Possessive: His Match (Kingswood Saga Book 2 Completed)

2. Paul

I looked up at the building, seeing the lights on in all the road facing rooms and sighed, my thumb hovering over the call button.  I knew that if I called and cancelled Teddy would know something was up, she was already on my case about not coming round but I knew she didn't know why.  Tonights visit was to go over her calendar for summer events and I had been putting it off for weeks now, had even suggested we do it at training but she had said no.

So here I was, and whilst I was sure Lucy hadn't said anything to her, if Teddy knew then she would have hauled me over hot coals for what I was doing. 

Problem was I didn't know what I was doing.  Yes, I was avoiding Lucy but why would one kiss make me this nervous, I could have claimed it was just in thanks for what she did for Teddy, but I knew that was a lie.  I could of said it was just in the heat of the moment, and whilst that held more truth, it wasn't the reason.  I had kissed her because I couldn't stop myself, I had allowed myself to slip the rein on the attraction I had for Lucy, for a brief moment.  A moment that I could still remember, the feel of her soft lips against mine.

My phone vibrated in my hand and I looked down at the message, Teddy had just sent me "Stop stalling and get in here!"

Fuck!  My eyes went up to the windows and I saw a silhouette wave before disappearing and I groaned before climbing out of the car and heading into the building, opting to take the stairs up rather than the lift, anything to prolong the journey.

The flat door was ajar when I reached it and I let myself in closing it behind me and calling out "Hello"

"Kitchen" Teddy called back and I walked that way, finding her pulling a pot out of the oven. 

"Can I help" I asked.

"God no, I've seen you in a kitchen remember, hey you can set the table though" she laughed at me and I scowled back.

"Rubbish, that was an accident and it was only the once" but I did as instructed, pausing my hand over the glasses...  "Three" Teddy said her back to me and I wondered again at how much she knew. 

The table set I reached for the bottle of wine she had set on the side and the corkscrew, opening the bottle and pouring three glasses, dropping into my seat and taking a gulp, my eyes straying down the hallway, waiting.

"LUCY!" Teddy bellowed and I jumped causing the wine to spill on my hand.

"God Teddy, what the hell" I put down the glass and got up to wash my hand, looking at her as she grinned at me before doing it again.

"LUCY!"

I shook my head at her antics, letting out a little chuckle, it was good to see her coming back to life after what she had been through and I know a lot of that was to do with the Kingswood Boys and Lucy.

I sensed Lucy before I turned around, to see her hovering in the doorway. Her gaze fixed on Teddy but I knew, she was as aware of me, as I her.  I could see the effort it was taking not to look my way.

I felt angry, was she trying to ignore me, I didn't like it, for years she had been open and flirty in our encounters, I didn't like this version, at all.

"You bellowed" she said evenly, stepping forward and taking a seat at the table.  I saw Teddy give her a strange look before she turned back to me.

"Sit Paul, let's eat then we can go over my calendar, I know Lucy has some events planned as well so we can review the dates together" Teddy instructed and I saw the pinch of reaction on Lucy's face before she blanked it.

Teddy carried the conversation over the meal and whilst I tried to react as normal it was clear that Lucy and I were at odds and by the look on Teddy's face she was about to question it.

"Okay what's going on with you two?"

"Its complicated" I say.

"Nothing at all" Lucy replies blandly at the same time and I feel my tension rise.

"Lucy..." Teddy started but Lucy cuts her off.

"Excuse me. I'm not feeling well, sorry but I will go over the dates another time, separately" she said quietly, getting up and walking away leaving Teddy and I watching her back.

"What the hell happened between you two?" Teddy repeated turning back and glaring at me and I shook my head.

"I kissed Lucy, at the end of that weekend, I kissed her, it just happened" I told her.

"And?"she pushed.

"What do you mean and?"

"Then what did you do?" she explained and I sighed.

"Nothing, I just walked away"

"Oh for the love of god, you moron, of all the things you could have done to her, you did that, tell me you at least spoke to her..." I shook my head and her glare returned, as she assessed me.  I shuddered feeling the pupil was about to teach me a lesson I won't soon forget.

"Did you never see through Lucy's bravado, the way she makes herself indispensable to everyone, takes on more work than anyone else.  There's a reason behind it" she shook her head and her gaze went down the hallway before returning to me. "When she was five her mother left, her and her father, left without a word, no goodbye...nothing.  Her father couldn't cope with a child on his own so they moved in with his parents, until she was 13 and then he found someone new, she knew nothing till he married her and moved out, leaving her with her grandparents, who didn't really want a teenager in the house, so it was off to boarding school, that's where I met her and she became my best friend.  it took me a while to get her to accept I wasn't going to just disappear and I was worth her time and friendship, she had closed herself off, and still does at times" she paused and looked at me sadly.

"With you she would laugh and flirt but she was serious about her affection, I know you thought she was too young, but that's not what she thought, she was just waiting for you to see her, to really see her.  And then you did and walked away and now... god, now I don't know"

"I didn't know" I whisper and she shakes her head.

"Thats no excuse, but now you need to decide what you want Paul, if you are interested you will need to work hard to get her back, if not then forget her, cause she will cut you out of her mind, its the way she deals with things." Teddy tells me, standing up and clearing the plates.

"I..."

"Go home and thing about it, about her.  I've seen the way you look at her and the smile you wear when she around you and flirting, if you can get past the barriers in your mind, and if, and its a big if, you can change her mind.  Well then you will have a love worth fighting for.  Now get out" she growls and with one last look down the hallway, I leave.