Just Friends part 4
Just as Alex had removed his last item of clothing there was a knock on the door. 'Go away!' yelled Claire as she quickly planted her mouth back on Alex's. 'Um Claire, have you seen Alex?' asked Tess nervously. Alex pulled his head back and grinned wickedly at Claire. ' No, he must be somewhere else' he yelled back with a grin. ' Oh... Umm Claire?' Tess yelled out, embarrassed at having interrupted. Claire sighed. She gave Alex a quick kiss. 'Hold that thought' she said as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. She pulled the door ajar and poked her head around the corner. 'Tess, I'm kinda busy what is it?' hissed Claire, eager to get back to Alex. Tess cleared her throat and shook her head. 'I'm really sorry,' she whispered 'but there's kind of a problem.' Tess kept her voice low, not wanting Alex to over hear. Claire gave her the get- on-with-it-before-I-really-lose-my-temper look and Tess leaned closer. 'Peter's here.' Tess gave her a pointed look but it was totally missed by Claire. ' Shit... shit, what's he doing here?' Claire's face had gone white and she was shaking then she took a deep breath ' okay you tell him to leave and I'll keep Alex busy till he's gone' Claire instructed but Tess shook her head. 'Tried that already but he refused, he..' Tess stopped as Alex pulled the door wide. 'Tess we're kind of busy here..' Alex's voice trailed off as he glanced past Tess' shoulder. Tess turned around to see Peter standing at the head of the stairs looking angrily at Claire. 'What are you doing here?' demanded Alex, forgetting momentarily that he was wearing nothing but a towel. 'I've come to claim what's mine.' Snapped Peter, unable to take his eyes of Claire. 'I don't think so mate, Claire's already told you where to go.' Alex took a menacing step forward but Claire pushed him back. 'I'm not talking about Claire I'm talking about the baby.' Peter replied calmly. Tess swirled around to face Claire, shock plastered all over her face. 'What the?' Alex lunged for Peter but Claire and Tess stepped in front of him and both pushed him into the bathroom, closing the door on Peter. 'What's he talking about?' Alex asked turning to Claire. Claire looked away and Tess discreetly left the room. 'When I was in Adelaide. I was so angry at you and he was there..' Alex stared at her incredulously. 'But I thought you'd already told him about you and me and the baby?' Alex was starting to get really angry. 'No I didn't I just told you that so you would know for sure the babies yours. I just sort of blurted it out. Alex' Claire pleaded 'I swear the baby is yours, there's no way it could possibly be his.' Claire could read the hurt in his eyes along with a measure of disbelief. 'You don't believe me do you?' whispered Claire, but the answer was written all over his face. Claire backed away. 'I can't believe you. You really think I would lie about something as important as this. I knew I was pregnant before I slept with him.' Yelled Claire 'Then why did you have sex with him? You are many things Claire, but I never thought you were easy.' With that Alex grabbed his stuff and left Claire standing there, the sting of his words still biting. When Claire had recovered she quickly threw her clothes on and stormed downstairs. 'You know and I know that baby is not yours Peter.' Yelled Claire when she found him sitting on the veranda. 'How would I know Claire? It seems there's no way to really be sure.' He said evenly, taking satisfaction from Claire's obvious distress. 'I told you. After we slept together I told you. Why are you doing this?' she demanded unable to keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks. 'Now you know Claire. Now you know what its like to lose everything, to take a risk and have it bite you in the arse. Maybe I know the baby isn't mine but every time Alex looks in that child's face he is going to wonder if he really is the Father. There is no better satisfaction for me than having him doubt you and his child.' With that Peter left, leaving Claire distraught as she headed back inside. 'How could I ever have loved him Tess? I know that baby is Alex's. There is absolutely no way it could be Peter's. I mean think about it, the timing's not even right.' Tess pulled Claire into a hug 'I know Claire, I know. I don't think that's the problem though. You slept with Peter when you were carrying Alex's child. He's hurt.' Claire nodded her head and looked up to see Alex standing in the doorway. 