Trying Not to Love You - Part Seventy Eight

Chapter Seventy Eight

As she left the room Sonny punched the wall in frustration, he wouldn’t allow himself to look at her, think of her, want her. He was past this, over her. She was just fucking with his brain, like she always did.

With a sigh he controlled his temper, and his libido, then headed back to Ethan and the movie.

An hour later Martha called, asking him if he could take Ethan to her father’s, she was going to be tied up, she needed him to help him out. Sonny agreed and she gushed her thank yous then hung up.

After taking Ethan to Carl’s he was struck with guilt, he should help Martha, maybe she as acting crazily, but he owed her his help. As he was approaching the restaurant, he spotted Jade across the road with her friends, heading in the direction of the pub.

                “Hey lover,” she called out, “where ya going?”

He smiled awkwardly, “got to help Martha out at the restaurant.”

She gave a knowing nod, “helping her?”

                “Don’t Jade, just don’t. Ok?”

She had the good grace to look a little embarrassed as he stormed off down the street, each time things looked clearer, his future mapped out, there was a curveball. And right now he felt as though he was stuck in the middle of a war.

The door that led to the stairs to the flat above the restaurant was unlocked, so Sonny pushed it open and climbed the stairs. When he got to the top, the entry to the flat he paused.

                “You’re going to live here?”

Martha’s head shot up from her position on the floor stacking pieces of what looked like a broken chair. Her hair was piled up into an unruly knot, her face was smudged with dust and she was wearing his old Star Wars t-shirt. He’d been given it years earlier but it wasn’t his thing, when she’d found it in his room she’d sequestered it for her own purposes. Her shook his head to lose the memories of the last time he’d seen her wearing it, sneaking coffee and toast up to the coach house bedroom, it was all she’d worn for her sojourn to the kitchen.

                “Carter.” He hated that the breathy quality to her voice reminded of the way she spoke his name in the seconds after she’d orgasmed, after they’d found that pinnacle of pleasure together. She knew that he was thinking that, he could tell by her content look as she sat back on her feet and smiled at him. Everything about this moment was contrived. He had to keep strong. This was what she wanted; this was because of her mind games, that was all. “What are you doing here?”

                “Came to help...looks like that’ll be a drop in the ocean though.” He glanced around the room disapprovingly, glad of the excuse to ignore her for a moment.

She shook her head, “this is a million times better than it was, haven’t you seen the amount I’ve thrown out downstairs? I’m on a mission. Did Ethan get to my father’s ok?”

He nodded, neutral topics were good, he could do this, she needed his help. Tossing his jacket onto the table next to him, he sighed, “he’s fine. Lucy’s at the pub, causing chaos...where are you sleeping tonight?”

She grinned, “probably here, I’ve got an inflatable mattress in the car...I want to do as much painting as I can. If I can sort Lucy and Ethan’s room by the morning then I’m winning.”

                “You can’t sleep on a mattress like that. There’s room at the pub...”

                “On what you call a sofa?” She shook her head, “that’s no better a deal, and at least here I won’t have to bump into your bimbo over breakfast.”

                “She’s NOT a bimbo!” He hissed through clenched teeth, trying desperately to keep his head.

Martha shrugged, “from where I stand she is, I mean she’s dull enough to think she’s got a future with my man.”

He shook his head, “I am NOT your man.”

As her lips curled into a smile, a content happy smile, “that’s a matter of opinion. You love me, and I love you...I’m just sorry I let so many things come between us.”

                “There is no us,” he shook his head, “you need to get it into your head that I’m with Jade. That’s who I’ve chosen, and that’s the end of things. Ok?”

She smiled, throwing everything she had into the moment, “And as I told you earlier, only time will tell which one of us is right...but I’m never wrong.”

                “I came to here to bloody help you, and you have to start all this?”

She kept smiling, “I’m being honest for the first time in ages, you’ll get to the same place soon enough, I promise.”

He glared at her for a moment, all confident and sassy, the attributes he’d loved about her, but that was the past. Grabbing his coat he storming out of her home.

Martha did sleep on the air mattress, and despite the overwhelming smell of paint, she slept well. There was nothing like a sense of achievement to help you sleep like a baby. By midnight she’d painted both of the bedrooms, and cleared hers, and then she scrubbed the kitchen to within an inch of its life.

It was well after two am when she gave in to sleep, but she was up by seven finishing clearing the lounge, there was SO much to do, but she had no job, no reason to take things easy, she just wanted a home, and her family with her.

Jack called her at eight, he, Mike and Evie were driving the van filled with her belongings up by midday, she had until then to prepare for them.

Washed windows, scrubbed floors and a lick of paint to her bedroom was as much as she’s managed. She’d need to do more at a later date, but things were liveable...just. But first she was starving, she could annihilate a cooked breakfast from the cafe...which was a god send as there was no way she could cook, even if the cooker was clean enough to be passable she had no food in the house.

Her hair was dusty, her face still streaked with dust, and she had on the same paint plashed clothes from the previous day, but she was uncaring. Instead she plaited her hair, wiped her face clean, then pulled on her trainers, and strolled to the cafe.

Sunday morning was apparently a busy time; Eamonn and Bill were in the cafe on every occasion that she went there. They both hugged her and commented on her attire, whether they knew what had precipitated her moving out of the farm she didn’t know, but it wasn’t their problem, so she said nothing about her father, instead she outlined all she’d done in the flat.

