Sorry for the long delay. RL has been a bit challenging of late. There's a lot going on in this chapter and I hope I did justice to it. Also, part of this chapter is rated M. As always thank you for the continued feedback and support. It means the world to me!
Chapter 14
November 2017
Bath, United Kingdom
"That went better than anticipated," I smiled at Charles after the last of our guests had departed our wedding rehearsal dinner. "Even Dave and the little bleeders behaved themselves," I rambled awkwardly as we approached the exit.
"I suppose," Charles agreed in a half-hearted tone.
"Your mum and dad chose well," I remarked in an attempt to distract myself from the nagging suspicion that Charles was not looking forward to the fact that we would be husband and wife in less than twenty-four hours.
"Are you walking home?" Charles asked.
"Of course," I gave him an exasperated look. "It's only a five-minute walk."
"I'll accompany you," Charles frowned at the heels on my court shoes.
"It's a bit out of your way, innit?" Charles was spending the night at The Gainsborough Hotel, while I enjoyed my final evening as a single woman with my mum, Nan, sisters, Jackie, Jacqueline, and Emily at Royal Crescent.
"I don't mind," Charles shrugged, before putting his hand on the small of my back and steering me in the direction of his family home.
-X-
"Is everything all right, Charles? You've been a bit subdued tonight," I observed, as we walked side-by-side, neither of us holding the other's hand as we often did in the past. "Are you missing Elvis? It's understandable if you are…"
"I thought I told you that I didn't want to discuss him again," Charles reminded me in irritated voice.
"I just thought…"
"Don't, Molly," he warned.
"Are you sure you really want to do this?" I turned to face him.
"Do what?"
"Marry me," I choked out.
"Of course, I want to marry you," Charles gave me an exasperated look.
"You don't seem to be excited about the fact that we're getting married tomorrow."
"I wish you would stop letting your insecurities cloud your judgment, Molly."
"You haven't given me much to feel secure about recently," I protested.
"I'm sorry," Charles apologized. "I've been distracted with everything I needed to wrap up with 2 Section before the wedding. "Now, we had best get you back to Royal Crescent, before Mum sends out a search party," he effectively changed the subject.
-X-
"I'm relieved to see that you made it here in one piece," Charles observed from where we stood in front of his parents' doorstep.
"Wait until you see tomorrow's heels," I attempted to joke, only to find Charles staring back at me with an inscrutable look on his face.
"You know that I love you, don't you?" he suddenly questioned.
"You wouldn't have asked me to marry you, if you didn't," I gave a weak laugh, as he continued to gaze at me intently, causing my stomach to fill with collywobbles.
"And that I'll always love you," Charles continued, before reaching out to clasp my face between his hands.
"Ditto," I gave a small smile, before he leaned forward and captured my lips in a tender kiss.
-X-
"I shouldn't keep you any longer," Charles reluctantly pulled away from me, after holding me close for what felt like several minutes.
"Promise me, you'll always remember this moment," Charles requested in a quiet voice.
"Of course, I will," I gave him a reassuring smile. "It is after all, the last night I will be Molly Dawes. Come tomorrow, I'll be Molly James."
"I had best take my leave," Charles seemed reluctant to go. "I hate leaving you like this."
"It won't be for long. Just think, in less than twelve hours, we will be Mr. and Mrs. James."
"Goodbye, Molly," Charles whispered, before kissing me on the cheek one last time.
-X-
Late July 2019
Royal Crescent
Bath, United Kingdom
At least an hour had passed since Jacqueline had unceremoniously thrown Georgie, Andrew, and Edward out of the house. To say that she had been livid by what had transpired was an understatement at best. In addition to ordering Andrew to remove Georgie from the premises, she had advised Edward that it would be best if he slept elsewhere tonight.
After apologizing profusely for Edward and Andrew's reprehensible behaviour, Jacqueline had ushered me up to my old room. She had insisted I stay for the night, before promising that she would drive me back to Birmingham the following morning. Jacqueline then made me a cuppa, and offered to stay with me while I recovered from the horror of Georgie's visit. I thanked Jacqueline for her support, but told her that I needed privacy. I was knocked for six, and didn't want her hovering over me.
This is how I came to find myself on my old bed, with my arms wrapped around my knees, staring vacantly at the beige Laura Ashley drapes covering the window. Upon surprising Charles after my second tour in Afghan, the entire James Family had insisted I remain at Royal Crescent. Charles had also insisted that I continue residing at Royal Crescent, even after he was deemed fit to return to active service. I hadn't felt comfortable moving into Charles's room, especially when he went off on tour to Kenya, and had taken up residence in one of the guest bedrooms.
Jacqueline, upon learning that I'd never had my own bedroom, had surprised me by taking one of the existing guest rooms and redecorating it just for me. She had maintained that I needed my own space, and that they had plenty of space to accommodate me. Jacqueline had lovingly chosen the furniture, bedding, window treatments, rugs, and added special decorative touches.
Once at Uni, I would often spend the weekdays in Birmingham, but would frequently return home to Royal Crescent at the weekends and for holidays. I would also spend as much time as possible there whenever Charles was in residence. This is how I had come to form such a close bond with the James Family, and why tonight's betrayal left me feeling gutted inside.
I was interrupted from my reverie by the incessant vibrating of my mobile. I looked down to see that I had several unread text messages from both Jackie and Bones. I knew that Jackie was likely worried, but didn't have it in me to tell her about Georgie's unwelcome appearance. As for Bones, I didn't want to think about him. Not when I knew he was just like him. It disgusted me to think that Bones, of all people, had fallen prey to Georgie's charms.
-X-
"Molly?" Jacqueline knocked on the door and poked her head into my room. "Are you all right, sweetheart? May I bring you another cup of tea?"
"I'm fine," I assured.
"Emily returned about an hour ago. I explained what happened and she is obviously quite upset. I told her that you needed your privacy. Also, Jackie rang a few minutes ago. She was worried that she hadn't heard from you, and said that you hadn't returned her text messages. I told her what happened, and she offered to drive down to pick you up, but I suggested that she let me drive you home tomorrow morning. It's late and I don't like the idea of the two of you driving at this hour."
