The Quiet Friend Pt. 02

To the readers...

First of all, a HUGE, HUGE apology for the time it has taken for this part to be completed. I have little excuse other than I've been busy with studying and generally ended up lacking motivation for this part. Until I received emails asking about it; after that it was mostly problems with actually getting it out the way I wanted it.

I can say this much; from this point on, I won't be uploading any new material (if it is long enough to be split into parts) unless I have completed every part or am in the final editing process for the final part. This way I can ensure I don't end up taking forever to finish off a story. I'd hate for anyone to wait a long time for anything new again; I know I'm quite impatient when it comes to things like that.

I currently have several one off pieces of fiction being written, which I plan to upload to Literotica, but I won't give a time-frame, since I have busy times ahead with academic work.

I strongly recommended reading the first part before this one, otherwise it won't make much sense if you're a new reader. But I do recommend that the first part be read again for anyone else, since it might be a good reminder of what went on before; it has been a long time between parts after all.

A massive thanks again to LadyFalcon for editing for me and helping me fix mistakes and grammar, etc. Any remaining mistakes and oversights will be entirely my own fault. Also, a thank you to her for kicking my arse into gear about getting this part written.

I hope you all enjoy...

Cc

... ... ... ... ...

Her heart burst into joy as she felt him lean forward and then the joy was washed away by the intense longing for more as their lips pressed together. He had to have felt it as well because his fingers were slowly creeping into her hair as his hands cradled her face.

Rowan couldn't be aware of anything else right now except how soft her mouth felt, how much of her urging he could feel in her lips pressing against his, the quick flicker of her tongue over them.

He didn't know how long the kiss lasted; he was far too into experiencing her body against his and her hands firmly on his neck and jaw, but an endless second or so later, he moved back. He looked slightly surprised and he was breathing hard. It took him a moment to realise his hand was higher up on her body than he thought. He had no memory of moving it, much less any conscious awareness of holding her head. He looked at it and then let it drop.

"That... was not a good thing to do," Rowan said quietly, but it was clear he had no conviction in the statement.

But Sarah was already nodding her head, her breathing calming down a little. She was grinning widely as she glanced at his hand, wondering how he would react if she took it and put it on her breast this time. "That was definitely a good thing to do. And I want to do it again, and again."

Rowan looked at her. In that moment her warm smile was blazing and her eyes had never before looked so... focused on him. His body was already straining to move forward again just for another kiss; maybe just one more. However, with great effort, he forced himself backwards.

"I think... no," Rowan said quietly. Then a moment later, he added, "Not right now."

Her eyes widened at the implication of that and she smiled broadly again. He gave a quick, small smile, not wanting to reveal too much of his feelings. The truth was, he didn't want to go anywhere and the more he stood there, the more the urge was growing, to kiss her lips again, to move down to her neck and over her shoulders, to begin slipping off that top of hers...

"I have to go, Sarah."

"Where?"

"To Greg."

"What? But--"

"Sarah, please. Just listen," Rowan said in a whisper. "If... What I mean is, when things happen. I need it to start off properly. Not behind anyone. Not behind Greg's back. I need to talk to him about this."

Sarah regarded him for a few moments before sighing. "And if he doesn't like the idea of it?"

"He's my friend," Rowan answered simply.

"What does that mean, Rowan? Does that mean you'll step aside and not do anything? You won't go for something you really want?" She paused. "And this time someone shares your feelings, and you know it. This isn't like Katarina."

Rowan's eyes widened.

"I heard everything, remember? Katarina said that you'd had a thing for her for three years. At least that's what it sounded like."

Rowan nodded. "... Yeah. That's right."

She looked at him directly in the eyes. "I don't... I don't want this to not happen."

He looked at his phone. There was a text message waiting from Greg. He looked at her again. "If he's my friend, then he'll... I don't know. He'll understand. I think." She didn't look like she believed him. Rowan shrugged. "I have to do this, okay?"

Despite not wanting to, she nodded.

"You should go to Katarina's. She's home from work for a week or something. You'll be able to stay there. She'll be fine with it."

Sarah hesitated.

He seemed to read her mood and added, "At least that way I'll be able to contact you and you'll be nearby."

She nodded and moved to get her things.

