[Reviews - 814]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 5050 times

- Text Size +




Buffy opted not to tell William about her trip to the doctor the following morning and receiving the morning after pill whilst putting herself on birth control. The whole experience had given Buffy food for thought. Especially when she'd seen someone her age, maybe even younger, pregnant. The concept sent her head reeling with the possibilities of what could have happened.

They didn't talk about it at all in the days to come. Buffy felt at times she wanted to bring it up; wanted to clear the air because while things appeared normal, she knew they weren't. There was a strain between them and if William felt it, he didn't say it. There was an elephant in the room with them, and neither wanted to draw attention to it.

Buffy hadn't had much experience with relationships, but she knew that the not talking couldn't be healthy; and she wanted to know things. Like what he foresaw for them; what he wanted. She wanted to know exactly
what it meant to be his girl. She wanted to know about the others before her. She wanted to know if he'd ever been in love and who she was and what had happened.

She got her chance the following weekend after the pregnancy scare—scare for her anyway. He'd asked her to spend the day with him and after spending the day out and about the city, they'd rented a movie to watch for after dinner. As they sat in what she suspected was a hardly ever occupied dining area, she pondered how to bring up the subject.

"Will?"

"Yes, my love?" he asked as he sipped his wine.

"Can I ask you a question?"

He set his glass down and frowned slightly, "Buffy, you can ask me anything."

She took a deep breath. "I want to know about your past relationships, William. The one's before the one you bought off."

He stared at her for a long time before nodding, "Okay."

"All right. Most of my relationships over the years have been inconsequential except for one."

"When was it? How old were you?" she pressed.

He gave her a funny look before continuing. "I was a college student, same age as you. It was an older woman; Buffy," he took a deep breath, "And she
was married. Though I didn't know it until later on. By then I was already in love— Buffy?"

Buffy stiffened, having not expected that. And not sure how to take it either. Especially in lieu of what her suspicions had been of her father, and the fact that William knew about those suspicions. Open mind, Buffy, she told herself.

"Buffy, it was a long time ago, I was barely more than a child—"

"Much like me, some might say."

He looked at her pointedly. "I don't care about your
age, Buffy—"

"You could start to," she said lightly.

"Are you starting to care about my age?"

She sighed, "Just tell me about her, Will. I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't hit close to home about having an affair with a married woman—"

"Buffy—"

"But it was a long time ago and I can't pass judgment on something like that, can I?"

"It was wrong of me to continue the affair even after I knew Buffy."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long were you with her?"

"Six months."

"How long after you found out were you with her?"

"Four."

She took a deep breath. "Okay. What happened?"

"Buffy, I couldn't bear it if you hated me for that what with what you think is going on with Hank—"

"I don't hate you William. I think I'm incapable of hating you, which makes me want to hate you . . . I don't hate you. I just. . . I don't agree is all. But I
can't change the past and neither can you."

He looked her in the eye, "I would never do that again, Buffy."

She nodded quickly. "So, what happened? Must have been a thoroughly tragic affair."

He nodded, "It was. She was in her thirties and he was older by about twenty odd years. I met her one day while I was out and about. She was walking her dogs—"

"Name, please?"

"Isabel."

"Thank you."

"She was walking her dogs and one of them escaped, I helped her get it back and it started from there. It was. . . intoxicating. I'd never been in love
before and she was my first. I'd had sex before, but had never been had sex with love. She was the first one – Are you all right?"

Buffy was squirming in her chair a bit with a pinched expression on her face. She nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He cocked his head to the side. "Jealous, pet?"

"No," she said emphatically, but it gave her away.

"It's okay if you are. Makes me feel good, plus, now you know how I felt when I heard about the wanker that you had sex with for the first time. Not to mention the wanker that kissed you before you
came home."

"You were jealous of that?" she asked, surprised.

"Very."

"Oh. Well, continue."

"We dated like any couple would and stupid me didn't give much thought to why she always insisted on meeting me somewhere or why the apartment she'd just moved into was completely bare. I found out later that she'd rented it to be with me and to have a ‘holiday' from her husband. Apparently, he was rich and very busy—"

"Let me guess. He was too busy working and never paid any attention to her?"

He smiled, "Yes."

"Continue."

"We were together all the time and I loved her, Buffy. I loved her completely. It was passionate and heady and . . . " he shook his head, "And she was never quite therewith me."

"What do you mean?"

"After I found out about her husband—"

"How did you find out about him?"

"I saw them out together and I confronted her later about it when we were alone and she told me the truth. She cried and told me how sorry she
was and how she didn't want to lose me and how she'd wanted to tell me, but couldn't bring herself to . . . "

"Did she have plans to leave her husband?"

"No, she didn't. She did love him."

"And you?"

"She said she cared about me a great deal, she wanted to be with me—but she never said she loved me. I thought she might, I believed that she did, and when I asked her to leave her husband, she said no. She flat out refused. She loved him and had no desire to leave him. She said when he was attentive; she was the happiest girl alive. She came to me to ease her loneliness and when I was . . . when I was inside her, she was mine. She was all mine. So many times I thought she loved me back when we were making love."

"How did it end?" Buffy asked quietly.

"Her husband found out about it and gave her a
choice. Him or me. She chose him."

Buffy stared blankly at her plate of pasta, contemplating the information.

She wasn't exactly sure what to make of it.

"Buffy?"

His voice jarred her out of her thoughts. "Hmmm?"

"What are you thinking, luv?"

"I'm not sure, I'm processing."

"You don't—you don't think less of me for having an affair with a married woman do you?" he looked so fearful that Buffy rushed to assure him.

"No, Will, I don't. I—that was your past. It's in the past."

"It is. And you," he said deeply, rising from his chair and stalking over to her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms
possessively around her. "You are my future, Buffy."

Images of the pregnant girl at the doctor's office flashed in her mind and Buffy swallowed hard.

"I'm falling . . . No, Buffy. I pretty much know, but in order to not frighten you, let's just say I'm falling in love with you, Buffy. I'm falling hard and I'm falling fast."

He pulled back slightly, cradling her face in his hands. "Can you say the same Buffy? Do you feel the same?"

She nodded, "Y-yes," she stammered and buried her face in his chest.

That's what terrifies me, she thought, for the question is: Will love be enough?





You must login (register) to review.