"Thank you," I gave Jacqueline a weak smile.
"Do you need anything before I go to bed?"
"I'll be all right."
"Try to get some rest, dear," Jacqueline bent down and kissed me on the forehead. "I know it's been a horrible evening, but tomorrow will be better," she promised.
-X-
It was after midnight, and I knew better than to try and fall asleep. My thoughts were completely jumbled and I was overwhelmed by the various emotions consuming me. The nurse in me wanted to feel compassion for what they had suffered, but the woman in me could not see past the utter humiliation and devastation they had wrought upon me.
PTSD or not, the fact that they had blatantly disregarded my feelings, and had behaved in such a deplorable manner, had me reeling inside. I couldn't help but think back to that moment on his parents' doorstep the night before our ill-fated wedding. It repulsed me to think that every word he'd uttered that night had been a complete and total lie. What kind of man did that to a woman? Had he been an unscrupulous cheat all along? Had I been so blinded by the fairy tale that I had failed to notice the warning signs? I cringed inside at the way I had allowed myself to be duped by him.
Then there was the rubbish she had spouted about me being the one he truly loved. Did she honestly think I would believe that tissue of lies? If he had loved me, he wouldn't have shagged her the night before our wedding. A man with even the slightest bit of integrity, would have at least waited until after he'd jilted me before shagging another woman.
I was also struggling to reconcile how an honest and rule abiding man had morphed into an accomplished liar who thought nothing of disregarding the same rules and regulations he'd once held sacred. I couldn't understand why he'd felt the need to be duplicitous when it would have been far easier for him to have broken off our engagement once he had realised the extent of his feelings for her.
I sat there and stewed for several minutes before reaching for my mobile.
Me: Are you really so wet that you needed Georgie to do your bidding?
Charles: Molly?
Me: I'm surprised you still have my number. I would have thought you would have discarded it in the same callous manner in which you discarded me.
Charles: We need to talk.
Me: The time for talking was after Elvis died, yet I seem to recall you had no interest in talking to me then because you were too busy chasing Georgie.
Charles: It wasn't like that. I was ill and didn't recognise what I was doing at the time.
Me: It's funny that when I pointed that very same fact out to you, you went out of your way to berate me for suggesting that you were not well. Yet, now when you have made a total bollocks out of your life, you have no problem playing the PTSD card. Did you honestly think that having Edward and Andrew arrange for Georgie to see me would magically fix everything for you?
Charles: What are you talking about?
Me: You know damn well what I'm talking about.
-X-
Suddenly my mobile started to ring and Charles's number came across the screen. There was no way in hell I was answering his call.
Charles: Answer your bloody mobile.
Me: Sod off.
Charles: You cannot lob accusations like these at me without at least giving me the chance to speak to you.
"What?" I answered my mobile in an aggravated tone after it rang for the third time.
"What did you mean about my father and Andrew arranging for Georgie to see you?"
"Stop being a git, Charles, you know exactly what I meant."
"I honestly don't, Molly. Could you please explain what you meant?"
"You don't expect me to believe that you had nothing to do with me being ambushed by Georgie at your parents' house?"
"What?" Charles sounded aghast, which left me wondering if perhaps he hadn't been involved.
"Your parents invited me to Sunday lunch for a surprise birthday celebration. I was having a lovely time, until Andrew randomly showed up with Georgie in tow, at Edward's instruction."
"Christ almighty! I knew Mum and Dad invited you over to celebrate your birthday, but I honestly had no idea that Dad would pull a stunt like that. You have to believe me, Molly. I would never do something like that to hurt you," Charles implored.
"No, you just spent months feeding me lie after lie, criticising my insecurities, chasing your best mate's fiancé, fucking her on the eve of our wedding, and making a mockery out of me in front of my former Section members," I accused. "If that isn't hurting me, I'm not sure what is."
"You have to let me explain," Charles begged in an anguished voice.
"Do I?"
"I know that I behaved in a loathsome manner towards you, Molly, and there is not a day that does not go by that I do not deeply regret what I did to you. I have wanted nothing more than to apologise to you and to explain why I did what I did, but I have been too ashamed to face you. There are many days where I can barely look at myself in the mirror without feeling disgusted at myself. I love you…"
"Don't!" I cut him off. I was not about to subject myself to more of his lies.
"Molly, please, there's so much I need to say to you and speaking to you on the phone at 01:30 is not the right way for us to do this. Let me visit you this weekend. I can come to Birmingham."
"No, Charles, I don't think that would be a good idea," I objected.
"I know that you hate me, and that you never want to see me again, but please, Molly, give me this one opportunity to explain everything to you. If you choose to have nothing to do with me after, I promise that I will respect your wishes."
"I don't know," I hesitated. I owed him absolutely nothing, and wasn't sure that hearing his side of the story would do anything other than cause me further pain.
"Think about it, Molls. That's all I ask."
"All right, I'll think about it, but don't contact me again until I contact you. Understood?"
"Yes, Molly, I understand. Thank you for at least considering it. I know you don't believe me right now, but I mean it more than anything when I say that I love…"
"Don't, Charles. Don't ever say you love me again. We both know that it's not true," I declared, before abruptly hanging up on him.
-X-
After two hours of tossing and turning, I decided to go downstairs and make myself a cup of tea. It was obvious that I was not going to get any sleep while I remained at Royal Crescent. Exiting my room, and heading in the direction of the staircase, I couldn't help but stop in front of his room. As much as I wanted to walk past it, I felt an inexplicable pull, urging me to defy all common sense, and to open the door.
-X-
Standing inside of the room that had once held so many happy memories for me, I wasn't entirely sure what I was supposed to feel. Was it regret, sadness, anger, grief, or betrayal? Perhaps it was a combination of all five emotions? I honestly didn't know.
I noted, as I took in my surroundings, that the décor had remained unchanged since I had last been in here. For reasons, I could not explain, I found myself walking to the wardrobe, and was surprised to find it full not only of his own clothes, but also a few of my own. I must have overlooked them in my desperate need to flee Royal Crescent after he'd jilted me. Why had he kept them?
