Forever Yours Read online

  “Shit I forgot my mobile.” Robyn said shuffling through her purse.

  “Don’t worry about it, I left mine at home too. I plan on getting wasted tonight and I didn’t want to risk dropping it or losing the damn thing, you know how clumsy I can be.” I replied.

  “I guess we can get Chris or Ed to call us a cab at the end of the night.”

  We ordered wine and shots of tequila and then headed to a table in the corner by the dancefloor. It wasn’t long before we spotted Chris and Ed sidling up to the bar, both of them looking hot in their trendy suits. They were the cutest couple in here tonight and I was so ready to drag them both to the dancefloor to forget about my life for a few hours.

  “Hey ladies, looking lovely tonight. Are you both out on the prowl?” Chris wiggled his eyebrows at us.

  “You must be joking, I’ve had enough of men for now thank you. No offence you two.” I blushed.

  “None taken Ella, you do look amazing in that dress though so you might want to stay off the dancefloor if you want to avoid them.” Ed said. “You look like a man magnet.”

  “And I’m the man eater.” Robyn growled, then danced off shaking her tiny hips and shimmying up to a group of guys by the DJ. She had no shame that girl.

  I stayed close to Chris and Ed, drinking my wine like it was water and getting nicely merry.

  “You know life always looks better after wine.” I mused.

  “Ella you’d make a shit philosopher.” Chris laughed and Ed headed off to get us more drinks.

  “That man is a treasure, you need to hold onto him Chris.” I stated firmly, “one hundred percent a keeper if he gets the drinks in without anyone even asking.”

  “He’s the one Ella. I just know it. I’m so happy.”

  “Aww Hun! I’m so pleased for you!” I hugged Chris tight and felt truly happy for him. At least one of us was having a successful love life right now.

  Ed came back with a tray loaded down with drinks and shots and the three of us knocked back a round of tequila.

  “Don’t you dare do shots without me!” Robyn squealed as she zoomed across the dancefloor and grabbed a glass knocking it back in record time before going for another. We all joined her in the second round then moved to our main drinks. My head was spinning slightly and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

  We were dancing around by our table of drinks chatting about all the places we were planning on going together as an awesome foursome when a familiar face appeared beside us looking panicked and panting for breath.

  “You need to get out of here…like now. Joe’s here with Charlie and some other…people…and he’s out to cause trouble.” Max’s cheeks were flushed and he looked jumpy and on edge.

  “Why should we leave we got here first!” Robyn chided.

  “Trust me you won’t want to be here when you see what I’m trying to protect you from.”

  As if in sync we all turned around to see Charlie, Joe, some of the other guys and a crowd of slutty girls walk over to the bar. They were drunk and rowdy, reminding me of the first night I’d seen the group, the night I met Joe. I sucked in a breath as I watched a blonde girl in a cheap clinging red dress rub her hand up Joe’s chest and gaze up at him, he grabbed her round the waist pulling her further into him before moving his hand down and squeezing her ass. I felt sick.

  I turned my back on him and found all four pairs of eyes staring at me.

  “You okay Ella?” Chris asked looking like he was attending a funeral.

  “I’m fine. He’s single he can do what, or who he wants.” I said trying to convince myself and them that I really didn’t care.

  “I don’t even want to go back over there. I think Charlie has hired the girls by the hour. They’re all just gross.” Max groaned. “I’d rather stay here with you guys.”

  “You can stay with us as long as you want. I hope Joe and Charlie get their money’s worth.” Robyn sent evil glares their way, but I just kept my head forward and painted on my smile.

  “Hey, guys! Don’t let them spoil our night okay. I haven’t been out with you all for ages and it’s my first night out with Ed. Let’s pretend they don’t exist and have another shot.”

  “Hear, Hear.” Ed agreed and off he went to fill up his tray again at the bar.

  “Golden Chris, that man of yours is golden.” I sighed.

  “Hold on to him.” Robyn replied. “The good ones don’t come along very often.” She gave me a knowing look as if to say, and here’s Max your good guy to save you from the shit show behind you.

