Everything She Needs (The Everything Trilogy) (18 page)

“No one
,” he said, but his eyes flicked back to his cell again.

He scrolled to unlock it and pulled it to his ear.  I could hear a soft American accent filter through his phone, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. Alfie’s emotions were showing on his face, his jaw was twitching. He began to move towards his dresser like I suddenly wasn’t there.

Opening a drawer, he pulled out some boxer shorts and a midnight blue t-shirt. He pulled on the boxers, finished listening to the message and threw his phone on the bed. He lifted his jeans and pulled them on quickly, doing the same with the t-shirt.

“If she’s programmed into your phone and you have her picture, then she’s isn’t no one
,” I spat back at him. “Who is she, and what is she to you?”

Alfie stiffened again and glared over at me. “Don’t do this, Lily.”

Tears began to fall from my eyes. “Fucking tell me,” I hissed.

Alfie pulled on his boots and began making for the door
. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He had fucked me, and now he was just going to walk out on me after a call from another woman? Like hell I’d stay here.

I picked the phone up and rang the reception desk, asking them to have a cab ready for me. I shrugged myself into my coat.
I only had myself to blame for this, we should have never done this again.

I opened the door and made my way to the elevator. It was just closing
, and I snagged my foot in it to hold it open, before squeezing myself inside. I fought back the tears, my focus now on getting the fuck out of this hotel and away from him.

I half ran
across the foyer and made for the revolving door, told the doorman my name, and he signaled for my cab to come forward. I scooted in the back and the door closed loudly and firmly behind me, it was kind of symbolic considering my relationship with Alfie.

As I drove away, Alfie was standing outside the hotel, deep in conversation on his cell. I passed right in front of him, but he didn’t look up.

He promised me a night to remember back there in the box after the concert.  He wasn’t wrong, I’d remember all of it, but not in the way he had planned.

I
asked the driver to take me to Jack’s after texting him. I had a key to his place, so even if he wasn’t home yet, I knew it was somewhere that I wouldn’t have to answer questions, unlike if I had turned up at home. My parents were having friends over, and I knew they would still be entertaining.

I felt sorry for the cab driver, who did his best to chat with me. I ended up telling him I would appreciate him not talking
, because I had just found my boyfriend with someone else. It worked. My statement to him was a real conversation killer.

I was just turning the key in Jack’s door when my cell began to ring
. I ignored it. Jack’s place was in darkness, and Jack was obviously not back yet. Not wanting to face him, I went to sleep in the guest bedroom, although this was also now tainted with memories of Alfie and me.

I unzipped the slutty dress again, and let it slip to the floor. Jack would have to run to m
y place to find me an outfit tomorrow.  I definitely wasn’t going to be wearing that dress again.

I went into Jack’s room and found one of his
t-shirts in the bottom drawer of his dresser, and slipped it over my head.  My cell rang again.  I didn’t need to look to know who it would be.

I made a mental note for myself to buy a new cell phone with a different number tomorrow. I needed to cut this guy off once and for all. I curled myself into the
fetal position, the one that’s supposed to protect you, and cried myself to asleep.

I
awoke to hear loud knocking and Jack yelling, “Will you just wait a goddamn minute.” I heard Jack unlocking the door and opening it.

The sound of Alfie’s voice flooded the space of his loft apartment. “Is she here?” I slid out of bed quietly, my heart racing, trying to think
of where to hide.

I quickly straightened the bed, picked my things up off of the floor and went into Jack’s guest bathroom. I stood in his bath, and pulled the plastic shower curtain around it. The bathtub was freezing, but I stood
stockstill, holding my breath.

“She’s not fucking here, I told you
,” Jack shouted at him.

“I need to see her, I’ve got to talk to her, I’m not losing her again
,” he hissed.

“You never had her in the first place, you fucking idiot.” Jack sounded fierce. “She told me all about y
ou. Why couldn’t you keep your fucking hands off of her; she’s not like other girls.” He sounded as if he was talking through gritted teeth.

“Jealous that it wasn’t you balls deep inside her sweet pussy?” My jaw dropped
, and I realized I was standing and my mouth was shaped into a gigantic ‘O’.

I heard Jack say, “Alfie, what Lily and I have, you could never achieve, so goad all you want.  I know I’ll always be in her life. Don’t think you can say the same, can you? Why don’t you leave the girl the fuck alone?  She deserves so much better.”

I heard chair legs scraping across the floor and realized they were in his kitchen area now. “Sit the fuck, down, man,” Jack said. I could hear Jack pottering about and knew he was filling his coffee machine.

“You’ve told her you don’t want her, so leave her be
… coffee?” Jack raked around inside a cupboard, and the clinking of ceramic told me cups were being set out on his granite worktop.

“I do want her.  God, I’ve never wanted anything more. She’s amazing.” There was a brief silence.

Jack spoke again. “So why are you playing with her heart, man? She’s so fucking hurt and to be honest, I detest you for it.”

There was silence again. “Well?” I heard him press Alfie for an answer.

“It’s complicated. I can’t explain, I’m hoping it will all work out one day.”

Jack laughed.
“Complicated? Do you mean there’s another woman involved?” I heard chair legs scrape again and footsteps walking on tile. I imagined that Alfie was pacing; I’d seen him do it before when he was uncomfortable.

“So is there? Am I right?” Jack persisted. Another silence ensued between them before
Aflie answered.

“Yeah…no, at least not in the way it is with Lily, but yeah, I have responsibilities.”