Not knowing what possessed me, I reached for one the light blue button-down oxford shirts he'd possessed a fondness for wearing and held it up close to me, before breathing in his familiar scent. I used love how he smelled of sandalwood, cypress, and myrtle. Now it left me craving a different scent, one that smelled of oriental leather, lavender, iris, amber, and wood. It was an intoxicating scent that was distinctly Bones.
I closed the wardrobe and wandered over to his large antique chest of drawers. Sitting atop the dresser was the case he used to store his watches and cufflinks. I ran my hand across the top before opening it. I was astonished to see two rings I had never thought to see again. I had to blink multiple times to convince myself that I was not imaging things. There was a third ring that was unrecognisable to me.
The three rings were tied together with the ribbon from my bridal bouquet. Sadly, I had no recollection of what had happened to my bouquet. Had Jacqueline saved it and given it to him? Why would he even want it?
I picked up the rings and placed them in the palm of my hand. I studied the platinum wedding band that I purchased for him and saw that it was intertwined with the plain band I had insisted upon for my engagement ring. Both had been left behind with Jacqueline. The third ring was a platinum wedding band set with at least 40 small, brilliant-cut diamonds. Had it been Rebecca's? It couldn't possibly have been mine, not when he'd had every intention of jilting me. If it was Rebecca's, why was it tied to my engagement ring and his wedding band?
After, returning the rings to their rightful place, I noticed three picture frames placed next to case. In the past, he'd kept pictures of Sam there. Reaching for one of the photographs, I was gobsmacked to find my own image staring back to me. I didn't recall him taking this photo, but I immediately recognized the background as the patio from the James's villa in Lake Garda. I looked both happy and carefree in the picture. It saddened me to think I hadn't felt that way in quite some time. I set the picture frame down and looked at the next picture, which was one of Sam in his football kit. I smiled fondly at the picture, before moving to the third picture which was one that Jacqueline had taken of us with Sam in the James's back garden on a summer afternoon. I couldn't understand why, after everything that had happened, there would be pictures of me in his bedroom. Pictures that hadn't been there before the wedding.
My head was spinning with so many unanswered questions, that I decided I had tortured myself enough for one evening. I started to head towards the door when I noticed more pictures frames on the bedside table next his side of the bed.
I sat on the edge of the bed and blindly reached for the largest frame. I immediately recognised the photo as one he had taken of me during our holiday in the Serengeti. I was make-up free, with tousled hair, wearing a Hammer T-shirt, and giving the camera a wide smile. I had been so happy on that trip, so in awe of the wonderful man who loved me, and had taken it upon himself to show me the wonders of Africa. He'd been happy too on that trip, or so I had thought.
The next picture was one of Sam and I snuggled together on a sofa in the sitting room at Royal Crescent. The final picture was taken on the Christmas prior to Elvis's death. It was a picture that Jacqueline must have snapped of us kissing under the mistletoe. We had both been full of laughter and love. At least I'd been on my part.
Reaching for the picture, I studied it clearly, as if trying to find any clues pointing to what was to come, but all I could see was a happily engaged couple. Even after everything she had revealed, I still could not fathom how it all had gone so dreadfully wrong. I had loved him more than I thought it was possible to love another human being. Yet, now I questioned whether he had loved me at all.
-X-
"Molly?" I looked up to find Jacqueline standing before me.
"Jacqueline!" I exclaimed in shock, suddenly embarrassed by where she had found me. "I-I can e-explain," I gave an awkward stammer.
"There's no need, sweetheart," Jacqueline sat on the bed next to me and put a loving arm around my shoulder before joining me in staring down at the picture she had taken of us.
"Did you place the pictures in here?" I questioned.
"No, Molly. Charles did when he returned here from treatment last November."
"W-why?" I stared at the picture in confusion.
"He misses you," Jacqueline confessed, causing me to look at her with astonishment.
"He couldn't possibly miss me, not after what he did to me with her," I objected.
"While I cannot speak for my son, I know that he deeply regrets what he did to you. He realises now that his obsession with Georgie was a grave mistake. Please do not think I condone Charles's behaviour, Molly. I can assure you, I do not. He loves you, Molly. I know it must be impossible for you to believe, but you will always be the love of his life."
"If I truly was the love of his life, he never would have treated me the way he did," I protested.
"What he did was certainly wrong, and I can understand why you may never be capable of forgiving him, but you should also know that whether right or wrong, he felt he had no other choice."
"Nothing can excuse what he did." I couldn't help but feel bitter at the mere suggestion that his actions may have been justified.
"You've both been through a terrible ordeal, and it pains me to see you suffering from it."
"We were so happy, Jacqueline," my eyes started to fill with tears as I looked down at the picture of us again. "Why did it all go to shit? Why couldn't he love me the way that I loved him? Why did he leave me for her?" I choked out with uncontrolled anguish.
"Molly, please don't cry," Jacqueline took the picture from my hands and set it back on the bedside table, before gathering me into her arms and holding me as I sobbed my heart out.
-X-
The Following Morning
Royal Crescent
Bath, United Kingdom
I opened my grit filled eyes to find the room bathed in sunlight and blinked in confusion at my surroundings. Why was I in my room at Royal Crescent? Suddenly it all came flooding back to me as I allowed my tired eyes to adjust to the sunlight.
"I was beginning to wonder if I would need to kiss you awake, Poppet," a familiar voice drawled from beside me, causing me to bolt upright in shock.
"Bloody Nora, Bones!" I was stunned to see him lying casually on his side, with his head propped up on his elbow, watching me intently. "You nearly gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"Even pretend boyfriends become concerned when their fake girlfriends refuse to answer their text messages. After about the twentieth unanswered text, I decided it best to ring Jackie."
"How do you have her number?"
"I have my ways," Bones gave a careless shrug. "Jackie was also extremely worried about you. I was on the verge of leaving Brecon Beacons to come and find you, when Jacqueline telephoned Jackie and apprised her of the situation. I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of leaving you here overnight, but Jacqueline insisted that she had everything well in hand. I decided to wrap things up in Wales last night before driving to Bath early this morning."
"Oh," I wasn't quite sure what to make of this development.
