Page 70 of What's the time, Mr. Wolfe
“You’re so young, so wrong for me. But so very right. I have a feeling you’re doing to be my downfall.”
“Let’s just keep therightbit, please?”
He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I buried my head in his neck and he carried me up to bed.
The sheets were ruffled and damp from our previous stay, but I didn’t care. He laid me down so gently, and I slid off the shorts, pulled the t-shirt over my head.
He was gentler and slower. Taking his time to pleasure my body, to kiss and lick every inch of me. I did the same to him.
I woke to a sound. Sebastian had walked into the bedroom wearing shorts and a very sweaty t-shirt. I stretched to relieve myself of the gentle ache.
“Good morning,” he said, leaning down and kissing me.
“Eww, you’re all sweaty,” I said, after grabbing his t-shirt to pull him closer.
He laughed. “You didn’t moan about that last night.” He winked and then pulled the t-shirt over his head. He threw it at me, and I flicked it to the floor. “I’m taking a shower.”
I wasn’t sure if that was an invitation or not. I rolled to my side and grabbed my phone. It had run out of battery, and I cursed.
“Do you have a charger?” I called out.
“Just place the phone on the nightstand, it will charge.”
“It’s on the nightstand,” I called back.
“Then check the plug is switched on.”
I looked down the back of the cabinet and switched the plug on. Instantly, my phone started to charge. I lay on my side looking at him through the open bathroom door. We hadn’t spoken again about our confessions, but I had a sense of lightness about myself. I felt cleansed, talking and sobbing had been cathartic. I also felt exhausted. I stretched and yawned again, noticing notifications flash up on my phone.
Ipicked it up to see a missed call from Monica. My heart stopped as I called her.
“Ruby, darling, I’m so sorry—”
“She’s died, hasn’t she?” I asked, just as Sebastian walked back into the room.
“She has. She went in her sleep, Ruby.”
“Oh no. Oh God. I wasn’t there,” I said, my voice shaking.
“She wouldn’t have known if you were, darling. I’ve called the doctor and he’ll be here shortly.”
“The doctor, why?”
“Maybe you should have Sebastian bring you home?”
“I will.”
I cut off the call and looked up at him. He had come to stand beside me, and now he knelt, cradling me to his chest while I cried again.
“I wasn’t there, Sebastian.”
“It’s okay, baby. Remember what she said to you?”
I nodded. “I need to go home,” I said, my voice croaking.
He stood and held his hand out to help me up. We both dressed and silently, he drove me home. When we got there, an ambulance car stood outside, and behind it, a black van.
I rushed in. Grandma was in the living room. She looked like she was just asleep. I fell to the floor besideher bed and grabbed her hand. She was cold. I held it and cried. I apologised for not being there when she died. Monica rubbed my back while Sebastian dealt with the doctor and undertakers. I had no idea what to do, but Monica had called the necessary people. Grandma had pre-paid for her funeral years ago and always made sure, when she was more with it, that both Monica and I knew what to do.
