The Saintwood Series

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Stubbornness at its best

Carrington

I considered what Mason and the others said and stayed away from Gloria, but it didn’t mean I didn’t check on her. I worried about her, and my heart ached for her. I longed to be with her, and my family didn’t understand that.

A month passed, and I figured whatever feelings I had would dissolve, but they didn’t. It wasn't right to disappear from someone like Gloria without an explanation. I visited her one night at closing time.

I tapped on the window. Gloria saw me, strode to the door, and unlocked it. I entered, and she locked the door again.

“Carri.”

“Hi, Gloria.”

“Is everything okay? I haven’t seen you in a month and figured you got busy with classes.”

“I wasn’t busy with classes.”

“Oh.” She crumpled her eyebrows.

“I came to visit you and explained that we can’t spend time together anymore.”

Gloria’s expression changed to sadness.

“I thought that if I stayed away, it’d be easier.”

“I understand.” She tried not to cry.

“I don’t wish to cause issues between you and your spouse. Plus, the more I’m with you, the more difficult it is for me to resist wanting more from you.” I struggled to keep my composure.

“I understand. It’s that I don’t have anyone in my life that cares about me.”

I glanced at her with empathy.

“You’re the first person who offered genuine friendship to me. It was nice, but I understand.” She brushed a tear away. “Thank you for telling me. I have to get back to work.” Gloria walked over to the broom and swept the floor as her body shook.

I shifted and stepped to the door but stopped. If I leave now, I may lose a chance, but it can be disastrous if I stay.

Gloria sniffled.

I twisted around. “I don’t want to go.”

She stopped and faced me with tear-streaked cheeks.

“But I don’t crave to be your friend either.” I strolled towards her. “I can’t be your friend anymore because it’s too difficult.”

Gloria furrowed her eyebrows.

I crept towards her, rested my palm on her cheek, and caressed it with my thumb. “I don’t want to be friends, but more from you, and I don’t care if you’re married.”

“Carri….”

“Gloria, if I felt nothing for you, friendship would be okay, but I can’t with how my heart aches for you. I hate that you leave here and return to a man that doesn’t deserve you. I can love you the way you need it if you allow me. Please.” I was pouring my heart out to her, hoping she would accept.

Gloria stared at me with a longing. At that moment, I took my chance and leaned in and kissed her, and she didn’t resist my kiss and kissed me back. I withdrew my hand from her cheek and wrapped my arms around her as she draped her arms around my neck and kissed me.

I didn’t care if she was married or what my family thought. I can’t refute my emotions any longer, and neither could she.

*****

Gloria locked the coffeehouse door. We got into her car. I drove to a motel outside of town and entered the office. I paid for a room, returned to the car, and pulled around, and we got out, entering the motel room.

Once inside, I pulled Gloria into a kiss as we removed each other’s clothes. I carried her to the bed, laid her down, placed protection on, and found my way inside of her. Our lips never left each other as I made love to her.

I took my time with her as my hand glided along her body, caressing every inch of her. My lips captured her skin as I planted soft kisses along her jawline and down her neck.

We became lost in our passion as we made love to each other. I didn’t care if this was unacceptable since I craved to make love to Gloria as we found our release. Then I peeked at her with love.

*****

After a few hours, we got dressed. I sat on the bed and tied my shoe as Gloria smiled at me. I couldn’t help but smile back. I stopped dressing, rose from my seat, strolled towards her, and tugged her to me.

“What happens now?”

“I want to be with you. If we must keep it quiet, then so be it.”

“My husband will suspect.”

“I don’t care what Maurice thinks.”

That revelation shocked her.

“I know Maurice is your husband, and I don’t care. I hate the Frazier family.”

“You don’t understand what they’ll do if someone crosses them.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“How so?”

“Because my brother Charles was friends with Maurice.”

Gloria’s eyes swelled.

“You’re Carrington Jones?”

I nodded as she pulled away from me. She turned her back to me, placed her hand on her forehead, and ran her palm through her hair.

“I didn’t know Maurice was your spouse, but it doesn’t change my feelings about you.”

She spun around. “Carri, you don’t understand. The minute Maurice’s family finds out about you, it will be trouble for your family, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I cupped her face with my palms. “We won’t tell anybody about us. Gloria, I don’t want to lose you or regret what happened tonight. We can do this, and when the moment is right, we will break you free from that rotten family.”

Gloria knitted her eyebrows.

“I love you.”

Gloria looked at me in awe.

“It’s hard not to love you.”

“I love you, too. Spending time with you made me fall for you. But if I kept you at arm’s length, I could refute it, but I can’t anymore.”

I dragged her into a kiss. Every time I kissed Gloria, I fell deeper for her, and it relieved me that she felt the same way about me.

We left the motel, and she dropped me off in town, then drove home. I didn’t know what would happen. But I would do everything in my power to stay with her.

*****

Gloria

I returned home and rested in the car, reflecting on tonight. It was wrong for Carri and me to have s*x, but I didn’t care. Maurice prefers the bottle over me.

I headed into the house to discover Maurice passed out on the couch again. Beer cans covered the floor and furniture, along with empty liquor bottles. Maurice drinks himself into a stupor until he passes out. Since I close at work, he passes out before I come home. Maurice wouldn’t realize whether I was with Carri or not, and it’s not as if he cares.

I climbed the stairs and showered to rid the smell of Carri’s cologne. I didn’t need Maurice suspecting.

After I got ready for bed, I settled in bed alone, pondering tonight. It was the first time that I received love from someone. Carri cared about me, and it was lovely. It has been a long time since I experienced that from someone.

People assume when you get married, you never fret about loneliness. But that isn’t true. My dad drank himself to death, and my mom ended up in a mental institution. I had a few friends while growing up until I met Maurice.

Maurice was smooth and persuaded me to go out with him. Little by little, he started showing his controlling personality and alienated me from people. After we wed, it got worse, and so did his drinking. He was watching my every move, especially around Charles’s friends and their wives.

People wonder why I stay. It’s easy when someone threatens your life. Maurice’s family wouldn’t hesitate to harm Carri or me if they found out what happened tonight. If I had to hide my indiscretion, I would. For once, someone loved me, and I refused to give that up for anyone.