"I arrived at half past seven. Jacqueline was kind enough to offer me breakfast. I was hoping to have a word with Edward about the stunt he pulled last night, but Jacqueline indicated that he would not be returning until later this afternoon. She then showed me up to your room, and said that you hardly slept last night. We thought it best to let you sleep for as long as possible."
"What time is it?" I wondered with a yawn.
"09:00."
"Fuck!" I panicked. "I have to be at work in three hours. There is no way in hell I am going to make it on time."
"Of course, you are. I can have you back to Birmingham in under two hours," Bones promised. "That should give you plenty of time to get to work. Why don't you take a quick shower, and join me downstairs in the kitchen? Jacqueline is very worried about you, and will insist on feeding you
before we leave. It's evident that she genuinely cares for you and was in no way involved in last night's debacle."
-X-
Ten minutes later, I stood in the shower and let the warm water cascade over my body. I was stunned that Bones had gone out of his way to come for me, especially since I hadn't responded to his texts from the night before. Part of me hadn't wanted to hear him say, 'I told you so,' while the other part of me was fuming that he'd been one of her numerous admirers.
Was the real reason he claimed to dislike her due to the fact that he'd been unsuccessful in his pursuit of her? Was it also part of the reason he hated him as much as he did?
I contemplated Bones's motivation in driving to Bath in the early hours of the morning. Was he afraid of what she may have revealed to me? Was he worried that I had discovered his guilty secret? Did he think I might give him the big E and leave his promotion in jeopardy?
The more I contemplated the dynamic between them, the more I began to wonder if perhaps she was the woman he loved. Bones had been adamant that the woman he loved was in love with someone else. Could it be that he'd meant Elvis? Only the night before, she had claimed that she was still in love with Elvis and that she still wore his ring around her neck. Had Bones given up his pursuit after realising that he would forever be competing with a ghost? Was it possible that Bones worried that she wouldn't survive losing another lover, and didn't want to burden her in the event that he died in action? The more I pondered it, the more likely it seemed that Bones was in love with her. I couldn't help but feel sick inside at the thought.
I knew that this meant one thing, and one thing only. I needed to extricate myself from Bones as soon as possible. If I continued to allow my feelings for him to deepen, I would be setting myself up for heartbreak again, and that was the last thing I wanted. If only he fancied me instead of her…
-X-
"Are you sure you're up for this?" Bones questioned as he pulled his Range Rover in front of Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
"Of course, I'm up for it," I rolled my eyes at Bones. "I'm used to working with limited sleep."
"You've hardly said two words to me since we left Beth, Dawesey. I've never seen you down in the dumps like this. I'm sure Lane, being Lane, over-egged the pudding last night, but you shouldn't let her bring you down. She's not worth it. As for the arsemonger, there's no point in taking a trip down memory lane. What's done is done, and you cannot change the past, even if you wanted to," Bones advised.
"Aren't you a fount of wisdom today," I couldn't help but observe in a voice laced with sarcasm.
"Sulking does not become you, Dawesey. Perhaps you should consider showing me a bit of gratitude?"
"Gratitude?"
"I think the least I deserve is a bloody 'thank you' for skiving off work and recusing you from enemy territory."
"Spare me your altruistic motives, we both know you don't give a monkey about me," I scoffed. "The only reason you came charging up to Bath like a knight in shining armour, is because you were worried that she had compromised Operation Bellend," I accused with unmistakeable anger.
"Give over, Molly. That is absolute rubbish and you know it," Bones stared back at me with disbelief.
"You're not the least bit concerned about what she may have revealed about you?"
"Me? Why the fuck would she feel the need to bring me into her mess?"
"You tell me, Bones," I challenged.
"What type of nonsense did she spout at you?" Bones demanded.
"The jig is up, Bones. There's no need to keep hiding your connection to her from me."
"Connection? What the fuck did that twit tell you?"
"Enough for me to ascertain that she's the woman you're secretly in love with, and that you've been lying to me all along about her."
"Have you lost the fucking plot?" Bones roared at me in disbelief. "How can you be such a daft cow that you actually think that I could ever be in love with a twit like her? Use you're bleeding loaf, Molly!"
"I am using my bleeding loaf," I countered. "She, was only too happy to tell me about all the times you chased her."
"Fucking hell," Bones ran an aggravated hand through his hair.
"So, you're not denying that you chased her?"
"I'm not doing this here with you."
"I'll take that as a confirmation," I glared at him. "You know, once she informed me that you had fallen prey to her charms, it wasn't that difficult for me to suss out your feelings for her. The more I pondered it, the more it made complete sense. She's still in love with Elvis, you're afraid to compete with a ghost, and you're worried that if you are killed in action it would destroy her. It also explains why you weren't close to Elvis and why you hate Charles to the extent that you do," I surmised.
"I thought I once told you that you're not very skilled at playing Miss Marple," Bones scowled at me.
"Perhaps you were wrong," I countered.
"I'm rarely, wrong, Molly. As you will come to find out later," Bones warned. "What time do you finish work tonight?"
"22:00. Why?"
"Because we are by no means finished with this conversation. Rather than have it out with you now, when I am angry and very likely to say something I may regret, I would prefer to set you straight on the topic of Lane, when I have had the chance to cool down."
"What makes you think I have any interest in finishing this conversation?" I challenged Bones.
"You don't get to drop a clanger, like the one you just dropped, without being called to account, Dawes," Bones stated. "I will be here at 22:00. Your short arse better be here. You don't want to know what I am capable of it is not," he threatened.
"You seriously expect me to go along with this?" I couldn't believe he had just threatened me.
"Yes. Now shove off and get to work," Bones ordered in a tone that brooked argument.
-X-
Later that evening, Jackie met me at the hospital canteen for dinner. She had spent most of her day in Whittington meeting with her C.O. and was anxious to see how I was coping after Georgie's ambush.
"So, what did the slapper have to say for herself?" Jackie asked, as we tucked into dinner.
"She started by telling me that she is going to Australia for two years to do a secondment with the Australian Army. She gave me the impression that she wanted to clear her conscience before she left. At first, I wasn't sure she if was being genuine, or if it was a ploy on Edward's part, but I soon came to recognise that on some level she feels remorse over what she's done."
