“No problem,” his nonchalant voice stated, even though you would have needed to be deaf not to have heard the tones of frustration as they strained through.
The three of us headed into the house towards the second lounge area, at the rear end of the property that was attached to the kitchen. With the room’s placement, the lighting from the windows meant it kept it light and airy. A place picked to highlight the mix of Johnny’s trophy collection and Harlow’s martial arts awards stood proudly in all its glory. Another reason to not get on the wrong side of her, you never knew what position you may find yourself trapped in with her. As I desperately attempted to clear my thoughts quickly, they soon turned to a sexual nature as I imagined what she could do with an added pair of nun chucks in the bedroom.
I seriously needed to get a fucking grip. I was here to support the pair of them, not bloody anything else. No matter what had got stuck in my head or had my dick hard and ready for action for that matter. The moment I excused myself to make the coffee for us all it gave me the much-needed opportunity to rearrange myself in my shorts. I hoped that no one would be paying attention to my wandering off and it could’ve gone noticed, well at least until my dick decided to calm down. I encouraged myself to take a Zen like approach to the predicament. Unsure of the situation I would be greeted with as I walked back into the room and faced the duo, I knew I had to be the mediator of the situation and help put the past behind them. Entering the room, Harlow relaxed the moment I walked in, knowing that she had already discussed the last couple of years with me and the turmoil that went hand in hand with her time away.
I hoped that Johnny would be as understanding of her past as I had been. The last thing she needed was to have felt like she had made a mistake confiding all that pent-up frustration in me, and finally unveiling the truth.
Eleven
Harlow
Laidon that beach this morning, the need to have purged all the words from my inner self had overcrowded my mind. Gone was the secluded Harlow and stood in her place, was a confidence that had been unveiled from a hidden depth. Out of all the people to have disclosed everything to, it just had to be Elijah. Just my luck that he would have passed by then, but to be honest no one else would have been able to comprehend everything truly. After all, he had very much lived and breathed the whole experience with Johnny. If anyone could help me, it would’ve been him, even if we did have this line between us.
I hadn’t realised I would turn into a bumbling emotional mess though as I talked through it all again. The main details, like the career side were fine but the remaining information was tougher to go into. Thank God he hadn’t pried into all the details, especially of my sexual history, as then that would have been awkward to say the least.
His offer to be present when I spoke to Johnny, just showed me that maybe I needed to evaluate what I thought of him.
Could a leopard really change his spots?
Why did I even care if he did or not?
Keeping my distance had always been my approach; it kept my heart from being hurt. Until I knew him better, I remained with my barricades firmly in place. Although, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t use him to help soften the atmosphere between Johnny and me. Nor would it stop me admiring him in that vest. After having felt those strong, taut arms wrapped around me, for some reason, I couldn’t stop stealing glances at his muscles.
This room provoked memories of past chapters of particularly unpleasant, grief-stricken times as Johnny perched and just watched my movements. His impatience played across his features, and it made him seem older than his years. Elijah had decided that a beverage would ease the tension. I didn’t understand that philosophy at all, why was it that people believed a drink in a person’s hand would somehow make the situation any more comfortable? Maybe it was more that Johnny was less likely to have thrown a strop if any china was out.
Johnny actually reacted much more calmly than I anticipated. I had foreseen explosions, but he seemed to just accept my choices one by one. I waited anxiously for his reaction, puzzled that possibly he had tried to let all the snippets gather into one big ball of information before he threw it back in my face. Except he never did. He had changed. I felt a surge of hope that things would be better between us, the overwhelmed sensation from my childhood had disappeared but, in its place, stood compassion and reassurance.
Twelve
Elijah
Harlow decidedafter her admitted words that a rest was in order and to unpack her remaining items she had brought with her. The overwhelmed feeling of exhaustion must have finally caught up, after the revelations over the last few days' events. A cup of tea devoured after it had been prepared the same way as all those years ago. It felt strange how the smallest details you never seemed able to shake about a person. She gave us both a hug before she headed upstairs. I tried my hardest to avoid reaching in and snuggling into her. The smell of lavender and camomile in her hair was potent, layered on her skin in various tones as it made my senses tingle.
Johnny sat still as he contemplated something which showed me, he was hiding away from facing reality. The way he handled everything wasn’t his normal way. I was unsure if Harlow had believed he had changed or realised something else consumed his mind.
I knew whatever it was looked to be eating him up by the way he stared at the single space on the wall. He was engrossed the entire time she spoke until I stepped in front of his peripheral and attempted to break the trance.
“Johnny, speak to me. Seriously let’s not go down this route again,” I demanded looking him straight in the eye.
I knew I was being a dick as I called him out on whatever was going on, but if I didn’t no one else would. I had always been the friend he could tell anything to, and I had learnt to coax him through the hardest situations, so they seemed not as difficult. In the end, we had faced every challenge together, this would just be another obstacle in a long line.
As I scanned the room, I ensured we definitely were alone, Johnny edged me to move closer, as he released the bombshell of news that had kept his focus away from Harlow.
“Today I had a call after the follow-up email from Ria, basically a few hiccups have appeared in the renovation plans. The architects and surveyors could really do with my input physically, for our new international start up launch base rather than from a telephone screen. They want me to fly and conduct the next couple of weeks or so, in Belgium with them. Hopefully, see if I can deal with the issues they are currently struggling with over there to help complete the transfer on time,” Johnny said grabbing his dark hair in tufts with his head lowered.
“What’s the problem with that?”I questioned.
He looked up from his bowed position.
“Harlow, that’s what’s wrong. After her telling me everything, how can I just abandon her and leave her here without the support she needs?”
Chuckled sounds left my mouth, that I couldn’t hold in as I managed to slowly find my regained composure and responded.
“She will be fine, I’m close by and it’s a few weeks, that’s all. Have you thought that she may appreciate the freedom? Why not give her an opportunity? Come back to mine tonight, and let’s have a few beers. Maybe see what sports highlights we can catch up on? Let her have some space and clear your head in the process. It will just fester otherwise, it always does with you, and perhaps maybe even talk to her?”
I patted him on the shoulder, as I gave it a slight squeeze. Knowing that deep down, he always struggled to weigh up his conscience on the decisions he had to make. Deep inside, he knew what he had to do for the greater good and I finally headed back to my house for an ice-cold shower. A chance to get this hot, dried, sticky coated sand, cleared from my skin at last and a shot of reality calming my dick in the process.
Thirteen