  18

  I thought I’d done a pretty good job of keeping my cool and trying to save the night despite the howls and shouts coming from behind us by the bar. When Robyn and I headed off for the ladies an hour later we were both drunk and I was growing weary, ready to call it a night. I couldn’t keep the façade up for much longer.

  As we opened the door to the ladies we were met by a cackling of laughter and the group of girls that had come into the bar with Joe and Charlie were all hogging the mirrors and discussing their partners for the night. Red dress slut was grinning like a fucking idiot and I wanted to turn around and walk back out again but Robyn grabbed my arm to stop me.

  “Move!” She slammed her shoulder into red dress slut, making her shriek and almost fall over.

  “Watch it bitch.” Red dress slut spat back. I felt sorry for her already. Robyn was looking for an excuse to unleash her fury and calling her a bitch was like a red rag to a bull.

  “Listen slut, why don’t you take your skanky ass and fuck right off. Nobody wants you here tonight.” Robyn was right up in her face. Even I felt nervous.

  “The guys want us here and Joe wants me here. I’m no slut but you know what, I’m gonna suck him and fuck him so hard tonight he’ll never want to let me go.” She laughed at herself. I felt my stomach turn over. How disgusting was she!

  “He wouldn’t touch you with a barge pole.” Robyn sneered at her. “You’re a dirty fucking whore.”

  “Whatever you say sweetheart.” She grinned smugly, “He can’t wait to fuck me, and he likes it dirty as fuck too I hear.”

  I literally could not take another minutes of this. I walked into a cubicle and locked the door. Five minutes later after listening to Robyn go toe to toe with red dress whore I heard a soft knock on the cubicle door.

  “You can come out now chick they’ve left.”

  I opened the door to find Robyn looking tearfully at me.

  “I need to get out of here. I can’t do this Robyn. If he wants to get laid by the whole bar he can, but I don’t want to see it happening.” I was holding back my tears but I knew I couldn’t keep it up for much longer.

  “Come on let’s get our bags and go somewhere else, or we can head home, whatever you want Hun.”

  We headed out of the ladies and towards our table. Right next to our table stood Joe with his tongue down red dress whore’s throat.

  “Bastard.” Robyn was furious. “He’s doing it on purpose Ella.” I gasped holding my stomach, every inch of my body shaking now.

  Red dress whore broke off the kiss and grabbed Joe’s hand winking at him and pulling him towards the back corridor, I knew where she was taking him. They were going to fuck. He was gonna fuck her under the same roof as I was. He was unbelievable. I grabbed Robyn, staggering backwards as I tried to steady myself. I saw Max grab Joe and start talking to him but I wasn’t sticking around to watch this any longer. I marched over to our table, grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

  “Wait, Ella wait. We’ll come with you.”

  19

  Joe

  She deserved this, she’d asked for it. If she didn’t want me then fine I’d find someone else, I needed a fuck and I didn’t care who it was with. All I could focus on was getting laid and getting her out of my mind.

  The girls Charlie had invited were rough as fuck but I wasn’t fussy tonight. They all looked up for it but the blonde in the red dress was all over me like a rash
. She seemed like the least needy, almost offering it to me on a plate. She’d do.

  When we got into the bar I spotted her, I couldn’t miss her. I almost lost my bottle, but then red dress whatever her name was, Sadie, Katie, I hadn’t been listening, she put the moves on me so I grabbed her ass. A nice little touch and an obvious ‘fuck you’ to her and her little gang of friends that now included Max. Bloody Max. Why he was here I had no idea. He was lucky I hadn’t kicked his ass.

  I felt agitated, the blood pumped through my veins throwing me off balance and making me antsy and highly strung. I didn’t want to think too much about this night, I just needed to fuck someone and get it over with, like ripping a band aid off. The quicker the better.

  Max stood in front of me, fake concern on his face.

  “Why are you so set on fucking everything up? Seriously, you’re acting like the old Joe tonight. Do you want to go back to meaningless fucks with faceless, nameless whores?”

  “Beats feeling like this. Being pussy whipped by her.” I snapped back.

