As The World Turns

Chapter 20

Jodie stepped across the threshold, her handbag clutches tightly in her hand as she stared around the hallway. Marshall was sorting out the payment for the Pizza so she was left alone. Her eyes scanned the various photos scattered across the walls. All of them were different; some held family and some friends, may of the people in the pictures she recognised, some she didn't.

"You know you can go further than the hall right?" Marshall raised an eyebrow at her as she turned to help him with boxes.

"You live here all alone," he frowned down at her. He hadn't expected her to point that out to him, when he didn't reply she spoke again, "I don't think I'd be able to live alone, I've always had someone."

"Yeah well you get used to it and my girls still visit so..." He shrugged as he trailed off. Jodie nodded biting her lip as she followed him into the living room.

The living room held more pictures, most ones sat on sideboards, while only a few hung on the wall. There's was so much to take in, that Jodie had no idea where to look. Of course, she wasn't about to look in every nook and cranny to find out everything she could, but she did want to know more about Marshall the man behind the persona of Eminem. Just by the quick glances, she had in the hallway and in the living room, she already knew he was very much a family man.

"What ya wanna drink... Jo," Jodie shook her head having zoned out. She blinked a couple times as Marshall waved his hand in front of her face.

"Shit sorry, water will be fine thanks," he nodded eyeing her wearily before he moved to leave the room before stopping abruptly in the doorway.

"Don't eat it all I'm hungry too," Marshall pointed a stern finger at her before turning back around.

''I'll not to,'' she called after him. Shaking her head and smiling to herself she slumped down into the sofa and let it swallow her up. Jodie found herself very much distracted by the fluffy pink cushion that she'd seen poking out from behind the armchair next to the main sofa.

Plucking it from where it lay hidden she placed it her lap. She frowned as she noticed that there was a small hole cut into the side of it. Jodie hadn't intended to be nosey but the tear appeared to be cut so precisely that she couldn't help but take a look. When she realised what the contents of the cushion was she couldn't help but laugh.

That's where Marshall found her; he had two glasses in his hands one filled with water and the other diet coke, placing them down on the table he looked over at her in confusion. Jodie was bent over her face red from her trying desperately not to burst out laughing.

''What the fuck are ya laughing at, better not be my house,'' although the way Jodie was laughing with, that explanation was the only thought that ran through his head.

''Who does this belong too?'' She asked showing the fluffy pick cushion she had in her lap. Marshall hadn't seen it due to the way she'd been bent over laughing.

''Er I think it belonged to one of the girls, I just sort of left it down here,'' he shrugged moving to sit down next to her, ''is that why you're laughing, over a cushion,'' Marshall raised an eyebrow as she shook her head.

''It's what's inside.''

''Inside?'' He questioned.

He watched as Jodie reached inside and pulled tiny pieces of paper that had been torn up and stuffed inside. As she pulled them out, he wondered why he'd never noticed the hole in the cushion before.

''The handwritings are all different so I have no idea who wrote them, but some are kinda funny,'' Jodie giggled as she unfolded one and pulled it out to show him.

Marshall took it and knew who'd written it or more importantly drawn it. It was a picture of him with tiny squiggles coming off of it. Underneath the image were two words that had been underlined a couple times, 'Dad Smells.'

''Imma ground Haillie next time she comes to visit,'' he muttered.

''You really gonna ground you're adult daughter who doesn't live with you for something she drew when she was like five,'' Jodie hit him with the cushion when he nodded. He caught it and started to go through the other notes that had been placed inside.

''Hey stop, I want to eat and not sit with you as you dish out punishments to your kids for stuff they drew years ago,'' Marshall jumped as she whipped the object out of his hands, stuffing the paper back inside and shoving it back down the side of the sofa.

''Hey.''

''Hush, I'm hungry. you can be an angry dad later ok,'' she didn't wait for a reply as she flipped open the lids of the pizza boxes and grabbed a slice, ''now eat,'' she demanded through a mouthful of Pizza. Shaking his head Marshall reached across the table to take a piece for himself.

+++

''Are you gonna stay?'' Marshall posed the question as he started to pack up the empty boxes.

''Do you want me to stay?'' Jodie didn't have work in the morning because it was a Saturday and so if he wanted her to stay the night she wasn't exactly going to say no.

''Yeah,'' he replied.

''Then I guess I'm staying the night,'' a small smile flickered across his features. The small reaction from him caused Jodie's cheeks to heat up; it appeared his smile was something she truly liked about him.

When he came back, he didn't waste any time with pully Jodie towards him and pressing his lips to her own. Jodie was under a trance as she let him take control his lips trailing across the curve of her neck before he brought them back up to her mouth. Her hands reached up to grip his hair; it wasn't long until he was completely on top of her as he lay her gently down on the sofa, her legs hooked around his waist.

It wasn't until he moved to pull at her jumper that she stiffened, unsure as to what to do. After a couple more tugs she finally decided and pushed him gently away so she could sit up.

''Sorry I...'' But she cut him off with a lingering kiss before he could finish his apology.

''It's not you, look I... there's something I wanna tell you, but I gotta show you first,'' she took a deep breath and scolded herself for being so afraid, there were far worse things she could tell him.

Marshall stayed silent as he watched her pull off her jumper. She draped it over the back of the sofa before she reached down to pull off the long-sleeved top she'd been wearing underneath. The thought that flowed through his head was how had she not been boiling under all the layers she had been wearing. That thought brought him back to the conversation they'd had at the start of the week.

' ''It's boiling in here, how are you not roasting in that,'' Jodie shrugged as he monitored to the top she was wearing. It may have been cropped so it stopped just below her belly button, but it was made of wool and so he figured she must have been boiling in it since he'd taken off his coat and hoodie hours ago.

''We made out once and now you wanna take my clothes off. You move fast Mr Mathers I'll give you that,'' Jodie skirted around his question. It bothered him a little but put it on her being the type of person who feels the cold more.'

''It's one of the things I'm really insecure about, so I wear long-sleeved tops or jumpers to hid it,'' to begin with Marshall wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking at, but then he saw it. Her arms were extremely red, it looked as if her skin a had been rubbed raw. Reaching out a hand he took her in his arms.

''You're so beautiful,'' he whispered into her hair.