Chapter 5

After just a few weeks, Martha was beginning to feel truly at home in the bay. She had met Alf, Morag and Ric and they had welcomed her into their family with no problems. She already had many friends and the setting was beautiful. The beach had helped her in so many ways. But still there was the problem of Chris and Jack. Two men who both played a huge part in her life, and spent a lot of time in her thoughts; but for opposite reasons. Actually Martha hardly ever saw Jack, but even she couldn't pretend that he wasn't special. They had something that couldn't be ignored and it made her angry and upset that she could not do anything about it. She hardly knew Jack and yet whenever he was around, she felt safe. Whenever she saw him, she got a warm tingly feeling inside. And on the rare occasions that they touched, the desire she felt was stronger than anything she had ever experienced before. She could see it, every time she looked into his eyes; he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Chris woke up and saw Martha laying beside him. He smiled. He felt happy; knowing that she was his forever. He knew that he shouldn't have done what he did, but he had come to the conclusion that it had all been worth it. It had all been worth it to be able to keep Martha. He looked at her and stroked her face gently, thinking how beautiful she looked whilst she was sleeping.

Martha kept her eyes closed shut. She knew that Chris was looking at her and she knew that he was touching her, but she still pretended to be asleep. She had worked out that this was the best way of avoiding having do things she didn't want to do. After all she had to obey Chris' every work; despite how much she hated to do it.

Jack woke up slowly and reached out next to him, expecting to feel someone there. And then he realized. It all came flooding back. He realized that he had been dreaming again; dreaming of Martha lying next to him; of waking up to her in the morning. For what must have been about the 50th time he had to remind himself that unfortunately that was one dream that was never going to happen.

Martha walked down the beach, with Chris' arm around her waist. She smiled when she passed her friends; acting like a fiancée should; totally content and blissfully happy. But her and Chris knew that it was all an act. She didn't love him; she just had to pretend she did.