Forbidden Kiss

Chapter 4 – Summertime

Zeke’s POV

Hannah and I spent the next few weeks working as much as we could to earn enough money for our great escape to not only happen, but to be unnoticed financially. It wasn’t difficult to siphon money from my earning and keep them separate.

Mum checked every now and again on my progress and had asked what I intended to spend the money on, but up until now, I had evaded answering as, honestly, other than our night out, I had no idea what I would do with it.

I wasn’t a frivolous person, mainly as my options were very limited as to what I could get away with spending it on. So, for now, I just kept saving and siphoning off as much excess as I could.

When we had enough money for the ID’s Hannah, and I needed to make a trip to the city to see her cousin. She needed the cash up front and a passport photo of us not looking 12!

‘Ezekiel’ Dad called from the bottom of the stairs.

Oh s**t. What have I done?

‘Yes Dad’

‘I won’t shout the conversation son. Come here so I can speak with you’

‘Coming’ I called as I dragged my ass from my bed that I had just laid down on. I had worked a lot this week and my body ached!

‘You have been working hard’

I wasn’t sure if this was a question or a statement.

‘Yes Dad’

‘Well, Mrs. Ashcroft has asked if you would take Hannah into the city tomorrow to get her school things. She doesn’t want her in the city alone, so, I said you would. I will give you the money for the train and lunch’

I tried to hide my excitement, but I am not sure I did it so well ‘Yes Dad, no problem, thank you’

‘But Ezekiel’

I knew this was too good to be true.

‘Yes Dad’

‘I know how much money you have stashed in your draw. I don’t want to see you have wasted any of it on unnecessary items’

‘No Dad, I won’t. But I was wondering, maybe, I could get a bank account? It would be safer than keeping it in my draw’

This was something I had asked before but was swerved away from it.

‘Actually, this is a good idea. I will get you what you need to open one. It’s about time you were given some more responsibility. You should have time to do it tomorrow’

Well, that wasn’t the response I was expecting. Bonus.

I wasn’t stupid enough to realise it was beyond ridiculous that at almost 18 years old I had to ask permission for a bank account. But when your parents lived in the dark ages, it was also reasonable to assume that letting go was difficult for them.

I was taking this as a Win. It also meant I could go to City hall and get a copy of my birth certificate should I ever need it. Again, this would seem strange to any normal teenager, but not me. I was learning fast I needed to be one step ahead.

They kept all my personal documents under lock and key, in a safe in their bedroom. Having my own copy hidden away at my disposal would almost certainly come in handy if ever I were to need it without them knowing about it.

‘Great, thanks Dad. If that’s all, I am going to lay down for a bit before dinner if you don’t mind. My muscles ache!’ I tried to be as polite as possible without sounding cringy.

‘Of course, son, manual labour is good for the soul, but hard work’ he patted me on the back and smiled warmly, this has to be a first this year! I left, contemplating how that was possibly the most affection he had showed me in months, which I realise is really quite sad.  

Dad had left me my birth certificate and the other various documents I needed to open the account in an envelope for me on the kitchen counter and I scooped it up before leaving to pick up Hannah.

‘Hello Mrs. Ashcroft, Is Hannah ready?’ I asked politely.

‘Here’ she all but shouted as she reached the door.

‘Have fun you two, be good’ she said as she was closing the front door on us.

I wasn’t sure if she was serious or if she was warning us. I found it difficult to read the adults in this town. There was always the possibility of a double meaning.

‘Ha, check me out with all the answers to our prayers’ she linked my arm happily as we made it to the train station.

‘You figured out why we need to stay over at your cousins yet?’ I asked hopeful.

‘Why do you have to ruin my good mood. No. But we will have our IDs by the end of the day! Whoop’

‘That’s something I guess… how much money do you have stashed?’

‘So far, £50 but that’s not including the money for the ID. How about you?’

‘£90, but I need to go to city hall to get a copy of my birth certificate’

‘Why?’

‘Just in case, may as well while I have it, never know when I may get the chance again! And if all this goes t**s up, and they find out, at least I have it’

‘Wow, sneaky, you just went up in my estimations!’

We started to laugh as we made it to the train station and jumped on with a plan for the day, ready to put into motion.

By the time we were done, Hannah had what she said she needed for school, I had a bank account and a copy of my birth certificate, and we both had bloody good IDs of which they later two, I needed to hide.

We still however, had no idea what we could say to get us to stay at her cousins’ house over night that our parents would agree too.

As a few more weeks passed, we now had less than two weeks left of the summer and enough money stashed for new clothes, and the night of our lives. But we were running out of time.

‘Ezekial’ Mum called from the kitchen as I walked through the front door having done some odd jobs for Mrs. Jenkins.

‘Yes Mum, it’s me’

‘I know you want to head up for a shower, but have you got a minute’

‘Sure, what’s up?’

‘Mrs. Ashcroft has been on the phone’

‘Oh, right, is everything ok?’

