That One Night (That One Series Book 1) Read online

  Ron soothingly runs his hands down Judith’s arm. He turns to Archer, looking him over. “Is Archer okay? Did he get hurt?”

  I shake my head. “Other than a few bruises, he’s fine. Thanks to Ben and the cop that shot Noah.”

  Ron reaches out, grabbing Ben’s other hand. “What about you, Son? How are you coping?”

  Ben lets out a sigh and it’s the most heartbreaking noise I’ve heard. “Not well...,” he pauses, unsure of what to say next. I see Ron give his hand a gentle squeeze, reassuring him.

  Ben inhales loudly. “Dad, he lied to me from the start. Every-fucking-thing he said was nothing but a lie. And I was stupid enough to believe him. If I hadn’t, if I would have listened to mom, this wouldn’t have happened.” He drops his head forward in defeat.

  I want to speak up, to tell him it’s not his fault, but his mother beats me to it. She gets up, crouches in front of him and holds his face between her hands.

  “You listen to me, Benjamin. None of this is your fault. None of it. We should have told you about him sooner, but we wanted to protect you. Your father...Noah...he’s a very sick man and he’s been like that for a long time. We didn’t want him to hurt you. What he’s done, it was his doing. It was him. Not you Ben. If you want to blame anyone, blame me for not keeping you safe from him.”

  It hurts to see how unsure Ben looks, how he questions if he can believe her words. He’s confused, and I can only hope that this visit will help him see things clearer.

  We go on to tell them about what transpired, Ben and I picking up where the other leaves off when it gets too much. The wound is still so fresh that talking about it, reliving it, even if just through words, is like pouring salt into it. While Judith seems completely devastated, Ron appears to be torn between worry, pain, and pure anger. When we finish, Ben’s mom comes over and hugs the three of us, while Ben’s dad walks over to the cabinet and gets out a whiskey and four glasses, pouring some for all of us. Once Judith lets go of us, we all down the whiskey in one go, except for Judith—she only nips at it.

  “We’re having a hard time coping with what happened. But it’s harder for Ben, for many reasons. He’s worried and scared that Noah’s mental illness is genetic and that he’ll end up like him.” I give Ben a small smile, when he mouths a silent “thank you.”

  Judith starts shaking her head.

  “Oh no, God, no. Ben, don’t you worry. You aren’t like him and you won’t be.” She grabs his hand again, squeezing it tightly, before she continues. “It’s not hereditary. Noah had an accident as a child.”

  As soon as those words leave her mouth, I can see Ben’s shoulders relax slightly, a little of the tension of the past days seeping out. And I, too, am relieved.

  “His parents went to visit relatives who didn’t have a baby gate. He fell down marble stairs, suffering a head trauma. He was in a coma for a few weeks. They didn’t even know if he would pull through. When he woke up, he had changed. According to your grandmother, he started being short-tempered, had mood swings, and was violent at times.”

  I get up to warm up a bottle for Archer, setting him on Ben’s lap when Ben interrupts his mom.

  “You knew? You knew he was crazy?” There is an edge of blame to his voice.

  “No. Your grandmother told me after I left him. I mean, he had his mood swings, and sometimes a short temper while I was dating him and was married to him, but he was never violent. If I had any idea...Ben, I would have never left you alone with him.” Her voice is trembling and she’s visibly upset, surely still feeling guilty about what happened. “I didn’t think anything of his irritability. I mean we both weren’t getting much sleep after you were born. You have to believe me...there was no indication that he would do anything like that.”

  Even if she has no responsibility in it, as a mother she’ll always wonder if she could have done anything differently. Just as I keep thinking I shouldn’t have opened the door, put Archer in his crib, or called Ben right away.

  Ben seems to realize this too.

  “I know, Mom. Sorry. I know it’s not your fault. It’s just hard to wrap my head around it all.”

  When I give him the bottle to feed Archer, he looks up at Judith.

  “You want to give him the bottle, Mom?”

