Rescued: A Festive Novella (3 page)

The first rays of sunlight snuck through the curtains almost immediately after Anya had finally slipped into a restless sleep.
An hour and a half
she noted, checking the time on her phone,
an all-time low even for you Anya
.

“You’re awake” came Sophie’s sheepish voice from the kitchen, “I have coffee from downstairs” she offered, bringing Anya her usual order from their local café. A short macchiato followed by a double-shot latte was the only way Anya had found to help her face the day with little to no sleep.

“Thanks, Soph” she replied gratefully, groggily pulling the lids from the coffees and breathing in the caffeinated wake-up call.

“About yesterday Anya, I’m really sorry—everything just snowballed and every time I tried to stop and fix things I somehow managed to make them worse. I didn’t mean any of those hurtful things, I am just angry and annoyed with myself and my life, really I am sorry”.

“I’m sorry too” Anya murmured into her coffee. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was apologizing for, after all she’d meant everything she’d said yesterday to Sophie.

“Excellent! I’m glad that’s done” Sophie exclaimed triumphantly before clapping her hands together and disappearing into the bathroom.

And, there it was. She’d just copped Sophie’s trademark dismissive attitude. A first for Anya and judging by her rising temper it’d be the last time too. Enough was enough, Anya needed time away from Sophie.

“Let’s go shopping” Sophie called as she emerged from the bathroom, a statement more than a question and just the thing to set Anya’s temper into a furore.

“No, Sophie. I have something to do today”

“You never have anything on
Anya is this about Jack—because you know, I think you should be careful, guys like that…” she trailed, dismissive and seemingly oblivious to how cutting and hurtful her comment was.

“Like what, Sophie? Tell me, what do you actually know about men other than how to fuck them then leave?”

“ANYA!”

“What? Don’t like hearing the truth, is that the problem?”

“What has gotten into you—I know it’s a hard time of the year for you, but seriously of all the people you should be thankful to—“

“Oh, so I need to be thankful to you now Sophie? Right, well here you go: thank you Sophie for being there when my family was killed, thank you Sophie for being a friend and helping me through my hard times—”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it Anya. You’re being impossible” Sophie interrupted.

“Have a good day shopping” Anya snapped, heading to the bathroom and slamming the door closed before Sophie had the opportunity to see her tears.

I looked for you all day. Sophie came to the beach and I’d hoped you were there too. Can I come and see you?
the first text from Jack read.

Over the following hours, Jack phoned three times and there
were more than a dozen calls from Sophie. She let them all go unanswered.

Anya, answer my calls. Are you ok? Finn just had a call from Sophie saying she hasn’t seen you all day. Just let me know where
you are, I’ll come to you. Jack

Then thirty minutes later, another text from Jack:
Anya, please, I’m worried. Where are you?

She’d spent the day sitting in a cheap motel room, trying desperately to clear her
mind; it was time to move on with her life, she knew that much for sure. But how, and with who?

Sophie was the one person from her past who had been there through thick and thin, had held her close after the accident, had known how all-encompassing her grief and guilt had been and had given her uncompromised support throughout it all.

Then there was Jack—she’d only known him for a day but the connection they had was palpable. He knew her past, understood her history and still wanted to be with her. He was offering her a future. A future she desperately wanted and needed.

Jack, I’m ok. I needed to get away and sort some stuff out
she text him.

Where are you Anya?
came his immediate reply.

Can you tell Sophie that I’m fine and I’ll talk to her in the
morning? Will you come and see me?
she replied, texting him the address of the motel.

“Anya—you had me worried. Are you ok?” he asked visually assessing her for signs of problems as she stepped aside, letting him in to the tiny motel room. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed some time out, away from everything so that I could get my thoughts in order. This was the easiest and cheapest place to escape to” she laughed.

“You’re exhausted, Anya” he whispered, closing the distance between them in one step, sliding his arm around her waist and gently pushing her hair from her face, “you need to rest. We can talk later.”

Melting into his embrace, into the comfort of his protective arms, she felt the tiredness take over. Leaning into him, she rested her cheek against his chest, the scent of his soap and the ocean engulfing her senses. She murmured almost silently, “Will you stay?”

“I’ll stay until you tell me to leave” he replied, planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head before walking her to the bed, letting her go only to pull back the covers and settle her beneath them before pulling a chair over to the bedside.

“I wouldn’t normally ask— but could you… stay closer?” she asked, pulling the covers back on the other side of the bed.

