Un-Break my Heart: Book 2 (The Heart Trilogy) (16 page)

Chapter 25

James hoped that Stephanie wouldn’t mind Jester coming to stay. He was hoping they could rediscover the lakes in the forest where they had gone on a date years ago. As he drove towards Ross it felt as though the years were peeling away. Ever since Stephanie had returned to his life it had put a new spring in his step. He had left at lunchtime so that he could listen to her show as he drove and it also meant that he should arrive just after she got home.

In the studio I watched the time tick by so slowly, every three minute song seemed to last six as I thought about seeing James again. It reminded me of the anticipation I always used to feel, a tickle that would start in my belly and spread throughout my body making me ultra sensitive to even a single note of music. How could I start to convey that to James as he travelled to meet me? I knew he would be listening to my show and I wanted my last song to be especially for him. I had been wracking my brain and my music collection to find the perfect song and it had suddenly come to me. As I lined up my final song of the show I smiled.

“Once again it’s almost time to hand you over to Ian for the afternoon but I would like to play this final song for James”

             
“Baby, baby I’m taken by the notion

              To love you with the sweetest of devotion”

The lovely, upbeat tune “Baby, Baby by Amy Grant” filled the studio and as I slipped my ear phones off I sang along to the lyrics as they filled me with hope for my future.

With a final check of my emails I forwarded some to my home email as they were from Greg. I wanted to get home before James arrived so that I could have a quick shower and a final check that the house was clean and tidy. Pulling into the driveway I entered the house and immediately looked at the gap on the wall, realising that I would need a new photograph there to hide it. Dashing upstairs I checked my phone and jumped into the shower, it was just a quick one as the droplets of water just seemed to aggravate my already nervous expectation of seeing James again.

I was soon downstairs in some more new additions to my wardrobe, a pair of tight black jeans and an off the shoulder jumper that revealed a hint of my bra strap beneath. Quickly I reached for a wine glass and poured a glass and took it to my favourite seat in the conservatory. The trees that lined the bottom of the garden had just started to turn from green to shades of deep red. I thought it would be great to take a walk in the forest at some point during James’ stay, possibly return to our past by the lake. A place that I guessed now held memories for my daughter too.

In the background the music from my stereo played, I hardly ever turned on the television when it was just me in the house. The beats echoed through the empty rooms and I turned up the volume so that I could hear the deep, soulful voice of the only constant in my life…George Michael. His lyrics spoke to me of love, heartbreak, loss, salvation, joy and hope and I absorbed them all into my heart and soul. I was so lost in the music that I didn’t hear the engine in the driveway or the doorbell; it was the bark that startled me from my revere. Jester bounded across the wood floor and then slid to a halt at my feet, behind him came James.

“He spoilt my stealthy entry” James sighed, crossing the kitchen. Jester turned to look at him, as if he had done something wrong. James lent down and stroked his head and then turned to me.

“Do you always leave your front door unlocked and have the music so loud that any stranger could walk in” he asked, arching his eyebrows in a wry grin.

“Well, thank goodness you’re not a stranger” I replied.  As Jester padded around the kitchen sniffing at all the new objects available I was able to step into James waiting embrace.

Looking up into his eyes I watched in slow motion as his lips came down to meet mine in a tender first kiss. As it deepened his arms gripped me tighter, which was a good thing as my legs were starting to quake beneath me. The seventeen year old girl trapped inside of me let her inhibitions go into free fall as she found the twenty one year old guy who had always been The One. Eventually we parted and just stared at each other once more, almost through new eyes.

“Would you like a drink” I asked, the passion had put a slight tremor into my voice.

“Sure, beer if you have one” James replied, also clearly affected by the force field that surrounded us. James walked across to the French doors and opened them to let Jester run out into the garden.

“I think he likes it here” I said, watching the dog rush manically around the perimeter, leaving his mark on the various trees and shrubs and then lying down for a roll in the grass.

“I hope you don’t mind him being here but my parents are away at friends. Darren is not home much now and I didn’t want Mitch and Charlie to worry whilst they were at their dance recording as I know they can go on for a while” James said. He took the cold beer from my grasp and after a quick mouthful he turned back to me.

“So what do you have planned for my stay” he asked, his cheeky grin played around the corner’s of his mouth.

“I said we’d meet Sarah and Chris at the pub down by the river for drinks later then grab some food on the way home tonight. As Jester is here I think we should fit in some walks when I’m not at work” I said.

“Sounds good, I have somewhere in mind” he smiled.

“I think it’s the same place I do”

“So I think I’d better get my bag and all of Jester’s things out of the car” James said, putting his half empty bottle of beer down on the worktop. I followed him out and between the two of us we found a snug corner in the kitchen for Jester’s bed and then headed up the stairs to my room…well our room now but for how long?

He pulled me close once more

“So I think we have a bit of time before we need to go out” he said. He slipped his hands beneath the hem of my top and found my skin, hot beneath his touch. I reflected his move with my own as we peeled off the layers of clothing that separated us and then in slow motion we fell onto the cool covers of the duvet. His fingers drew complex patterns onto my skin; my lips in return weaved their magic spell on his body. We were like single stars in a constellation that drew our love in the sky. As the evening faded into darkness we shot across the sky and then fell back down to earth together.

