Chapter Three

Chris

 

It’s six weeks until Christmas, the only way we’re going to get a date set is if I do it myself. I know she’s preoccupied with something, she thinks I haven’t noticed. She also forgets that I know her better than anyone. She’s scared which is why it’s been three months since we got engaged and still nothing. She’s slowly reverting back to her old ways of bottling shit up and I can’t let her do that - not again.

Opening the lid of the laptop, pressing the power button I wait for it to load up and click on the browser bar in Google, typing in wedding venues in the U.K. I set about looking for the perfect place for our wedding. If Taylor isn’t going to do it then I will. I spend the next couple of hours scrolling through pages upon pages of countryside, hotels - looking for a romantic setting to take my future wife to but not just anywhere, I want somewhere special. Ok, let’s do this. Scotland. I’ve heard it’s nice up there, so I type wedding venues in Scotland instead.

A number of hotels, castles and chapels come up in the search. I scroll down until just one catches my eye and I know it’s just perfect - now I need to make the arrangements. I don’t know how I’m going to do this, maybe I’ll make it a surprise.

I click on the ‘contact us’ section and type an email asking them if the dates I want are available. I want it as close to Christmas as I can get, but I also want it to be a break for her and what better way than to spend it with the people who love her.

Picking up my phone I create a group message and add everyone but Taylor. The only people I might need to go and see is my parents and Taylor’s dad to make the arrangements with them.

 

I’m lying on the couch flicking through the channels on the telly when Taylor walks in. Her bag drops on the floor with a thud as I see her rounding the corner towards me. “Ugh, what a day.”

“What’s up sunshine.” I hold my arms out to her. “Come and tell me all about it.” She lies down on top of me and lays her head against my chest.

“It’s just been one of those days. Back to back meetings and staff who don’t know their arse from their elbows. How they even get the jobs, I don’t know.” She sighs.

“Didn’t you hire them?”

“No, I didn’t. They’re not in my department.” she frowns, but I wink to show her I’m just joking. She slaps me on the chest before resting her head back down. Taylor was recently made head of the department for the Graphics Design part of the company, so she has her own team usually but not on this job she’s doing.

“You need a break, we both need a break.” She lifts her head back up slightly so she can look at me.

“You aren’t kidding. That would be nice, I don’t think I’d get the time off though.”

“Tay, you’re owed holiday surely, you haven’t taken it all this year and if we got married surely he’d have to give you the time off.”

“Chris, not this again…” She groans. She starts to lift up but I hold her in place.

“Is it that bad that I actually want to marry you and start a family maybe. I love you, sunshine. I just want you to be mine officially that’s all. The sooner the better for me, I know you, but Taylor, I’m not going to wait forever.” I can see the worry in her eyes as I tell her, she should know that I wouldn’t give up on her, if that was the case I would have done it a while back.

“Can we order in for dinner I’m exhausted?” And there she is the Queen of avoidance.

“Of course we can. Decide what you want and I’ll order.”

“Thanks babe. I’m going for a shower.” She softly kisses my lips before standing, then walks away.

 

Stepping into the shower cubicle, I stand behind Taylor, our bodies barely touching. Her muscles are tense as my hands cup the back of her neck as I begin to massage her, my palms brush across to her shoulders with just enough pressure to make her groan. I squeeze the muscles that run from her neck on both sides, as the pad of my thumbs run up the back of her neck into her hairline and back down, kneading, trying to ease the tension from her body. Her head tips forward and rolls as my fingers work their magic into her tired body. She begins to relax almost instantly under my palms as she leans her head back against my chest.

“Hmm, this is one of the reasons why I love you, you always know what I need.”

“Yeah I do.” I whisper against her ear. “So instead of arguing with me why don’t you listen to me.” I breathe. Grazing her cheek lightly with barely there kisses, I brush my lips down towards her neck and move us both forward until we’re both standing under the water. My palms slide over her smooth, wet skin, my cock aching to touch her.

“You know I only have your best interests at heart. Everything I do, I do for you, Sunshine - and always will.” Spinning her around to face me, my fingers tangle into her wet hair, my lips connect with hers as I kiss her, adding more pressure as the kiss gets deeper. Trailing my hand down her body until I get to the place where I want to be, my fingers find her opening and slide inside her, her leg wrapping around my hip as the water cascades over us. Replacing my fingers with my aching cock, I slip inside her as she groans out, my lips skim her wet skin as I thrust in and out slowly.

Lifting her other leg, she wraps that one around me to meet the other one and locks her ankles, leaning her against the cold tiles, I thrust deeper and deeper. Her lips attach to my neck, sucking and biting. “Ah, Taylor!” My dick gets harder with every thrust, “I’m gonna come!”

“Oh God, Chris. Make me come.” On her request, I relentlessly pound into her until she is shouting out through her orgasm and I’m closely following her.

Her forehead rests on my shoulder as she pants. Gently pulling out, I drop her legs so she can stand. “I love you, Chris. I’m sorry. It’s just so hard!” My fingertips smooth the wet hair from her face and I kiss her again.

“Don’t apologise, there’s no need to, but I thought we agreed - no more bottling shit up?”

“I’m trying.”