  She only nods, too emotional for words. When she takes her grandson and the bottle, her hands are trembling. Ben puts his arm around me and I lean into him. We’re like batteries for one another, feeding each other strength and support whenever it’s needed.

  “Why didn’t his mother tell you sooner?” Unsurprisingly, Ben has many questions.

  “She didn’t want me to leave him because of it. She thought that maybe being in love and happy would balance him out. In a time where mental illness was a taboo, she never looked into any treatment for him, not wanting her son to deal with prejudice and judgment from others.” Judith pauses for a moment, looking at Archer while he’s happily drinking from his bottle, before she sighs and continues.

  “She thought she was doing what was best for him. I can’t blame her though, if she had told me earlier, I would have probably never married him and then I would have never had you, Ben. No matter what happened, you are my everything. And now I have a grandson and a daughter to complete our family.” She smiles at me before nuzzling Archer’s head after he has finished his bottle.

  Ron has been quiet throughout the conversation, and I’m guessing just as me he, probably wanted to give Ben and his mom the chance to talk. But now he clears his throat.

  “There is much to talk about, but we also need to eat. I’d say we order some food, and someone has to change my grandson’s diaper, and it sure isn’t going to be me. It smells like hell.” With an amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips, Ron makes his way to the phone. “Chinese, Indian, or Pizza?”

  We agree on Indian, and while Ron places the order, I attend to Archer. Taking him out of Judith’s arms earns me a pout from her.

  “I’ll take care of Archer, before he offends anyone else in this house. We’ll be back downstairs before you know it. I’m sure you and Ben still have lots to talk about.”

  Mouthing a silent “I love you” to Ben, I grab the diaper bag and make my way upstairs, with Ron on my heels to bring up the suitcase and to show me the room. Not like I wouldn’t remember, since Ben, Dave, and I used to hang out here sometimes when Ben wasn’t at our house. Well, they hung out and tried to get rid of me, which never worked though.

  “You okay, Frankie?” Ron puts the suitcase on the chair in the corner of Ben’s old room. I have to smile. Between posters of bands and half-naked models, are still some posters of wolves. The dark walls and the matching duvet make the room appear comfortable and homey.

  “Yeah. Exhausted, but okay. I’m just really glad we came here.”

  “We are too. You have no idea.” After a moment of contemplation, he pulls me into a one-armed hug and adds, “Well, but then maybe you do.”

  While I change Archer, Ron sets up the travel crib. Together we make our way back downstairs to find Ben and Judith on the couch, deep in conversation. Ron and I join them, Archer happily crawling on his daddy’s lap.

  The rest of the afternoon is spent with eating and conversations. We not only talk about Noah and his illness, but about our life in Northampton, about Archer, and about Ben’s time in Arizona. When evening rolls around, I’m exhausted. The past few days and the sleepless nights are catching up with me, making me feel like I’ll fall flat on my face at any moment. So when it’s time to put Archer to bed, I say goodnight myself.

  “I’ll be up in a minute.” Ben lets his lips linger at my ear, his breath a gentle caress that makes me shiver. Then he gives Archer a kiss and cuddle, the kind that I haven’t witnessed in the past days. The relief I feel is indescribable. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest, and I can breathe again.

  “Stay and talk to your mom if you want. I’m not going anywhere.” Looking at Archer, I add, “We’re not goin
g anywhere.”

  Kissing him lightly on the lips, I turn around and make my way upstairs. Once Archer is in sleeping, I quickly shower and pull on one of Ben’s shirts, before I fall into his bed. I contemplate that fact for a moment, but can’t fight off sleep long enough to realize that my teenage self would probably pee her pants in excitement. I’m finally in Ben’s bed, wearing his T-shirt and he’s mine.

  Chapter 36

  Fantasies Come True

  It’s still dark out when I wake up. I guess I haven’t been asleep for that long. It takes me a moment to realize what roused me from my sleep, and when I do, I can’t stop the quiet moan from escaping my lips. Ben’s laying on his side, his mouth following the curve of my neck, gently kissing and nibbling while his hand is lazily caressing my inner thigh, teasing me.

