Out Of Time | A Shelby

twelve

"Nancy please, I'm begging you please!"

Nancy was stood in the doorway of her home, the door in front of her slightly as she hid behind it, Henry stood on the steps outside.

"I'm sorry Henry but no, I won't go and I'm certainly not taking Vincent."

"Please, Nance. My mother's going to be in pieces it'll make her feel so much better having us all there, she doesn't even know about the divorce yet."

Nancy felt guilty. Henry had turned up on her doorstep three months after the divorce was finalised, breaking the news to her than her ex father in law had passed away last week. Henry was begging her to attend the funeral with him, but she was hesitant.

"That's not my problem. Your parents have never said one kind word to me, why should I go? And on top of that, we divorced months ago, you need to tell her."

Henry rolled his eyes and placed his hands on the bricks either side of the door frame, leaning his weight on the house. It was just after eight PM and the sky was a collage of orange and pink, the sun setting behind the factories that towered over Small Heath.

Nancy didn't know where her ex-husband had been drinking since he was banned from almost all the pubs within a miles walk from his front door, but the lingering smell of ale told her he'd found somewhere that was happy to serve him.

"You're so selfish, do you know that? My parents have done everything for us, paid for the wedding, helped us with money for Vin when we struggled, and you won't even go to my father's funeral?"

Nancy stifled a sarcastic laugh, shocked at how out of touch Henry was to how her life had been while they'd been married.

"Have you any idea how judged I was? Your mother resents me, she only put up with me for your sake and for Vincent. You're not my family anymore and I want nothing to do with you."

"Well at least let me take Vincent? He hasn't seen his grandmother in two years now."

Nancy raised her eyebrows and this time couldn't hold in her laughter.

"You really think I'd let you take my son with you? You've got to be joking me."

Anger flashed in Henry's eyes as he if suddenly saw red. His fists balled and Nancy watched him swallow, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrow.

"Vincent! Vinny son, dad's here!"

"Shut up!"

Nancy was seething with anger as Henry called out to his son. She had put Vincent to bed not long ago and she was too exhausted to deal with the fuss of him waking up.

"Vincent! Come on, come downstairs!"

"Henry stop!" Nancy tried to slam the door shut but Henry's foot stopped it. Nancy's heart rose into her chest as he tried to barge his way in, pushing his weight against the door as she desperately tried to hold it shut, her back pressing against the wood.

Suddenly the force subsided and Nancy fell backwards onto the ground against the door as it swung shut. She stayed sat on the floor, her head resting against the door as she closed her eyes, blinking back tears that had welled.

It had been almost five months since Nancy had walked out on Henry, but it seemed like he couldn't let go. He still loved her, in his own twisted way, but he could never love her the right way. It pained him to come home and see the empty bed and the space where Vincent's chest of toys used to be, but he'd made his bed and he had no choice but to lie in it.

Nancy was getting fed up. She would go weeks without hearing from or seeing Henry, then all of a sudden he'd come out of nowhere and cause havoc, making Nancy break down in tears and spend a few days mentally recovering from the memories that his unexpected presence had resurfaced.

There was a knock at the door that made Nancy tense up at the sound. She paused for a moment, staying frozen to the spot as she waited for Henry to try and barge his way into her home again.

"Nancy? Nancy it's Arthur. He's gone, sweetheart, he's gone."

Nancy scrambled to her feet and pulled open the door to see Arthur stood where Henry was a few minutes prior. She gasped as she saw bruising around his left eye, suddenly feeling struck with guilt that her ex-husband had hurt him.

"Oh gosh, come inside."

Arthur made his way into the house and sat down on the settee. Nancy rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a damp cloth before going over to Arthur and holding it gently against his eye.

"I'm so sorry, Arthur."

"It's quite alright," he said with a small laugh, "I've taken far worse."

"Thank you for getting rid of him."

She poured Arthur a glass of whiskey at his request and gently took a seat beside him, examining his face for anymore injuries she'd missed.

"I was on my way home and I heard shouting. I looked and I saw it was him on your doorstep trying to force his way in and I just," he paused and bit his lip, "I didn't want anything to happen to you."

Arthur's eyes felt like home when Nancy looked into them. They made her feel safe and secure, like she didn't have anything to worry about, not a care in the world, as long as she was looking into those eyes.

"Oh Arthur," Nancy swallowed the lump in her throat as she felt her eyes glaze over with tears, "Why? Why do you care so much for me? For my son?"

Arthur shifted in his seat. He didn't have an answer to Nancy's question, but what he did know what that he had an urge that he couldn't  repress to make sure nobody ever laid another finger on her.

That, and the fact that all he ever thought about was how much he regretted not kissing her.

"I don't know," he shook his head, "I just feel protective over you, I want you to be safe. When I think about what he did to you and the way he treated you when you're just so kind and caring, so beautiful, it's like a switch is flicked inside of me and just need to know you're safe. You don't deserve what he did to you, Nancy."

Nancy let a single tear fall down her cheek, trickling over her blush stained skin.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Arthur gazed at her, her eyes warm like honey but glossy like the reflection of the sun on clear water on a hot summers day. He felt as if a fire had been lit inside of him. His breath was caught in his throat again and his words struggled on his lips, her beauty intimidating him.

"I think that you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Nancy felt deja vu from the night when she and Arthur had been sat exactly like this, just as close to one another, inches away with the tension between them coming from nowhere but feeling like it belonged there.

Arthur's gaze flickered down to her lips and back up to her eyes. He let out a small breath, licking his lips before he spoke.

"I can't regret not taking my chance again, Nancy."

He leaned in slowly and gently pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was soft and passionate and made Arthur feel like the emptiness he'd had inside of him since Linda left had been filled. He felt warm inside instead of cold, he felt at peace, calm, instead of the constant battle he had with his own mind that caused him mental chaos every single day.

They pulled apart and Arthur felt his heart flutter as he saw the corners of Nancy's lips curve into a tiny smile and her cheeks blush red as she looked at him.

"My God," Arthur whispered, placing his hand on Nancy's cheek gently, "That was worth waiting for."