"Honestly?"
"I don't doubt that she suffered greatly in the aftermath of Elvis's death. I know what it is like to like to watch someone you care about die right in front of you and to be powerless to save them."
"It's certainly enough to traumatize anyone, but does it excuse her betrayal?" Jackie questioned.
"She admitted to having PTSD and to being unable to function both personally and professionally. She claims that she and Charles became co-dependent on one another and used one another as a coping mechanism."
"While I am sure Elvis would have wanted Georgie and Charles to support one another with their grief, I'm not sure he had their twisted form of co-dependency in mind," Jackie observed. "I don't understand how she failed to recognise that they were both suffering from PTSD? As a medic, she is trained to recognise the symptoms."
"She said that she was so deep in denial that by the time she realised what was happening, it was too late for both of them," I explained. "I don't blame her for that part of it. Even if she had identified Charles's PTSD, it wouldn't have changed anything. He would have refused her help and continued down his path towards self-destruction anyway."
"What else did Georgie share?"
"She thinks that Charles's injuries from Afghan caused him to become insecure about how he would be perceived, and that he pushed himself overly hard in Kenya and Nepal to compensate for this."
"He always did have a bit of a chip on his shoulder due to his dad being a Lieutenant General," Jackie pointed out. "It wouldn't surprise me if he was eager to prove that his injuries had not diminished his ability to do his job or his future career trajectory."
"True," I readily conceded. "However, the next part threw me a bit. She implied that Charles had confided in Elvis that he was concerned about our age difference. Apparently, he told Elvis that he was worried I would meet someone at Uni and leave him for someone who youngerwith less baggage."
"I never told you this before, but I think he got off on the fact that you hero worshipped him. I think it fed his ego, and that he enjoyed using the differences between you as a means to control you. I'm not saying he didn't love you, but I do think it was an added bonus," Jackie confessed, much to my surprise.
"Why didn't you ever tell me this before?"
"You were happy, Molls, and before Elvis died, I thought that he treated you well, even if he was a bit too controlling for my taste."
"I dunno, Jacs. I guess I never saw him that way, but look at how blind I was to everything else concerning him."
"It's water under the bridge. Best to leave it in the past where it belongs," Jackie advised.
-X-
"Did Georgie give any indication as to why things went all Pete Tong to the extent that they did?" Jackie asked a few minutes later.
"It seems that Charles blames himself for Elvis's death," I revealed.
"Why would he blame himself?"
"Apparently he failed to recognise that Captain Aziz was bent, and chose to ignore a warning he had received."
"And because he failed to recognise it, he holds himself accountable," Jackie surmised. "Even though in all likelihood, there was nothing he could have done to prevent Elvis from stepping on an IED."
"Right," I agreed.
"So, was Georgie a way for him to assuage his guilty conscience?" Jackie wondered aloud.
"She thinks it was misplaced grief. I'm not so sure," I admitted. "Georgie told me that the first time he confessed to having feelings for her was when they were stranded in Belize."
"That long ago?" Jackie looked astonished.
"Yes," I frowned. "To think that the entire time I was worried sick about him, desperate for news that he'd been rescued, he was declaring his love to another woman."
"Unbelievable," Jackie shook her head in disbelief.
"I don't understand why he didn't end it with me once he returned home from Belize and was on the mend? It wasn't like we were getting along at that point. I was desperate for him to get treatment for his PTSD and he resented me for daring to suggest that he was mentally ill. To make matters worse, the entire time I was pleading with him to get help, he was chasing her behind my back."
"What a scumbag," Jackie muttered.
"Georgie told me that the entire time he was recovering in hospital he was hounding her with calls, texts, and e-mails. She then went on to tell me that once he was at Headley, he begged her to come and visit him."
"Yet, he practically banned you from visiting."
"It all makes sense now, Jacs. He didn't want me to visit because he was afraid I would interfere with his plans to seduce Georgie."
"Bloody bastard. He never should have strung you along like he did. You're right, Molls. It makes absolutely no sense. Why put you through the unnecessary pain of jilting you?"
"I honestly don't know."
"Did Georgie have any insights into what prompted him to do it?"
"She said that as it grew closer to the wedding, she began to worry that she would lose her only connection to Elvis. She thought by admitting to having feelings for Charles, she could use him as a substitute to keep Elvis's memory alive."
"Please tell me she didn't ask him to jilt you?" Jackie demanded.
"No. She confessed that she was going to ask him not to marry me, but that he had already decided not to. Apparently, a few days before the wedding he was asked by his C.O. to accompany 2 Section to Bangladesh on a humanitarian mission. Georgie reached out to him shortly thereafter. He asked her to meet him at his hotel the night before the wedding. After saying goodbye to me on his parents' doorstep, he met her in his room. She confessed her feelings for him and pleaded with him not to marry me. She wanted him go to Bangladesh instead. He told her that he had already decided not to go through with the wedding and that he intended to join her in Bangladesh because he could no longer be parted from her."
"Fucking coward," Jackie shook her head in disbelief. "Did he not stop for one minute to consider the pain and humiliation he would cause you? He had ample opportunity to break things off with you, yet he chose to string you along. That is unconscionable, Molly. I don't care if he had PTSD or not."
"It gets worse," I sighed. "He fucked her that night, on the eve of our bloody wedding. Why didn't they have the decency to at least wait until after he'd jilted me?"
"Because he's a selfish pig who was clearly only interested in getting Georgie to put out for him," Jackie declared. "Did she at least have the decency to admit what she did with him was wrong?"
"Yes. She also admitted that their relationship was a disaster, and that while they were shagging with one another on tour, she often pretended he was Elvis. She claimed that he would pretend she was me."
"That's fucking twisted, Molls."
"If you believe her. I'm not sure I do."
"How did they end up needing rescue again?"
"She claims they were both out of their minds with PTSD and that they made several errors in judgement which led them to being forced to jump off of a cliff in order to evade an attack from a group of local drug smugglers. She said that neither of them cared if they met their deaths by jumping 30M into the river below."
