Quicklinks:
|
Great Writing - Home > Extended > Let no man put asunder - chapter 15
| READING ROOM | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| COMMUNITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| ABOUT GREAT WRITING | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| WORK AWAITING REVIEW |
|---|
|
| GW IS... |
|---|
|
Great Writing creative writing community is designed to prompt ideas
and provide inspiration and motivation within aspiring and amateur
authors. Whatever your topic; from love poetry to Doctor Who or Harry
Potter fan fiction, Great Writing's online writing group is where you
can make new friends and improve your creative writing. |
| WHO'S ONLINE |
|---|
| We have 1171 guests online |
Extended Work
| print friendly version | |
| Let no man put asunder - chapter 15 | |
| By LynB | ||
| 21 November 2006 | ||
|
Chapter 15 Eliza did as he asked, and just sat there in silence, as he relaxed in her arms, still holding on to her. As she glanced down at his tearstained face, she could see that he was fighting sleep, as his eyes slowly closed. He had stood up for her when her bullying ex boyfriend had attacked her, yet right now he seemed so vulnerable. Even though she did not know him, she desperately wanted to ease his pain – maybe through helping someone else, she could somehow cure the ache in her own heart. Suddenly, she began to feel desperately tired, but she did not have the heart to move him. Still, she could not stay here all night – besides, she was not in a particularly comfortable position. She made a tentative attempt to move him, and, as she did so, he stirred and his eyes flickered open. “No, Donna, don’t let go! Not yet!” “I’m not Donna” she whispered, her heart aching as his lips began to tremble. “I’m Eliza! You helped me – remember?” “Oh yes” he said, leaning back on the cushions, holding on to his aching injured arm. “I remember now! My wife threw me out, because I’m a head case who makes her life thoroughly miserable! It’s ironic, really – I saved you from that psycho, yet my own wife said she was scared of me! Every time she tries to hug me, I push her away, yet I let you hold me, and I don’t even know you! It doesn’t make sense, none of this makes sense!” “You always hurt the one you love” she whispered, gently taking hold of his hand. “Maybe in a way, you were testing her love for you – you wanted to see how far you could push her! I could be wrong, but that’s my theory, for what it’s worth!” “Oh God, Eliza! How did it come to this? We were so happy, but now it’s all gone so horribly wrong! Everything’s wrong….” He did not trust himself to say any more, and turned his face into the cushions, as he fought for his self control. Eliza gently kissed his hand, trying to hold back her own tears. “Try and sleep now, Jon” she said, softly. “We’re both tired. It’s amazing how different things will seem, after a good night’s sleep!” “I don’t have any trouble sleeping – it’s when I wake up that the problems start!” She sat there beside him, watching as he slowly drifted off to sleep. She thought of the ex who had so cruelly misused her, and made her feel so worthless. After she had finally plucked up the courage to end it, she had vowed to herself that she was finished with men for good. So why was she suddenly experiencing feelings she thought had died? She had only just met him, yet when she held him in her arms, she did not want to let him go. Just feeling his arms around her made her feel wanted again. It was wrong to feel like this, she knew that. He was a married man, and he was scared and vulnerable – she could not take advantage of that. Still, she could be his friend – there was nothing wrong in that. As far as she could see, friendship was something he needed right now – nothing more, nothing less. In the meantime, Donna lay awake, watching every hour go by. She began to look back over all the years she had spent with Jon – all the highs and the lows. God knows, there had been plenty of both. She recalled the time she had realised that, despite what she had told him, she wanted more than friendship. Their love had blossomed and grown deeper since that day, and it had weathered whatever life had thrown at them. There had been happy times – the births of their children, adopting little Emily, and all the times she had listened to him sing to audiences of thousands, her heart bursting with pride. There had been times of heartbreak, too – losing her first baby after colliding with another driver, who had pulled out in front of them, and the almost overwhelming grief. Then there was the post natal depression she had felt after David’s birth, which had threatened to tear them apart, and finally, Eileen’s tragic death. Jon