She woke as the first rays of sunshine made their way through the flimsy motel curtains, Jack’s arm resting lightly across her waist. Turning to rest on her back, he instinctively pulled her closer tucking her head beneath his chin.

Slowly, the events of the night before returned and she recalled his gentle and calm approach as he woke with her throughout the night, nightmare after startled nightmare until he’d finally captured her in his arms and soothed her to sleep sometime after 1am.

He’d taken his shirt off at some stage during the night, and without thinking she reached for him, her fingertips gliding slowly and purposefully across his chest, tracing each muscle from start to finish. The sensation slowly roused him from sleep and he reached down and took her hand in his, lifting it up gently to his mouth before he kissed each fingertip. “Oh, this is a nice way to wake up” he finally spoke.

“Mmm, I agree” Anya sighed, rolling onto her side pressing her body firmly against his; her fingers continuing to trace his muscular shoulders and neck resting finally on his stubbled cheek. Looking up, she fell into his deep brown eyes, eyes that were filled with kindness, eyes that were filled with promise, “My god, you’re gorgeous.”

“Hmm… you’re too kind” he smiled, before rolling her over and nestling between her legs, stopping momentarily to remove off the singlet she’d slept in. His warm hands grazing over her skin as he slid it gently over her head, “You, Anya, are the gorgeous one” he whispered in her ear. The jolt of his hot breath and the tantalizing way the words rolled off his tongue sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body.

His mouth worked from her earlobe to her neck, stopping briefly to breathe her in before moving down to her collarbone with a fluttering of kisses that had her entire body buzzing. Running her hands across his back, his mouth moved slowly, teasingly to her breast, his mouth finally nestling over her nipple, his tongue flicking at its peak. Her hands immediately went to his head and she ran her fingers through his hair, coaxing his mouth to stay focused on her breast.

“Jack, please—I need you, now” she whispered, her traitorous body succumbing to Jack’s seduction far too quickly.

“Mmm” he smiled, his mouth moving only to capture her other nipple and continuing his seductive routine again. As she writhed beneath him, desperate for release, his hand slid slowly and purposefully to the apex of her legs. “You want this, Anya?” he whispered gently, pressing his finger against her clit, gently rolling the nub from side to side.

“Yes, Jack, please” she murmured, her need hanging heavily between them as she reached for Jack’s shorts and pulled them out of the way. His hands moved swiftly between them and he finished undressing himself, setting his impressive erection free before discretely sliding a condom along his length.

“Jack” she whispered as he slowly slid into her heat, his eyes trained on hers as he commanded a steady pace, giving Anya time to accommodate him before gradually thrusting deeper and picking up a faster, and more innate rhythm that brought them both to the brink of orgasm within minutes. He felt her body tense, tightening and gripping him as she came fast and hard around his pulsing cock. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer, and with one last thrust he exploded deep within her, her fingernails holding him firmly against him as he bent and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

“I’m going to get used to waking up like this” he murmured breathlessly, before rolling onto his back, pulling Anya on top of him as he
manoeuvred them both with ease.

“You’d want that?” she asked meekly as she pushed herself upright to make eye contact with him.

“Of course that’s what I want Anya, I thought you’d realized that when I arrived here last night. I want this, with you—isn’t that what you want too?”

“I’ve got a lot of ‘stuff’ to get through, Jack—my life has been on hold for the past two years, I sleep on a couch, I have no friends—“

“You have friends, Anya. You have Sophie, she was worried out of her mind last night and you have me—two loyal friends is more than most people could wish for. I get that you’ve got hurdles to jump and I have no doubt you could do it yourself, but I’m offering to be there with you as you face these challenges, to support you and help if you’ll let me?”

His sincerity was more than she could take; tears began rolling down her cheeks yet again.

“Sshh… Anya,
its ok” he soothed, pulling her down into his arms, “All you have to say is yes—everything else will take care of itself. Just tell me yes, Anya”

“Yes, Jack. Yes.”

Anya had been around Sophie’s high-maintenance persona long enough to know that smoothing things over with her would require a great deal of effort. What she hadn’t counted on was Sophie’s uncharacteristic and apologetic reaction to her arriving home.

