Page 79 of The Rest is History
‘Yeah. I know. But he also said—and bear in mind this is minutes after he pulled out of me—that we had no future, and he didn’t deserve me, and he couldn’t make me happy or give me what I want.’
‘Fuck’s sake,’ she says. ‘That’s seriously bad post-coital etiquette.’
‘Tell me about it. I called him out on it, and he said he didn’t mean it like that. More like he’s always told himself we had no future, but now he can’t walk away… I don’t know. He’s definitely in some kind of turmoil, so I’ve just asked him to keep an open mind. I mean, if he hadn’t said that stuff, I’d be feeling pretty good about us, because apart from that, he hasn’t put a foot wrong this week. He came here, after all. Into the lion’s den.’
She’s silent for a moment. ‘Sounds like insecurity. Has he had a bad breakup, maybe?’
‘Try a bad divorce.’
‘Ah. Kids?’
‘God, no. I assume he would have mentioned if they’d had kids.’
‘So what went down?’
‘Don’t know, exactly. But I’m going to find out.’
CHAPTER 30
Charlie
‘Ithink I should tell her,’ Elodie says as we walk along the corridor to the History office. It’s Monday morning and we’ve arrived at school together. I drove her back to her sister’s house to grab some clothes after we left her family last night. Because, while I know I have no long-term future with this woman, I’m extremely clear on the fact that in the near term, I can’t let her out of my sight.
Or my bed.
‘That’s fine. I’ll leave you to it and go talk to Phil.’
I may feel hopeless on the outlook for us as a couple, but while I’m romantically involved with Elodie, I’m intent on doing this by the book, and that means alerting Phil to our relationship status.
I look behind us to check we’re still alone and slip a couple of fingers inside the collar of the blouse I got her. God, it turns me on knowing I can get it off her later. Pull on that bow like I so desperately wanted to last week.
I may have done a few test runs on the pulling front this morning as she was getting dressed, sliding my hands inside the silk and around her neck as I kissed her hungrily.
My heart sank this weekend every time I thought about going back to school and to the working week, but I’ve fucking loved this morning.
Bringing her an espresso in bed.
Taking it outside with us to watch the sunrise from my terrace. Turns out, we’re both naturally early risers.
Showering with her. Yes, there were happy endings all around.
Watching her get dressed in my bedroom, and getting in the way of said dressing process.
Driving her to work in my car.
It felt normal. Like this was what we did. Like we were a couple.
I had no ideanormalcould feel so good.
I pull her in and kiss her on the cheek. She turns her face so our mouths brush. ‘This weekend was thebest,’ she whispers.
My stupid heart gallops behind my ribs. ‘It really was.’
I release her and gesture for her to walk through the office door. Zara’s beaten us to it, which is unheard of, though it’s also unheard of for me to have a beautiful woman to unwrap in my bedroom, bringing new potential to the phraseearly morning workoutand inevitably delaying my arrival at school.
‘Hey, guys.’ She twists around in her chair and smiles brightly. I pretend that Zara’s relentless chirpiness pisses me off, but thank God for her. The past few months would have been brutal for Elodie if she’d been alone with me and my dark moods and relentless sexual frustration. ‘Good weekend?’
Elodie and I exchange glances.
