Page 34 of Only Ever You

Faye wasn’t prepared for Bash to talk about wanting children. His voice repeating those words swirled around and around in her chest and tugged her strings like a marionette.

“The view from one of my childhood bedroom windows was of the house next door,” she said, pulling herself out of those thoughts of how much she could picture the family Bash dreamed of as being hers. “So I hope you can one day give them this.”

Bash’s voice held so much uncertainty. “Is that … what you want as well?”

The answer wasn’t simple. It never had been.

“With the right person … eventually. And if I never meet that man then I’ll do it by myself.” Thoughts of her childhood spent constantly moving back and forth between two homes came to dampen Faye’s hope. If she was going to marry, then she had to be certain her own children wouldn’t end up that way too. “Anything is better than watching your parents fall out of love.”

She didn’t realise Bash was behind her until his fingers brushed up and down her spine. She let herself lean into his comforting touch, and he let her sit with her thoughts without asking her to explain. Her feelings on marriage and starting a family in general weren’t unknown to him, but they were a sore spot in her heart that he inherently knew to only gently press upon.

They were quiet for a moment, watching the early sunset descending.

“Well,” Bash eventually cleared his throat, fairly quietly, “if you don’t find him, then there’s always our pact.”

“Our pact?”

“You offered to marry me not long ago.”

“Oh, that … ”Crap,she’d forgotten. Her tongue usually loosened when she was tipsy.Hadshe been tipsy that night afterSamuel’s? Faye didn’t think so, but it would explain why she felt an unpleasant urge to backpedal on what she’d said.

“That was an offer of companionship, Bash. If you want kids then … Well, you know … ” Her cheeks heated up at the thought ofhowthose kids might come about. Thattheywould have to …

The touch of his hand on the middle of her back became so powerful in overruling all logical thoughts.

“Faye Whittaker,” Bash intoned, “are you offering me sex, too?”

“Bash!” Faye all but squealed as she whacked his arm.

He twisted away out of her reach, laughing and smirking and looking too handsome with a devilish grin for his own good.

“You said it,” he argued.

“I’m not thinking about this and neither are you.” Faye shooed him.

She absolutely would nottalk about any kind of intimacy withBash. She wouldn’t eventhinkabout it. How would she be able to go downstairs and be in the same room as his parentsif she let those visions run away in her mind?

“Go on, leave me in peace. I want to wash the smell of the motorway off of my skin.”

Bash conceded gracefully, if not still smug. “The en-suite is there.” He gestured at a thin door she hadn’t noticed before then. “Towels and such are in a cupboard down the hall but everything should already be in there for you.”

“Thank you, Michèle.”

He tugged on his ear. “It was probably Dad, actually.”

“Thank you, Arthur.”

Bash backed up to leave. “Come down when you’re ready. I’m sureMaman’salready got the family photo albums out waiting for you with the croissants.”

“I wouldn’t want to miss those.” Faye already smelled the warmth of the pastry distantly floating up the stairs, and the chance to see baby Bash was exciting too.

Bash smiled lightly, arealsmile, and closed the door as he went.

Faye turned to the bed which was practically palatial and folded herself down forwards, groaning as her body stretched out on the mattress.

“I could get used to this,” she said to herself and the view.

* Sebby! Finally, you are here!

---