"I'm going to have a shower, and then go," Rowan said.

"Okay," She said, stopping to look at him. "You will come and see me, right?"

"I will."

"What about immediately after you're done talking to Greg?"

Rowan was silent for a moment. "I don't know. I don't know how long he's going to expect me to be there."

"Hmm, okay. Tomorrow you'll come over, at least?"

That was far later than he wanted to see her, but he nodded. "Tomorrow at the latest. I promise."

That seemed to reassure her a lot and she moved to the phone with ease, while Rowan watched her for a moment before moving off to have a shower. Once in the bathroom he found himself staring at himself in the mirror, at that small smile playing on his lips as he thought of the kiss. He glanced at the door, wanting nothing more than to rush back into the living room and kiss her again, but he resisted the urge.

Part of him was in disbelief that she had initiated the kiss; it already felt like a vivid dream, but there was the ghost of the memory still on his lips. Even just the thought of it made him harden a little.

Shaking his head at himself, he looked at the door again. It'd be easy. He would simply have to open it, walk over to her and put his arms around her...

Then the thought of Greg came into his head. This was why he was in here; he had to get ready and go. His smile disappeared and feeling heavy in his chest, he got into the shower, making sure he spent a while in there so that she would be gone by the time he came out.

He didn't expect to see the little note she had left scrawled on a small piece of paper sitting in the middle of the coffee table.

In her neat, curly writing, it said: "Had to leave straight away. Not sure I would have let you go. X."

Rowan's mood after that on his way to meet Greg was nothing short of ecstatic.

... ... ... ... ...

Sarah's imagination was on fire. On her way to Katarina's flat, the kiss was replaying itself over and over in her mind. She had done her share of kissing different people, but never before had there been this lingering feeling, as if his lips were still touching hers. There had been something tentative about the kiss, before it grew with passion and it was the gentle initial touch that lingered most. It was not long before her mind moved on from the kiss and began to imagine many other scenarios she wanted to play out with him; many other forms of touch fuelled by passion. There'd be time for that, she thought to herself.

She reached Katarina's flat and knocked on the door. It opened almost immediately.

"Sarah," Katarina said in a level voice in an attempt to downplay the curiosity and emotion on her face. "Hi. So, what happened? You broke up with Greg? And then?"

"Slow down, Kat, let me come in first at least," Sarah said, moving past her and smiling.

"You were at Rowan's when you called."

"I know."

Katarina shut the door. "So, I think I'd like to know what's going on. Why were you there? You said something happened."

"I kissed Rowan," Sarah said as she sat down on the sofa in the living room.

"You did what?" Katarina asked. The surprise in her voice was palpable.

"I kissed Rowan."

"Oh. Well, that's certainly unexpected."

Sarah sighed and bit her bottom lip. "Do you think it's stupid that... I think for a long while now, I've felt something for him but I never seemed to realise it?"

Katarina shrugged. "Not really. Some people are just stupidly oblivious to some things."

"Stupidly?"

Katarina rolled her eyes. "What made you realise?"

Sarah thought for a moment. "When he told me. Then when he left the club with Ashley. That night we were out for your birthday."

"He told you?"

"Well... more or less. I sort of, made him tell him."

A questioning looked crossed Katarina's face.

Sarah realised then that Katarina had no idea she had been overheard that day when they all had lunch. "Kat, I heard you and him talking. In the kitchen, when we were at your parents' for lunch that day, when your parents were away. You remember? I came in and ended up taking some of the food out."

"I remember..."

"I was actually there and heard you two talking for a few minutes before that."

"Ah. You were eavesdropping." Sarah was about to protest the use of that term but Katarina waved it off and carried on. "Then, what do you mean by you made him tell you?"

"Well, I couldn't let it go. When I was at the club, I realised that everything about it was bothering me. I felt like I had to hear it from him, straight from his mouth."

To Sarah's surprise, a disapproving look appeared on Katarina's face. "So when you say you made him tell you, you mean what exactly? That you forced it out of him?"

"Well, I suppose so."

The disapproving look deepened. "Why would you do that, Sarah?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you know what he's like. How quiet he can be. Didn't it occur to you how painful it might be for him to have to do that?"

