Fifty shades of Beaumont // Randy

Chapter 6

'I'm coming to get you.'

Chapter 6: party
Andy's point of view

I put my pen down, finished. My final exam is over. I felt a grin growing into my face. It's probably the first time in weeks since I last smiled. It's friday and we should be celebrating tonight. I might even get drunk. I've never been drunk before. I glance across the room at Brook, and he's still scribbling, five minutes to the end. This is it, the end of my academic career. Brook stops writing and put his pen down, he glance up at me with a smile.

We head back to our appartment in his Mercedes. Don't wanna discuss our latest exam. Brook is more concerned on what he's gonna wear to the bar tonight. We arrived back at our place.

"Andy, there is a package for you." Brook is standing on the stands up on the front door holding a box. Odd. I haven't ordered anything recently. Brook gave me the package as he took the keys to our appartment out of my hand. It's addressed to Mr. Andrew Fowler. There is no sender's address or name. Perhaps it's from my mum or Joe.

"It's probably from my folks." I said as we went inside our appartment.

"Open it." Brook said excited.

I open the parcel, and inside I find a half leather box containing three seemingly identical old cloth-covered books in mint condition and a plain white card, written on one side, in black ink in neat cursive handwriting, is:

Why didn't you tell me there was danger?
Why didn't you warn me?
Boys like you know what to guard against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks...

I recognize the quote from Tess. I am stunned by the irony as i've spend three hours writing about the novels of Thomas Hardy in my final examination. I inspect the books closely, three volumes of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I open the front cover. Written in an old typeface on the front page is: 'London: Jack R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., 1891.' Holy shit - they are first editions. They must be worth a fortune, and I can guess who send this. Brook is right behind me, gazing at the books. He picks up the card.

"First editions." I whisper.

"No." Brook's eyes are full with disbelieve. "Beaumont?"

I nod. "Can't think of anyone else."

"What does this card mean?" Brook asks.

"I don't know, I think it's a warning - honestly he keeps warning me off. I have no idea why. It's not like I've been beating his door down." I frown.

"I know you don't want to talk about him, Andy, but he's seriously into you. Warnings or not." Brook said.

I have not let myself dwell on Ryan Beaumont for the past week. Okay... his brown eyes are still haunting my dreams, and I know it will take an eternity to expunge the feels of his arms around me from my brain. Why has he sent me this?  He told me that I wasn't for him.

"I found one Tess first edition on sale in New York at $15 000. But yours looks in much better condition. They must have cost more." Brook said as he closed his laptop.

"This quote — Tess says it to her mother after Alec D'Urberville has had his wicked way with her." I told Brook.

"I know." Muses Brook. "What is he trying to say?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. I can't accept these from him. I'll send them back with an equally baffling quote from some obscure part of the book." I said.

"The bit where Angel says fuck off?" Brook asks with a straight face.

"Yes that bit." I giggle. I love him, he's so loyal and supportive. I repack the books and put them on the dining table as Brook came with two glasses of wine and gave me one.