Different Worlds Ch. 08

Gone was the gentle, courteous man who had taken her virginity, in his place was a wild animal, filled with fire and unfettered passion. As he drove into her, his stare bored into her too. Their eyes were locked, she found she couldn't look away even if she wanted to, there was no way of escaping him.

Ivy had been so close that she climaxed right away, her orgasm was so intense that momentarily she forgot about everything that had happened. There was only her and Richard, nothing else mattered. She clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulders as her climax tore through her and the tension she hadn't realised she'd been carrying since she'd left Cartwright Hall melted away. It was only seconds later that Richard came too with a final thrust and a roar, collapsing on top of her. He was still holding her tightly, his face buried in her neck, she could feel his heavy, damp breath against her throat. Their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly like two parts of the same puzzle as they both lay still and waited for their breathing to slow.

Reality returned, crowding into her head. But no thoughts yet, just feelings -no words to define them. She continued to cling to him, anchoring herself against the riot of confused emotions washing over her. And as her reason crept back she remembered what she had agreed to in the throws of passion.

*

They watched each other, as the enamel kettle boiled frantically on the stove and Richard noticed for the first time that Ivy's eyes were the exact same shade of blue as the Mediterranean sea and he was hit once again by the fear that this might be it, that he might never see her again.

He reached up and brushed her face with the tips of his fingers.

"Ivy."

A myriad of conflicting emotions played out across her face and he tried to suppress the panic that was gripping his heart like a fist.

"You're shivering."

At first she started at his words and then she nodded absently.

The sun had set and the temperature dropped and to compound matters further they were both covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He leaned over, and grabbing a fleece throw that was across the back of the sofa, draped it around her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace, tucking her into his body, resting his chin on the top of her head.

After a while she got up, and still clutching the blanket she walked unsteadily over to other end of the truck and pulled the door closed.

"D'you want tea then?" She switched the gas off, the kettle stopped rattling and an all pervading silence seemed to fill the small van. Ivy looked pensive and a bit lost and her hair was a mess and he wanted to gather her up in his arms and kiss every part of her.

"No. I don't want tea, Ivy. I want you."

She glanced at him and for a fleeting moment he saw what he thought was longing, but then she looked away, her gaze skittering around the van looking at anything apart from him. He sat up, she took a tentative step towards him and he leaned forward and caught her hand in his, pulling her towards him. If he couldn't keep her then he is going to make the best of the time he did have.

He took his jeans off, wanting to feel her naked skin against his. Mirroring his actions she pulled her remaining clothes off too and hope warred with arousal in his chest as they pressed themselves up against each other and fell back into the bed.

He was hard and he wanted her again, he climbed on top and braced his hands on either side of her head, dipping down towards her so he could lay a kiss on the end of her nose. Suddenly she scowled and blinked.

"Richard?"

"Yes?"

"How did you get here?"

Oh!" he'd forgotten about Ruth. "I came with Ruth, I left her outside by the fire with two men, I hope she's okay, I have no idea how long she's been waiting."

"You got here at about quarter to."

Really? It felt like hours. It felt like entire lifetimes had passed in that forty-five minutes. "I should go and see if she's okay."

But Ivy was already out of bed, pulling some trousers on.

And you met Andy and Geoff? Ivy raised her eye brows. "I bet they loved you."

"They seemed a bit suspicious of me." He watched her breasts, as they disappeared under her top.

Ivy grinned and Richards heart almost stopped beating. She seemed less antsy now, but he still didn't know what happening for sure and he tried not to get too wrapped up in the idea she was going back with him.

She was looking out the small round window.

"I can see her."

~

It was almost dark, the western sky was a brilliant fire and the crowd around the fire pit had grown. Ruth and the two men were still there but there were more people besides. When Ivy and Richard emerged they applauded and whooped. Richard was embarrassed but Ivy just told them to 'shut it' and he was glad to see her bravado had returned.