'I'm leaving and I don't know when I'll be back. I need some time to think Claire.' Alex gave her one last look and headed for the door. 'Alex,' she called and headed after him. Claire couldn't explain it but she was angry and she wanted him to know. 'Do you have so little trust in me that you think I would lie to you about this baby?' she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him around to face him. 'Trust?' stormed Alex 'give my one good reason why I should trust you. You were pregnant with MY child and you had sex with another man, I'll never trust you again Claire.' He looked down at her and saw the hurt on her face. His whole body ached at the thought of what she was going through but he couldn't back down, he really couldn't. 'How dare you! You didn't even see fit to tell anyone about us, I was ' nobody special' as I recall. You have slept with more than half the women in the district and I'M the easy one! Get stuffed Alex. You're always running away from your problems and this time it was me you hurt. I love you, I always have but do you think I have any idea how you feel? Of course I don't why would you bother telling me? I mean I was just sex right? Sex that got a bit complicated. Well you can rest easy. If you want to think this is Peter's child go ahead, I'm not going to stop you. But know this Alexander Ryan. Don't expect to come back and be a part of our lives because I won't let you. Once you're gone that's it. I will not let you ruin OUR child's life like you ruined mine.' Claire stopped and took a breath. 'Me? I ruined YOUR life? You're the one that got pregnant Claire. I know this baby is mine, it didn't take much to realise that but it doesn't change the fact that you slept with Peter' yelled Alex ' so don't turn this around on me, you are the liar and you are the cheater and I may love you Claire, but IO certainly don't like or trust you anymore. And don't you DARE try and push me out of my child's life just because you got caught out.' With that Alex turned and stormed to the Ute, leaving a shaking and devastated Claire. He didn't even look back as he got into his Ute and took off. 'Claire honey, are you okay?' Meg asked quietly as she rested a hand on Claire's arm. Claire didn't even turn to look at her. 'I've really stuffed up this time' Claire said blankly as she turned and headed into the house.
At Killarney. Alex slammed the door as he went inside. 'Damn it' he yelled and Liz came running out. 'What? What is it Claire' she asked, alarmed at his mood 'is Claire okay? The baby?' 'The babies fine but Claire and I are never going to happen mum so you might as well get used to it.' Roared Alex and he slammed the kitchen door behind him as he went back outside. 'What, trouble in paradise hey?' asked a bemused Harry. 'Shut up Harry, just shut up' snapped Liz. She had this unmistakable feeling that everything had gone horrible wrong.
Two months later. 'I can't believe he still hasn't come back.' Said Tess as she watched Meg roll out the dough. 'Terry said he's still in Adelaide, hasn't wrung Liz in over two weeks' Tess sighed. 'Claire still isn't coping' she said and Meg nodded her head. The both looked up as they heard a car screech up the driveway. Meg beat Tess to the front door but they both watched as Nick grabbed hold of Alex and pulled him out of the car. Claire was standing, stunned, in the middle of the yard with a saddle in her hand. Her shirt tightly covering the small bump that had appeared over the last week. 'Claire' yelled Nick as he pushed Alex forward. Claire seemed to regain her senses as she quickly walked off leaving an exasperated Nick and an angry Alex in her wake. 'Nick would you just leave off' yelled Alex but Nick wouldn't have a bar of it. 'This is the only way to get mum off my back and to get you out of this eternally nasty mood' stated Nick as he headed off to find Tess. Alex stood in the middle of the yard unable to decide what to do. He had missed Claire badly over the last two moths and the little bump he had noticed had made him feel sick to the core. He had missed its arrival, missed her excitement over it, maybe even missed the first kick. Claire was three moths pregnant and he hadn't even had the chance to talk to the baby, let it get used to his voice. The anger was still there but so to was the love he realised. Alex shook his head and headed after her.