  “Ben, what are you doing?”

  “If you really have to ask that, then I think we need to talk. When a man and a woman love each other....”

  I slap his naked chest, making him shake with laughter.

  “Fuck you,” I whisper in mock anger.

  “Oh, I’d rather fuck you, Frankie.” He arches his eyebrow, looking totally lickable, and even if I wanted to argue further, the look on his face and his hand now between my legs make my panties melt and with it my brain.

  “What about Archer?”

  “He’s sleeping deeply and soundly,” he says before he tugs at my earlobe with his teeth, causing me to mewl quietly.

  “You know how often I imagined having you in this bed, how often I jerked off to the thought?” He groans between kisses and licks, while his fingers dip into me without a warning. I’m already shamelessly wet, an effect his words and closeness have on me. The tiny bit of morals that he hasn’t melted yet, make me speak up.

  “Ben, we’re at your parents’ house. They are sleeping across the hall. We can’t.”

  Not stopping the slow thrusts of his fingers, he breathes into my ear, a smile in his voice.

  “Frankie, I hate to break the news. I think they know we had sex—you know, seeing as there is Archer and all.”

  I huff, trying hard to still my hips that seem to be rocking along with the thrust of his fingers all of their own accord.

  “That doesn’t mean I want to give them first row seats.”

  “Then you better be quiet.”

  Before I can reply, his mouth is on mine, his fingers thrusting faster now, while his thumb is rubbing my clit in sync with his thrusts.

  I close my eyes, giving into him, his earlier words replaying in my head. The thought of him jerking off in his room thinking about me somehow feels extremely powerful and intoxicating. His fingers seem to know exactly what I like, what my body likes, while his lips stifle my moans. The tension builds up so quickly it surprises me. All it takes to push me over the edge is a whisper against my lips.

  “I love you, babe. More than you know.”

  That’s all it takes and I’m falling. My pussy clenching around his fingers, my body writhing with ecstasy and pleasure. Once I’ve come down from my high, he pulls his fingers out of me, bringing them to his mouth and licking them off. I nearly come again at the sight of that.

  “Babe, you taste so good,” he groans and I can feel how turned on he is by the erection against my thigh. “This was better than anything I came up with in my fantasies.” He smiles at me, and I give him a lazy smile back, already having an idea how to top his fantasies even further.

  I sit up, pushing him onto his back as I go. I kiss my way down his body. When I’m at the edge of his boxer briefs, I look up at him with played innocence.

  “Did you fantasize about this too?”

  His Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows hard. I don’t wait for a reply before I tug down the sexy, black briefs he’s wearing and without further teasing I take his hard cock into my mouth, all the way to the back of my throat. He bucks his hips, groaning loudly, his hand tangling into my hair.

  I release him with a pop and lick my lips, relishing in the hungry look he’s giving me.

  “You better be quiet,” I quote his warning from earlier, before slowly swirling my tongue around the head of his cock, loving the salty taste and the soft feel of his skin. I close my hand around the base while running my teeth up and down slowly, the noises he makes and the thrusts of his hips spurring me on. Just when I know he’s about to lose control, I take him into my mouth again, sucking and swirling my tongue, bopping my head up and down. His hand tugs at my hair, urging me closer. His cock twitches and his body tenses. It seems I’m not the only one that comes fast and hard tonight. I move my hand in unison with my mouth, squeezing him at the base every time his hips come up to meet my mouth.

  Looking up at him, I see his eyes are closed, his head thrown back. His other hand is fisting the sheet. Knowing I have this kind of effect on him makes me groan, sending vibrations through his body. He tenses up.

  “Fuck...babe...I’m gonna come.” It sounds like a warning, but I want to taste him. I want all of him. I keep on sucking harder, moving up and down faster until I feel his release filling my mouth. I swallow, before I continue sucking him, allowing him to ride out his orgasm. When his body relaxes and sinks into the bed, I release his cock and climb back up to lay by his side.