  “Really? A fuck with that slut is better than a night with your Ella?”

  “She’s not my Ella. She hasn’t been my Ella for a long time.” I looked around the bar in a disinterested manner hoping Max would get the message and leave me the fuck alone. I didn’t want to be reminded of nights with her tonight.

  “You’re an asshole Joe. I’d leave right now if it wasn’t for Ella, but I’m not gonna leave and let you tear her apart like this. She doesn’t deserve this.”

  I spotted Sadie/Katie whatever her name was and walked over to her. She was a sure thing and I knew it wouldn’t take much to get her on board. I kissed her, standing right next to Chris I stuck my tongue down her throat and kissed her out of spite.

  When I broke the kiss she gave me the green light.

  “Let’s go fuck.” Magic words spoken by the girl herself. I switched my brain off and went into the mode of ‘Joe- King of the one night stand’. I kept my eyes on her ass as she led me to the back of the bar. Then fucking Max grabbed my arm.

  “I don’t know why the fuck I’m doing this because right now you don’t deserve shit, you certainly don’t deserve her, but I’d be an even shittier friend if I didn’t step in and say this.” Max was really pissing me off now.

  “Say what you gotta say then piss off Max I need to get laid like now.” I snarled into his face.

  “You need to get your head out of your ass. You’re about to throw away the best thing that ever happened to you for a cheap fuck in a bathroom. Mate, she loves you, she’s never stopped loving you. I could just step back and let you fuck that whore, it wouldn’t bother me, but it would break Ella’s heart. She’s my friend, she means a lot to me, you both do. Joe listen to me, if you do this, if you have sex with that girl now you can kiss goodbye to ever getting back together with Ella. It’s not over between you two, I know she misses you. Please, before you decide what to do think about it. She’ll never forgive you if you do this, there’ll be no coming back from this.”

  I was done with listening to his sanctimonious bullshit.

  “I couldn’t give a fuck Max, now get out of my face. Maybe go have another pop at her yourself. She might be up for it tonight.” I bit back.

  “Fuck you Joe.” Max said turning his back on me and heading for the exit.

  I turned and followed Sadie/Katie to the bathrooms at the back of the bar. She pulled me into a private cubicle and I pushed her up against the wall. Her hands were everywhere, she was way too keen. I kissed her and she tasted of cigarettes and cheap vodka, not the most pleasant taste at all. I pulled back to look at her. Fake. That’s what this girl was, a total fucking fake. She pulled her dress down to show me her tits, they were okay and she’d definitely had implants to make them better but they were nothing like Ella’s. The thought of sucking on her nipples made me shiver, shit what was I thinking? I ran my hands through her hair and yanked her head back to kiss her again and I felt bumps close to her scalp, what was that? Cheap hair extensions? It felt gross, Ella’s hair was always so soft and natural. I loved her hair I could play with it and run my fingers through it all day. Fuck what was I thinking, I couldn’t do this I had to stop this now before it went too far.

  “Katie, Sadie whatever your name is…”

  “It’s Maisie.” She said not caring in the slightest that she was about to fuck some guy who didn’t even know her name.

  “Yeah whatever, look you seem like a nice girl” I thought she looked like a cheap hooker, but I didn’t think it was wise to lead with that, “I’m sure a few years ago we might have had a good time.” If the lights were all out I thought cruelly, “but I can’t do this anymore. My days of fucking whores in bathrooms is over.”

  I braced myself for the slap I was expecting, but she just frowned at me then went to grab the belt of my trousers. Seriously? Was this the way she was going to play this?

  “Woah, Maisie you need to back off, I’m not interested.” I said backing my hips away from her and taking her hands off my crotch. I needed to get away from this crazed woman she wasn’t taking no for an answer right now. I pushed the door open and got myself the hell out of that stall and didn’t look back. I looked around for Max but he wasn’t in the bar anymore and I couldn’t blame him I had been a grade A asshole tonight. All I could see was Charlie and his gang of losers falling about the place like a bunch of clowns. I strode forward heading to the street to get some fresh air and get myself as far away from the poison of Charlie as I could. I had to put this night right somehow. That’s when I saw her, in his arms. My heart broke to see her so upset, but my blood boiled to find her being comforted by him because of me. She was mine and he needed to back off.

