Page 97 of The Rest is History
She comes home with me after the barbecue and I know I should speak to her, but I can’t. Because, in the worst timing of all time, she’s just met my whole family and the mutual appreciation society is well and truly established.
They are going to have my guts for this.
So instead of talking to her like I should, I take her to bed and I worship her body. Running my nose and mouth down over her smooth skin. Finding her centre and using my tongue to make her crazy. Driving into her so deep it feels physically impossible. Trying to make my mark. To leave something behind.
I’ll speak to her at school tomorrow. My strong, two-term track record tells me I’m far better at boxing off my feelings there than I am when I have her here, in my home. In my bed.
Because when she’s here, it’s too easy to believe that she’s right where she belongs.
CHAPTER 36
Elodie
‘Can I talk to you later?’ Charlie asks me as I prepare to make my way to my classroom for morning registration. We’ve driven in together, and he’s been quiet, even for him. He was quiet last night, too, when we got home, though that’s not a huge surprise. I suspect massive, noisy family gatherings take it out of him.
Though this gathering certainly didn’t take so much out of him that he was unable to perform last night. Quite the opposite. He was like a man possessed when he got me into bed. I swear I’ve never been so adored in my life.
The L-word is so close to bursting out of me it’s a physical effort to keep it in.
‘Of course.’ I lean down and brush a kiss over his lips. ‘Lunch?’
‘I’m supervising batting practice at lunch. I’ll come find you at the end of the day. Maybe we can go for a walk by the river.’
‘Sounds perfect,’ I say dreamily. ‘Later, honey.’
I don’t see much of him during the day, except in passing in our office between periods. The kids are all on good form today, after a week off school. It seems like every single family went somewhere glamorous and hot. Is it normal for that many children to have been to the Amalfi Coast?
Zara and I take our salads outside at lunch and watch batting practice in the nets. There’s something for everyone here: I get to ogle Charlie’s delicious forearms and she gets to ogle Pete Gibbs’ pert backside.
‘How’s it going with Pete?’ I ask as I stuff a forkful of salad in my mouth.
She shrugs. ‘Okay. We went out for a drink on Friday.’
‘What?How did I not know that?’
‘Because it was really last minute. And it wasn’t just the two of us. I saw him in the cafeteria and he asked me if I fancied grabbing a drink with him and some of the other teachers later that night.’
I stare. ‘And how was it?’
‘It was good. He’s cute. And he walked me back to the bus stop and kissed the breath right out of me. He’s a really good kisser.’ She picks at the edge of her pita bread. Those strawberry nails are still going strong.
‘That’s great. So why aren’t you more excited?’
She sighs. ‘I’ve been asking myself that all weekend. Like, he’s extremely hot. Great body. His bum was off the charts when I got a feel of it. Really handsome. Sweet. Friendly. I don’t know. He’s just a bit… basic. I’d shag him, don’t get me wrong, but I think you and Charlie are spoiling me for life.’
I laugh. ‘What the hell do you mean?’
‘Come on. You’re both so madly in love it’s ridiculous. You light up each other’s lives. I want something like that. With Pete, it’s just a bit average, that’s all. He’s a fun distraction at school. But honestly, outside of school I don’t really think about him.’
‘Oh.’ I slump. ‘That’s a shame.’ I sneak a sideways look at her. She’s looking gorgeous as always: blonde and sun kissed and chic. She’s smart and hilarious. She’ll make some guy count his lucky stars. I recall Charlie telling me that Philly Willy made some cryptic comments about Zara recently. It would be the most random match ever, but then I thought she’d go for it with Pete, so what do I know?
‘Have you ever thought about going for someone a bit more… grown up?’ I ask her.
She looks up at me. ‘Like who?’
‘I don’t know.’ I pretend to think. ‘Someone like Phil. Just as an example.’
She laughs, shocked. ‘Phil as in Philly Willy? The nickname’s a bit of a dealbreaker, surely?’
