One Kiss... (Completed)

One Kiss...

BIIIIGGGGG Chappy for all the starring characters... and *sniffle* we're almost at the end of the story, folks... :'(

Please read and vote! :)

Sarah was asleep. I noticed this as I pushed open the door into the side-room. Her eyes flickered open at the sound of my footsteps. She looked tired, so tired in fact, that her whole face seemed to be collapsed and compressed. The moment those eyes opened, they flared in warning.

“Toby,” her voice was cracked and hoarse. “You shouldn’t be here.” I hushed her with a soft kiss. She turned away.

“I couldn’t stay away,” I confessed. “Please don’t be like this, Sarah. I love you.” Her head snapped back towards me.

“Don’t say things that aren’t true.”

“Sarah…!”

“Toby, I’m thirty years old, and married to your head teacher. I have destroyed our marriage with this whole ridiculous affair. I am fourteen years older than you and this was never going to work. I used you to get back at my husband, who is worthy of so much better than me because I only recently realized that I am never going to be good enough for him. You have to believe me when I say that I have never loved you. Ever.”

I stared at her, breathless. Stung by her cruel words that seemed to pierce me like sharp knives.

“How could you say that to me after everything?” Her eyes were full of tears.

“When I fell, I was pregnant, Toby. I miscarried, and it was your babies. I was having twins. This has to stop now before anybody else gets hurt.” A blow the size of Jupiter crashed through my chest cavity.

“P-pregnant?” The thought had never occurred to me that it might have been mine.

Sarah nodded tearfully.

“Toby, you have to…”

The door opened.

“Hello, sweetheart.” It was Mr Locke. I felt a surge of heat rush to my face. He was carrying a large bunch of freesias with the stalks twisted in pink paper. His eyes shifted over to my face. “Ah, Toby. Nice of you to pop in. What are you doing here?”

“Uhh…” I thought up the perfect excuse. “The whole English class wanted to send Miss a ‘get well soon’ message, and I was the deliverer.” Mr Locke’s eyes narrowed.

“Let me see this ‘get well soon’ message then, Toby.”

“It was a verbal one,” I added hastily.

“Right then, well, I’m sure you’ve had enough time to ‘deliver’ it, and as I’m sure you have established, my wife is very tired. I think you should leave now.” His eyes hardened.

From her bed, Sarah groaned suddenly.

“Nelson… help me! Fetch a nurse!”

“What is it?” Mr Locke was suddenly at her side.

“Just f-fetch a nurse. Please.” Sarah was writhing in pain.  With a sharp look at me, Mr Locke ran from the room.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. You need to go. I’ve bought us a minute or so, but that’s all.” Tears clouded her eyes again. “Toby, go.”

“Fine, but I’ll keep coming back. Again and again.” I vowed, squeezing her hand. She just smiled.

“Go, Toby, before he comes back.”

“One Kiss…” I kissed her softly, and I felt the tears and regret radiate from her. “I’ll be back.” I promised, then I fled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From outside the room, out of sight, Nelson Locke watched the schoolboy kiss his wife and leave with tears in his eyes. Anger swelled inside him, and his fists clenched. So it was true.

Something would have to be done. But not yet. Not yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I thought I told you to get out.” She didn’t have to look up to know I was there. I advanced on her, gripped her chin tightly. “Nelson, what are you doing?” She gasped, struggling.

“They weren’t my twins, were they?” I snarled. Her eyes dilated with horror. “I know. I know about you and Toby White, and your little affair.” She struggled. “End it, before I do.” She gaped at my words.

“Nel…”

But I was already gone.