How to Catch Butterflies (7 page)

Once he had found out what he did to Rebecca. He had thrown his son through a door, which Rebecca thought hilarious as he was only a small man. David towered over him, and he was supposed to be very sick. She tried not to smile at the words as they came out of Carol’s mouth.

Rebecca thought of their Dad, he was such a lovely gentleman and she too adored him. With that in mind she composed herself before she spoke.

“Okay Carol, if David replaces everything, and I mean everything he’s broken, I will drop the charges.....But! ....I’m giving him ‘til 7pm tomorrow. That’s the deal and I suggest your brother takes it.” Rebecca made her way to the door she opened it and turned to Carol,

“Oh and Carol I understand about your dad.” Carol looked sheepish, “I just think that it’s a really low blow using your dad like that,” she pointed to her chest.

“I’m the innocent one here and you’re around here asking me to drop the charges against your brother. Are you blind? Can you see what he’s done to me? Our home?” She said her arms wide displaying the carnage her brother had caused. Carol hung her head with shame. She hadn’t been able to look Rebecca in the eye since she came in. She scurried out the door feeling very ashamed of herself and her stupid moronic idiot of brother.

As Rebecca closed the door; she leaning against it and cried.

Chapter 5

‘Landslide’

Rebecca had taken a week off work. She really couldn’t cope with the thought of her staff seeing her in a state like this; all battered and bruised. Hopefully one week would be enough time for the swelling to go down and the bruises to fade. The day dragged on pretty much how she expected as the hours merged together.

At 7p.m. the doorbell rang. She jumped, her heart leaping out of her chest. Genie Mac surely he wouldn’t have the audacity come to the door? David surely wasn’t that brave. She went to the main front entrance and opened the door.

She was shocked to see who it was once she had opened the door. It was Jason, David’s best friend with his cheeky chappie smile which he was well known for
.
It instantly fell when he saw Rebecca; he certainly wasn’t expecting to see what he did and was visibly shocked.

He walked in holding some big cardboard boxes, which he nearly dropped with the disbelief of seeing her.

“Careful” Rebecca said “They’re supposed to be replacements,” she nervously laughed as she ushered Jason into the flat.

She felt sorry for poor Jason who was normally a ‘chatty life and soul of the party’ guy. Jason was for once, lost for words. There was an awkward silence which they both recognized straight away. It was Rebecca who spoke first as she walked towards the door. Jason picked up the cue, he too was speechless.

He wanted to say something, but could think of anything worthy. What could he say? He headed for the door.

“I’m sorry Becs. I don’t know what to say or do. God I feel awful. I...”

“Don’t Jason” she said, cutting him off midsentence.

“I know it’s a bloody mess”, Rebecca looked down feeling embarrassed knowing how she looked.

She looked up at him trying not to make direct eye contact with him. And that’s when she saw David, sitting in Jason’s car. He was looking very sorry for himself.

Her heart lurched. He’d seen her. He instantly hung his head in shame in his hands when he saw the state of Rebecca. Her heart pounded so loud she thought Jason would hear it.

“I...I have to go,” she said and slammed the front door leaving Jason standing there hands in his jean pockets. It was only after she had closed the door to her flat that her tears flowed. Seeing him made her feel awful and somewhat confused. She was angry with herself. She couldn’t still have feelings for him, could she?

It was Friday evening when things had started to seem more normal she had found her groove and was getting used to the quietness of her home. She had only just the day before been to the Police station to drop the charges. They did strongly advise her not to drop the charges, as they took Domestic Violence very seriously and they were recommending prosecution. She had explained to the officer in charge the situation about the sick father and really that she needed the goods replaced. Above all that, it was the fact that she really didn’t want to have to relive that night
ever
again, especially in a court of law.

When her doorbell rang that evening, she could feel the fear take hold of her, she instantly thought it was David. ‘
He’s got nerve, cheeky fucker to come around here
” again assuming it was David. All along, her heart started banging in her chest. Rebecca looked down at her hands they were shaking. She hated to admit it but she was scared of him. So with a little bit of courage she had suddenly found, she peeked through the corner of her curtains.

Thankfully it was Jason and a wave of relief rushed over her. Baffled as to why Jason was back, she went and opened the main entrance door. Rebecca ushered him inside while she quickly checked to see if David was there outside. Rebecca relaxed when she saw there was no sign of him and closed the door behind her, following after Jason into the sitting room.

As usual Jason made his way to the couch to ‘his spot’ as he called it and sat down.

“Coffee Jase?” She asked as she made her way to the kitchen (thankfully she had been out to buy the essentials like cups, plates, and glasses. She had fun in purchasing her new start as she called it.) “Nah,” he said. “I’ve a bottle of wine instead. Do you have any glasses?” He called.

