More Than Just Friends

Chapter Three

When I arrived at work on Monday, I couldn't concentrate or relax at all. Today was the day that he was telling Becky.
     Sex with Frankie was the best sex I have ever had, and I couldn't get enough of him even though my head was screaming at me to stop it.
     I spent the whole day at work wondering whether Frankie had told Becky yet. Would he ring me after he had told her? Surely Becky would ring me straight after he dumped her.

Just as I left the building to go home, my phone started to ring in my bag. I stopped in my tracks and my heart started to beat faster. Who would it be? I took my phone out of my bag to see Becky's name flashing up on my screen. This is it. I took a deep breath and connected the call.
     "Hello?"
     "Lau... Lauren, my..."
I could barely hear her through her wracking sobs. He's told her then. My heart pounded more. I didn't know what to say.
     "Becky, I..." I started.
     "My dad." She sobbed.
     "What?"
     "My... d... dad. He..." she couldn't talk.
     "I've just left work. Come around to mine and we will talk properly." I hung up.
I rushed back home to my flat and let myself in, wondering how long it would take Becky to get here.
     Less than ten minutes later, there was a knock at my door. I rushed to open it to see Frankie holding a distraught Becky in his arms. I looked at him with wide eyes wondering what was going on as he navigated Becky towards my living-room.
     "What's happened?" I sat down next to Becky and put my arm around her shoulders to comfort her.
     "I will get her a glass of water." Frankie offered and headed off into my kitchen.
So, he hasn't told her about us or broken up with her. If he had then I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be in my flat right now.
     Frankie returned a minute later with a glass of water and held it out to Becky who accepted it gratefully but still couldn't talk. Her shoulders wrenched up and down with her sobs.
     "Will someone tell me what's going on? All I could make out was the word dad on the phone."
Becky sobbed harder, the water glass in her hand shaking. I gently took it from her and placed it down on my coffee table. I looked towards Frankie who was rubbing his beard wearily.
     "It's Becky's dad. He's had a heart attack." He informed me.
I know Becky's dad. I had had dinner at Becky's parents' house many times with us being such good friends for years and I even lived there at some point. Becky's mum and dad treated me as their own as my mum and dad were always busy with work and were barely around. He is a lovely man; protective, kind, loving. Becky was the apple of his eye as an only child. He worshipped her.
     "Oh, Bec, I'm so sorry. Is he going to be ok? Why aren't you at the hospital?" I asked her, putting my head against hers.
     "Laur... he died instantly." Frankie muttered quietly.
     "What?"
I sat in shock looking at Frankie with Becky sobbing next to me.
     "It happened this afternoon while we were at work. Becky got the call and there was just nothing that the ambulance could do. He was pronounced dead at the scene." Frankie spoke gravely.
    "Oh, god, this is awful. I'm so sorry." I hugged Becky to me again, her tears splashing over my arm. "What's happening now? Where's her mum?" I asked Frankie.
     "They have taken him to the chapel of rest so she's there. I'm taking Becky there in a minute. I just thought she could do with a friend first." Frankie grimaced at me and I knew he was thinking the same as me; we are both terrible people.
Another pang of guilt stabbed me fiercely right in the gut.
     "I'm always here for you, Bec." I whispered into her ear as her head still rested against mine.
     "We better get going, Bec. Your mum will need you." Frankie offered his hand out to her.
She pulled away from me and slowly took Frankie's hand. I helped her to stand and she threw her arms around me, sobbing into my shoulder.
     "I love you, thank you." She whispered.
     "Call me anytime, please." I begged her.
Then they were gone. I sat back down onto my sofa in disbelief. I couldn't believe that her dad had died. I only spoke to him a couple of months ago. Poor Becky... she was an absolute wreck.
     I headed to my kitchen and poured myself a large glass of wine. What a day! I flopped back down on my sofa and quickly drained the glass. I got back up to retrieve the bottle of wine from the fridge instead and carried it back to the living-room, pouring myself another large glass.
     I sat on my sofa shaking my head then jumped slightly as a knock on my door sounded out. I got up and headed to the peephole. It was Frankie with his head down, looking at his feet.
     "What are you doing here?" I asked, as soon as I opened the door to him.
     "We need to talk."
He sounded upset, worried and annoyed. I stepped back to let him into my flat. He didn't go any further than my hallway. I shut the door and stood in front of him. He ran his hands through his thick hair and sighed deeply.
     "Where's Becky? Why aren't you with her?"
     "I've just left her to have some time alone with her mum. I said I would pick her up later."
     "Ok. Come into the living-room."
     "I can't. It will just make this harder. I can barely look at you as it is. I'm sorry." Frankie muttered.
     "What for?" I questioned.
    "Today, I was planning on picking Becky up from work. I was going to tell her that it was over. But she rang me in tears before I was about to set off. I panicked thinking she had found out about you. I went to her work and she told me about her dad."
     "So, you didn't break up with her?"
     "No. I didn't have chance. And now I can't."
I understood completely but it still didn't make me feel any better.
     "Oh." I muttered.
I didn't know what else to say.
     "Please understand."
     "I do. You can't dump her the same day her father dies." I told him.
Even I'm not that heartless but when would it ever be the right time now? Three days after, a week, a month? Becky would be heartbroken for a long time.
     "I know. As much as it kills me, I have to stay with her and support her for a while." Frankie muttered, his head dropping down onto his chest again.
     "Hey. It's ok." I tilted his chin up to look at me.
It wasn't ok.
     "I'm so sorry, Laur."
I looked into those beautiful deep brown eyes of his and saw his anguish. He was torn. I felt terrible for him. All I wanted to do was throw my arms around him and tell him that everything would be ok soon, but I couldn't tell him that if I didn't know that it would be.
I didn't know if it would ever be ok again. Ever.
     "Listen, Frankie, we have waited a couple of weeks. We can wait a little longer to be together."
     "Are you sure?"
     "Yes."
     "You are an amazing girl, Lauren Smith, do you know that?" He stepped closer towards me.
     "Don't Frankie. Not today. Like you said, it will make this harder. Nothing else can happen between us while Becky is going through this. We both need to support her now. I know what we are doing isn't fair on her, but this is even worse."
Frankie nodded but looked gutted, "I understand but that will be hard as hell. I better get back."
I managed to smile lightly at him, "Speak soon?"
     Frankie nodded again and lightly ran his finger down my arm causing goose bumps to erupt all down my arm. Then he was gone.
     I slid down my hallway wall and sobbed into my hands. I feel like I just watched my life walk out of the door. I did just watch him walk out of the door and I didn't know when we would ever be together again.