"No wonder they needed the SAS to come and rescue them. Did Georgie give any indication as to what transpired between Bones and Charles?"
"Georgie confessed to them both being mentally broken and to Charles being severely concussed. Apparently when Bones attempted to rescue him, Charles attacked him and the two fought on the riverbank. He ultimately shoved Bones into some rocks, which caused Bones to land at an awkward angle and to tear his ACL. Bones being Bones, knocked Charles unconscious, and dragged him along the riverbank to the rescue boat, torn ACL and all."
"I'm speechless, Molls."
"According to Georgie, Edward flew into Bangladesh to immediately begin damage control. He arranged for her mum to be flown out to the hospital and for Georgie to be placed on medical leave and to be transferred to a private clinic in Northern Ireland. She said that she hasn't seen or talked to Charles since the hospital in Bangladesh. She claims that the last time they saw one another, they both agreed that their relationship had been a mistake and had been based upon misplaced grief."
"And Charles?"
"Obviously Edward and Colonel Beck did whatever was needed to cover up what had happened. Georgie didn't seem to know what had happened to him, but Jacqueline implied last night that he'd had treatment. I suspect Edward arranged for it, and that it was hushed up."
"How do you feel after seeing her again and learning all of this?"
"Honestly? I think that in their minds, having PTSD excuses everything they did. I know they went through a horrible ordeal, and I know that PTSD is a terrible illness, but I honestly cannot accept that everything they did was attributable to the PTSD. It angers me greatly to think that Charles used to pride himself on being the perfect, rule abiding Officer, and that he threw it all out the window for her. It also makes me question if he really was the perfect Officer, or if I had been so enamoured with him, that I had allowed myself to overlook his flaws."
"You shouldn't beat yourself up, Molls. I don't think anyone could have foreseen the drastic change in him after Elvis died."
"I also feel hurt and betrayed that he didn't consider my feelings when he fucked her on the eve of our wedding. I cannot understand for the life of me why he kept stringing me along?"
"I wish I had an answer for you," Jackie gave my hand an empathetic squeeze.
"I spoke to him last night."
"You what?" Jackie was completely taken aback by my confession.
"It was late. I was feeling hurt, angry, and betrayed, and accused him of sending Georgie to see me on his behalf."
"What did he say?"
"He claimed that he had nothing to do with it, and pleaded with me to let him explain the whole sordid mess. He wants to fly into Birmingham this weekend to meet me."
"I hope you told him to sod off."
"Initially I did, but he kept insisting. I told him I would think about it."
"And are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Going to let him visit?"
"I'm not sure what it would accomplish," I sighed. "Do I really want to subject myself to more pain? I honestly don't think any explanation on his part will change how I feel."
"I know that as your best mate, I'm a bit bias, but I honestly don't think you owe that cheating bastard a bloody thing, Molls. It's been twenty months since he jilted you. If he truly wanted to apologise and to atone for his actions, he would have done so well before now."
"He claims he has been too ashamed," I offered.
"Bollocks," Jackie scoffed. "He's a bloody coward if you ask me. If he really loved you, he would have gotten his head out of his arse a long time ago and come crawling back to you on his knees. You need a real man, Molls, not some cowardly tosser who needs his bloody father to bail him out of trouble and clean up his messes for him. You need to cut your losses and focus on Bones if you ask me."
"You're right. At least about the cutting my losses part. Bones is a different story."
"Why is that?"
"He's in love with her," I revealed.
"Her as in Georgie Lane?" Jackie gave me a sceptical look.
"Yes," I grimaced.
"That's mental, Molls!" Jackie snorted with laughter.
"It's not funny," I objected tersely.
"There is no way in hell he is in love with Georgie. That I can assure you of."
"How?"
"He was beside himself with worry when he telephoned me last night, Molls. He was frantic that you might have been ambushed by Charles or that something worse had happened to you. He wanted to drop everything and to drive down to Bath in search of you. Fortunately, Jacqueline called shortly thereafter and had explained what had happened. Bones was absolutely livid when I told him, and called Georgie all sorts of unflattering names. It was obvious to me that there is no love lost between those two. Why on earth would you think he's in love with her?"
"Before Georgie left, she warned me about Bones. She told me that Bones is using me to get at Charles, and that Bones had tried to get off with her on multiple occasions."
"What a cow," Jackie jeered. "Have you ever stopped to think that maybe Georgie is jealous of you?"
"Jealous, why on earth would she be jealous?"
"Perhaps because while her life is in shambles, you managed to pull yourself out of your own nightmare, and succeed where others, like her, have failed. I also wouldn't put it past Edward to ask Georgie to plant a few seeds of doubt where Bones is concerned."
"She kept insisting that Charles never stopped loving me."
"Do you know what I think? I think that Edward arranged for her secondment to put her in his debt. I bet that Edward forced her to confess everything to you as a way to force you to reconsider your feelings towards Charles."
"Edward can certainly be a manipulative bastard, but why go to such extraordinary lengths?"
"Edward's no fool. He knows that you were the best thing about Charles. I suspect he and Jacqueline would give anything for the two of you to get back together, and for your to be their daughter-in-law. By trying to convince you that Charles still loves you and creating doubts about Bones, Edward is trying to make you more suspectable to his son's overtures."
"And me, being the daft cow that I am, fell right into his trap," I cringed. "He was counting on the fact that I would reach out to Charles and that Charles would be desperate to explain himself. I wonder if Edward planted the things in Charles's room?"
"What things?"
"After hours of tossing and turning last night, I decided to go down to the kitchen for a cuppa. For reasons, unbeknownst to me, I somehow found myself in his room. It was funny peculiar, Jacs. He still had some of my clothes, our rings, and there were pictures me. Pictures that hadn't been there before. Jacqueline found me there. When I asked her if she had put the pictures in there, she denied it. She told me that it was all Charles's doing. She insisted that he still loves me and that he misses me. Now, I'm beginning to wonder if Edward had somehow played a hand in it."
"I certainly wouldn't put it past him," Jackie agreed. "As I said before, if Charles really loved you, he would have done something by now."