Sarah opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. Suddenly the severity of the act seemed to hit her. The memory of the time, she realised, seemed different now. When it was happening, she had simply been focused on the thought of hearing what she needed to hear, but it hadn't really fully entered her mind what the experience would have been like for Rowan, and with deepening anxiety, she realised Katarina was right.

"Kat-- I just-- I don't know. I had to hear it. I mean, he's spent so much time hiding away things like that. He never even told you how he felt about you! I had to be sure."

"If you heard everything he and I were talking about at my parents' place, there couldn't have been any doubt. And as for not telling me, things were different back then. On top of that, he was different. I was different. You knew that he had feelings for you. And... Sarah, no offence, but you are one oblivious girl."

Sarah frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It was obvious to me how much he felt for you by the time we graduated. How can you not have seen for the last few years, he's been carrying a torch for you? It isn't just obvious to me, but even Tina mentioned something."

"Really?"

"Really!"

Sarah sighed and frowned. "Oh."

"The way he acts around you. The things he did."

"I thought he was just being Rowan..."

"He was. But he was being more Rowan than usual, if that makes sense," Katarina said quietly.

There was a pause as Sarah took in Katarina's words. Her thoughts were racing. She really had given no thought to the effect the confession would have on him; the guilt and anxiety she put him through. She felt horrible for a moment. Then she said, "It could have gone a lot worse, couldn't it? If I forced it out of him. He could've ended up really resenting me."

Katarina nodded. "Exactly. Now you get it."

"I'll apologise to him as soon as I can."

"And don't do it again."

Sarah looked Katarina in the eye. Katarina's expression was resolute and it reminded Sarah, not for the first time, that Katarina was probably closer to Rowan in some ways than any of the rest of the group. But Sarah had her own connection to him.

"I couldn't deal with him hiding, Katarina. I know that sounds bad and I really was being selfish but, if he'd never told me, I don't think I could've acted. I had to know," Sarah said quietly.

Katarina stared at her for a moment and then nodded once. "Fine. I suppose since he didn't react unfavourably, it means maybe you're the one who can push him like that. Just don't make it a habit."

"You have my word."

There was a beat of silence as Katarina nodded her approval again and then asked, "So tell me, how was it?"

"How was what?"

Katarina sighed. "The kiss, Sarah! The kiss! What else?"

Sarah grinned. "More than I expected. God, Kat, I wanted to just... strip him right then and there and--"

"Woah! Before you insert images into my very effective imagination, we'll stop there. I get the point. It was good."

Sarah laughed suddenly, relaxing at the comfort in the environment now. "Yes. It was good."

... ... ... ... ...

He had no real expectations of how Greg would be behaving or feeling. In his experience, Greg had often brushed off the end of a relationship, especially if he had been the one to end it, but this was a situation new to Rowan, as Sarah had ended it and they had been together for longer than any of Greg's previous relationships.

His nervousness growing with each step toward the pub, Rowan found himself trying to think of excuses to leave early, and then ways in which he could be honest with Greg and tell him how he felt about Sarah.

But he couldn't be sure. Was this really the right time to be talking about anything like that? Or admitting feelings he shouldn't have? Rowan stopped for a moment. There was no 'shouldn't' about it. His feelings were his feelings; not something to dismiss. He carried on walking, realising he could see no way in which a conversation like that would end pleasantly for all concerned.

Before he knew it, he was outside the pub, trying to fight down the horrible twinge of anxiety in his chest. Greg was already inside and had started drinking. Rowan could see him from where he stood, along with the two full time bar staff he had got to know over the years. Gulping, Rowan stepped into the pub.

The full time bar staff were a man and a woman and both looked toward him with a quick wave as he walked in. Rowan returned their acknowledgements and walked over to where Greg stood, holding a glass in his hand.

"Rowan, about time you got here, you little bastard."

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "You're obviously in a good mood."

Greg flashed a grin and shrugged. "What do you want to drink?"

"Water."

"Water!" Greg looked at him, his mouth open. He looked at the barman and shook his head. "You hear that, Denny? He wants water!"

"S'not a good night for water, Rowan," Denny said, rolling his eyes.

