just_muse_me || 2.6.1
2.6.1 An Affair To Remember
Co-written with agentcampbell
[Follows THIS and THIS]
When James answered his apartment door, Ali hugged her jacket tighter around herself, almost like it could act as a shield for her. “You look a little better than when I last saw you,” she greeted him. “I was just, um… is Izzy here? She wasn’t home, so I thought this would be the logical next place to look.”
James pulled the apartment door closer to him and leaned on it. “No, she’s not here, love,” he murmured and then cleared his throat. “I think she’s at her sister’s place. Are you okay?”
Ali’s eyes filled with tears and spilled over before she could stop them. “Fuck. Goddamn fuck it! Now you won’t believe me when I say yes,” she cursed, pulling a handful of tissues from her pocket. But somewhere in her messed up and confused brain, she’d forgotten she’d shoved the ultrasound photo in there on top of the tissues and it fell out, landing at her feet. But it was too late, James had already seen it and was bending over to pick it up. He’d always had better reflexes than her. Years of being a master in firearms meant he was going to make a grab for a photo with much more coordination than a pregnant chick who about toppled over from being front-heavy whenever she bent down.
James didn’t realise what it was at first and automatically went to hand it back to her. But then he saw it, the clear outline of a baby, and he wondered if ultrasound photos were going to be the death of him. He looked at it in amazement and then back up to Ali’s teary face. “Hell, Ali…” he murmured.
“Don’t fucking ‘Hell, Ali’ me,” Ali snapped and grabbed the photo back off him. “The least you could do it invite me in and offer me a seat! When did you turn into a selfish bastard like your brother?!”
“Ali, I-I can’t,” James said apologetically, feeling indeed like a huge bastard. He put his hand up to his mouth but he could see it could just add fuel to Ali’s already raging fire. He couldn’t let her in and couldn’t tell her why either.
But Ali took the dilemma out of James’ hands. “Well, tough shit. I need to pee. What Izzy sees in you, I’ll never know.” She shoved past him before he could protest, tears still streaming down her face despite the dramatic mood swing from crying to cranky bitch. But her intent to get to his bathroom was intercepted at his large living room. She froze, mouth falling open when she found Mark Campbell sitting in the corner of James’ modular lounge looking like hell and crying more than even Ali was managing. As she sucked in a gasp, the strong smell of alcohol caught in her nose. He wasn’t just crying, he was drunk.
Mark appeared just as stunned to see her as she was to see him. “Fuck,” he said hoarsely, dragging his fingers across his eyes to try and stop the tears. “I’ll go.” He knew Ali didn’t want to see him and she clearly needed to see James. The last thing he wanted to do was piss her off more than she was. As if having an affair with her and getting her pregnant wasn't enough to keep the animosity alive for years. He made a move to stand, but the alcohol was affecting his balance and he tripped over his feet, stumbling before he could stop himself and going crashing into Ali.
It seemed to happen in slow motion and James tried desperately to grab Ali before she fell back, but it was no use. The force of Mark’s fall sent her falling back into his television cabinet and she fell heavily. James felt like time froze and he dropped to his knees beside her. She had her hands protectively clutched over her stomach, which was why she fell so awkwardly and hard. She made no attempt to break her fall with her hands because she was trying to shield the baby from anything harming it. “Ali!” James gasped, holding her arm and putting his hand on her forehead to check she was okay. Mark was too shocked to move as he stared in horror at what he’d done, so James just nudged him out of the way so he could help Ali. “Ali, are you hurt, love?”
She wanted to say yes. She so desperately wanted to say yes, but she was scared to even move. A bolt of pain shot from her tailbone, which she’d fallen on, right through to her lower abdomen and a sob of fear caught up in her throat. “No,” she managed in barely more than a whisper.
