“No problem.” I chuckle grabbing his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “Harlow will be fine,” I stated. “Just give her time to calm down.”
It was a mistake he hadn’t told her about his life and what he had achieved, but he couldn’t blame anyone else for his own choices and secrets. It wasn’t something he could do anything about now, aside from being honest with her moving forward. Especially when she’d put up the typical barriers that she had become famous for.
She wasn’t a china doll that could be broken at the first opportunity, she had proven that by surviving on her own for two years.
Seven
Harlow
The low wintersun woke me up as it glared through the shutters. I suddenly jumped awake as I took in my surroundings. I’d completely forgotten in the hours that I’d rested my eyes, that I had made the journey back to the harbour. I actually pinched myself to make sure it was real. As the throbbing pain lingered in my head from the after-effects of the quickly consumed drinks, the last part of the evening flooded back. Yet again, the fact that I was a failure came to the forefront.
Not feeling ready to deal with Johnny just yet, I decided that I needed to clear my head with a walk along the beach. I could already feel the slightly warm sand in between my toes, and it sounded like heaven right now. The crisp, fresh air would hopefully clear the lingering hangover that my mixed drinks had caused. The last thing I needed was Johnny to have noticed my slightly delicate state. He would firstly try to ban me from drinking ever again, he just couldn’t help his knight in shining armour complex. It wouldn’t have happened, I would’ve stood my ground with him, over the matter. Secondly, he would have made a point of doing anything to aggravate the effects even more so. Anything to admit he was right.
Brothers for you, they managed to annoy you in many forms normally without even trying.
I grabbed a quick shower, and with my towel wrapped around me, I tied my hair back in a low ponytail. I didn’t dare risk the frizz or turning the hairdryer on and alerting Johnny to my now awake presence. The noise, I knew would have also played havoc with my fragile head. A nice floaty maxi dress, with my classic shades would be the perfect protection to my eyes and of course a trusted pair of sandals, as they were easy to slip on and off. I quickly crept down the stairs and out the entrance without being seen making sure I closed the door gently too until the lock clicked.
The fresh morning air was truly welcomed, as I walked the short distance. I grabbed a freshly baked, crisp but flaky pastry and black coffee to reinvigorate me. It was just what I needed from a coffee stand off a few minutes’ walk from the beach front. I remember it from my childhood, a family run place run by the Pinner family. It had certainly had a refurbishment in the years but kept its homely feel with its cosy seating and lemon shaded decorations. Ginny was the middle child and owner now since her father retired, not her older brother, Cooper, who I had expected to see.
If my memory served me right, he was friends with Johnny. I wanted time to think, so the beach seemed as ideal a spot as any, no-one to crowd or stop you. It was the ideal place for your thoughts to unravel and then carefully be put back together, I knew the moment I got back into that house; the interrogation would begin.
I needed to stop being the young girl who used to fly off the handle at every opportunity, last night didn’t help to prove that point. I made out I had grown up, but the petulant child returned in hindsight slamming my feet up the stairs. It probably wasn’t the most mature response I could have given, but there’s only so much one person can take in one evening. Instead, I had to show them the new, mature, and responsible Harlow, the woman who should now have her life together. A role model to the community. I didn’t, though, but could I play the acting card needed. I’d just stumbled a little off the path along the way.
Johnny may have everything mapped out, and yes, in two years when my inheritance from my parents comes through, I could do the same. To be honest, why rely on someone in life, when the only true person you could rely on was yourself?
Eight
Elijah
I had alwaysused alcohol as a crutch when I needed stress relief. I could’ve dealt without it the majority of the time, but you know there’re those days when it just eases the tension. Well, last night, I felt that way, and this morning I wished I hadn’t.