Just as Alex had removed his last item of clothing there was a knock on the door. 'Go away!' yelled Claire as she quickly planted her mouth back on Alex's. 'Um Claire, have you seen Alex?' asked Tess nervously. Alex pulled his head back and grinned wickedly at Claire. ' No, he must be somewhere else' he yelled back with a grin. ' Oh... Umm Claire?' Tess yelled out, embarrassed at having interrupted. Claire sighed. She gave Alex a quick kiss. 'Hold that thought' she said as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. She pulled the door ajar and poked her head around the corner. 'Tess, I'm kinda busy what is it?' hissed Claire, eager to get back to Alex. Tess cleared her throat and shook her head. 'I'm really sorry,' she whispered 'but there's kind of a problem.' Tess kept her voice low, not wanting Alex to over hear. Claire gave her the get- on-with-it-before-I-really-lose-my-temper look and Tess leaned closer. 'Peter's here.' Tess gave her a pointed look but it was totally missed by Claire. ' Shit... shit, what's he doing here?' Claire's face had gone white and she was shaking then she took a deep breath ' okay you tell him to leave and I'll keep Alex busy till he's gone' Claire instructed but Tess shook her head. 'Tried that already but he refused, he..' Tess stopped as Alex pulled the door wide. 'Tess we're kind of busy here..' Alex's voice trailed off as he glanced past Tess' shoulder. Tess turned around to see Peter standing at the head of the stairs looking angrily at Claire. 'What are you doing here?' demanded Alex, forgetting momentarily that he was wearing nothing but a towel. 'I've come to claim what's mine.' Snapped Peter, unable to take his eyes of Claire. 'I don't think so mate, Claire's already told you where to go.' Alex took a menacing step forward but Claire pushed him back. 'I'm not talking about Claire I'm talking about the baby.' Peter replied calmly. Tess swirled around to face Claire, shock plastered all over her face. 'What the?' Alex lunged for Peter but Claire and Tess stepped in front of him and both pushed him into the bathroom, closing the door on Peter. 'What's he talking about?' Alex asked turning to Claire. Claire looked away and Tess discreetly left the room. 'When I was in Adelaide. I was so angry at you and he was there..' Alex stared at her incredulously. 'But I thought you'd already told him about you and me and the baby?' Alex was starting to get really angry. 'No I didn't I just told you that so you would know for sure the babies yours. I just sort of blurted it out. Alex' Claire pleaded 'I swear the baby is yours, there's no way it could possibly be his.' Claire could read the hurt in his eyes along with a measure of disbelief. 'You don't believe me do you?' whispered Claire, but the answer was written all over his face. Claire backed away. 'I can't believe you. You really think I would lie about something as important as this. I knew I was pregnant before I slept with him.' Yelled Claire 'Then why did you have sex with him? You are many things Claire, but I never thought you were easy.' With that Alex grabbed his stuff and left Claire standing there, the sting of his words still biting. When Claire had recovered she quickly threw her clothes on and stormed downstairs. 'You know and I know that baby is not yours Peter.' Yelled Claire when she found him sitting on the veranda. 'How would I know Claire? It seems there's no way to really be sure.' He said evenly, taking satisfaction from Claire's obvious distress. 'I told you. After we slept together I told you. Why are you doing this?' she demanded unable to keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks. 'Now you know Claire. Now you know what its like to lose everything, to take a risk and have it bite you in the arse. Maybe I know the baby isn't mine but every time Alex looks in that child's face he is going to wonder if he really is the Father. There is no better satisfaction for me than having him doubt you and his child.' With that Peter left, leaving Claire distraught as she headed back inside. 'How could I ever have loved him Tess? I know that baby is Alex's. There is absolutely no way it could be Peter's. I mean think about it, the timing's not even right.' Tess pulled Claire into a hug 'I know Claire, I know. I don't think that's the problem though. You slept with Peter when you were carrying Alex's child. He's hurt.' Claire nodded her head and looked up to see Alex standing in the doorway. 