  “Yeah, I fantasized about this too, but reality is way better,” he murmurs into my ear, drawing me closer so my head is resting on his chest, my leg draped over his hips.

  “Thank you for making me come, Frankie.”

  I lift my head, looking up at him in confusion. “You’re thanking me for blowing you?”

  His laugh makes his body shake, right along with mine.

  “No. Well yes, but no, I meant thanks for making me come here to see my parents. Thanks for not giving up on me.”

  I kiss his chest. “Never. And you’re welcome for both.”

  We both laugh before we snuggle closer and soon after we fall asleep. The exhaustion clearly has a hold on us because we don’t wake up until Archer starts crying angrily for being ignored for too long.

  Before either of us can get up, there is a knock at the door, followed by Judith’s voice.

  “Can I come in?”

  I quickly shuffle over to the side of the bed and pull up the quilt over both of us, earning an amused look from Ben.

  “Come in, Mom.” He still laughs, when she pokes her head through the door.

  “I heard Archer complain and thought I take care of him so you two can sleep and rest some more. You both need it after everything.” She’s already at Archer’s crib, lifting him up. He immediately quiets down, happy that someone finally pays attention to him.

  “Thanks, Judith. His bag is in the corner.” I point to where the diaper bag is standing. She grabs it, and with a smile in our direction beelines it out of the room, our son in tow.

  I turn onto my side, thankful for a few more hours of sleep and snuggle further into the pillow.

  Ben moves his body close to me, his hand sliding under the T-shirt I’m wearing.

  “We could use the time to make a few more fantasies come true.”

  “I’m going to be sleeping. But you and Miss Michigan go right ahead.” I squeeze the aforementioned hand to make a point, trying to stay serious as I hear the soft rumble of his laughter.

  “Love you, Frankie.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Chapter 37

  Moving On

  Cocooned in his bed, holding each other close, we fall asleep. When I wake up a few hours later, he’s not in bed with me. After getting dressed, I make my way downstairs to find everybody in the living room, talking and playing with Archer. I can hear laughter, and it warms my heart to see Ben happy and at ease around his parents.

  This makes me think about my own and I realize that I need to make some changes. We don’t have that familiarity anymore. When we interact with each other, it’s awkward and forced. It’s evident that we’re usually uncomfortable in each other’s presence, always walking a fine lin
e that separates us from complete disaster. It’s not healthy for anyone.

  I don’t realize that I’ve been lost in thought, until Ben’s voices brings me back to reality.

  “You alright, Frankie?”

  I nod, determination starting to bubble up inside of me.

  “Yeah, I’ll be back in a bit. I think...no, I know I need to talk to my parents. Things can’t go on like this.”

  We have talked about my relationship with my parents in the past—about how strained it is, and how it wears me down, their constant jabs making me hate every moment I’m in their presence.

  “I agree. You want me to come with you?”

  A part of me wants him to join me to give me strength. But I know this is between my parents and I, that’s why I have to do this on my own.

  “No, it’s okay. You take care of Archer and spend time with your parents. I’ll be fine.”

  I lift up on my toes to give him a kiss, before waving to his parents and Archer. I blow him a kiss. “Mommy will be right back.”

  Putting on my jacket, I walk outside, making my way down to the house I grew up in. It’s only three houses down, not long enough for me to calm my trembling nerves and my scattered thoughts. Confronting my parents is scary. Even scarier is possibly severing the bond we have, no matter how frayed it might be—at the end of the day, they are still my parents. But it feels right to draw a line, to speak up for myself. I straighten my shoulders and lift my head defiantly, then I ring the doorbell instead of just walking in—it doesn’t feel like my home anymore.

  My mom opens the door, a look of surprise on her face.

  “Frankie, what are you doing here? Where is Archer? And Ben?”

  She holds the door open and I step inside before I reply to her question.

  “They are at Ben’s parents. We’re only here until tomorrow morning.”

  By then, my dad has joined us in the hallway, looking just as puzzled. My mom opens her mouth, ready to fire questions at me, but I beat her to it.