes and grinned, a little bashful over calling her my girlfriend. She snuggled into my chest again and sighed with satisfaction, and we sat like that for a very long time. At least some good came out of all of this, every part of my body had gone limp...even that part!

I did spend the night with Gail, fully clothed again and merely kissing. She made me pancakes with raspberries and blueberries for breakfast, the best breakfast I'd ever had! As we ate in silence, I caught her gazing at me a few times and it made me laugh. "What?" I tilted my head to the side and grinned at her.
"Oh nothing!" she grinned back and shuffled her fork around her plate, "Just..." she trailed off.
"What?" I insisted as she moved her chair round to sit beside me. Taking hold of my hand and kissing it, she giggled like a teenager and nuzzled my neck.
"I think..." she looked down at the table blushing as she squeezed my hand gently, "I think I love you Ryan!" and my heart began to pound uncontrollably and my mouth felt numb. "Please don't...I don't want to scare you away because I know we've only known each other a few days but..." before she could finish I kissed her. Her lips tasted of maple syrup from her pancakes and she let out tiny muffled moans as we put our arms around each other and ended up on the floor...she wrapped her legs around my waist and we rolled around awkwardly until I finally let her go and looked down at her.
"I don't want to hurt you!" she frowned at me and traced a finger down my cheek as we lay motionless on the kitchen floor, me on top of her looking down into her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean...I'm no good for you, I don't want to hurt you!" I let her go and sat up, my baggage would end up breaking this beautiful woman and I didn't want that at all!
"If you mean Verona then...Ben told me all about her and I understand! Ryan I love you!" my heart swelled at the sincerity in her big green eyes and I knew then that I wanted to love her back. "I trust you Ryan!" she added and climbed onto my crossed legs, sitting in my lap and stroking my face.

When I got home Ben told me Verona had called over a few times, when would she ever quit??? I called her back and angrily yelled down the phone "What the f*ck do you want with me? Huh???" she cried and mumbled something incoherent, "Wait there I'm coming over!" I slammed down the phone and stomped out of the house, striding over to the Marsh household with anger bubbling at my throat. She opened the door and flew into my arms.
"RY!" she sobbed and crushed me under her grip and I struggled to breathe.
"Verona what..."
"Ry you were right, he's dumped me! He says I'm too clingy!" And then the anger subsided and was replaced with utter shock. "I should learn to trust you Ry, I'm so stupid!" I pulled her off of me and kept her at arms length.
"What happened?"
"He wants us to have a break because I smother him apparently! Ry just hold me!" she buried her head in my chest and wailed, I once again pushed her off.
"Get over it!" I muttered and headed back home, I didn't have time for her crap anymore and I knew for a fact that Nick had jumped before he was pushed. He'd bailed before I could tell Verona about his bit on the side.
"WHAT?" she shrieked, "THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY???"
"You're a grown woman now Verona, I can't be there to kiss all your boo boos better...sorry!" I could hear her screaming and wailing behind me as her mother came out and asked her what was wrong. I was doing this for Gail, for me and for our future! I no longer wanted to be Verona's comfort blanket. I was aware of Mrs Marsh shouting over to me but I ignored her too, I'm sure Denny would have been disappointed in me for abandoning his sister, but he always knew she had me whipped...it was about time I trusted my instincts and thought about myself for a change! No matter how wrong it felt in my heart!

To Be Continued...