  20

  Robyn, Chris and Ed followed me as I emerged into the street outside and I doubled over the physical pain was tearing me apart. I didn’t think it was possible to be hurt any more than I had been in the past, but this…tonight was by far the worst. I was broken. He was in there…with her and he didn’t care, it was the old Joe in there now. The fuck them and leave them Joe. He’d kissed her in front of me. If he could do that he obviously didn’t love me anymore.

  Chris and Ed went off to find a cab whilst Robyn and I waited further down the street. Robyn was giving me a pep talk about what bastards all men were and how he wasn’t worth it, when Max came jogging out of the bar looking up and down the road for us. When he spotted us he walked over and instantly put his arms round me. The feel of his warm comforting arms broke the flood gates and I sobbed into his chest.

  “I’m so sorry Ella. I tried to ring you and Robyn to warn you not to go to Après, but I couldn’t reach you. I hate seeing you so upset. Please don’t cry.”

  He rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head. I couldn’t stop the flow of tears though, I felt broken in a way I’d never experienced before. Robyn announced that she was going to find Chris and Ed to see if they’d had any luck finding a cab, leaving me and Max alone to talk.

  “Ella, he doesn’t deserve your tears, you’re too good for him. He’s a bastard and he’s back to his old ways. Honestly please don’t do this to yourself.”

  I could hear what he was saying but none of it resonated with me. Yes Joe was back to his old ways, but knowing that didn’t make me feel any better. So I was too good for him? Didn’t make me want him any less. Yes we’d been through a hell of a lot of shit, but I never expected Joe to hurt me like this. Then suddenly out of the blue I heard the familiar voice that usually made me melt on the spot.

  “Get your fucking hands off her Max.”

  Oh God, I heard the pure anger in Joe’s voice. I couldn’t face the confrontation he was spoiling for right now.

  “No I won’t.” Max snapped back, holding me tighter and kissing the top of my head in a show of defiance. I kept my face turned into Max’s chest. I couldn’t look at Joe. I couldn’t bear to see the betrayal in his eyes.

  “I need to talk to Ella.” He demanded arrogantl
y.

  “Not without me being here to look after her you don’t.” Max really was my knight in shining armour tonight.

  He huffed impatiently, “Nothing happened Ella. I promise you, I didn’t do anything. I’m sorry.”

  It didn’t matter that he was apologising. It didn’t matter that he was telling me nothing had happened. To me it had, he’d kissed her in front of me, groped her ass and had every intention of taking things further. So he got an attack of guilt, that made no difference to how I felt right now. The damage was already done.

  I heard a car horn and then Robyn’s voice calling my name. I turned to see my lovely friends waiting for me across the road in a cab. I pulled back and looked up at Max.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow okay.” I stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, then ran across the road to the cab without a backwards glance. I heard Joe call my name but I ignored him. My escape route was set and I was out of here.

  21

  As nights go, last night would probably go down as one of the worst of my life ever. It was a night I would never forget and never wanted to remember as long as I lived. It was the night I realised I wasn’t over Joe, I still loved him, but he was over me alright. That much was clear from the performance he’d put on. Even Adam hadn’t made me watch anything like that. How Joe could be so cruel after what we’d had hurt me deeply. Maybe we hadn’t been as close as I thought we were. Perhaps my feelings ran deeper than his? Whatever the truth was, I knew I had to pick myself up, dust myself off and start to rebuild my life without looking back at what could have been. Last night had been the final nail in the coffin of our doomed relationship.

  Robyn suggested online dating, I hated that idea. Meeting strangers based on your looks or some false profile used to lure you in didn’t appeal to me, no thank you. Ed said he knew loads of straight guys who would die for a date with me, but I was not going to be set up. No way. Blind dates were always a disaster and I didn’t want to start upsetting Ed’s friends when I bailed on them. I’d only just met Ed and I didn’t want to get on the wrong side of him. No, Chris had the best suggestion.