“Great. Erm, you sound a little stressed, do you want me to pick up groceries? I can cook.”
She’s so sweet. She’s adorably sweet. Fucking hell, I really like her. I don’t want to let her go. Maybe this isn’t the best time, but is anything ever perfect? Would there ever be a right time for this to happen? As long as I keep my work and home life separate, which admittedly hasn’t always been something that I’ve been great at, it’ll be fine. Maybe I can do both. I should at least give things a try, right? I shouldn’t give in so easy?
“That would be awesome, yeah.” I smile to myself. “I guess I’ll see you in a bit then, Cici.”
“Great, that’s wonderful.” Cici ‘s sweet voice is lovely. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
I can’t remember the last time that someone’s been looking forward to seeing me. Just as I can’t recall ever yearning to see someone either. Yet here I am, experiencing just that. “Me too,” I tell her. “Yeah, me too.”
I pull over to the side of the road and hang up the phone, sighing as I do. Cici is well and truly under my skin now. She’s stuck to me like glue, and I don’t totally hate the idea. I wouldn’t mind keeping her around for a little while longer. I let out a little laugh, shaking my head as I do. What am I going to do with her?
Well, I guess I have another date then. Not how that conversation was supposed to go!
Chapter Eleven – Cici
There’s a storm brewing in my chest as I stand outside of Will’s home, waiting for him to answer the door. Excitement, anticipation, happiness, it’s all there. Just like it always is every time I get to see him. It’s been the same routine for the last few weeks, I finish work, I come to Will’s home at least four nights a week, we head out for drinks and dinner, or if we’re both too shattered we stay in to watch movies, and we end the night in mind blowing sex. Usually. Then at weekends, we sometimes spend the whole time in bed.
I’m struggling to fit it all in. It’s hard to balance my job, my friendships, my relationship, but it’s all worth it.
We haven’t officially established us as a relationship yet, we don’t use the titles ‘girlfriend and boyfriend’ yet, but that’s pretty much what we are. I don’t think either of us are seeing other people, we’re in one another’s lives too much, so we must be headed in that direction. Somehow, the whirlwind is all becoming real. With every day that passes, the dream becomes my reality, and it makes me happier by the second.
Ring, ring… ring, ring… ring, ring…
Just before Will can answer the door, my cell phone blasts out and I grab it out of my bag quickly. It’s either Will letting me know that he isn’t quite home yet, or Michelle who keeps trying to get me to come out with her far more often than usual now that she knows I’m with Will. It’s safe to say that she isn’t pleased, but I think that has much less to do with him as it does the idea what I’ve proven her wrong. She doesn’t like it that I’m the one who’s tamed the bad boy. I agree, in a way. She’s the one who’s beautiful enough to have any man changing all of her bad ways for him, yet here I am, getting what she desires. But Will isn’t a bad boy, he’s a great guy. Underneath his tough exterior, he’s a sweet and funny guy, one who treats me really well. I’m lucky, I know that I am, but I’m not taking it for granted. I’m enjoying every single second of it.
“Hi, Annabelle,” I say with surprise. Ever since the wedding she hasn’t been in touch too much. “You okay?”
“What is this I hear?” she sneers nastily. “You cannot be serious. Are you like, trying to ruin my life?”
“Huh?” My mind scans back over the past, trying to figure out what this might be. “What are you on about?”
“What am I on about?” She’s nearing hysteria already. “You and the fucking best man. Is that for real?”
“Oh right…” Of course. I should’ve guessed that she wouldn’t like that. “Erm, yes, I suppose you’re right.”
“So, you are dating him? Will fucking Yoker? The guy that I warned you about. Have you forgotten that?”
I smirk as I recall the warning in the toilets during the wedding reception. I’m surprised that she can remember it since she was absolutely wasted by that point. “Oh, I know, but it’s fine, Annabelle, don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried. It isn’t that. I’m just fucking fuming. I can’t believe you’d do that to me?”
“To you?” I’m starting to get a little angry myself now. “What do you mean? How exactly does this affect you? I’m pretty sure that this is my relation…” Nope, don’t say that. Not before we’re ready. “My thing.”
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself in for, do you? He isn’t a good guy. You need to get away.”
I roll my eyes, ignoring
her completely. “You know what? I’ve had these warnings before. It doesn’t mean anything. I understand that Will has a past but I don’t care about that. I’m just concerned about right now.”
Annabelle laughs out a nasty sound. I can tell what she’s doing, I’ve been here with her before. Ever since we hit our teen years and she started to become a bitch, she doesn’t like anyone else to be happier than her. I’m sure she wouldn’t like the attention that me and Will brought as well. Especially since we met at the wedding.
“You really think you know what you’re talking about, don’t you? Well, I’m going to warn you now that you’re naïve. You have no idea what you’re getting into. You will find out though. He’s dangerous. I mean, he’s a cop for crying out loud. Cops go out and get shot all the time. They also bring trouble to their door. You want that to be you? You want to be the person who gets shot because she’s in the way? You’re an idiot.”
Okay, she’s reaching now. I can feel her stretching up to grab onto something to scare me, but it won’t happen. I might not know much about the police world but that doesn’t make me totally thick. “Thank you so much for caring about me, Annabelle, but I’m sorry. I have to go now, I have a date. With Will Yoker.”
I can hear her screaming as I hang up the phone, which leaves me feeling a little sick. I don’t want to cave to her words, I don’t want to let her inside of my head, but she’s there anyway. More making me angry than anything else. I can feel things twisting and twirling inside of me, leaving me very confused.
“Bitch,” I mutter to myself as tears sting my eyes. “Fucking bitch.”