The Saintwood Series

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Freedom

Carrington

My relationship with Gloria was going well, and I couldn’t be happier. When Joseph and Christine questioned my upbeat mood, I informed them that I’m always jovial. They were suspicious, but I ignored them. My siblings need to get a life and stay out of mine.

Most people disagree with my choices in life, but it’s not their life. That’s the problem with people. They have opinions about everything, including my family. Opinions are like assholes, and everyone has one.

The best part was Maurice left for a month, which gave Gloria and me time alone. I couldn’t wait for summer to devote time to her without prying eyes, namely Joseph and Christine.

I prepared plans for a weekend getaway with Gloria where no one recognized either of us. I appreciated the freedom of not hiding our relationship.

We drove to the UP, where I rented a small cottage, and we could see the sights. I wasn’t planning on a freaking blizzard to hit—freaking Michigan weather. Mother Nature needs to take her meds and stop her nonsense.

We trudged through the snow with zero visibility and made it inside the cottage. Gloria glanced at me and laughed, considering I resembled the abominable snowman.

“Cute.” I rolled my eyes and shook off the snow.

Gloria giggled.

“I’ll start a fire if you want to make us something to eat.”

“Okay.” She snickered and removed her coat and boots, then strolled into the kitchen.

While Gloria cooked, I started the fire. Thanks to Joseph, the hippy that he was, he took us camping and taught us the basics. Once the fire was roaring, I shuffled into the kitchen to help Gloria.

“Where did you learn how to make a fire?” She stirred the hamburger on the stove.

“My hippy brother loves to commune with nature. Joseph was always dragging Elliot and me camping, and Elliot enjoys hunting, considering he prefers to throw knives at us.”

Her eyes widened.

“I’m positive that my baby brother inherited the psycho gene from some distant family member.”

Once the meat browned, she added spaghetti sauce. I placed a pan of water on the burner and cranked the heat.

“What are your siblings like?”

“Well, Mason is the oldest and father figure, trying to keep us in line. Kate is reasonable and no-nonsense. Charles, who you met, makes poor life choices and is an i***t. Theresa is down-to-earth and enjoys humor. Joseph is the resident hippy and loves to commune with nature, while Christine is uptight and loves to snitch on people. Then, you have Elliot, who’s psychotic and hates stupid people.”

The water boiled, and I added some oil, then the pasta to the pot.

“It must be interesting to grow up with so many brothers and sisters.”

“It has its moments, but they’re my family.”

Gloria smiled at me. I loved this time with her because it wasn’t about s*x with her but more. I connected with her in a way that I didn’t with anyone.

After the timer dinged, I drained the pasta, and Gloria turned off the stove. We dished out the food onto plates, then sat down at the table. It felt normal to eat dinner with her, and we talked about everything and anything. Then she dropped a bomb on me. “Maurice wants to start a family when he returns.”

I stopped eating and peered at her. “And what did you say?”

“I said sure.”

My anger started to build.

“But it won’t happen. Maurice drinks and will pass out before he can do anything.”

I started eating. “Good, because you’re mine.”

Gloria looked at me as I ate, saying nothing else. People can say I’m a d**k, but I don’t care. My love for Gloria was vaster than the ocean.

After a few minutes of silence, I said something. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a d**k, but imagining him touching you, pisses me off. He doesn’t deserve you.”

“I know, but Carri, I’m still married, and you’re still in school. If we ran off together, your family and Maurice’s family would hunt us down like dogs. I don’t prefer that but to leave that family and cut ties with them so that we can be happy together.”

“I prefer that, too. I want to marry you, have a family with you, and give you the life you deserve.”

Gloria smiled at me. “You want a family?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Maybe one day, we’ll have a family.”

That idea made me happy.

We finished dinner, then cuddled in front of the fire and discussed the future. We agreed to wait until I completed school. Then, Gloria would file for divorce from Maurice and leave town together.

Plans have a way of altering as time goes along. We would find this out.

That night, I settled behind her as we made love. Our bodies rocked backward and forth as I drifted in and out of Gloria.

“Oh, God, Carri!”

I went faster until we both burst. Our breathing became labored, and we took a break until we started again. All night we went at it like jackrabbits, and I couldn’t get enough of Gloria. We finally collapsed into a peaceful slumber after wearing ourselves out. I could get used to this.

*****

Gloria

I was sleeping until someone woke me up in his way. I moaned as Carri enjoyed dessert before breakfast. I loved it when he woke me up like this because it was better than waking up to the foul stench of day-old beer.

Carri continued until I groaned and released. Then he moved up and made his way between my legs. He placed on protection, slid into me, and made love to me until we exploded.

“Good morning, baby.” Carrie pressed his lips to mine.

“Morning, babe.”

“Did you enjoy your morning delight?”

I beamed as he grinned. “You’re something else. Don’t you ever get tired?”

“I haven’t had s*x in a long time. It’s so much better with someone you love.”

“I agree.”

He strutted to the bathroom naked as I admired the view. Then his phone rang with his brother was calling.

“Carri, your phone is ringing.”

He finished in the bathroom, came out, climbed into bed, and answered the phone. “Hi, Joseph.”

Where are you, Carri?

“I informed you that I was taking off for an assignment for school.”

I got on my knees and placed kisses on him.

It’s wintertime, and I doubt teachers assign anyone out-of-town homework.

“It’s for a business class. I’m checking out different stores. Be glad I’m not putting dye in your shampoo.”

Thanks to you, I looked like freaking Lucky Charms!

Carri laughed.

That wasn’t funny!

“Oh, it was hilarious, but I gotta go. I’m meeting with some classmates.” Carri hung up the phone, then twisted and studied me. “Now, where were we?” Carri laid me down and made love to me again.

It was sinful to lie to people and carry on a forbidden affair. But I didn’t care. I craved to be with Carri. He made me feel things I never did with anyone. I basked in the love and affection from a man that knew how to treat a woman. I couldn’t get enough.

The trouble was it caused me to crave his attention, making bad decisions. We continued with a forbidden affair, knowing it was dangerous. When you play with fire, you will get burned.

I would find that out, and it would alter everything.

They say a romance can start innocently enough. Most people fall in love, expecting to live happily forever after with one person. When a friendship begins, you never expect a romance to enter the picture until one day it does. You fall in love, hoping for that happily forever after. Then you wake up and realize you’re living in a fantasy world.

That was my and Carri’s problem. We lived in a fantasy world, expecting to have blissful happiness. But reality would kick us in the teeth, setting in motion the events that would affect others. It would take one person to show us our mistakes.