Not Just A Pretty Face

Chapter Six

Author's note: So I may fix parts of this and update it again, but here's the first part! 

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I felt myself dozing off, until the bed creaked.  I opened an eye and looked to see Memphis had slipped into bed, and he grimaced as he realised he woke me up.  “Didn’t realise you’d fallen asleep,” he whispered, kissing me softly.

   I groaned in a strange way, as if my voice didn’t work.  “I’m… argh.  I’m tired…”

   “I know.”

   We were both lying in his room.  It was nearing eight o’clock.  Dad was with Memphis’ parents out in the dining room, and I could hear them laughing away.  Memphis had invited us for dinner, to try and cheer us up.  It was what we needed, we didn’t want to eat alone, or be alone in general.  So as they talked, Memphis had pulled me into his bedroom.  I think part of him wanted to do something, but it was harder at his parent’s house, and he could tell I was just too stressed.  And that was saying something; I was usually always up for it.

   “I can understand that,” he agreed, and pulled me close to his bare chest for a hug.  I was still full clothed as we lay under the bed, and I felt there was some injustice in that.  I was about to take my own top off when he shook his head.  “You don’t have to.  As nice as it is for me – “ we both laughed – “ – don’t.  I know, it’s okay.”

   I sighed in content and laid my head against him.  “I love you,” I murmured.

   “I love you, too,” he replied, kissing me.  A playful smirk came across his face.  “And I love you the most!”

   I rolled my eyes in a playful manner.  “Let’s say you win this round,” I murmured, just burying my face into him.

   He wrapped his arms around me.  I loved his strong hold.  I felt so secure within it, and an overwhelming sense of love came through me.  But that quickly followed fear.  I’d loved before and it didn’t work.  “Are you… going to be here?” I asked.

   He looked down at me for a moment, before letting me go and sitting up.  A look of confusion flashed across his face.  On such a beautiful face, it was out of place.  “What on earth is that supposed to mean?” he asked, blinking.

   I sat back up.  “Well I just…”  He continued to look at me.  “I kind of need you around.  You’re… going to be here, right?”

   He looked at me, sad and confused.  “Did something happen, sweetie?”

   Yeah, actually.  Gulliver didn’t call me back, but no, that wasn’t what had happened.  “I’m just thinking about mum, you know?  And it just… it hurts.”

   He looked at me, and I saw everything I needed and wanted in those eyes.  My love.  My soulmate.  And he really was.

   Gulliver and I had been complicated.  I had loved him more than anyone, so it had crushed me when he did what he did.  There was truth in the old adage that no love is the same.  I never wanted anyone else until I met Memphis.  Memphis was different to Gulliver, and that was what I needed.  He was strong, funny, happy, but the most important part was how much he let bygones be bygones.  When Gulliver and I had fought, he made sure to hurt me, and perhaps I did the same to him; Memphis did his best to end the argument on a good note. 

   I could still remember the first time we had fought, for both of them.  Gulliver and I had fought over the fact I feared he was looking at other women.  “Why don’t you just let it go?” Gulliver had growled.  That had been reassuring, and I found out later that he actually had been.  He apologised, and we let it slide.