We left the radio playing in the house for Jester and wandered out into the night. Taking my hand in his we wound our way towards the lights of the town and then along the riverside. Despite the early hour the pub was buzzing but we managed to find a table and then I sent Sarah a text telling her where to find us in the crowds. They arrived half an hour later and James joined Chris at the bar whilst Sarah weaved her way through to the table. Sitting down next to me I turned and kissed her quickly.

“How are you, hun” I asked.

“Better thanks, we’ve made up now so that’s a relief” Sarah breathed, although deep in her eyes I could still detect the feeling of failure that lay there.

“You are looking radiant” she continued.

“I know, this week has been amazing so far and it’s only Wednesday” I replied, spotting the guys making their way back to the table.

As the smooth cold liquid ran down my throat I took a moment to savour life and how it suddenly seemed to be falling into place again. There was a moment of silence that fell between us as we all tried to decide what to talk about.

“So Steph, Sarah tells me you’ve got a promotion to celebrate” Chris said.

“I know, I could hardly believe it when Greg offered me the chance to be the station manager for their new studio’s i
n
Birmingham” I replied. I felt James’ hand on my thigh beneath the table as he squeezed slightly and I could feel his happiness too.

“Its great news, so when do you start” Sarah asked.

“The station goes live on the 1
s
t
December but I think I’ll probably start sooner than that as I have to recruit staff too” I replied “Although Leon from the Sunday show is coming on board so I’ll probably give him the morning show if he wants it”

“It will be great hearing Steph broadcasting in my area” James said.

“You’ll be great, but it’s going to be a long commute each day” Chris said, watching the reaction between James and myself.

“I think Steph has a room at my house if she wants it” James grinned. For a second the sounds in the pub faded away and I was only aware of the two of us staring into each other’s eyes.

“We haven’t really discussed all that yet as I still have to tel
l
Charlott
e
the news” I replied.

“So where is she” Chris replied.

“Dancing with Mitchell, they’re in a video for some rap star but they’ll be back down on Sunday” James said.

“Wow, so our quiet little god-daughter is going to be famous” Chris breathed, sharing a poignant look with Sarah. I could feel their anguish at their childless state and pondered again if there was any way that I could help them.

“I’m sure she won’t forget her favourite Uncle and Aunt” I said.

We all took a moment to think about what it would be like if Charlie and Mitch did somehow manage to hit the big time with their dancing.

“Another drink anyone” James asked.

“Yes and some crisps, I’m starving” I replied.

Chris stood up and they headed to the bar together. There was still a small edge of tension between the two of them that I hoped would disappear soon. Sarah moved round the table to sit next to me.

“I need to talk to you with a suggestion but perhaps after the weekend will be soon enough” Sarah said, cryptically.

“Ok, we’ll arrange something for next week” I replied, curious to know what my best friend had in mind.

The evening flew by as we all reminisced about the past and our teenage years. I heard stories about James that I hadn’t heard in a long time and some that I never knew about. I wasn’t the only one as Sarah raised her eyebrows once or twice and we howled with laughter listening to how they had skived football practice to go to a Madness concert. When we eventually decided it was time to leave we headed out of the pub together. We walked part of the way back and then Sarah and Chris left us in the take away. Eating the hot chips on the way home it really did feel like we had turned back time.

Jester greeted us at the door and James let him out into the garden as I grabbed us another drink and put the small heater on to take the chill off the conservatory. The sky outside the windows was midnight black, stars scattered across the blackness like diamonds they sparkled.

“The offer is there for you” James said, harking back to the conversation in the pub.

“Thank you, but I’m worried this is all going too fast sometimes” I replied.

“Come on, don’t you think we’ve wasted enough time apart. Stephanie please come and live with me” James said softly.

Climbing the stairs together later James noticed the gap on the wall.

“You didn’t have to remove all trace of your husband” he said.

“I did it for me really, I couldn’t bear to keep seeing the love in his eyes that I just couldn’t share” I muttered, wanting to move away from talk of my past. James realised my reticence and didn’t say anymore, just steered me to the door of the bedroom. Gently he started to remove my clothes and we were soon naked in each other’s arms. Sliding beneath the bedcovers we continued to caress each other, we hadn’t forgot all the little things we both enjoyed when we had been a couple before.

As the moonlight danced beams of light into the darkened room I leant into James’ embrace.

“Your job offer is fate telling us that we need to be together” he said.

“I know but I’m scared”

“Scared of what”

“Scared that all this happiness will just end somehow, that’s what always happens” I whispered.

“But this is the beginning of our happily ever after” James whispered back “Remember that I promised you till the end of time and this time I mean it, even if I have to tell you every second of every minute of every day that we are together” he said. He turned my head so that our eyes met and I knew then that every word he had said was the truth. I just hoped that I was good enough for him and his promise.

Pausing to kiss each other I pulled back and maintained eye contact.

“You realise that my daughter is going to be over the moon when she hears the news” I said, grinning at James.

“I think my son will be joining her there too” James replied “Now are we going to sleep or do I need to get you really tired”

I tried to fake a snore but it didn’t work as he ran his fingers down my side and then started to tickle until I retaliated. He kissed me all over and then turned me over so that I was on my hands and knees and he could take me from behind. As he thrust into me I gripped him tightly as my orgasm began to ripple outwards from deep inside me. I knew James felt it as he tensed ever so slightly and then I felt his heat fill me.