The house was dark when they arrived. It smelt a little closed in because it had been a while since anyone was up here. Initially Alfie was going to come up for a week but Colton was struggling to let Iris out of his sight so he had come with her. He had a week's leave and negotiated to work off site, so they had two weeks up here to recover.
They opened the windows to let the evening breeze flow through. Iris loved this house and spent almost all her summer holidays here. She just loved to relax, swim, walk on the beach, eat, drink and read. Peace and quiet didn't bother her and just as she loved having friends up here she also loved being alone or just being with Colton. He loved the house as much as she did.
The first time she had bought him up here they'd only been together a month. She didn't tell him much about the house until they arrived. "It belonged to my grandparents."
"Pops and MiMi?"
"No, my Dad's parents. I never met his Dad, he died when Lola was a baby and my Nan died when I was about one."
"It's a beautiful house."
"Yeah, yeah." Iris looked a little wistful. "My parents were here, the weekend they died, they were on their way home to us."
"I'm sorry Iris."
"I feel close to them here. I don't remember coming here with them but there are photos and videos of all of us up here." Iris showed him the videos and he really loved to see her happy with her family. She was a cute little kid and he teased her about how sweet she looked in her swimmers with a very cute little 'tush'.
It had always been easy for them to be together, and they had always felt comfortable around each other from the day they met and they were very comfortable in this house.
Colton bought their bags in and his laptop while Iris unpacked the groceries they had picked up on the way. Mae had been a bit annoyed that they were coming up here so soon after the drink spiking because she wanted to take care of Iris and she still refused to set foot in this house. Iris had to get away though. She felt safer here while CPD were dealing with Xavier, they had tracked him down thanks to Gus's relentless pressure and he had been charged with Assault, attempted abduction, unlawful drink spiking, possession of a prohibited drug, soliciting a crime, stalking, criminal damage to a motor vehicle and harassment.
It had been intense, Xavier hadn't gone quietly and Iris knew that Gus had 'assisted' in his arrest, which he resisted and required medical assistance prior to be sent to lock-up. One thing Colton learned very quickly was that not everyone in prison or lock-up hated the cops, some could be quite helpful. When he asked what happened he was told 'not to worry about it, the less he knew the better' but rest assured "Xavier is very aware he crossed the wrong family."
When they asked why he did it, why Iris his response was unsettling. "She turned down my invitation to a party, she kept saying no to me. I didn't like it."
Mae and Colton had got into it a little bit before his arrest, which had upset Iris even more. She had just wanted to get away from it all. He had told Mae to back off when she was harping on to Iris about Xavier. "He seems to know an awful lot about you, I mean he turned up here and put Pops at risk what if he knows about the Beach House, you are isolated."
"That's why Colton is coming with me."
"Fat lot of good that would do. I mean he didn't stop you from getting drugged did he?" It was a low blow and Iris lost her shit.
"Fuck you Mabel. Fuck you. This was not his fault. He didn't do this, don't you dare…" she spat at her, she was wild and Iris didn't hold back. "I can't fucking believe you are blaming Colt for this."
"Bug, I'm just scared. Bad shit happens at that place."
"Bad things don't happen at the house, good things happened there. Stop this bullshit. I've heard enough. I get you hate the house but I love it." Iris was seriously over Mae's carry on every time someone mentioned the house. "It's so fucking easy for you isn't it? You don't get it, I have nothing. Nothing, I don't remember them, I don't remember what it felt like to be loved by them, touched by them, kissed by them all I have is that house and when I am there I feel them. I want that, I like it so just fucking back off and leave me alone. I can make my own decisions, I'm not a fucking child."
"If they didn't go then maybe you would have all that."
"Fucking stop." Iris had heard it so many times she couldn't stand to hear it again. "And don't fucking ever blame this on Colton. He did everything I asked him to do. He's been there for me, where have you been?"
"I didn't fucking know did I?"
"And why do you think that is? Because you'd fucking over react like you are now."
"Forgive me for caring."
"You wouldn't like it if I blamed George for his father beating the shit out of you and Pops, would you?" No one blamed George so Iris didn't understand why everyone was quick to blame Colton for something that was out of his control.
"Fuck you Iris. Don't you dare."
Colt came in at the end and heard them going at it. Iris stormed off and left Mae angrily packing up Poppy's stuff to leave. "She'll be okay Mae." He started to try and talk to her.
"Sure, that's why she's recovering from being drugged by some crazy fucking stalker who seems to know an awful lot about her and where she lives."
"You know what?" he had always tried to stay out of arguments between Iris and her sisters. It wasn't his place to say anything. They'd scrap and niggle each other, like all siblings did and then it would be over. "Right now, she doesn't need the stress of shit like this."
"Too fucking bad."
