The Secret Society

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

BPOV

Me and Evan had now been members of the Secret Society for five whole months, and the last eight weeks had been amazing, apart from two occasions when someone else picked Henry's keys.

I cannot tell you how much I loathed the girls who took him.

Evan had frequently been with Lucy as well, although someone else had picked Evan's keys three times. I hadn't noticed anything unusual about the keys as to how Lucy would know they were Evan's, so Henry and I had decided we were probably getting paranoid.

The fact of the matter was, Lucy had probably just got unlucky and kept picking Evan's keys out.

"Thank you for coming with me," Lisa called while we took our seats at the local restaurant.

"It's great to get out," I smiled at her.

Evan had gone out for the evening with some work colleagues, so I'd agreed to come and eat with Lisa while she went over some of her bridesmaid choices.

After eating, I headed off to the toilet and, just as I turned the corner, my heart sank.

And when I say sank, I mean it literally touched my bloody toes.

Lucy.

She sat there with a smile on her face, looking so happy, content and mesmerised.

I felt sick.

I'd been so wrapped up in Henry that I hadn't given her a second thought. I was being truly selfish for wanting Henry so badly.

That was until I noticed who was sitting with her.

"What the hell?"

I gasped.

I stomped over to the table and banged my hands down hard, causing them both to look up at me in shock.

"So you work with Lucy?" I asked Evan.

"Ella, oh my God, Ella, it isn't what you think. Honestly."

Evan's face looked terrified.

I suspected it was because he'd been caught.

"Enlighten me," I half yelled.

"We're both worried."

"ABOUT?"

My voice had risen a little too high.

"Well, you and Henry, if you must truly know."

Oh hell.

"What the hell are you worried about me and Henry for?"

"Sit down, Ella...please," Lucy whispered.

Sorry, am I being a little loud for you, b***h?

"I don't think I will," I scolded her while staring directly into her eyes.

"We're worried because of the way you look at each other, and we're trying to arrange alternative dates to go," Evan called, as though I was an absolute i***t.

"Do not put this on me and Henry. This is nothing to do with us. You're fabricating some ludicrous story when, in fact, you two are sleeping together. I saw the grin on Lucy's face before I came over to the table."

"Don't deny it, Ella. I told you a few months ago I was worried about the way he looked at you."

I felt myself going redder and redder.

I wanted to rip the pair of them apart for trying to ruin what Henry and I had.

"You do realise there are rules? What if you two are caught?" I added sarcastically.

"We would be punished," Lucy called, as though I didn't have a clue what the answer to my own question was.

"You seem to pick Evan's keys an awful lot, Lucy. I would have thought the pair of you could have discussed this then, rather than over some..." I picked up the bottle of wine sitting on the table. "...cheap 'easy lay' wine."

It was a strong wine, the sort guaranteed to get you drunk, and I assumed that would guarantee an easy lay.

What can I say?

It made sense to me.

"Ella, come on, we'd better go. You're making a scene, and should someone see us, there would be hell to pay."

"I think you have hell to pay right here, Evan," I called while pointing at myself.

"I can handle you, Ella. I cannot handle Caius."

"What a load of rubbish."

It was the nicest way I could put it.

"But I'm here with Lisa, so I suggest you get your butt in a taxi and get home now before I inform Caius myself."

It was an empty threat.

I'd never do that to Evan.

"I'll see you at home," I shouted behind me as I walked away and headed into the toilets.

I kicked the cubicle door and slammed it several times while screaming into my hands.

Were they really there to discuss me and Henry?

Or was it a plot to divert me?

I was unsure and so incredibly annoyed I didn't know what to do.

I didn't have Henry's number.

We'd agreed not to exchange numbers.

Too tempting for the pair of us, especially after a drink.

When I arrived home, Evan was in the living room pacing.

"You're going to leave a hole in my floor. Sit down."

I was mad.

I was swearing.

I was about two seconds away from knocking the life out of him.

"Do not tell me there is nothing going on between you and Lucy. Is this the first time you've really met her?"