She laughed as she brought the ‘still’ boxed glasses into the room

“Funny enough Jase, I do.” She laughed placing them down on the coffee table in front of them, as she did she saw the two boxed gifts Jason had left there.

”It’s not from him, is it Jase?” she asked suddenly feeling sick.

“No Becs, it’s from me.” He replied.

“You?” She enquired still puzzled “Why? What for?” as she sat down she looked at him bewildered.

“Open it,” he said handing her the boxes. “But first let me pour us a glass of wine while you deal with these”, handing her the gifts. She opened the boxes and was surprised and touched to see an IPod and docking station

“It’s charged and ready to go I put all your music on there. It’s got all your favourites ‘ Fleetwood’, everything you love. I saw he didn’t replace those and I know how much you love your music… you’re like me,” he said a big smile on his gorgeous face. Rebecca was astonished. “Jase, I can’t take these,” she said. “You didn’t have to do this.”

This was typical of Jason. He was always so kind and thoughtful, and he always was when it came to her.

“I know,” he said as he flashed his cheeky smile her way while plugging in the docking station. After selecting her favorite Fleetwood and pressed play. He turned and sat back on the sofa and they listened to the music for a moment. Jason then turned to Rebecca.

“Becs I’m sorry,” he hung his head trying to find the right words.

“Don’t apologize for him,” she said with sincerity. “It was David who did this, NOT you.”

“No,” he softly said, as he took her hand in his.

“NO Becs,” he said again. “I’m sorry I let you let go of my hand all those years ago,” and with that he leaned gently towards Rebecca and pressed his soft warm lips on hers.

‘Landslide’ sung by Stevie Nicks was already playing when she found herself kissing him back. He knew it was one of her favorite tracks. He had bought the album for her the previous year for her birthday.

It was only after the song was finished that she pulled away from him and quickly composed herself.

“I can’t do this Jason. It’s not right.” She was racked with guilt. “It’s too soon and YOU’RE best friends. This situation is already messy enough without us complicating it even more.”

Plus it went against everything she stood for with regards to loyalty. She had stood up to try and distance herself from him. She had enjoyed his soft kisses too much and didn’t trust herself if she sat down again beside him. No, she wasn’t this kind of girl.

“Becs, I have feelings for you. I always have. You must have known that?” Jason implored.

But she hadn’t. She had always been so infatuated, loyal, to David she had
never
looked at anyone else. Don’t get me wrong Jason was gorgeous, dashingly handsome in fact and well groomed. He never had problems in the lady department. He was very good looking; striking in fact. Girls used to ask him if he was a male model, which the lad’s took the Mickey out of him.

He was far better looking than David and that’s why she had let his hand go that night. Because she had stupidly thought
he
would have been the troublesome one out of the two. ‘
God what a fool I am’
she thought.

She did know one thing and that was if she had gone with Jason that night her life would have been very different to the life she had just lived and was now living.

They sat and talked till it was late. When she awoke the next morning on the couch, Jason had his arms wrapped around her. They had obviously fallen asleep at some point. She didn’t want to move not because she didn’t want to wake Jason but because she missed the closeness of someone holding her. It had been too long, she couldn’t even remember the last time David and her had woken up like this. Jason awoke and gave her a little squeeze.

“Morning gorgeous,” he said. “Want some coffee?”

He jumped up throwing the make shift covers of the fur throw he had used from the back of the couch as a blanket and headed towards the kitchen. Rebecca’s eye’s followed him.
‘God he is fit’
she thought. She heard him put on the kettle and when it had boiled he started pouring. She got up starting to make her way to the kitchen, but she was met by Jason at the kitchen door carrying two coffee mugs. He passed by her setting down the mugs on the coffee table in front of them. Rebecca sat back down. He picked up the glasses from the night before and he headed back towards the kitchen and started to wash them out. ‘
God David would never have done that. Fuck I hate David! God I hate thinking about him,
’ she thought, before she had even finished that thought Jason had returned to the couch and was reaching for his coffee.

Once he had finished his, he asked Rebecca if he could take a shower. Which actually was a perfectly normal thing that he done countless times when he stayed over.

When he finished, he came back down into the sitting room. He was wearing just his usual towel wrapped around him. The bugger always had water dripping and he constantly made a play for the couch. Rebecca would often come down from bed on a Saturday or Sunday to find him there normally lying on her couch wrapped in a towel from a shower, eating her out of house and home listening to music and nine times out of ten it would be ‘Fleetwood’.

She always shoved him off the couch shouting that he’d ruin it with the dripping water.