"You need to back off." That had set Mae off and she gave him a gobful. How dare he tell her to back off? This was her sister they were talking about, what right did he have? "As her partner, you know the guy who loves her and has lived through this with her I think I have every right to tell you to back off. Bug asked me to protect her and help her, not you and this is not helping. So I don't fucking care if you think I don't have any rights here but I will tell you, Bug comes first, not you and your need to control her."
"Fuck off."
"She wants to go to the Beach House; I am taking her there. You don't like it, too fucking bad." He left it at that. If he had stayed trying to talk to Mae it would have only gotten worse. He did add before he left. "I know you love her like no other, trust me, so do I. You don't think this is hurting me too, seeing Bug like this? I know you are scared; I know you've been through a lot lately and what did you do, you went away with George to give yourself a chance to breathe, that's what I am doing for Bug. She wants to feel safe, that's all I am trying to do."
The next day Mae and Iris apologised to each other. It never lasted long and no one ever held a grudge. Mae also apologised to Colton, she knew he was just trying to do his best for Iris but she was scared and it was hard to let go and let him take care of her.
"Hey Mae, I get it, I really do. I'll look after her." Colton was still bothered by it but he had to let it go and focus on Iris. That's what she needed him to do.
Iris opened two bottles of beer and they took them out onto the deck to get the fresh air while the house cooled down. It was breezy out and she jumped up and grabbed a rug to cover herself as she settled back against Colton. He slipped his hand under the rug and drew circles on her thigh. "You okay?"
"I am. This is nice." They had made a deal that they weren't going to talk about the past few weeks and focus on talking about things they enjoyed and each other. "I wish I could live here."
"And do what?"
"Nothing."
"So we need to win the lottery?"
"I guess." Iris took a mouthful of beer; it wasn't going down as well as she liked. Everything seemed a struggle at the moment. "It would be nice, hey?"
"Especially if you spent the whole time either in a bikini or naked."
She laughed and it felt like her old laugh again and that was good enough for him. "Even if I am old and fat and sagging?"
"Well I will be old and fat and sagging too so who cares. My balls will be banging on my knees and it'll take me all day to get hard." Iris covered his hand with hers as he slowly started moving it higher on her leg. "Good thing about that is once I get going, it will take forever to blow and I'd get to be inside you for hours."
"Hmmm." She hummed and moved her leg so he could slip his fingers inside the leg of her shorts. "I like the sound of that."
"Me too. I always want to be inside you." Iris relaxed, her body went limp as he touched her. "You feel so good. Let me taste you."
He jumped up suddenly and held out his hand which Iris happily took as she let him lead her into the bedroom. It didn't take him long to help her out of her shorts and push her down onto the bed before he crawled between her legs as she settled back against the pillows and he started nibbling and kissing her thigh. Inching his way up, he loved how her back arched and she grabbed fists full of the sheets as he dived into her, his warm breath tickling her soft skin, when he spoke his words vibrated against her making her gasp and then shudder. As she started to shake he fumbled at the waist of his own shorts because he knew what she liked, it was swift and while she was still gasping he always slid into her. If he timed it right, and tonight he did he could feel her spasm around him as she wrapped her legs around his waist and tilted her hips up so that every possible inch of him could feel her muscles squeeze the love out of him. "Come on Baby." She growled at him. "Come on." It never lasted a long time, making her orgasm pushed him pretty close to the edge, feeling that orgasm the moment he entered her finished him off and they didn't care.
"Well that's a relaxing way to start the week?" Iris muttered, still a little dazed and breathless.
"Plenty more where that came from."
"Crazy boy."
"Love my Wombat."
Iris melted into his side, craving his warm skin next to hers. She drew circles around his belly button, tugging at the wiry little hairs and let the quiet sounds of his breathing, the birds outside and the distant rumbled of the water take her away. Colton didn't move until she was well and truly asleep and he slipped out of bed, leaving her with her kiss on her beautiful dark hair. He pulled a rug over her, taking one last look at his sleeping beauty and crept from the room.
Rather than start on some work he grabbed another beer and took it outside. Standing on the edge of the deck he stared out at nothing and tried to let his mind go blank. He had to not think for a moment. Everything was so out of control lately he barely had time to take it in and think about how it had affected him. Being worried about Iris, having to deal with her family who were intense at the best of times had drained him a little and these two weeks with just him and Bug were perfect. No interference, no one telling him what he should and shouldn't be doing. They stressed Bug out and she took it out on him and he just had to suck it up. It wasn't fair, he was doing his best but at times he felt like he was just lost in the mix and people were blaming him. Somewhere along the line he and Xavier just blurred together and that made him angry.
While Iris would take her bad mood out on him when people were around but when they were alone she let him in and tried to explain to him that it was just easier this way. To let them go on their rants because trying to stop them served no purpose. He'd been shitty with that. "How about you fucking stand up for me? I'm doing my fucking best."
