Web of Lies

Chapter 3

JAMES MALANEY lay in Alan and Lisa's bed. Lisa Mathews was lying in bed with him, her hand slowly circling around the small strands of his chest hair. He loved it when she did this. She always did it after they had had sex. Always as they lay in bed together afterwards. He was still out of breath. Fighting to calm his pounding heart.

All he could think about as he lay next to her was the life he wanted. A life with her, Lisa. Hell, she can bring her son too. He is all for being the fun stepfather.

They had been seeing each other ever since they had first moved down here. Lisa had clearly been having marital problems since before the move. Maybe the move forced it to breaking point? He didn't know and he wasn't in a hurry to ask.

Just enjoy the moment, James. You know more than anyone that she'll be off soon back to her family. Back to her HUSBAND. In this very bed, which she shares with...him. No. Stop.

James squeezed at his forehead as if trying to push the thoughts from his mind. It didn't work. It's always going to be the same. It will never work. It is as they always say: Don't think about Elephants. See. You're thinking about Elephants. You can't not think about something purposefully. Because the act of thinking about not thinking about something, causes you to think about the exact thing you don't want to think about.

"Will you move in with me?" He asked, and he was still thinking about it.

She stopped circling her hand on his chest, looking up at him. "Why would you ask something like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know I can't just move in with you. We aren't just two teenagers out of college ready to move in together and start a family. I have a family. I have Luke."

"I know that. Luke can move in too." James had moved up against the bed rest. Propping a pillow behind him for comfort. "There is more than enough room at my place."

"Yes, I get it. But I can't risk any more changes for Luke now. Not at a time when he should be focusing on the last few years of his school.

"The move alone can't have been helpful. Hell, it hasn't been helpful for him. The poor boy just can't make friends. It's horrible having to see him upset day in, day out."

"I love you, Lisa."

Her eyes flashed. She was about to say something but stopped. Taking in those three main words. "Thank you."

Thank you. She said 'Thank you'! Oh fuck, why did I say those three words?

Shit. I wish you could rewind time like in that movie. What was it called? Clicker? No. Click? Yeah. That was it. Click. Adam Sandler plays this guy who gets some kind of remote control. Where he basically controls time with it. Fuck. If only that remote was real. I'd buy all of them to make sure I did not just say that!

Lisa pushed herself upwards. Her left leg wrapped over James' body. She mounted him and kissed him. Kissed his lips, his left cheek. The right one. Then she kissed his forehead a few times. Eventually, she pulled away, but James wanted her to push back. He wasn't ready for this to end. But she did and she stared into his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just feel I need to be careful. My son is what matters most to me, you must understand that." Her hand rests against the side of his face. The thumb lightly brushes against his cheek.

"I like this. I like what we have and I do wish we could do something more with it. But James," Her thumb stopped. "I have to prioritise Luke."

James didn't know what there was to say in response to that. He kept his eyes on hers, but he could feel the tightening in his throat. The tightening that he hadn't felt since, god, must have been secondary school. He had an extreme crush on a girl who used to sit next to him in Science class.