‘Yes, yes, it’s just, Hannah has been invited to a university open day, in the city. It will be a long day and Samantha, her older cousin, suggested perhaps Hannah could stay over at hers, the night before it, to avoid rushing. Only, Samantha can’t be with Hannah at the open day as she is working, so Mrs. Ashcroft wondered if you would mind escorting her.

My face must have looked a picture because before I could respond, she added ‘Don’t look so surprised, you are an upstanding and wholesome boy. You have worked hard this summer. But mark my words Ezekial, do not let us down. This is your chance to show us we can trust you’

‘Mum! What exactly do you think it is that I am going to do?’

I was a little miffed, I had never given them a reason not to trust me, well, not one that they knew about anyway.

‘Sorry, but you have been a little, well, rebellious recently with your choices and I promised Mrs. Ashcroft you would take care of Hannah. It’s a big responsibility. I just wanted to be certain you knew that. We are trusting you’.

‘I know Mum, I’ll take care of her’

‘I know, I know. Anyway, I thought it would be good for you to look too, as you haven’t decided on where you are going yet. I’m surprised you didn’t mention it’

‘Honestly, I didn’t know about it! So, when are we going?’ I tried not to sound too eager.

‘I think Hannah was looking at train times, but you will be going next Friday afternoon, the open day is on Saturday and finishes at 2 so you will get the next train back. You have school on Monday, so I want you home in good time to get ready’

‘Sounds perfectly fair, I’m gonna go shower’ I smiled as I left to go upstairs, and fist pumped the air as I tried to figure out if it was Hannah or Samantha’s idea, so I could thank them! It was genius.

As I made my way to the bathroom to shower the sweat from the day off my body, I couldn’t help but get excited. Since we had plotted to go to this club, all thoughts of it had consumed me. I was nervous, sure, but more than that, I couldn’t wait to experience it.

I wondered what it was like to kiss a man. I had kissed girls before, but I didn’t enjoy it. I had hoped that it was different. My dreams had become more vivid, but I was still so unsure about everything.

As the hot water washed over my body, I allowed my mind to take me to a place I had always only gone to in my dreams.  I imagined a kiss, sweet, soft, rough… yes rough and needy, wanton, and full of passion.

I moved my hand lower, as I felt myself get aroused by the way my mind works, touching myself and stroking gently, but it wasn’t enough. I moved my hand quicker and lent against the wall of the shower as I pumped harder.

As my breathing became more erratic so did my movements and I knew I was close, I didn’t want to stop. It didn’t feel wrong. In fact, it felt perfectly right. It was the first time I had allowed my mind to take me to that place while I pleasured myself.

One more stroke and the relief was palpable as I released myself. It felt good.

‘Hurry Up Man, I need the Loo’ Gabe’s harsh tone jolted me from my reprieve.

‘Yeah, alright, I’ll be out in a minute’ I was breathing hard and tried to keep my voice steady.

I rinsed myself and then the shower down quickly and rushed to dry and dress. As I opened the bathroom door Gabe was leaning against the bedroom doorway grinning like a Cheshire cat.

‘What?’

‘Have fun in there? Hope you rinsed it down properly!’

‘Shut up Gabe’ I pushed passed him and sat on my bed. It was times like this I wish I had my own space.

I grabbed my phone and put my headphones on, not wanting to listen to anymore of his bullshit. How I was going to get through another year living here was beginning to become a thought I had more often than not.

I managed to get through the rest of the week, church sermons included, without drawing any unwanted attention to myself.

Hannah and I had managed to get out once, between work commitments, one afternoon before Friday came and we had set our plan in motion. Everything was set and when I got up on Friday morning I was already dying to go.

Trying not to seem too eager, I dawdled in my room, but the anticipation of the night to come was overwhelming. I managed to hold out until lunchtime and wandered downstairs. Leaving my bag in my room.

‘You all set?’ Mum asked warmly.

‘Yeah, think so, only need my toothbrush and a change of clothes’

‘Ok, Love’

There was a knock at the door and Mum went to answer it.

‘Hannah, Hello dear, we weren’t expecting you until a little later’

‘Oh, yes, Sorry Mrs. Mathews, I was bored, so I wondered if you minded if I waited here until it was time to go?’

‘You a little nervous’

‘Yes, is it obvious?’

‘A little, it’s a daunting place university, but you will be just fine. But, Gabreil is here, so, why don’t you get your bag Ezekiel and take a walk with Hannah to calm her nerves before you go to the station? Gabriel will probably just be in your way upstairs’

‘Good idea Mum’

I figured Hannah had that little scene all worked out before she arrived here. I could have kissed her there and then. I don’t know how she did it.

But I didn’t need to be told twice. I grabbed my bag, and we left. The fresh air felt like heaven in my lungs, and I could breathe once again. I have no idea when that house became as suffocating as the town itself, but it now almost seemed worse.

‘Hannah, you are a genius’

‘I know’ she grinned as she linked my arm ‘You ready for this’

‘Like you would not believe’