The word sliced through James like the blade of a knife. “Does it hurt? Are you in pa-” he cut off when he spotted a small patch of fresh blood on Ali’s skirt at her lap and it took all his effort not to vomit in shock. “Mark, call an ambulance! She’s fucking hurt!” he screeched.
isabelowens referenced with permission
Word Count | 848
Co-written with agentcampbell
[Follows THIS and THIS]
When James answered his apartment door, Ali hugged her jacket tighter around herself, almost like it could act as a shield for her. “You look a little better than when I last saw you,” she greeted him. “I was just, um… is Izzy here? She wasn’t home, so I thought this would be the logical next place to look.”
James pulled the apartment door closer to him and leaned on it. “No, she’s not here, love,” he murmured and then cleared his throat. “I think she’s at her sister’s place. Are you okay?”
Ali’s eyes filled with tears and spilled over before she could stop them. “Fuck. Goddamn fuck it! Now you won’t believe me when I say yes,” she cursed, pulling a handful of tissues from her pocket. But somewhere in her messed up and confused brain, she’d forgotten she’d shoved the ultrasound photo in there on top of the tissues and it fell out, landing at her feet. But it was too late, James had already seen it and was bending over to pick it up. He’d always had better reflexes than her. Years of being a master in firearms meant he was going to make a grab for a photo with much more coordination than a pregnant chick who about toppled over from being front-heavy whenever she bent down.
James didn’t realise what it was at first and automatically went to hand it back to her. But then he saw it, the clear outline of a baby, and he wondered if ultrasound photos were going to be the death of him. He looked at it in amazement and then back up to Ali’s teary face. “Hell, Ali…” he murmured.
“Don’t fucking ‘Hell, Ali’ me,” Ali snapped and grabbed the photo back off him. “The least you could do it invite me in and offer me a seat! When did you turn into a selfish bastard like your brother?!”
“Ali, I-I can’t,” James said apologetically, feeling indeed like a huge bastard. He put his hand up to his mouth but he could see it could just add fuel to Ali’s already raging fire. He couldn’t let her in and couldn’t tell her why either.
But Ali took the dilemma out of James’ hands. “Well, tough shit. I need to pee. What Izzy sees in you, I’ll never know.” She shoved past him before he could protest, tears still streaming down her face despite the dramatic mood swing from crying to cranky bitch. But her intent to get to his bathroom was intercepted at his large living room. She froze, mouth falling open when she found Mark Campbell sitting in the corner of James’ modular lounge looking like hell and crying more than even Ali was managing. As she sucked in a gasp, the strong smell of alcohol caught in her nose. He wasn’t just crying, he was drunk.
Mark appeared just as stunned to see her as she was to see him. “Fuck,” he said hoarsely, dragging his fingers across his eyes to try and stop the tears. “I’ll go.” He knew Ali didn’t want to see him and she clearly needed to see James. The last thing he wanted to do was piss her off more than she was. As if having an affair with her and getting her pregnant wasn't enough to keep the animosity alive for years. He made a move to stand, but the alcohol was affecting his balance and he tripped over his feet, stumbling before he could stop himself and going crashing into Ali.
It seemed to happen in slow motion and James tried desperately to grab Ali before she fell back, but it was no use. The force of Mark’s fall sent her falling back into his television cabinet and she fell heavily. James felt like time froze and he dropped to his knees beside her. She had her hands protectively clutched over her stomach, which was why she fell so awkwardly and hard. She made no attempt to break her fall with her hands because she was trying to shield the baby from anything harming it. “Ali!” James gasped, holding her arm and putting his hand on her forehead to check she was okay. Mark was too shocked to move as he stared in horror at what he’d done, so James just nudged him out of the way so he could help Ali. “Ali, are you hurt, love?”
She wanted to say yes. She so desperately wanted to say yes, but she was scared to even move. A bolt of pain shot from her tailbone, which she’d fallen on, right through to her lower abdomen and a sob of fear caught up in her throat. “No,” she managed in barely more than a whisper.
The word sliced through James like the blade of a knife. “Does it hurt? Are you in pa-” he cut off when he spotted a small patch of fresh blood on Ali’s skirt at her lap and it took all his effort not to vomit in shock. “Mark, call an ambulance! She’s fucking hurt!” he screeched.
isabelowens referenced with permission
Word Count | 848