“Don’t I know that you’re trying.” I smirk. She pushes my shoulder playfully. I take hold of the shampoo and squirt some into my hand and look after my girl.

She smirks. “You wouldn’t have me any other way.”

 

 

 

Taylor

 

The bridal magazine hits the table with a huff, I’ve been browsing constantly for weeks and nothing is catching my eye. I want something to wow me but I don’t know what I’m looking for, they’re either too puffy or too straight, I don’t like the neckline either - ugh, why does it have to be so hard.

“Why can’t I find what I want, Ash?” I whine.

“Cause you’re too fussy, maybe?” she answers with a raised eyebrow. “Why don’t we go on a hunt? We could go wedding dress shopping?”

“You hate shopping…”

“Are you crazy, this is different! This is wedding dresses.” Oh Jesus, that’s it I’m done for - I forget just how much of a romantic Ash really is and with the tone of her voice - I know she’s serious. They’re not discussing marriage just yet from what I can tell... I thought out of the two of us she would get married first. I suppose with a baby they haven’t got the time.

My wandering gaze finds the sleeping pink bundle in the swinging crib. She looks so peaceful, all wrapped up in a blanket. It’s weird because some days, I find myself asking what it would be like to be a mummy, then it gets shut down because I know I’d be useless... yeah for a few hours I’d be great but full time - I doubt it very much.

“Do you want to hold her?” Ash looks across at me hopeful.

My head shakes… “No, she’s sleeping.”

“It’s okay. Ryan picks her up all the time when she’s sleeping.”

“Yeah, but that’s her Daddy.”

“And you’re her Aunty. Now shush.” Ash cradles Alyssia in her arms and lifts her out. Holding my arms out, I do the same as Ash did and hold her against my chest. The baby was a week old before they finally agreed on one, so she finally has a name and a gorgeous one it is too.

“Hello, beautiful.” She stirs as I speak to her and wriggles in my arms. She nestles her head in the between my arm and chest and falls back to sleep. She smells so nice, I softly kiss her brow and let her lie in my arms.

“I’ll be back in a sec, I’m just going to grab a bottle of milk while she’s still asleep.” I nod to let her know I’ve heard and pick up my phone, I take a selfie of us and keep it in my gallery. If Chris saw that he’d start on about having our own again.

Fifteen minutes later, Ash comes back into the room with a bottle in hand and a jug of water in case she wakes before it’s cool enough to drink. “Do you think I’m wrong Ash?”

“You’ve lost me. Wrong about what?”

“About not having kids.” I forgot for a minute that I was having a conversation in my head and not out loud.

“I think you need to hear what he has to say.”

“I know what he has to say, he wants to get married as soon as he can because he wants to start trying for a baby, but it’s all he talks about. I just don’t think I’d be very good at it and what if that’s all he wants me for is to have his babies?”

“Oh, shut up! When are you going to stop comparing yourself to that witch of a mother? I know it’s hard and I also know that sometimes things follow in the genes, but being a hateful bitch isn’t genetic. Why can’t you break the cycle? You’re nothing like her.”

“That’s easy for you to say.”

“You’re right it is - but you know why it’s so easy for me?” I shake my head, “because I know you so well, I know you have everything good in you but, Chris and I can tell you until we’re blue in the face but you won’t listen will you.” she shrugs. “Until you believe in yourself and stop all this bullshit that you’re like her then there’s no point us saying anything at all!”

“Thanks!”

“Oh Taylor, I love you but you really do piss me off sometimes. I thought once you two were together all this would stop but I suppose it’s a vicious cycle. You know I think of you as a sister, not a best friend and I’d like to think that you listen to me... so, I’m going to say this with all the love in my heart.” Our eye contact stays fixed on each other’s. “Stop being a selfish arsehole and listen to him, then make that decision. You can have kids whenever you want to.” she says in a soft voice. Ash has always had a way of getting through to me, I guess it’s why we’re so close.

Alyssia begins cry, she works her hand from her blanket and puts her fist in her mouth. “You could set your watch by her. It’s time for a feed, do you want to do it?” Automatically I nod, Ash hands me the bottle and once Ash has shown me how to test the temperature of the milk, I place the teat by her mouth. She soon opens up and starts drinking.

“I thought you wanted to breastfeed?” My eyes never shift from her as I watch her drink it down. Her bright blue eyes fix on me as I stroke the back of my finger down her soft cheek. All my emotions are colliding together not knowing how I should feel. Right now, I think I could do this - be a Mum, but then I think of my own and my own upbringing and it scares me.

“I did try but it didn’t work out, it was distressing her and me so the midwife mentioned bottle-feeding. She’s been fine since and anyway it means I have a break when Ryan is home, he can have some time with her without me having to be here or step in when she needs feeding.”

“I thought you could express it in one of those pump thingies…”

“Breast pump? Yeah you can but they bloody hurt.” I smile as I look up.

“She’s so cute.”

“I think you’re broodier than you make out Miss Kerr.”

“Shut it.”

I have another hour with Ash and Alyssia, talking weddings and the usual shit, what gossip she has and of course she has none so I fill her in about Adam and Darcy. We discuss throwing her a baby shower too so with plans in place for that, I go on my way and wait for Chris to come home.