Among the Trees

Chapter 31 - A Broken Heart

Lee must've fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was completely out for the count by the time I'd climbed the stairs and made it into our room. Betty had been wandering up and down the landing, unable to sleep. To help her, I gave her a task; to untie William and make him a bed on the sofa. Now stood in the dark silence, I let a shudder run right through my body, from my head to my toes. What I had done was wrong. I should have learnt my lesson a long time ago. If you play with matches, you're bound to get burned. I was leading William on down there, I was leading him to believe that, even for a second, he had chance. He didn't and I had put myself into a position that could potentially ruin me. I felt filthy with guilt.

As quietly as I could, I slipped my pyjamas from under my pillow and unhooked my towel from the back of the door. I turned and watched Lee sleep for a moment until I felt the threat of tears become too overwhelming. I had let him sleep while I let another man believe I would so willingly give myself to him. I rushed out of the room, leaving the door wide open so not to wake him the sudden closing of it. I barrelled into the bathroom, hastened to shut the door and rested my forehead on the cold wood and let out a single sob. Then, conscious that others would hear, I took a single, deep, breath and turned on the shower. I let the water run hot before stripping down and stepping under the steady stream. I let the hot tears mingle with the hot water, I balled my fists and pounded at the tiles until my hands began to bruise, then I sank to my knees and let the steady thrum of water pummel into the centre of my back. I stayed there like that until I he water ran cold and then some, for I felt hollow and disgusted in myself. I deserved nothing less.

By the time I reentered the room, the digital clock on Lee's bedside read 1:23am. I had knelt beneath the running water almost three and a half hours. The clean cotton of my pyjamas began to be irritable against my scolded skin. I did not wish to lie beside him after the way in which I had wronged him. I picked up the book that lay on my own bedside and tiptoed down the stairs, being careful of the ones that creaked. I made my way quietly in to the dining room and sat to read in the corner.

"Lily?" I must have fallen asleep as Lee's voice jolted me awake. The book I had been reading lay open my chest where it had fallen. "Why didn't you come to bed? I heard you, and then you left. Why?"

I told him of what I had done after I told him to leave and agin broke into tears. I couldn't apologise enough.

"Oh my little Luna. Don't cry. You did what you had to do. Now please come back to bed." I nodded and let him help my up from the chair, my book falling to the floor.

As he led me back into our room the clock read 4:42am, the sun wouldn't rise for hours but Lee would be gone before daybreak to retrieve my brother and his harlot. Sleep soon returned as I lay my head down onto the pillow.

I woke with a start, hoping with all my heart that last night had been merely a bad dream. I threw back the covers, hastily pulled my hair into a messy bun before beginning to undress and then redress.

I'd only just got my underwear on when the door creaked open. For a moment I thought Lee had returned already and smiled. That smile soon vanished. I turned to find William closing the door behind him. My heart began to beat faster against my rib cage. He turned and walked slowly over to where I stood by the window. The curtains were still drawn and the mid December sun threw shadows through them. He stopped right I front of me but I couldn't make myself move as he caressed my cheek my the back of his hand. I had brought this on myself.

"So pretty. Why waste such beauty with a man who doesn't see it? With a man who will soon be over his infatuation?" His hand trailed over my jaw, down my neck and across my collarbone. This time my body was the one that shivered. His hands moved down to my waist, where they finally stopped, and he pulled me closer, so that I stood flush against him. He then placed one hand between my shoulder blades and the other on the small of my back.

"I am taken. I will not be taken by you. I carry your brother's child without having given my consent." My voice and sense finally came rushing back all at once. I placed my hands flat against his chest and pushed him away from me, losing my balance a little in the process.

"I should not have led you to believe I would ever cheat on and lie to the one man I have finally learned to let in. You are not like your brother, I have to believe that. Now, I'm you don't mind I'm trying to get dressed, so you need to leave."

He looked stunned, perhaps he'd never had a female speak to him in such a manner before. Or maybe he just wasn't expecting it from me. After all, I was only 5"2' and had always been somewhat shy. But, things change, people change, and in that moment I felt taller than I ever had before.

He hurried to leave, still in shock I suppose, and bumped into Lee as he did so.

"Everything okay here?" Lee raised one eyebrow.

"More than okay." I smiled and ruffled me sleep entangled hair. "Just a little misunderstanding. Is my brother here yet?"

"Indeed he is. He's completely unaware of why he's here and he wasn't impressed with the early wake up call."

"Yeah, he never liked those." I smiled and put my hands on my hips. "Well I'd best get dressed then." Lee chuckled and nodded.

I went down the stairs wearing a pair of loose fitting jeans and one of Lee's tops. I headed to the kitchen where I found Lee making four mugs of coffee.

"Hey hun, you want one?" I shook my head. I hated the taste of the stuff. "Suit yourself. You ready to bring William in to the dining room?" I nodded and wound myself back through the house, out of the kitchen, through the dinning room and hallway and into the living room.

Without a word I grabbed his hand and dragged him into the dinning room.

"Laura, Mitchell, I'd like you both to meet someone." I spoke before entering the room but when I did, the look on Laura's face was a picture. The colour completely drained from her cheeks as William followed me into the room. Mitchell stood up from his seat and graciously shook his hand. I peered over at Lee who just nodded his head.

"Oh I see two of you have already met." Laura's eyes shot to mine, her head shaking from side to side with damaging velocity. "Laura, why don't you tell my brother, your boyfriend, how you know William?" A single tear rolled down her left cheek.

"Don't make me do this Lily. Not here, not now." I just raised both my eyebrows, crossed my arms and began to tap my foot with impatience. "Okay fine. But you can pick up the pieces afterwards." She turned away from me and faced Mitchell. "Mitch honey, while you were," she paused, "while you were asleep I began sleeping with William. I was going to end all of this with you but you seemed so lost without your sister around that I couldn't just..." She trailed off, not finishing her excuse. "I'm so sorry Mitchell, but I just don't love you anymore."