Chapter 8

"Twice in one day... you must be good at this.." Gary winks whilst running his hand through his damp hair.
"Like wise... good for your old age..." Cheekily i laugh hiding my face from him. Gary raises his eyebrow a little at me. "You what...?" He places little kisses around my belly button.
"Mmmm... ol-..." Before i get to tease him again he blows kisses against my stomach. Blowing harder tickling me even more. "GARY! STOP!" I choke laughing trying to push him away. He continues moving his lips faster against my skin sucking a little. "GAZZZ!"
"But you called me old..." A small pout appears on his face trying to stop himself from smiling. Tightly i wrap my arms around him so he rests his head onto my chest again. "I was joking...." Softly i kiss his pouting lips. He's adorable.

A vibrating sound comes from my bag irrupting us. "What have you got in your bag Miss Matthews..." Gary grins.
I roll my eyes playfully at him. "Nothing like that Gaz...Just my phone."
"Hmm... ignore it." He rests his head back onto my chest closing his eyes. A few minutes later my phone starts to vibrate again. "I better get that..." Softly i whispers trying to get up.
"Why? Who's that important?" Gary frowns his eyebrows at me. "Oh... him.... i wouldn't of guessed." He sits up reaching for his pile of clothes beside us.
"Gary come on... don't be like that." I get my bag from the front seat pulling out my phone. 3 missed calls - Mark.
"Who is it then?" He raises his eyebrow at me whilst slipping his shirt back on.
My phone begins to ring again. Incoming call - Mark. "M...Mark.." Nervously i reply.
"Now there's a surprise. Answer lover boy then." Gary makes his way back to the drivers seat fully dressed in creased clothes from our passionate embrace.

I hit the answer button. "Mark.. what is it?"
"Can we talk... please..." Mark sighs softly speaking with an apologetic voice.
Gary rolls his eyes and starts up the car. "Put your belt on."
Feeling bad all of a sudden i look at Gary. I don't blame him for being annoyed with Mark who keeps interrupting us, but then again me and Gary aren't a couple. "Yeah... i'm on my way back now... are you still at mine?"
"Erm... yeah... will Gary be there?"
I look over at Gary who has an annoyed look on his face whilst driving back to mine. "Gaz... are you coming back to mine?"
"I'm dropping you off then going back to mine." He gives a cold reply still not giving me eye contact.
"I'll see you later then Chloe." Mark mumbles.
A soft sigh leaves my lips. "Yeah...see you..."

The drive seemed to take forever to get back to mine. Neither of us spoke a single word until we pulled up on my drive. "Are you going to come in?"
"No. Have a good evening." Gary keeps his hands on his steering wheel. Why is he behaving like this around Mark, so much?
"T...Thanks.. you too." I open my door. "See you soon?"
He shrugs. "We'll see." And with that he drives away.

Slowly i make my way to the front door. Tears begin to fill my eyes. I feel like i've used him. I don't blame him for being angry with me now. Noticing Mark sitting on my sofa through the window stops me from getting even more upset. Without thinking anymore about it i open the front door making my way to the kitchen. "Chloe? Is that you?" A concerned voice comes from my living room.
"Yeah... it's me..." I fill a glass with water from the tap.
Mark makes his way to the kitchen. "I've been really worried about you... where did you go?"
I could be with Gary now having a good time, but instead i'm on the border of tears in my kitchen stuck with an overprotective friend. "Why do you need to know Mark? Why do you need to know everything all of a sudden??"
"Woah. Sorry for being worried about you! At least someone is." He rolls his eyes at me.
I frown my eyebrows at him. "And what's that suppose to mean? Just leave Gary alone."
"Oh come on Chloe you don't even know what he's like after all he is a guy."
Angrily i shake my head. "He is not like that and you god damn know it!"
"If i knew he wasn't like that then why would i say it? I work with him i know him more than you... so you're telling me you didn't jump into bed with him? Typical."
My jaw drops a little. "Jump into bed with him?... what are you saying? That i sleep around a lot??"
"N..No... i.. i didn't mean it like-"
"Save it Mark. Just leave. I don't want to talk to you if you're going to think like that of me! You say i don't know Gary when really i don't know you!" I walk past him grabbing my bag from the hallway before making my way into my bedroom.

A few minutes later i hear the front door close. Who the fuck does he think he is?! Some friend he is! Gritting my teeth from anger i lay on the bed. Thinking about Gary makes me miss him already. He's an amazing man. Why did i even bother answering my phone? Phone. That's it i need to call him...i need to apologize... i need to hear that sweet voice of his. Quickly i search my bag for my mobile, but something catches my eye. The letter the man from reception gave me. "Do not open...yet."  Maybe it's a letter from Gary? I haven't seen his handwriting yet, so it's hard to tell.

Without another moments thought i rip open the envelope. Inside contains a handwritten letter. My eyes begin to scroll the letter.... 'Dear Chloe, i decided to write you this letter simply, because i'm useless at talking about my feelings face to face. Now i know we haven't known each for long 48 hours if that, so i'll start by telling you about myself. I've been a doctor for the past 10 years. I grew up in Manchester with my parents i was the only child. My childhood was pretty bad especially with a father who was an aggressive alcoholic, and a mother who suffered from depression. I was the type of boy who used to enjoy spending time out walking in the woods and countryside not being yelled at by a drunken man. Every night when i came home from school i'd cook dinner, help out my Mum who probably needed calming down and wait up until early hours of the morning for my Dad to come home from the pub. Even 4am some nights... on a school night this happened from when i was about 6years old. Anyway when i passed my medical course at 22 that was my time to be happy to start my own family, and that's when i first fell in love. The most beautiful woman i ever laid eyes on. Well... i guess she wasn't just for my eyes. We'd been dating for the past 2years until she fell into the arms of another man. It tore me apart. Seeing her flirt with other men... my friends even and i said nothing. One day she was going for a short trip abroad with her 'mates' little did i know that she was actually staying in a hotel less than an hour away from me with 'him'. One afternoon i got an unexpected call from this guy i'd never spoken to before. Telling me about my girlfriend who had been stabbed in a London hotel, because of a break in. Stabbed? In London? For a minute or two i thought it was a sick joke that he was trying to pull for money, but that's until he told me about the affair. I was heart broken, but i had to get to her. We took her to the hospital where i worked only about 10minutes from the hotel. As soon as i saw her i knew she was dying, but i couldn't let that happen i couldn't loose her no matter how much she hurt me. Her heart stopped twice during the operation. Twice i had to see the woman i loved die in my hands. After 3 hours of trying to save her life... i failed. I lost the person who meant the world to me. Me it was down to ME... i couldn't save her. She lost too much blood which ended her life. Ever since that day i've never been able to forgive myself. What kind of doctor am i if i can't save somebody's life? If i was there for her more the affair wouldn't of happened and she would still be walking the streets today...that's where my jealousy comes from... my anger sometimes also from my childhood... so many emotions good and bad. You're an amazing girl Chloe and ever since my last girlfriend i haven't been able to look at another girl... i haven't been with another girl even if it was a one night stand i couldn't do it..the next girl i wanted to fall for would have to be special... that's until you came into my life....' Tears stream down my face. My heart beats slowly in my chest. No words came out of my mouth. Slowly i let go of the letter letting it fall to the floor. I need to be with Gary. I need to see him... right now.