Die for You

Chapter 43

I was going by mum's maiden name when I was there, I didn't want any of the shit I got at Cheltenham Ladies, so she didn't know who I was. She certainly didn't realize I was the daughter of a multi-millionaire arms dealer. Anyway, we dated for a while, I held back because I wanted her to prove herself to me; you know, convince me she was serious. Finally though, I gave in. She was my first and we spent a wonderful night together... Anyway, it was all fucking bullshit, and in the morning she was gone and she never returned one of my calls."

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and I placed my hands onto those dangling legs soothingly.

"Anyway three days later, I saw her around campus with one of the freshers. To make matters worse, it was a man as well. I had no idea she was bi, no idea at all. I realized then that she really wasn't in love with me the way she said she was, that the minute she got what she wanted, she was off to her next conquest."

She paused and sighed, the sound was almost heartbreaking, as if she was emptying herself with this little story, which in a way, I guess, she was. "I really did think she loved me, you know. I thought we had a connection. Turns out that all she was interested in was the chase. Once she had me, I was old news and time to move on."

"That's shit, babe," I told her, kicking myself for the stupidity of the phrase, she knew it was shit. Of course she did.

"Yeah, it was. Fucked me up for a while... more than a while actually. That's when I met Joanna and she turned me around, gave me a desire to help people that felt as bad as I did."

"Give me her name and she's dead," I said with feeling, hating this unnamed girl with a passion for fucking up the wonderful person I'd come to know.

"No need," she replied with a wry smile. "I told Richie about it once when he came to visit, when we were getting along, that is. We got drunk one night and it all came out, he wasn't best pleased."

"I can imagine," I laughed running my hands up and down her bare calves. "I get the feeling that this girl regretted her actions."

"Just a little. Richie got me to burn her at her graduation, I totally tore her apart... in public, too. I got payback in a big way. I guess that was the birth of the bitch, the one that's defensive andhateful and, well... jealous."

"Look, Bec, I'm sorry too, I'm sorry that I said you were like Amanda, I was angry... I was angry because it hurt that you didn't trust me. I was angry because I care. But you don't have to be jealous, Bec, not of me, not like that, not because of some stupid fucking girls in a lunch queue. I love you too much to fuck you over, especially for something that cheap."

I felt the cool waters of that small hotel pool cover my head as I was ducked under the water by the flailing figure. I managed to take a fleeting gasp of air just before I was pulled under and a pair of lips pressed against mine. As we hit the bottom, I opened my eyes and saw, through the watery blur, a vision of ginger hair surrounding me like the tentacles of an octopus, drawing me in. Finally, I kicked with my legs and pushed us both to the surface, having to fight to keep us afloat as Becky's legs were wrapped around my waist, her arms around my neck. 

Taking a breath, as her lips briefly released me, I used my arms to scull us down to the shallow end where I could finally stand and rest my legs.

"You know the rules say 'no petting', don't you?" I told her as she buried her head into my shoulder, holding me tightly.

"Fuck the rules," she replied, her voice echoing around the bare building.

"I think you've ruined your clothes, too."

"Fuck my clothes as well," came the amused reply. I felt the vice like grip around my neck ease as she leaned back, her hands coming up to my cheeks, her fingers caressing my cheek.