They each found a space near Ruth and sat down and the wall of heat from the fire took the edge of the chilly night. He relished these small insights into Ivy's world, the intimacy, the constant lack of privacy, the camaraderie. One of the men from earlier was watching him from across the fire pit and there was suspicion in his eyes, but Richard was feeling much more forgiving towards Ivy's over-protective mates now that they'd made a truce of sorts.

"Are you still thinking of heading off tonight?" Ruth asked Ivy.

"It's too late now, I don't like driving that thing in the dark." Ivy tilted her head at the van as she spoke.

She glanced back to him as soon has the words left her mouth and Richard frowned, but before he had a chance to speak she was saying "It's okay, I was planning to leave earlier, but I can just stay another night, it's no biggie."

They watched each other without speaking for a while, until he looked away, back towards the fire as he tried to sort out his thoughts, he soon lost himself in its licking flames.

Had he pressured her into returning to Cartwright hall with him? She could still change her mind. Part of him wanted to ask her what her plans where now but he was too scared of hearing the wrong answer.

Then she surprised him again, by asking if he was staying too.

"I'd love to, if you're sure that's what you want."

"It is."

They couldn't get back to the truck soon enough.

~

Ivy had no idea what the time was but it was dark, she considered reaching over and grabbing her phone from the shelf above her but she didn't want to disturb Richard. With her head resting on his chest, she listened as his breath slowly evened out, until she was sure he was asleep. She was exhausted but the thoughts were tearing around her head at a hundred miles an hour.

And as the memories began crowding in she turned her back on the sleeping Richard and tucked her knees into her chest as she travelled further back into her childhood.

Richard's voice interrupted her reverie, startling her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She thought he was asleep, but she'd stopped listening to his breathing a while ago.

"Where have you gone Ivy?" he asked in his serious way. He rolled onto his side, pressing his chest up against her back and brushed her hair back off her face.

She twisted around and they lay facing each other, the candles bathing them in soft light.

He touched her face. "Where is it you go? You seem so sad, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about my Mum."

"Tell me about her."

So Ivy started to talk, to tell him about her childhood.

"She crazy, she always has been. They used to call it manic depression but now its Bipolar."

It was always great in the beginning and she tried to enjoy this funny person that looked like her Mum and sounded like her Mum, but was different. It never ended well though.

"Once, when I was little, I came home from school and she was painting the lounge. At first I couldn't get the front door open. All of the furniture had been cleared out and was stacked in the hallway and it had wedged the door shut. When she realised I was there she opened the window and helped me climb in.

Two and a half walls were the exact green of new grass after it had rained, but when I got there she stopped painting. The furniture stayed in the hallway until after she came out of hospital and the walls stayed half green and half the coral pink of earlier for the rest of my childhood."

"Did she stay in hospital for long?"

"No, not very long, it was only ever for a few weeks" she frowned. "There was this other time," Ivy rolled on to her front and propped her chin up on her hand, "when we started to make chocolate nests, because we hadn't got round to it for Easter. We got as far as melting the chocolate and the butter but then the phone rang and she forgot about them. Instead of finishing them we stayed up till after midnight watching old musicals and singing," Ivy looked at Richard. "She loves musicals; Grease, West Side Story, Bugsy Malone —I still know all the words to every one of them.

"So anyway, we gorged on the popcorn, dipping it into the melted cooking chocolate and when we ran out of pop corn, we started on the dry cornflakes. There was no milk, there was never anything in the fridge by that time. And then we danced around and sung along until Mrs. Preston from downstairs started banging on the ceiling with her broom and then we crouched down and covered our mouths and laughed until we cried."

But Ivy learned while she was still young that this was borrowed time.

"Sometimes I didn't go to school, but mostly I did, because of school dinners. She wouldn't go to the shops for days when she was in the middle of one of her manic episodes. It was like she'd forget she was the mum and that mums did things like shopping."

It always ended in the same way. The headmistress coming into class to take me away for a 'chat', the sympathetic look from the teacher as we left. The social worker waiting when we arrived at the office. It was always a different social worker."

