May 2018

Stevie awoke in 'his' bed, it wasn't the first time she had slept in his bed, in fact, she had many times. However, it was the first time she had awoke in his bed after spending the evening making love to him. He had been so tender and affectionate, he had kissed every inch of her, held her hands, told her she was beautiful. Now though, she found herself alone, the bed felt huge without his body laying next to her. Glancing at the alarm clock, she realised it was much later in the day, sleep had clearly been needed. She grabbed her dressing gown from the floor and pulled it on, tying the bow tight around her waist. She could hear the voices from the living room and she stood in the hallway to listen. "It's bullshit" Smithy sounded stressed.

"Come on Smithy" Neil's voice bellowed in her ears "You knew he was going to get bail"

"Does she need to be in a fucking box before anyone takes her seriously?"

"Everyone is taking this seriously, everyone is on her side but Flynn is convincing"

"This is a joke"

"We are going to charge him with assault, he will lose his job"

"And what about everything Stevie has lost Neil?"

"He is still claiming that Stevie has fabricated all of this"

"And you should know that is rubbish, he hit her in front of a load of coppers or do our words mean nothing now?"

"Don't be ridiculous but I have to be seen to be objective and every one has given a statement Smithy and we will charge him with assault, he is claiming you were having an affair and that's why he lost it in the canteen"

"We weren't having an affair"

"But this isn't the first time that your relationship has been called into question"

"This has nothing to do with me Neil or anything that has happened in the past, this is about that piece of shit, who has spent night after night, torturing a person I care about, someone you claim to care about".

Stevie closed her eyes before moving into the living room "Morning" she smiled, she felt the cut on her cheek burn and her smile faded quickly. "Are my ears burning?" she asked.

"We have bailed Declan" Neil spoke

"Well we all knew that was coming"

"That's it?" Smithy asked "That's all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say Smithy?"

"Why aren't you angry?" he shouted "Why are you not pissed off he isn't going to rot for what he has done to you?". She went to answer and he moved past her "This is a fucking joke".

"Smithy?" she called as he left the room.

"You okay?" Neil asked

"Why is he so angry with me?"

"He isn't Stevie, he is angry with Flynn, with the system and he is angry that he wasn't there to protect you but he isn't angry with you Stevie"

"This is my fault, if I hadn't of pursued a relationship with Dec"

"Stevie, do not ever believe this is your fault. It is always the fault of the perpetrator"

"I wanted Smithy. When I met Dec, he was gorgeous and funny but he was just a distraction from Smithy"

"So?" Neil responded, Stevie was slightly taken back by his response and clearly she looked confused. "Stevie, if Declan had walked in and caught you in bed with Smithy, if you had told Declan you were in love with Smithy, if you had been at it behind his back the whole time"

"We weren't" she interrupted as she flumped onto the sofa "I wouldn't of done anything to make Dec angry"

"It doesn't matter, nothing you could ever do or say gave him the right to lay a hand on you Stevie, to rape you, I have seen your interview, the things that monster has put you through, that is on him and him alone, remember that Stevie, hold on to the fact you are innocent in this".

"Thanks Gov" she replied.

"I'll keep you updated" he respond and with that he left the room, she heard mumbles of him talking to Smithy and she buried her head into her hands.

"Sorry" he held two steaming mugs in his hands and she glanced up to him in the door way, tears still streaming down her face "Peace offering?" he whispered.

"Smithy, I am angry, I am so angry that I have allowed myself to be treated like this but you know how this all works, I can't keep on focusing on what he has done, he will lose his job, he will be charged for the assault but I need to put the rest behind me"

"Stevie" he moved next to her and placed the drinks to the table "I love you but you are sounding like you are giving up, you have to push this, to fight him"

"I can't Smithy, I can not fight a losing battle any more, so if we are going to be together, you have to let this go too, can you do that?"

"So let him get away with it?"

"No, respect the fact I need to move on with my life and try to salvage some form of dignity, a little bit of self respect to move on with and have a future".

"Okay, if that's what you really want to do, I will drop it"

"Okay, Smithy I love you"

"I love you too you daft mare, come here" he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She was finally where she was meant to be, the place where she felt safest in the world.

Stevie sat on his bed with Houdini cuddled in her lap, the morning had been a stressful one, so after Neil had left she had called Lexi and had headed round for a self defence lesson, she felt better with each session. She had decided on an early night and as she sat waiting for him to emerge from the shower, she grabbed for her ipad and began to scroll through it. Looking for any form of a distraction from her life. The bed moved and she glanced to him in a pair of black underpants, that she could easily rip off him, and felt her breath catch in her throat, he really was an amazingly sexy man. "Holiday or running away?" he asked as he glanced at the screen

"Neither, just a distraction" she smiled as she placed the ipad to the bedside table and moved into his lips "But I'm pretty sure you could be a better one"

"Is that right Detective Sergeant Moss?" he moved into her lips and she briefly registered Houdini jumping from the bed as Smithy's hands moved onto her hips and slid her body on top of him.

Sorry I hadn't put this on for a while, I kind of got disheartened by the lack of reviews but thought I would finish for the people who were reading.