had never forgotten the way in which he had found her – so cold and still. It had played on his mind, haunting him, until he had finally cracked, paralysed by grief. Before, they had got through the bad times together, but this time, Donna was fighting it alone. This time, she had to be the strong one, as Jon fought his inner demons, alternating between anger and tears. She had thought she could do it, because she loved him, but in the end it had proved too much. She was tired of fighting – she was tired, full stop. She was not going to beg him to hold her – she had more pride than that – yet knowing that he seemed incapable of loving her any more was more than she could bear. As morning arrived once more, she forced herself out of bed, and opened the curtains. The weather seemed to mirror her mood – it was cloudy and pouring with rain. She quickly washed and dressed, then set about getting the children up. Her routine was almost like a military operation. She had to get Emily and Rosie to school and Clare to pre-school. The only time she had to herself was when David took a nap mid morning. She braced herself for the inevitable awkward questions. As usual, Rosie was the first to speak up. “Where’s daddy?” she said, looking around. “I bet he’s still in bed – lazy git!” Emily was finding it very difficult not to laugh, and, despite herself, Donna found herself smiling at Rosie’s comical observation. She thought quickly – what might be a satisfactory explanation for Rosie and Clare, might not necessarily convince Emily. She did not want to tell them the truth just yet – she did not want them upset before they went to school. She wanted to give them time to take it all in. “Daddy had to leave early” she said, hoping she sounded convincing. “He’s got a doctor’s appointment. He hasn’t taken the car because I need it, so, as he’s got to walk, he left a little earlier than he might have done, so he wasn’t late.” “Is he poorly?” said Rosie, a look of concern crossing her face. “Why has he gone to the doctor? You only go to the doctor if you’re poorly!” “No, he’s not poorly at the moment, Rosie” replied Donna, trying to reassure her. “He’s gone to ask the doctor for some more medicine, in case he runs out! You’ll be able to see him when you get back from school!” “What does he need medicine for?” “It’s for hay fever” said Emily, glancing at her. “I thought you knew that! It’s….” “I know what it is!” said Rosie, indignantly. “When daddy gets it, he sneezes and sneezes until his face goes bright red, then he says a really naughty word! Yesterday he said ‘shit’! You told me off when I said ‘shit’, but you didn’t tell daddy off! That’s not fair – he’s old enough to know better!” As Donna sat there, helpless with laughter, for what seemed like the first time in months, Emily gave her a withering look. “Get a grip, mummy!” she said, as Donna tried to pull herself together. “We really ought to go now, otherwise we’ll be late!” Later on that morning, as she sat on the sofa with a hard-earned cup of tea, Donna heard a tap on the back door. She turned around to see Jon standing in the doorway. Her heart lurched when she noticed the bruising on his face, and his bandaged arm. She invited him to sit down, but he refused, saying that he wasn’t staying. “What on earth happened to you?” she said, her voice strained. “It’s a long story” he replied, suddenly realising how much his arm was beginning to ache. “I haven’t got time to tell you now, I’ve just come back for the rest of my clothes, then you won’t see me for dust. Anyway, little you bloody care what happened to me! You threw me out! Aren’t you going to ask me where I spent the night?” “To tell you the truth, Jon, I don’t really care!” she said, wearily, running her hands through her hair, and rubbing her eyes. “I’ve had enough! I tried my best to help, but in the end it was more than I could deal with!” “Well, don’t worry! I spent the night at a friend’s house. I spent the night on her sofa.” “Her? I thought you were going round Mike’s! Didn’t take you long, did it?” “It’s not like that, Donna! Her ex was giving her a hard time, and I stepped in. He decked me, then went for me with a knife! He was going for my face, but I put my arm up to protect myself, and….” His voice gave way, and he put his hand over his face, trying to regain his self-control. Donna did not approach him, but just waited patiently, until he was able to speak again. “Are you okay?” she said, softly. “Do you want a cup of tea?” “No, I’m not all right, and no, I don’t want a cup of tea! I want to get my clothes and get out of here! Anyway, I’ve got to get Eliza’s car back to her – she very kindly let me borrow it!” “Eliza, is it? Very generous of her, I’m sure! She’s