'I'm leaving and I don't know when I'll be back. I need some time to think Claire.' Alex gave her one last look and headed for the door. 'Alex,' she called and headed after him. Claire couldn't explain it but she was angry and she wanted him to know. 'Do you have so little trust in me that you think I would lie to you about this baby?' she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him around to face him. 'Trust?' stormed Alex 'give my one good reason why I should trust you. You were pregnant with MY child and you had sex with another man, I'll never trust you again Claire.' He looked down at her and saw the hurt on her face. His whole body ached at the thought of what she was going through but he couldn't back down, he really couldn't. 'How dare you! You didn't even see fit to tell anyone about us, I was ' nobody special' as I recall. You have slept with more than half the women in the district and I'M the easy one! Get stuffed Alex. You're always running away from your problems and this time it was me you hurt. I love you, I always have but do you think I have any idea how you feel? Of course I don't why would you bother telling me? I mean I was just sex right? Sex that got a bit complicated. Well you can rest easy. If you want to think this is Peter's child go ahead, I'm not going to stop you. But know this Alexander Ryan. Don't expect to come back and be a part of our lives because I won't let you. Once you're gone that's it. I will not let you ruin OUR child's life like you ruined mine.' Claire stopped and took a breath. 'Me? I ruined YOUR life? You're the one that got pregnant Claire. I know this baby is mine, it didn't take much to realise that but it doesn't change the fact that you slept with Peter' yelled Alex ' so don't turn this around on me, you are the liar and you are the cheater and I may love you Claire, but IO certainly don't like or trust you anymore. And don't you DARE try and push me out of my child's life just because you got caught out.' With that Alex turned and stormed to the Ute, leaving a shaking and devastated Claire. He didn't even look back as he got into his Ute and took off. 'Claire honey, are you okay?' Meg asked quietly as she rested a hand on Claire's arm. Claire didn't even turn to look at her. 'I've really stuffed up this time' Claire said blankly as she turned and headed into the house.
At Killarney. Alex slammed the door as he went inside. 'Damn it' he yelled and Liz came running out. 'What? What is it Claire' she asked, alarmed at his mood 'is Claire okay? The baby?' 'The babies fine but Claire and I are never going to happen mum so you might as well get used to it.' Roared Alex and he slammed the kitchen door behind him as he went back outside. 'What, trouble in paradise hey?' asked a bemused Harry. 'Shut up Harry, just shut up' snapped Liz. She had this unmistakable feeling that everything had gone horrible wrong.
Two months later. 'I can't believe he still hasn't come back.' Said Tess as she watched Meg roll out the dough. 'Terry said he's still in Adelaide, hasn't wrung Liz in over two weeks' Tess sighed. 'Claire still isn't coping' she said and Meg nodded her head. The both looked up as they heard a car screech up the driveway. Meg beat Tess to the front door but they both watched as Nick grabbed hold of Alex and pulled him out of the car. Claire was standing, stunned, in the middle of the yard with a saddle in her hand. Her shirt tightly covering the small bump that had appeared over the last week. 'Claire' yelled Nick as he pushed Alex forward. Claire seemed to regain her senses as she quickly walked off leaving an exasperated Nick and an angry Alex in her wake. 'Nick would you just leave off' yelled Alex but Nick wouldn't have a bar of it. 'This is the only way to get mum off my back and to get you out of this eternally nasty mood' stated Nick as he headed off to find Tess. Alex stood in the middle of the yard unable to decide what to do. He had missed Claire badly over the last two moths and the little bump he had noticed had made him feel sick to the core. He had missed its arrival, missed her excitement over it, maybe even missed the first kick. Claire was three moths pregnant and he hadn't even had the chance to talk to the baby, let it get used to his voice. The anger was still there but so to was the love he realised. Alex shook his head and headed after her.