"I may have just made a major cock-up on my part, Jacs," I admitted.
"What did you do?"
"I may have told Bones about my suspicions about him being in love with Georgie."
"I take it, it didn't exactly go over well with him?"
"Not at all. I think I have a good rollicking coming my way. He demanded that we talk after my shift ends. I'm going to feel like a right one if I'm wrong about Bones and Georgie."
"I have a feeling you'll be eating a lot of crow," Jackie predicted. "Someone how I don't think Bones is going to let you off that easy, Molls."
"Tell me about it," I groaned. I could only image what Bones had in store for me, and was definitely not looking forward to it.
-X-
"Are you at least going to tell me where we are going?" I prompted from the passenger seat of Bones's Range Rover. As promised, he was waiting for me at the end of my shift. He hadn't even bothered with a polite greeting. Rather, he had tersely ordered me to get in the car.
"Look, it's obvious you're miffed with me, Bones. Is it really necessary to…"
"Put a sock in it, Dawes," Bones ordered, as he pulled up in front of The Edgbaston, the same boutique hotel and cocktail lounge where Operation Bellend had first begun.
"What are we doing here?" I questioned, after Bones exited the driver's seat and walked over to open my door for me.
"Stop being obtuse, you know damn well why we are here," he grasped my hand and practically dragged me into the hotel.
"Could you at least slow down?" I protested as he continued to drag me up the stairs to the first floor. "Not all of us are bleeding giants."
"We're here," Bones muttered, reaching into his trouser pocket with his free hand to pull out a key card.
"You're staying here?"
"Sit," Bones chose to ignore my question and led me to a chair. He then stalked towards the drinks cart and poured himself a neat whiskey.
"Aren't you going to offer me a drink?" I raised a curious eyebrow at him.
"Don't push your luck," he muttered before downing his whiskey.
-X-
"Is there a point to this?" I demanded moments later. "Or am I merely supposed to watch you pace and scowl at me?"
"I'm not one who feels the need to justify his actions," Bones sank down on the edge of the bed so that he was facing me. "Rarely do I feel the need to explain myself, yet, there's something about you Molly, something that makes me break my own rules."
"Look, I realise that I may have been a bit rash earlier, and…"
"Don't," Bones cut me off. "You deserve an explanation and I would appreciate it if you would hear me out before jumping to conclusions."
"Ok," I agreed, surprised that he was willing to open up to me.
"I hope you have come to realise by now that I'm neither a hero nor a saint. I don't subscribe to the whole hero worship bullshit. I do my job because I like it and I am good at it. Underneath the uniform I'm just another bloke. I'm well aware of my flaws and I don't try to hide them. I don't do relationships because they are a complication I have never wanted to have in my life. Up until this point, I've never thought of myself as being capable of committing to a woman. There's also the fact that my job pretty much guarantees that I have a short shelf-life."
"Is this your way of saying…"
"Please, Molly, let me finish," Bones interrupted. "You hit a nerve when you brought up Lane. At first, I was furious that you would think I would want anything to do with a twit like her. I admit that any man would be blind if he didn't find her reasonably attractive, but in all honesty, she doesn't do it for me. I find her incredibly annoying, extremely short-sided, reckless, and selfish. However, that was not the real reason for my anger earlier. The real reason I became so shirty is because it embarrasses me to share with you what I am about to tell you," he revealed, causing a surge of anxiety to hit me. If he was embarrassed, it could only mean one thing. Georgie had not been lying when she'd told me that Bones had chased her.
"Look, I get it, you're single, she's attractive, you have your needs," I babbled, not wanting to hear him admit out loud that he had pursued her.
"Molly, please, stop," Bones gently clasped my face between his hands, so that I had no choice, but to look directly at him. "It's not what you think," he whispered.
"Then w-what is it?"
"Do you remember when we were at Stirling Lines and you asked me if I had been mates with Elvis?"
"What does Elvis have to do with this?" I asked as Bones released my face and stood up from the bed to start pacing again.
"When I told you that we were not mates and that we were merely colleagues, that wasn't the full truth," Bones confessed. "The truth is, I despised Elvis with every fibre of my being."
"You hated Elvis?" I looked back at Bones in shock. I didn't think it was possible for anyone to dislike the charming rogue who had once been like a brother to me.
"It didn't seem right to tell you that then, when it was clear you were paying tribute to your mate."
"Why did you hate him so much?"
"It's complicated, and I would prefer not to get into the details with you. He was your mate, and it wouldn't be right for me to cloud your opinion of him at this point. Just know that I have my reasons, and that they are justified."
"If you say so," I was less than pleased that Bones refused to tell me why he'd hated Elvis, but I knew that it was best to quit while I was ahead with him.
"I would be lying if I said that I was by no means saddened by Elvis's death. If you ask me, he was reckless, and never should have included Lane or James in his operation. He was asking for trouble by involving them," Bones observed. "As for Lane, the first time I met her was in Nigeria. Within minutes of meeting her, she compromised an undercover Op I had been running and managed to get herself kidnapped. After rescuing her, I am ashamed to say that I acted in a bit of a juvenile manner. I got this idea in my head that I could use Lane as a way to avenge myself against Elvis. I knew the mere thought of me getting off with Lane would have Elvis turning over in his grave. So, I pretended to like her and tried to seduce her one multiple occasions. What I didn't realise at the time, was how fucked in the head she was."
"Are you essentially telling me that you deliberately chased Lane because you wanted to fuck her as a means to satisfy your desire for revenge against Elvis?"
"Yes," Bones grimaced, his embarrassment in sharing this with me evident.
"That's mental, Bones. Not to mention, petty, selfish, juvenile…"
"I told you that I was by no means a saint," Bones reminded.
"How am I supposed to believe that this isn't some cock and bull story you made up over the past ten hours?" I questioned.
"I may have chosen to be less than forthcoming to you about Elvis, but you know that I'm not a liar."
"No, you tend to be brutally honest," I agreed. "Just so we are clear, is there anything else about Lane I should know?"
"No. That's all there is. Nothing more, nothing less," Bones stood before me and promised.
"Do you think I could have that drink now?" I asked, in attempt to lighten the mood, wanting a minute to process everything he'd revealed.