"I know and I appreciate it." The only person that was on his side was Pops. He told them to stop being assholes, that they were insufferable and if they couldn't be nice then to get out of his house. Getting away from everyone was good for Iris and also the mental break he needed.
He adored Iris and he wasn't lying when he told Pops that he could see her in his future, but he was worried that the weight of her family would be too much, right now they were wearing him down. They loved her, he couldn't blame them for that, she was an amazing and beautiful woman and he knew they were overly protective because of their past but he needed them to let him in, they were shutting him out and he got annoyed that Iris would let them. They talked about these two weeks, who would look after her and if Alfie and Lola could arrange time to come up. What about him? He was right there.
They weren't the only people who loved her and were hurting over what happened. He felt guilty enough as it was, he had played the what if game. If he had been with Iris that night perhaps it never would have happened and as Gus kept telling him, if not then it would have been something else. Xavier wasn't giving up. He had set his sights on Iris and nothing was going to stop him. There was a real chance that at some point he would have turned on Colton too. He told Gus that he could have handled him but that wasn't the point Gus was making, Xavier was on a mission to hurt Iris and he wasn't stopping until he had.
Iris had woken up and was surprised she was alone in bed; she threw on a dress and went in search of Colton. She found him outside, staring out over the sand dunes towards the water. His elbows resting on the railing and he looked defeated. It made her panic a little, knowing how hard the last few weeks had been for him she worried that it would be too much, that she would be too much for him.
Slipping her arms around his waist he jumped a little, so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear her come out. He grabbed her hands and held them against his chest. "You're awake?"
"I am, and I missed you. What you doing?"
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"You."
Iris slipped under his arm and squeezed into the space between him and railing. He lifted her up and sat her up on the edge and Iris wrapped her arms around his neck. "And?"
"Oh, just how much I love you."
"I felt it, I just felt it and I feel it every day." Iris's voice wobbled a little. "I'm glad I have you."
"I wish I could have stopped this." Iris put her hand over his mouth and shook her head.
"No, we are not talking about this, not today."
Colton buried his head into her stomach and Iris cradled it against her body. Kissing the top of his head she felt him tremble a little. "Please don't Colton, please don't do this." He was crying and it was breaking her heart. "I love you so much."
"I guess we are stuck with each other then."
"I guess." Iris ran his hands through his hair. "And you feel okay with that?"
Colton looked up at her and just smiled. A smile that reached the very corners of his eyes.
Iris kissed him softly. "You need to feed me."
Colton was capable enough to make a BLT for both of them. Iris sat on the floor, crossed her legs and closed her eyes for a few moments, Colton watched her. She was trying her best to show him that she was okay but he doubted she was.
Neither of them were and they tried to bury it but it reared its ugly head on more than one occasion.
"Who's that?" Colton heard her phone beep.
"Mae."
"What am I doing wrong now?" He sighed.
"Nothing." Iris knew that Colton and Mae had gotten into a few arguments, especially over Iris's decision to come up to the Beach House and why Colton was letting her. "Mae's just checking in."
"Of course she is." He'd asked them to give them some time and space. Iris had let them know they'd arrived, that was non-negotiable, he had always known that. Whenever someone came up here they had to let everyone know they were safely at the house but he was hoping they'd be happy with that and leave them alone.
"They are just worried. It's not a fucking sin."
"Nope."
"What's your problem?"
Colton bit his tongue, he wanted her to turn her phone off for a few days and relax but Iris knew that would freak everyone out. "What about what I want?"
"I'm here with you, what more do you want."
"Someone to give a fuck about how I feel too." It sounded shitty and selfish and it was, but all he'd heard lately was that he fucked up and didn't protect Iris.
"So fucking hard for you."
"You know what Iris; it was fucking hard." Colton sighed. "I don't want to fight about this with you. Let's just drop it."
"Sure."
"Iris, I'm trying. I just want this to be over."
"What? This." She waved her hands wildly. "Me?"
"For fuck's sake, no. Don't be fucking stupid. I've told you how many times that I love you and want to help you and be with you? It's never enough though is it?" He was being irrational. Shoving the sandwich into her hands Iris saw the tears in his eyes. "I want to be enough for you but I don't think I ever will be. I'm sorry."
"You are enough Colt." Iris whispered. "You are."
"Then can we just shut everyone else out for a couple of days and just focus on you and me? That's all I am asking. I know this has been rough for you, terrifying and difficult but I can tell you when I got that phone call from the cops, Iris I thought I was going to lose you. I thought I had."
"I wouldn't be here without you."
"Great, so can we just be us for a few days? Just a couple of days, that's all I am asking."
In the past that's what they'd do, drop it but lately things festered a little. Iris agreed to turn her phone off and while Colton was grateful she resented it and did her best to hide it.
The two weeks was good, they did relax, Colton worked, Iris recovered physically and mentally but heading back to reality was a smack in the face and that's when the hard work started and they struggled to cope.