                “Why didn’t you call? We’ve both top class painters.”

She laughed, “you pair have bailed me out too often.”

Bill shook his head, “have your breakfast then we’ll come back with you, see what needs doing.”

The three were fed and watered and leaving together when the door opened and Sonny walked in, his arm draped around Jade who was leaning into his body. He looked at the three of them and gave a smile.

Martha reciprocated that ignoring the scowling Jade at his side.

                “How’s it going?”

She shrugged, “slowly, but got these two strapping men helping me out, so hopefully things’ll get sorted soon.”

He nodded, “want me to collect Ethan? Michael’s coming to the pub at lunchtime...he’ll like to see him.”

She nodded, “sounds great. My mates are arriving around them and he’ll want to see them. We can collect him from the pub at some time.”

After an awkward pause they separated.

Eamonn and Bill were demons; they did everything, leaving her to scrub the cooker...the only major job left. The men had unblocked the toilet, regrouted the bath and painted the lounge within three hours. She couldn’t thank them enough. Just as they were about to leave the doorbell rang and her three London friends were there beaming.

Immediately Eamonn and Ethan insisted on helping unload her belongings. A couple of beds, sofa, sideboard...they were the hard things to get in. Evie and Martha left the men to it; instead they unpacked crockery, kitchen gadgets, and started spreading out the soft furnishings. Evie loved Ethan’s Incredible Hulk duvet and spent the most part of the afternoon hiding underneath it on his bed.  By four o’clock Lucy had brought Ethan home and the older woman added an interesting mix to the men and her. Eamonn and Bill had left after the heavy lifting was done. Whilst the flat was nowhere near ready, it was liveable.

                “Come on, let’s go get dinner at the pub, I could murder a pint and something hot, and it’s only a drop in the ocean in repaying you two for being such good mates.”

Mike smiled, “we love seeing you, it’s a pleasure.”

Jack nodded, “just wish we weren’t all working tomorrow, a beer could easily lead to ten the mood I’m in!”

Martha smiled, “you coming Lucy?”

The older woman, who was eyeing up the comfy sofa and TV, shook her head, “I’m going to settle in.”

Sonny was behind the bar and the second she walked in he knew. Glancing up he saw Martha, still grubby, still wearing his Star Wars t-shirt, she wasn’t the type to care that it was dirty, paint splattered, she had been working hard, that was more important, and he admired her for it, he always had.

                “Oh the shame!” He glanced to his left to where Jade was propped on a bar stool, when she was bored she seemed to pester him, hanging out in the pub, he didn’t mind, but when he was busy she got angry at his lack of attention.

Hearing her words and seeing her stare at Martha he felt anger rising, he had to control that. Her friend Tina was beside her and gave a snigger, “matted hair and washed out t-shirt. Some people have NO shame.”

                “Cut it out Jade,” he hissed, “bitchiness isn’t attractive.”

He moved towards Martha and smiled, “Hi. How’s it going?”

                “Good,” she said with a smile, and he could swear he heard the words, ‘without your help’. “This is Mile and Jack...oh and Evie.” She pointed at the little girl who had followed Ethan off into the corner of the pub excitedly. As he shook their hands, Martha returned, “guys, this is Sonny Carter, a friend of mine.”

The two men instantly widened their eyes and he wondered what she’d told them, and ignored the way her brushing him off as just a ‘friend’ made him feel.

They ordered some food and a drink each then made for a distant corner, but as they sat both men turned to her and Jack fanned his face, “he is hot with a capital H!”

Mike nodded, “bloody hell Martha you’d let him get away? He’s all chocolate eyes and bad boy swagger. Delicious.”

Sighing she reached for her drink, “and he’s screwing the blonde at the bar.”

They both took a look, “what ‘fake tan fake tits’ over there? Really?”

She laughed at that, they were so devoted to her.

                “If he wants that...”

They laughed, and Jack added, “no man wants THAT for life. Martha you are beautiful inside and out, he may be distracted by a geometrically perfect pair of breasts, but I can tell from a glance that you have more integrity and spirit in your little finger than she has in her whole surgically enhanced body. He’ll see that.”

Mike grinned leaning forwards, “if the way he’s glancing over here is anything to go by he ALREADY knows that. And she’s scowling like someone’s taken her toys. Just be you darling, give her enough rope and she’ll hang herself as my old gran would say.”

Paul brought them their food and they ate readily, even the kids were starving.

                “A drink for the road?” she asked earnestly, suddenly she didn’t want them to go.

                “I’ll drive Jack; you join her in one more drink?”

She grinned at them both then made for the bar.

Sonny was across the other side of the L-shaped bar serving another customer so she had to wait a few moments. It was then that she realised Jade was staring at her.

                “Alright Jade?” It was a courtesy that she didn’t want to extend but she was brought up to be polite.

                “Better than you, you look like you’ve just walked through a hurricane.”

From anyone else she’d have laughed, but it was said with venom. Laughing she smiled at Jade and her friend, “almost, a day cleaning my new home...but then you wouldn’t know about that would you...hard work or a home. I mean you’re sleeping on someone’s sofa aren’t you?”

Jade rebuked at that, then snapped, “or more like Sonny’s bed!”

Martha swallowed the anger and pain that caused, then taking a deep breath she smiled, “for now. But he loves me, and soon enough you’ll have lost the only thing keeping you in town. I’ll wave as I watch you go!”