Just Me, Him, and Ten Others - (Ruth Harris Series)

Chapter 27

''Ah, there you are, handsome.' X flirted brazenly, once downstairs, and she pushed Hunter in the chest so that he fell onto the sofa. Hunter dropped his phone as he tumbled backwards and nearly bumped his head on the wall.
'Woah...Ruth! What are you doing?' I glanced around.
'Mama's in the garden. Perfect, this shouldn't take long.' With that I dropped on top of him and started kissing his neck, as he yelped and tried to push me away.
'What are you doing, Ruth!?' Hunter squeaked.
'Oh be a man, Hunter. I know you want this.' No matter how hard Ruth tried, she couldn't stop us from unbuttoning my shirt. In seconds I was intertwining our legs and attempting to lift Hunter's top up over his head, but he was blocking it and pushing me away.
               'Ruth, stop it. Get off me!' Andy came sprinting down the stairs.
'Ruth! What are you doing? Stop!'
'Oh get lost, princess, I'm trying to have a good time here!' I laughed and unbuckled Hunter's belt. His hands flew over it but I was quicker.
'Ruth! Andy, I'm not doing this, I -'
'I know. I don't know what's gotten into her.' Andy ran over and started trying to pull me back. I just ignored him and carried on kissing/licking/caressing Hunter whenever I could. They were gentlemen - they wouldn't hurt me or shove me about. X took advantage of that.
               'Ruth I'm not joking, whatever you think you're doing -'
'Call me X. And get lost, Andy! I may want this guy but I do have some standards.'
'Hey!' Hunter cried, partly because of what I'd said and partly because of what I'd touched.
               That was when Mama came running in. Ah, the look on her face when she saw Andy pulling at my arms, my lips glued to Hunter's, his eyebrows permanently raised and his spare breaths screaming at me to leave him alone! In hindsight it was quite an amusing scene.'

I put my book back on the unit beside my bed, and shuddered. I hated reading my own words, like hearing my own voice in a video, but on that fretful morning I truly had nothing better to do. It was 7am; the house was still asleep. I had to entertain myself somehow before I drove myself mad - well, madder. So, I chose to revisit this very embarrassing event in my life, which, sadly, was better than facing the reality of last night's humiliating sexual encounter with Hunter. Blimey. I never thought I'd outdo X in that department! Maybe things would have ended better if she'd taken over last night... Ugh: another shudder.

I looked over at where Hunter should have been sleeping that morning, smelling like sandalwood and vanilla and my boyfriend. I should have had his scent on my skin, but instead I could smell cigarette smoke on my pyjamas, not to mention the charred aroma of my hair and the taste of cloves in the back of my throat. That was exactly how Bertie used to smell, and taste. Ugh.

In the shower I tried to put together as many of my memories from last night as I could. By the time I felt clean again I had assembled a semi-clear recollection of: thinking I was kissing Mike when I was really kissing Hunter, the whispered fight that had followed between us, my silent sobbing on the floor, right up until I dressed myself and bumped into Jodie outside my bedroom. I think I was trying to follow Hunter, who had stormed downstairs. He was annoyed. I don't blame him. If the tables were turned I would have shouted and slammed the door behind me too, much louder than he did.
               After Blaze asked Jodie for a cigarette, I could remember little except for waking up in a room that smelt like a pub. I couldn't believe she'd given into Blaze. If Jodie could be a qualified psychologist and yet the thickest, most insensitive person I had ever met, I think I am capable of being an unqualified public speaker. Right?
               I towel-dried my hair for a minute and tried to steady my breathing. I could hear Hunter and Andy's voice vibrating through my floorboards, as they chatted away happily, without me.
'They're probably talking about you.' Julie said cruelly.
'Go and see for yourself, if you're so sure.'
'Hell no. This is Ruth's problem. She's the one who fantasised about her sex life with Mike last night.'
'It was not a fantasy, Julie! How can you say such a horrid thing? It was, like, it...well I don't know what it was, but Ruth certainly did not choose to imagine it! She heard our voices, saying exactly what we said two years ago. How do you think that happened?'
'I don't know. It's not like we read a script to her! Two years is a long time - how would any of us even remember what to say? Ruth, you know we weren't trying to trick you last night, right?'
'I know.' I gulped. 'I don't know what happened, but it did happen and now I have to fix it.'
'Best of luck.' Hailey sneered, as I pulled on a jumper and jeans, took a deep breath, and opened my bedroom door.