"I was one of the lucky ones," she told him. "I was never hard to place, my report said I was well behaved and short term foster parents are easier to come by than the permanent placements. But they never found me a place that was close enough to stay at school."

"And now?" he asked, "What's she like now?"

"It still happens, not as often as it used to. I can always tell straight away, her voice changes."

"And then what do you do?"

"I go and stay with her until the CPN gets her back on the meds. They don't have to take her into hospital anymore. Not like they used to. It's easier now to treat, they have better drugs or something.

I loved her, I love her. She's the best mum anyone could ever wish for but... but sometimes she went a bit mad and then she'd have to go away for a while and I never knew if she was going to come back and I suppose that means I'm a bit funny about stuff sometimes. I don't like to get too close to people, because you know, I don't know if they're going to be around when I need them."

*

Just hearing her talk about her childhood, he wanted to pull her into his arms and wrap her up and hold her and never let her go and he was about to do just that, but then she looked up at him and smiled a brittle sort of smile that said -if you hug me right now I might break.

"I'd love for you to meet her one day I think you'd get on."

"I'd like that too." Richard spoke the words quietly, but his heart was bursting.

Eventually she fell asleep, and it was Richard's turn to watch as her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing slowed.

~

Ivy was keen to make an early start the next morning. After she'd packed the kettle away again they both climbed into the cab. She looked exhausted, but her lips were swollen, her cheeks were rosy, her eyes were bright but shy and already he wanted to be alone with her again, in a place where neither of them had to do anything or go anywhere, so they could just enjoy each other.

As the vehicle pulled forward, Richard saw another side to his mysterious girl. Changing into second gear was no small feat, and as they ambled up the slope towards the exit and pulled out on to the road he noticed there was no power steering on the ancient vehicle. She handled it with expertise and a fierce concentration.

As they moved slowly up the hill that led to the main exit, they surveyed the post festival landscape. The sun was still low in the sky so it was clear and cool. Solitary figures armed with large black bags were moving slowly about the place, stopping frequently to bend and pick up litter. There were no other signs of life.

They didn't speak much on the journey; the engine was too loud. Instead they exchanged a few fleeting glances when she wasn't concentrating on the road. Ivy was tense on the smaller roads, but she relaxed once they got onto the bigger ones. Richard was feeling pleased with himself. On waking she had been distant again at first but Richard wasn't having any of it. Gradually he had eased her fears and persuaded her to return with soft words and gentle kisses but he was still worried she might change her mind at any moment.

A small group piled out of the farm shop as soon as the truck began its journey up the drive. Sally was smiling warmly. Ruth, who had arrived before them because her car was faster, was trying to catch her eye, but Ivy was too overwhelmed to engage. Terrence was there too, he pulled Richard into a half embrace, half back slap and congratulated him.

"Good work! You brought her home again!"

He felt Ivy tense, so Richard shot her an apologetic smile.

"I'm so glad you've returned to us my darling girl."

When she thought no one was looking Ivy's attention left the small gathering and her eyes swept the buildings she could see, and the surrounding copse. Will would be on the train on his way back to school by now, but Ivy wasn't to know that.

Hugs and warm words were shared, but Ivy seemed keen to escape and Richard felt like a caveman, impatient to drag her back to the house, and feast on her again. So as soon as politely possible he grabbed one of Ivy's hands in both of his, as he pulled her towards him and gave the group his most winning, most apologetic smile.

"We should get on, I have to get back." She frowned at him but didn't disagree. He wanted to be alone with her for the short time they had left.

"Go on then you two," Sally looked at Ivy her eyes narrowed, "We'll catch up later."

*

They both climbed back into the Dodge and Ivy drove the short distance into the copse where she usually parked, leaving the small crowd outside the shop. What were they all doing there? It was almost like they'd been lying in wait. She pulled back into her spot and killed the ignition. Richard opened the door and got down but she didn't, at least not right away, instead she sat and stared at the verdant woods. She had thought she wasn't coming back, and yet here she was again.

