Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Ages, dates and facts may be fudged throughout this story, but bear with me.
****************
Dropping her bag on the floor next to the bed, Gillian Foster looks around at the cold, empty hotel room that had been her 'home' for the past six days.
The desperation of the situation hitting her full force, she sits on the edge of the bed and falls forward, face in her hands. When had it come to this?
She'd been there for him for so long. She'd helped him through it all, and hadn't questioned his late nights. And then to find out that he wasn't even having an affair with his sponsor – it was a different person all together! – hurt.
Wanting to escape these dark thoughts and the cold room, she grabbed her bag and left.
****************
Cal Lightman had just arrived home, and was staring at the mess of files in his study, missing the noise that was always seemed to be present when his daughter was here, when there was a knock on the door.
Opening the door, he's greeted with the sight of his best friend, arms wrapped firmly around her, sadness seeping from every pore of her body.
He didn't say a word, pulling her into his arms as she finally allowed herself to cry.
Sometime during the sobs and heaves, Gillian realised that Cal had pulled her into his apartment, shut the door, and seated her on the lounge, never letting go of her.
Drawing away from him, but not leaving the comfort of his warm grip, she sees the concern in Cal's face. When he raises his hand and brushes it against her cheek, brushing the tears away, it only resulted in more tears leaking out.
'It's hard.'
'I know.'
Pulling her almost into his lap, Cal strengthens his grip as Gillian takes shaky breaths against his chest, comforted by the steady beat of his heart.
When he hears nothing for a while, he assumes that she has fallen asleep. Shifting so that he can see her face, he realises that she is still awake, eyes glazed over as she stares off into the distance.
Softly kissing the top of her head, he gives her a gentle squeeze. She'll talk when she's ready.
As the minutes tick by, Cal continues to hold onto her.
She was so still that when she finally did move, he startled a little. Looking down, he takes in her worn, slightly nervous face.
Gillian raises her hand to fist the v-neck of his shirt, pulling herself up slightly to be face-to-face with him. Straddling his lap, her eyes intensely bore down on his.
'Make me feel. Make it all go away,' whispers Gillian, unbuttoning his shirt buttons.
Clasping her hands to still her movements at his chest, Cal says softly 'Luv, no.'
'I need this.'
Bringing her down for a heart-wrenching kiss, he pulled back. 'You're hurting luv. I won't take advantage of you like this.'
With determination in her face, Gillian leans forward, hands resuming their task on his buttons. 'I want this.' Task complete, she ran her hands up over his chest.
Struggling to maintain control, Cal tries to reason with her, gripping her hips to attempt to still her movements, but all she did was shift closer to him.
And when she lowered her mouth to the side of his neck, sucking hard, his breath hitched.
Sliding his hands down to rest on the top of her thighs, he tried to object one last time. 'Gillian...'
'Nhh nhh. Let me feel,' whispers Gillian against his lips, shifting closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Groaning, his last thread of control snapping, Cal deepens the kiss, bringing his hands up to slide under her shirt and rest on the warm flesh of her back, bringing her flush against him.
Pulling away slightly, he looks into Gillian's dark eyes, the arousal evident on her face.
'Bedroom.'
Taking her by the hand, he leads her through the apartment to his bedroom. Pulling her to him once again, he leans down to kiss her hard, walking backwards to the bed, before giving her a gentle push, pulling off his unbuttoned shirt and carefully laying his weight on top of her, as he bends down to kiss her once more.
It is a night of mutual satisfaction and pleasure, but when Cal awakens the next morning to an empty bed, his heart sinks.
She'd gone.
