Look Back at Me (Fleckney Fields Series, Book 1)

Sequelae

Author's Note: This is technically a double update, but I just put all of it into one longer chapter, since it's all one big plot twist. And I swear I don't control my Muse at all, and that's what She demanded.

Love,

K. xx

***

Viola opened her eyes and couldn't understand where she was. She'd been having a dream, she realised. It was jumbled, the mixture of her memories from the uni time, and going out with John, and then telling him she wouldn't anymore, and being excited about a date with Rhys - and some fictional events, such as Hani coming to Fleckney, and then, for some reason, her and Fiona Holyoake being caught in a sand storm. She'd only seen the haze of one rising on the horizon many years ago, when they'd been on a trip to the Sahara, but she had never experienced one.

And then she realised she was in a guest room in Nana's cottage, under two duvets, a throw, surrounded with at least five pillows - and with her ex-husband wrapped around her, snoring softly, his nose buried into her shoulder, his heavy long arm lying across her chest. The previous day rushed back into her memory: the cabin, Niklas, the black cat, and the shape of the girl lying on the ground, the sensation of her muscles aching with each step, the darkness and the cold of the woods, and then the bright red blood of Amira Atieno - and then Rhys, and that piercing moment when he'd appeared on top of the ravine, and she knew he'd heard her.

Because she's a Holyoake wife. His wife.

Viola looked into the face of her ex-husband - and then smiled softly. So, not so ex anymore, perhaps? She carefully pulled her arm from under his and looked at her watch. It was half past nine, astonishingly late for her, but on the other hand, they had returned from the hospital almost at two o'clock at night.

Rhys stirred and started rubbing his nose to her shoulder and then her neck. Viola snorted, but let him continue for a few seconds. He probably wasn't even awake. It was a funny sensation, he was almost kneading her like a ball of dough, pawing her with his scorching large hands, and she giggled. And then his palms slid lower, and he pulled her in by her waist, catching her lips in a deep greedy kiss. Viola closed her eyes - and let go.

***

"Vi, are you alright?" Rhys whispered, and she opened her eyes.

"Why?" Viola asked with a laugh. "Do I not look alright?"

"You're– quiet," he said and tenderly kissed her left cheekbone. "You weren't quiet before, when we, you know–"

Viola smiled at him and stroked his jaw with her hand.

"I love you," she said, and his eyes widened. "And I am alright," she said, "I'm just– happy. I'm enjoying it... and I'm happy." He continued staring at her, his mouth half-open, and she giggled. "Could you, please, start moving again?"

"Moving?" he repeated.

"Yes," she said - and pointedly tensed certain muscles.

He jolted - and then obeyed.

***

"Vi."

Viola once again forced herself to open her eyes and burst into loud laughter at the view of his frowning face in front of her.

"Vi–"

She let go of his neck she'd been embracing tightly, squeezed him with her legs, and then pushed off the bed, rolling him under her and pinning his arms to the pillow, holding his wrists firmly.