She thought about Kev and Seph and the job she would be returning to in the morning. Would she have left? Would she have actually gone through with it? What would have happened if Richard hadn't followed her and brought her back? It seemed unimaginable now that she was here that she might have left this place, but she would never know the answer to that question, not for sure.

She pushed open the door and Richard was there, waiting for her. She climbed down from the driver's seat and he caught her as she stepped off the bottom step. His hands around her waist, he lifted her, swinging her round and pressed her against the truck, gripping her face in both his hands he kissed her,

"I'm glad you're here," he said against her lips.

"Me too," she replied, and the hunger was back - she could feel it rising up in her chest, she could see it reflected in his eyes too. He lifted her again, so he could press his groin against her pelvis and she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips and clung to him.

Sliding his hand up her top, he cupped a breast in his palm. Her skirt had ridden up her thighs, exposing her to the cooling evening air. She gripped his hair in both her fists, forcing his lips against hers.

"I want you," he growled between hungry kisses.

At his words she remembered herself, and came back to the present. She looked back towards the shop, aware that the others would be coming soon, Ruth and Alex anyway.

His lips left her own, she'd released her grip on his hair without realising it. He buried his face in her neck, exploring the skin on her throat with his lips.

She tried to pull away. "I really need a shower before we get into this again. I smell."

"I love your smell," the words were indistinct, more of a growl as he traveled south, his lips brushing across the skin on her chest. "You smell of wood smoke," he inhaled for dramatic effect "...and coffee."

She laughed.

"Come back to my room," he said cupping her face in his hands. "We can both fit into the bath, and I'll bet the hot water is more plentiful there than it is here." He was unbuttoning her top as he spoke.

It was a tempting idea, there probably wouldn't be any hot water in the shower-block behind the shop by now anyway. But instead she said, "Richard you have to get back to London, I have work. If we have a bath together God knows where it will go from there."

He must have been able to see the longing in her eyes, because he kept at it.

"Come on, I was all squashed up last night and my shoulders ache, I need to do something to unknot them before the drive."

She bit her lip. "I need to get a bigger truck."

A grin broke out on his face, and for a moment she was just thrown by how it transformed him. He was so beautiful, so breathtakingly beautiful. But then the penny dropped, she had implied a commitment she hadn't meant to and she wasn't sure if that's what he wanted.

Feigning horror he said "It's already terrifying enough with you driving the Dodge, don't get an even bigger vehicle."

She smacked his arm.

"Ow!"

"There's nothing wrong with my driving!"

"I'm joking, you're a fantastic driver."

"And don't be so patronising, it's very unattractive."

~

Hand in hand, they walked the short distance to where Richard's car was parked in front of the farm shop.

"When will I see you again?" Ivy asked.

"I'm going to come back on Friday, I daren't leave you alone any longer than that."

Ivy blushed, "You don't have to come back on Friday I'm not going anywhere I promise."

"Are you saying you don't want me to come back on Friday?" he sounded dead serious, but his eyebrows were raised and his eyes were laughing.

She was blushing "No, I didn't mean it like I..." but she didn't finish because he was kissing her again, and she was breathless and so turned on she thought she might spontaneously combust. They weren't too far from the van, she could just drag him back there for a quickie, it could really only be a quickie though.

Suddenly he released her.

"I should go." He took keys out and hit the button. There was a beep as the doors clicked open.

"Richard."

But he was in the driving seating seat, closing the door and Ivy was trying, nonverbally, to communicate her disapproval at him leaving her in this state of arousal, by scowling.

"Richard."

The electric window hummed as it slid open.

"Until Friday."

He knew exactly what he was doing, she could see it in his eyes. The bastard. The engine sprung to life and Ivy stood and watched, her hands on her hips as the car crawled down the track towards the gates.

*****

Thanks again for reading if you've made it this far, I've written about half of the final installment and I will give it my full and undivided attention in December (well -after I've recovered from NaNo). Comments, votes and faves are very much appreciated. Until next time folks!