Three Little Birds

New Beginnings Pt. 1

"I'm proud of you, too. Tonight I'll show you how proud I am." I whispered the words against his cheek, hearing his breath catch. I pulled back and smiled slyly at his flushed skin. As I turned I subtly raked my fingers lightly across his crotch, and I chuckled to myself at his involuntary whimper.

"So, how about a drink?" I smiled at the look he cast me.

"Yes, how about? Only a couple, though, we have work tomorrow morning." She gave me a pointed look that told me to make sure she only had those couple. There was a sudden change in her eyes then, a flicker, and if I hadn't been paying attention, I'd have missed it.

We did end up only having two drinks a piece before Liz bid her goodnights. I watched her leave before standing to follow.

She left her door open for me to proceed her, and I quietly shut it behind me. She kept her back to me as I approached, her arms crossed over her chest.

"What's the matter?" I asked her, setting my hands along her upper arms.

She shook her head and closing her eyes, took a deep breath. "Nothing, Mattie. I'll be okay."

"But you're not okay." I turned her around to face me and gently wiped her cheeks.

"Yeah. Don't mention it to Mykel, okay? It's a good day for him."

"I don't know what I'd tell him anyway. You don't wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head. "No. Not right now. I just wanna go to sleep."

I nodded. "Okay. You can always come to me, too, you know. You don't have to be the strong one all the time, either."

Liz closed her eyes and nodded. I could see she was trying to keep it together, but I would grant her wish and leave her to sleep. I pulled her into me and wrapped my arms around her. I noticed, but did not comment on the fact that I felt her shaking, nor did I comment on how she held on tighter and just a bit longer than was necessary. I did not let go until she broke the first contact.

"Thank you, Mattie."

"I love you, Liz." I kissed her forehead and padded the tears from her cheeks one last time before filing out of the room.

When I returned to the kitchen, Mykel was finishing up the dishes. I watched him for a moment and smirked. "Don't you make a cute little housewife?"

He turned around and looked at me, his eyebrow c****d, a grin of his own adorning his face.

"Did you seriously just say that to me?" He laughed and walked over to me, capturing my lips with his. I smiled and wound my arms around his neck.

When he pulled back his eyes were drawn to my shoulder. I hadn't noticed before then my shirt was wet from where Liz had set her face when I hugged her. He frowned and looked to Liz's closed door.

"What's wrong with her?"

I looked toward her room and sighed. "I don't know. She didn't want to talk."

He looked back at my shirt. "She was crying?"

"Yes, but she didn't want you to know. She said this was a happy day for you."

He didn't reply, edging past me in a beeline for her room. I blocked his path, moving quickly, my hand resting on his chest. His heart was beating at an accelerated rate.

"Mykel, no. Liz is a big girl and she wants to be alone right now. You won't get anything out of her easier by trying to force her to talk before she's ready.

"Let's just go upstairs and finish celebrating in our own way. Liz will come to one of us when she's ready."

He looked to her room one last time and nodded. He knew the truth in my words better than I and knew full well that badgering her to talk would only make her shut down.

I lost myself in the ecstasy of his touch, of his mouth. Never before had anyone paid such vigilant attention to pleasure me. I gripped the pillow behind my head, my body taut, as he swallowed me whole before bringing his head back up.

He was working me slowly, drawing it out until every nerve was standing on end. My hips rose to meet him, and I felt him smile around me as his hands gripped my hips, pushing me back down to the bed.

"Mykel, I'm so close," I managed to groan out. I whimpered as he pulled his mouth away, and gasped when it was replaced by his hand. The rough callouses of his palm almost drove me over the edge right then.

"Come to me, mon bonheur." He kissed along my pelvis before engulfing me in one go, sucking hard around my length, moving his throat and tongue in an expert-like manner.

I came instantly and had to cut off my scream by biting down on the pillow. I hadn't the time to fully catch my breath when I felt his lube-slicked fingers enter me. I moaned deep in my throat and thrust into him, my body quivering when he hit that sensitive spot.

He stretched me, teasing me, and I was all his. He kissed me when he pushed himself inside me, and my arms and legs wound around him, anchoring me to him, to the moment.

As he held me, he was moaning my name softly in my ear, whispering such words that filled my heart and healed my battered soul.

The next morning Liz was uncharacteristically quiet on the way to work. I said nothing but kept a close eye on her. Casting her side glances that weren't as hidden as I would have liked to have thought.

She looked nervous. Her fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel. She was chewing on her lip so much it was beginning to turn red and raw.

"Liz." I touched her arm and she jumped, slightly, but I felt it.

"Liz, tell me what's going on." It was a gentle demand, but my tone was serious. I'd never seen her act like this...like...me...before.

It was close to ten a.m. and the morning traffic was still slightly jammed. 

I could see her battling herself as I watched her resolve begin to crumble. She didn't say anything as she pulled off the highway and into a parking lot of an abandoned storefront.

She threw the gear into park and, leaning against the wheel began to cry.

Getting out I hurried to get to her side of the car and opened the door. I knelt down beside her, my hand on her arm. She didn't jump this time, but her physical lamentation increased with my physical contact.

I half crouched, half leaned in the open car door and she fell sideways into me.

Still, neither of us said anything. She couldn't do much more than grip my shirt, and my concentration was keeping us from tumbling out of the car onto the asphalt.

After a quarter-hour, she had calmed but had not moved from my hold. My back and legs were on fire, but I dare not tell her to move.

In an acrobatic motion, I managed to dig my cell phone from my front right pocket (the side Liz was pressed against) to call the shop.

"Hey, Linda, it's Mattie." Linda is a great girl, always willing to help out in a jam. An aging woman with graying hair who worked to keep busy. I smiled at her worried tone. We were almost half an hour late.

"Do you think you can work until Patrick comes in? I..." I looked down at Liz. Her face was still buried in my chest, and her fists had tightened their grip on my shirt.

"I can't really go into details, but something's going on and Liz and I can't make it in."

I smiled at Linda even though she couldn't see me. She of course would work until Patrick comes in and she hopes that everything with her favorite boss is alright.

I extended my thanks and disconnected the call. Smoothing her hair from her face I softly called her name. She didn't respond. 

"Come on, Liz, scoot over. Let's go home."

Without a word she disentangled from me and slid over, allowing me to drive her home without so much as a word of protest.

She still hadn't said anything and the whole way back to the house she kept her eyes on her hands. Every now and again I'd see fresh tear tracks down her cheeks.

We pulled into the driveway about half an hour after we left the parking lot. I parked in the garage, killed the engine, and shut the big door. Still, Liz hadn't spoken, her eyes still focused on her hands, though she seemed far away.

I didn't touch her. "Liz. Come on, Liz, let's go inside."

She looked at me then looked at the door that led from the garage into the house and back again.

"Mykel isn't home. He's at his shop. Last-minute stuff or whatever before he shows us. It's just us. Come on."

I climbed out and she followed me, still silent, head bowed. I led her into the kitchen where she sat down at the table and I began a fresh pot of very strong coffee. I also dug around the freezer for a small additive. I felt that this was an occasion for it.

She drank half her cup, her hands grasping the side of the mug, searching for something solid to hold onto. Something warm to remind her she was alive.

"Liz, what's going on?" I was sitting to her left at the head of the table.

"Bradley. I saw Bradley. I didn't know he was out of prison. Though I guess I should have, I just didn't think about it. And then he walked into the coffee house yesterday."

She had never before mentioned his name, but I knew instantly to whom she referred. I felt my blood run cold.

Before I could say anything, a voice sounded from behind us. "What?"