"Why's that then?" Rowan asked. He knew already, of course, but in the brief phone call along the way to the pub, where Greg had rung to see where he was, he had not mentioned the break up. He would want to announce it in person for greater effect. It was a ritual of sorts.

"You know why you're here, Rowan?" Greg asked with long gulp of his cider.

"You wouldn't tell me over the phone," Rowan answered simply, taking his place next to Greg at the counter while Denny passed him a glass of water.

"I can tell you now, if you like," Greg said with a shrug.

Rowan wondered for a moment if this was a sign that Greg was more upset than he was letting on, but any thoughts of that disappeared when Greg turned around to see a group of women come into the bar and smiled openly.

For a moment Rowan hated him. "Go on then, Greg. Why am I here?"

Greg glanced at him. "Sarah broke up with me."

He was expecting himself to have mixed feelings upon hearing that, but there was nothing. It was as if he had just seen his friend state a simple fact and that was the end of it. Rowan watched Greg calmly as he openly stared at the group of women who by now had made their way to the counter, around the bend where it led off toward the back seats of the bar.

"God, they're beautiful," Greg said more to himself than Rowan.

"You just broke up with Sarah," Rowan said quietly.

Greg looked at him. "And? Come on, Rowan, you know me. I don't take any of that stuff seriously."

"You were with her for over two years, Greg."

"On and off, sure. So?"

"And that's it?" Rowan asked, incredulous at his friend's lack of emotion.

"What were you expecting? For me to burst into tears?" Greg asked with a short round of laughter. He was obviously already affected by the alcohol.

In Rowan, a whole range of emotions clashed against each other. If Greg didn't care then did he really have anything to worry about? Though, wasn't there some sort of rule about this situation? Never go with your friends' exes...

"I don't know, Greg. You were with her for a while. I don't know what to expect anymore."

"Shit happens," Greg shrugged.

"She broke up with you?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Greg was unusually thoughtful for a moment. Then he grinned and shook his head. "Because it was going to end anyway. She just got there first."

"Is that the truth?" Rowan asked.

Greg looked at him. "It was kinda fizzling out anyway. So I guess it wasn't much of a surprise. One thing after another. Anyways, it doesn't matter now. I'm free again."

Rowan watched him take another long gulp of his cider and thought about his words. Kara, the barmaid came to them briefly while he tapped his glass with his fingernail, wondering what to say next. The only thing that seemed to happen on these nights is that Greg would get drunk and occasionally end up taking someone home.

"Alright, Rowan? Been a while," Kara said quietly. She gestured to Greg. "What's up with him?"

"Broke up with his girl."

"Oh."

"How about you, Kara?" Greg looked at her suddenly with a charming smile. "Willing to give a lonely guy some company tonight?"

"Yeah, I am as it happens," Kara answered with a straight face. Rowan looked up at her in surprise. Then he started laughing when she said, "He's waiting at home for me." She winked at Greg and walked off to serve a customer.

Greg laughed, more at himself than anything else. He glanced at the group of women again. Rowan saw one of them already looking over to Greg, showing interest. He found it so easy, but Rowan supposed it helped that Greg was a very good looking young man.

"Greg? I have something to talk to you about."

Greg looked at him. Rowan felt even more nervous all of a sudden, but this had to be done. That kiss was still lingering in his memory and it wasn't as if Greg was all that upset about what had happened. In fact, he'd more or less admitted that the break up was inevitable and he was already looking for another girl.

"What's up?"

"It's about Sarah."

Greg's face was still expressionless. "What about her?"

"She came over earlier. Told me about the break up."

That sparked off a little interest in Greg. "Oh. So you already knew, huh?"

"She told me."

"Hmm. Figures. Is that it?"

Resisting the urge to simply nod, Rowan said, "No, not quite."

"What else, then?" Greg asked, already becoming more focused on the girl from the group.

Rowan could think of no other way to state it. "She kissed me. And I kissed her back."

There was a period of stillness where Rowan was aware that even the rest of the bar seemed to have quietened and it enhanced the look of pure confusion and then anger on Greg's face, which then led to the sight of his fist rapidly approaching. Before Rowan was even aware of it, he was on the floor, blinking and looking up at the ceiling with his hand on his lower lip, wincing with hot pain and feeling slightly dizzy.