Jack’s voice sounded angry. “Yeah, well, maybe it is for you, but it doesn’t have to be complicated for Lily. She needs to stay away from you and if you care about her, you’ll leave her the fuck alone.”

Alfie sighed
. “I can’t, I need her.” There was more noise from the kitchen as Jack made drinks.

Alfie’s voice sounded a little quieter now, but I could still make out what he said. “I know you’re going to find this difficult, but can you ask her to talk to me
? Are you sure she isn’t here.”

Jack sounded as if he was losing patience now. “Listen man, you had your chance
, and you blew it. From what she’s told me you’ve been hot and cold since you met her. That’s nasty to treat a woman like that. If I know Lily, and believe me, I know her much better than you do, your chances have run out. If she’s gone to ground on you, then she won’t put herself out there again, and no, man, she isn’t here.”

The chair scraped again
. “You sure about that. She isn’t at home, I’ve been there. The next place she’d go according to her parents is here, to you.”

Jack told Alfie, “Nope, not here, check the place out if you don’t believe me.

Alfie said, “I might just do that.”

Jack encouraged him, “Go ahead, if it makes you feel better.”

I heard doors open and close as he got nearer to my room. The guest bedroom door suddenly swung open. “See, man, not here, I told you so.”

I stood holding my breath in case he came into the bathroom, but I heard the door close again as they moved away. I exhaled slowly as my heart beat hard in my chest.

I heard Alfie and Jack talk some more, but they had gone into the sitting room and that was too far away for me to hear what they were saying. I stayed in the bathroom, too frightened to come out in case he heard me.

After a few more minutes I heard them coming back towards the apartment door. “Please Jack, we need each other, I want to do the right thing for her, believe me.”

I heard the apartment door click closed and Jack muttered, “Fucking idiot he has no idea what he’s lost.” Part of me wished that Alfie could have felt that, just for a second, so he’d understand what it meant to me.

After Alfie left, I was going to open the door of the bedroom, but my cell rang. I saw it was Jack. “Hey.” I smirked. I tickled me that he had no idea I was here, he couldn’t have checked his cell, I had sent him a text.

             
              “Hey Lily, are you okay?” Jack was being coy, and waiting for me to tell him.

             
              “What do you think?” I put back to him, waiting to see what he was going to tell me.

“Where are you, honey?” he asked.

“Why?” I was giving nothing away.

He sighed
. “Do you need me to come get you?” My heart sang, Jack wanted to support me.

“Why?”

He huffed out, “Alfie was here, Lily, he’s looking for you. What happened between you both? The guy looks like death.”

“I know that he came to see you, Jack. I’m here.” Jack sounded
confused.

“Here? Where? ” I smirked and opened the bedroom door
. “Here in your spare room.” He spun on his heels and ran to me, scooping me up in a hug. He kissed my forehead.

“Damn Lily, you were here?” I nodded
. “In the shower, I hid there.” He smirked and grabbed my hand.

He led me into the kitchen and poured me some coffee, then raided his
fridge, pulling out a packet of ham, his favorite. “Want some?” he offered.

“Jack, I just woke up, I can’t eat ham
at nine am.”

He smirked.
“Why not? I keep telling you, we’re adults, we can do what we like now.”

We sat drinking coffee
, and I told Jack what had happened, all of it. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly, soothing me whilst I cried.

What a great start to the
new year for both of us. Jack was the perfect person for me today. He stuffed my face with food and even went to a local mini store that was open to find me the kind of chocolate I liked.

He even sat through the four hour epic that
was
Gone With The Wind
. Later in the day, Jack went over to my house to get me a change of clothes, telling my parents that I was sleeping late due to an all-night party.

Jack lay beside me in bed and was restless. He exhaled and sighed. “Lily, I don’t know what his deal is, Alfie cares, but you’re not first on his list, you know what I’m saying?” I nodded and the tears fell again.

“He made that crystal clear last night, Jack. I’ve made up my mind, I’m going to ring the airport tomorrow and see if I can change my ticket. I want to get back there before he does. I can manage myself better there when I don’t have to hide things from my parents.”

He hugged me and kissed my head, then asked if he could fly out at the end of January. We agreed
on provisional dates for him to visit. I fell asleep tucked in tightly to Jack.

Alfie would only hound me for the rest of his time here. The best way of dealing with him
was not to deal. I needed to make some space for myself so that I was out of his reach.

I ran
g the airline and was able to get booked on the 11am flight the next morning. That only gave me sixteen hours before I needed to be at the airport.

I called Will to tell him I was coming back early
and to ask if he would pick me up from Miami International. “Sure. Why are you coming back so soon, honey?” I couldn’t face all the questions and raking over the mess that was Alfie, so I told him that I was bored.

I felt bad lying to him and to my parents
; I told them that Will and I needed to do a lot of work for the start of the next semester, and I wanted to give it all of my attention. They were sad that my visit was ending abruptly but seemed to accept that I needed to go.

I was packed in no time thanks to my mother’s efficient
organizing skills. My dad and Jack took me to the airport and before I knew it, I was standing in front of the immigration officers that would take me through security to the departure lounge.

My dad hugged me tightly, “Take care, honey, we love you, have the time of your life over there, but be safe, okay?”
He smiled, his eyes full of love for me.

Jack huffed
. “Come here!” he said, eyes welling up, but with a smile that told me how much I meant to him too. I mumbled into his chest. “You are the best friend I could ever wish for, Jack.”

Jack pushed me away from him, knowing I wasn’t quite strong enough to let go this morning. He nodded and I walked
slowly, looking back briefly, before going out of sight to the security screening area.