letting you stay, is she?” “Yes, she is. Just as friends. She’s hurting, and so am I – we both need some company and a shoulder to cry on. That’s all there is to it! I don’t want any more than that – she knows that!” “Are you sure that’s all there is to it? Are you sure she doesn’t want more than friendship?” “Well, even if she does, she’s out of luck!” he said, disappearing upstairs for the rest of his things. “Because, believe it or not, Donna – I still love you! I know it’s pointless, but I – I still love you!” It was a long, tiring day, during which Donna had managed to buy more time by telling the girls that daddy was not coming home for a few days, because he had gone to visit nanny and granddad, as he had not seen them for a long time. When all the children were finally in bed, she settled down in front of the TV, glad of the chance to relax. It was the first time in months she had been able to truly relax, and she was going to make the most of it. She was just drifting off to sleep, when she heard the doorbell. Who the hell was that? Well, whoever it was, they could bugger off, she thought. The bell rang again – they were certainly persistent. Sighing, she got up to answer the door. She was surprised to see Steve standing there. “If you’d woken my kids up ringing that bloody doorbell, you’d be wearing your bits for a bobble hat!” she said, gesturing for him to come in. “It’s been a very trying day! What do you want?” “Just come to see how you are!” he replied, sounding hurt. “We didn’t really part on very good terms last time, did we? Where’s Jon?” “He’s gone!” she said, turning her back to hide the tears in her eyes. “I told him I couldn’t take any more, and I threw him out! He’s staying with a friend!” “I’m sorry, Donna!” he said, softly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You don’t deserve this! You tried your best to help him, and he threw it back in your face! You’ve nothing to reproach yourself for!” “I turned him away when he needed me most!” “No, you didn’t! He’d become impossible to live with! You had no other choice!” “I’m so tired, Steve!” she said, beginning to cry softly. “Tired of everything! It was just like having another child sometimes – trying to keep the peace! I never knew when he was going to go off the deep end, or start crying! Whenever I touched him, he shook me off, and I can’t remember the last time he hugged me! He says he loves me, but he never shows it! I can’t live like that, Steve! All I wanted was some affection, I just wanted to be looked after – I just wanted him to want me…” “Any man would want you!” said Steve, gently pushing her hair back from her face. “You’re beautiful, Donna! You’re generous, loving, giving – in fact, too giving! You’re giving all your love to a man who doesn’t seem to want it! You’re worth more than that….” Cupping her face in his hands, he began to kiss her slowly and tenderly. For a moment – just a moment – she found herself responding, then she angrily pushed him away. “Don’t you ever do that again!” she snapped, her eyes blazing. “How dare you take advantage of me!” “I’m not!” he whispered, huskily. “You wanted it just as much as I did!” “I didn’t!” she protested. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m still married to Jon!” “But he doesn’t want you!” pointed out Steve, in an uncharacteristically forthright manner. “I do – so where’s the problem? Come here!” Without waiting for an answer, he put his arms around her, and began to kiss her again. This time, she did not pull away, but responded with equal passion. It had been so long since she had been shown any affection – she could not remember the last time Jon had held her, and kissed her like he really meant it. Deep down, she felt it was wrong, but she could not help herself. When they finally broke apart, Steve looked at her, his eyes full of tenderness, and gently trailed his hand down her cheek. “God, I wanted to do that so badly!” he said, his voice a whisper. “I think I’m falling for you, Donna….” “But, Laura’s only just gone…” “In reality, she’s been gone for ages! Our relationship has been dying a slow death for God knows how long – we were living a lie! This isn’t a lie, this is different….” “I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to be in love! The last few months have been nothing but a constant battle, all we’ve done is fight…” Steve began to kiss her again, and, as things grew more heated, they both fell on to the sofa, unable to control themselves any longer. “Well” he said, huskily, as they broke apart to get their breath back. “Let me remind you……”
Only registered users can rate and write comments. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
||
 Previous item
|
Next item
|
|---|