-X-
"It's been suggested to me multiple times now that you might be using me," I remarked after setting my drink down on the table.
"Using you how?" Bones looked surprised by my remark.
"As a way to seek revenge against Charles."
"Whom do I have to thank for this piece of wisdom?"
"Georgie. Charles also made a similar suggestion when I spoke to him last night."
"You spoke to that bastard?" Bones accused, as he stood up from the table and raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "Did he contact you?" he demanded.
"I umm, may have texted him," I admitted with a sheepish expression on my face.
"Why the fuck would you do that?" I could see Bones's jaw clench with anger.
"It was late and I was angry. I thought he was responsible for Georgie's ambush and I wanted to give him a telling off."
"Was he?"
"No, it turns out that it was purely Edward's handiwork."
"Meddling, bastard," Bones muttered under his breath.
"Charles kept insisting that he loved me and he was adamant that you're using me to get back at him. I didn't believe him, but hearing you talk about seeking vengeance against Elvis worries me, Bones. Please tell me, Operation Bellend isn't a ruse and that you're not using me. I don't think I could handle it if you were," I whispered.
"Why couldn't you handle it?" Bones, walked up to me and reached out with his right hand to stroke my cheek.
"You know why," I breathed as I felt my heart start to flutter from his nearness.
"Then you should know, Molly, that I could never do anything to hurt you," Bones vowed before taking me into his arms covering my lips in a searing kiss.
-X-
I initially jerked in surprise, causing Bones to pull me even more firmly against his muscled chest. He deepened the kiss, causing my mouth to open and yield. His lips made my body begin to tingle with excitement as I found my lips beginning to cling to his in response. The next thing I knew, my arms were around his neck and I was pressing my full length against him.
Within the confines of our embrace, Bones slipped his hand under my t-shirt and began to cup my breast before rubbing his thumb across my peaked nipple. My body arched in response, craving even more of his touch.
I could feel his arousal pressing against me as his tongue probed and stroked mine. The play of his lips and tongue were arousing and I couldn't help but moan when he started trailing kisses down the side of my neck.
Before I could stop to think, Bones pushed me back onto the bed and came down on top of me. He green eyes were glittering with hunger, his body pulsing with need. I watched him grab the hem of his t-shirt and pull it over his head before taking my mouth with explosive passion.
Bones made quick work out of dispensing with my t-shirt and bra before feasting on my throbbing breasts. It amazed me that he instinctively knew how to please me. I found my back arching up as he employed his tongue and teeth to suck my sensitive nipples. I reached for the back of his head and ran my fingers through his thick hair, relishing in the sensations he was creating inside of me.
Soon, he had discarded my jeans, and literally ripped off my knickers in what seemed to be his desperate need to explore my hidden depths. An intolerable ache was building inside of me as his fingers and mouth caressed me. As I found myself spiralling towards fulfilment, I sobbed out his name over and over. Never had I felt this aroused and desperate for release.
I had barely recovered, when my passion-glazed eyes took in the magnificent site of Bones's nude body. He was a work of art. Perfect in every way. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to feel him inside of me.
"Do you want me?" Bones asked in a hungry voice.
"Yes!" I cried out as I felt his fingers begin to stroke my moist inner core. He swiftly stifled groan as I watched his eyes flare with pleasure. I couldn't help but cry out as I felt my body engulfed in a storm of fiery sensation. Every thrust lifted me higher and higher, leaving my heart pounding out of control. I wrapped my arms around him and matched his both rhythm his intensity.
"You're mine, Molly. Mine!" Bones grated in a tortured voice, before driving me into abyss and shuddering with the full force of his own release.
-X-
Minutes later, I came crashing back to reality. I was lying in bed, naked, next to an equally naked Bones, after having absolutely mind-blowing sex with the man. I couldn't help but start to feel my old insecurities start to rear their ugly head. Had he really desired me, or was this merely an attempt by him to pacify me? Did he have feelings for me, or was this just a one-off for him? How did we proceed from here, knowing that he wasn't the slightest bit interested in being in a relationship?
"You're thinking too much, Poppet," Bones chided, before pulling me into his arms and holding me close.
"I…," I hesitated in responding as I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment.
"What if I told you that was fucking awesome and you were sweeter than I could have ever imagined?"
"Do you say that to all the women you shag?" I wondered.
"No. I'm not one for compliments. You should know that by now. Nor am I one to spoon, or whatever the fuck this is called," He chuckled.
"You're not?"
"God no. As I said before, there's something about you that has me breaking all of my rules."
"I honestly thought you weren't attracted to me," I blushed.
"If you only knew the number of cold showers and gruelling workouts, I have subjected myself to over the past three months."
"Seriously?" I stared back at him in surprise.
"Stop selling yourself short, Poppet. You're beautiful, Molly Not just on the outside, but on the inside where it matters most. Lane will never possess the inner beauty that you possess and she bloody well knows it."
"I had no idea you thought that. You've been so hot and cold with me that I've been at sixes and sevens with you," I admitted. "Why did you freeze up on me like you did at your parents' estate?"
"Self-preservation, I suppose. I wanted nothing more than to push you up against my bedroom wall and rip your clothes off, but I didn't think you were ready. I was also fighting an internal battle with myself. You deserve a man who can give you all of himself. One who put your needs before his own. I'm a selfish bastard, Molly, yet there is something about you that makes me want to try to be a better man. I know that I've been a bit crap in the fake boyfriend department, but I'm willing to learn how to be a real boyfriend if you're willing to teach me," Bones revealed, causing me to give him a wide smile in return.
"Bones McClyde, are you fond of me?" I smirked.
"Of course, I'm bloody fond of you," he gave me an exasperated grin. "And I'm likely to become a hell of a lot more if you're willing to take me on. I know I'm not all toffee nosed and refined like the arsemonger…"
"How ironic that I was just telling Jackie last weekend that I had developed a certain fondness for a complicated, moody, and secretive action man."
"Come here, you, cheeky mare," Bones pulled me under him and began to plunder my lips with a passionate kiss, leaving me breathless and wanting more.