As the drumbeat pounded in my temples told me that neat scotch mixed with other drinks, maybe had been too much.Okay, it was too much.I rubbed the sides of my head in small circular motions, but nothing seemed to relieve the pressure. The only thing it was doing was allowing a film reel of images of Harlow to play behind my closed eyelids, and my cock listening to the fact who she was wasn’t important. He stood to attention, all thanks to the memory of that sexy brunette swaying her ass, as she marched up the stairs.
Painfully engorged, I needed relief, even though I felt disgusted with myself, knowing who she was to me. I had folded that thought in a deep corner in the back crevices of my mind, and I decided a hot shower would be the best way forward. Head rested against the cold smooth tiles, a perfect contrast to the scolding heat, I grabbed my solid length and ran my hand up and down. I increased my pace as the slideshow continued to play in my mind. My opposite hand steadied me, as I felt the tingly sensation rise up my spine. With the final two jerks, hot beads of cum spurted across the tiles. My head flew back with the force of the orgasm that had hit in more ways than one and my palm slammed against the cool tiles.
When did those platonic feelings change?
Guilt flooded my pores. I knew I couldn’t have her. Guys had cardinal rules in place just the same as females had, my mind and my dick were at war, but my dick certainly wasn’t listening at that moment. I knew for certain Johnny would be first in line to read me the riot act. If not worse his actions if he found out I had come at the thought of Harlow being all grown up. Harlow herself, would’ve probably had been the first in line to knee me in the balls. She hated me and I didn’t think I’d changed her mind last night. She hadn’t even given me a second glance when she took her stand. I knew for certain that I was in deep trouble. I had stolen looks at her at every given opportunity. I was hoping neither Johnny nor her would notice my sudden fascination with her. Except it was getting harder to not just stand there and drool continuously. I wanted to smash my mouth against hers, but I was more likely to have a smashed jaw with a fist.Fuck.
I shook myself quickly out of the reverie I had found myself in. The only thing I knew that would clear my jumbled thoughts and give me what I required, the deep throbbing and pulsing pain in every muscle in my body was a long exhaustive workout. I ran past the harbour and decided the actual beach would enhance my stamina, making it a real challenge. I hit the dunes further up, then the rockery at the far side. Nothing like a full cardio workout to have worked through the mind fucks that Harlow coming home had stirred up.
The end point soon approached, and just as I thought that maybe I was too exhausted to think about her anymore, fate decided to have one last laugh and intervene as the beauty was laid out before me to see. I wondered what else karma had in store for me, as I couldn’t stop drinking her in. I knew I should have picked up my pace. Maybe I should’ve ran straight past her and certainly not slowed down to see every last detail of her form. I just couldn’t help the temptation or my reaction to her, though. It was surely some cosmic joke; she was my best friend's little sister who hated my guts.
Yet, our paths crossed and were so deeply intertwined. I knew she would have been here avoiding Johnny after the shit show last night, clarity of her own thoughts always took hold. I decided in that split second, that I wouldn’t overstep the boundaries. If she actually wanted to talk to me, then it needed to be her decision.
Nine
Harlow
I wascertain he had planned to carefully run past me, avoiding me at all costs, but I couldn’t let him. Maybe having known Elijah was here on his own accord had something to do with it. He certainly hadn’t followed me dressed in that muscle vest and shorts combination. He had come down here to run, maybe it was part of his morning routine he had devised, but now he was here, I wanted to speak to him. Even though I knew he could go tell Johnny everything I said, my gut screamed he wouldn’t.
I felt so much more human after I had devoured that delicious pastry and coffee. I lowered my sunglasses down to the edge of my button nose, hoping he would’ve read the integrity written in my eyes as I patted the sand invitingly.
“Elijah, do you have a little time to talk at all? I’m sorry… it’s just I could do with clearing the air between us before I go home and face Johnny,”I asked hesitantly dropping my head an inch from the low-rise sun.
As he walked towards me, the sweat on his toned forearms glistened in the sunlight.
“I’ve always got time for you, Harlow, never think I haven’t, all right,” he replied, dropping down to his knees as his contagious smile glistened at me.