“Anya! I’ve been so worried. I know I upset you—but honestly, I am sorry”

“I know, and I’m sorry—“

“No, Anya” Sophie interrupted, “I’ve done some thinking and I really have been a bitch lately. We’ve never fought like this, ever, and though I hate fighting, it’s kinda made me think that we’re both moving in a new direction… you know, settling down and looking outside of just the two of us… I don’t know, maybe I’m not explaining myself well—“ she trailed.

“No, you’re making perfect sense, Soph; you’ve been my rock for so long and I appreciate that more than you realize. But the last couple of days between us made me stop and really think about what I want and what I need. I know that I’m always going to want you in my life, but what I really need is to start living again” she paused, “I told Jack everything.”

“Whoa… that’s a huge deal—what’d he say?”

“Well, he wasn’t freaked out, he didn’t start the whole pity parade, he just held me tight and told me that he’d be there to help me through it all if I let him…”

“Please, Anya, please tell me you said yes to him?” she replied, eyes as wide as saucers in anticipation.

“I did” Anya smiled, “and it felt nice to finally share that part of my life with someone and feel supported and cared for. Well, not that you haven’t given me that, but well it was nice to just be held by him”

“Ok, since we’re talking about epiphanies, I had one of my own while you were off hiding from me” she countered, playfully.

“Oh, now this I have to hear” Anya joked.

“I realized that I have absolutely no idea how to start a relationship” she said simply.

“
Gee, Sophie, when you said epiphany you weren’t kidding!!”

“I know…. And, that’s not even my biggest breakthrough” she smiled, “I think I lived with my parents and their dysfunctional marriage for so long that I’ve just never quite understood how a relationship works. I mean, they’ve just co-existed for as long as I remember, dad jetting off to his mistresses, mum having it off with the gardener, the pool cleaner, the—well you get the picture. You know it’s hardly a normal relationship, but to me that was normal.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize!” Anya replied, finding it difficult to keep her tone even. She’d never have guessed that the Anders were so… open.

“So, you’ve nabbed yourself an awesome man—tell me what do I need to do to get Finn to stick around?” Sophie asked seriously.

“Ah, so this is all to do with Finn, huh?”

“Yes! Oh, Anya, I do really like him—he’s fun but he’s got a real serious side too, he’s really smart—he’s studying marine biology at university, and well obviously you’ve seen how hot he is” she sighed contently.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t agree with you there; he is certainly an amazing specimen of man!” Anya laughed, “Have you told him you feel like this?”

“Am I meant to?” Sophie asked seriously, showing a new side that Anya hadn’t known existed behind her cool exterior.

“I missed you at the beach today” he whispered in her ear as the waitress guided them to their table.

“I figured you’d be busy—we walked down to the shops and could barely see the sand for the people. I heard there was a near-drowning there today?” she replied.

“Yeah, yeah there was…” he trailed, quickly becoming lost in his thoughts, “You know, honestly, I get that it’s the silly season but really, people just do some crazy stupid things at this time of the year as though they think there’ll be no repercussions”

“I know” she replied, barely a whisper. Her own past would always haunt her, her father had made certain of that.

“Oh Anya, shit I’m sorry… I didn’t think—“

“No, you’re absolutely right. Anyway” she declared, determined to change the subject and keep the night light-hearted, “what else did my brave lifesaving boyfriend do today?”

“Boyfriend” he replied, rolling the word around his mouth, “I like hearing you say that… Brave, I’m not so sure about that title though”

“Well, I think you are—I couldn’t imagine what’s it’s like to put yourself in danger to save someone else”.

“It’s really not like that,” he replied modestly, “
its instinct really, you just respond without thinking. But anyway, enough shop talk. I’ve been meaning to ask, what are you doing for Christmas?”

“Mmm, don’t know really” she replied, Christmas was such a pain in the arse, she wished she could just sleep through it rather than deal with it.

“It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow, Anya—are you seriously telling me you have no plans?”

“I seriously have no plans” she laughed, hoping she was coming across carefree.

“Great, neither do I” he replied, almost triumphantly, “well I have to work from open til 3pm, but after that, you’re mine”.

“You, Mr Hot Lifeguard, have no plans for Christmas? I’ve heard it all now!” she exclaimed, “Aren’t your family coming down for Christmas”.

“Ok, keep talking like that and I’ll throw you over my shoulder and straight back to my bed” he smiled cheekily. “And, no. No family this year—they’re all busy with their own stuff, so it’s you and me, my place, barbeque on the deck…”

“What can I bring?”

“You. Just you” he answered, before leaning across the table and kissing her deeply.