"Yes," Evan called sternly.

Well, he could damn well forget the attitude.

I was half hoping he'd say no so I could work out how to have secret meetings with Henry.

I doubted that would have gone down particularly well, though.

---

EPOV

Lucy came stomping into the house reeking of alcohol and looking well and truly miserable.

"You okay, love?" I asked her.

"Fine," she mumbled.

"Did you have fun with your friends?"

I was trying to get some sort of conversation out of her.

"Not really, no. We were rather rudely interrupted, cutting the evening short. I don't want to talk about it."

This was not like Lucy at all.

The following evening, Lucy never returned home from work.

I called her mobile countless times, called her office and they told me she'd left early for the day.

I began pacing in absolute panic.

I called my family.

Lucy’s family.

Nothing.

"Where the hell could she be?" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Ten PM came and Lucy finally walked through the door.

Her suit had been torn, her hair was in worse disarray than mine could ever have been and she was covered in bruises.

I ran over to her immediately.

"s**t, Lucy, what the hell has happened?"

Hysteria was about to take over me.

"Nothing...nothing, Henry, honestly. Just leave it."

"Leave it? You look like you've been mugged or, worse yet, attacked. Please, God, Lucy, tell me no one has touched you."

"No. No, not like that anyway."

Lucy burst into tears and I pulled her tightly into my chest, hugging her as delicately as I could.

What the hell had happened?

Lucy went and took a shower while I called around everyone to tell them she was okay, not giving any explanation as to where she'd been.

At Lucy's request.

An hour later, I lay on the bed next to Lucy.

She was crying silently, her body shaking uncontrollably, and I felt completely lost.

"Lucy, baby, please. Tell me what you want me to do."

"Get us out of that contract, Henry. That is all I want."

What the hell did the Society have to do with all of this?

"I'll have our lawyers go through the contract again, Lucy. That's all I can do."

I kissed her forehead.

"We're never going to have a child, are we, Henry?"

Lucy slowly sat up with her back against the headboard, pulling her knees tightly towards her chest.

"How long do they expect us to remain there? They cannot expect us to go for the rest of our lives...surely."

"I'll speak to Caius on Thursday, baby. Find out when we're free of this."

I knew what he would say.

Contract signed.

Stay until your dying day.

Or the day your body stopped cooperating.

He was the biggest wanker ever to walk the face of the planet.

Thursday evening came and we were there first as usual.

When Claire made a start, I nearly jumped in to say Ella wasn't here, but realised Claire would not have started had she not already known they weren't coming.

The woman picked their keys and I was with Claire.

She always looked at me as though I was a complete meal.

She scared me more than Vicky.

After everyone had gone, Claire told me we were in room six and I walked slowly behind her.

I didn't want her body.

The only body I wanted at this Society was Ella's.

I took a seat immediately, loosening my tie while trying to make small talk.

"We seem to be a couple missing."

I pointed out the obvious.

"Oh, Ella and Henry couldn't make this evening. They're coming Saturday instead."

What?

"They've come every Thursday for five months. What the hell happened?"

Why hadn't Ella told me about this last week?

"Ella never offered an explanation and I didn't push for one. She simply notified me they would be attending Saturday's session rather than this evening."

I wanted more information than this, that was for sure.

After half an hour, we'd both finished.

Well, I'd pretended.

I disposed of the condom immediately so Claire wouldn't realise.

Claire was a stickler for condoms. Although we were tested every three months, she would not risk everyone's 'extra-curricular activities', so to speak.

I'd told her on numerous occasions that it was forbidden and Caius would find out, but she assured me that anything was possible.

I quickly exited the room and headed towards Caius's office.

He was there, which surprised me. I suspected he wasn't too bothered about Vicky, his partner for this evening.

"Ah, Henry. How can I help you?"

"Caius, I'm sorry to disturb you, but there was a question Lucy asked me recently and I was curious to know the answer myself."

Caius looked puzzled.

"The Society...when is it possible to leave? I mean, is it on your dying day?"

"Not mine specifically, no."

Caius tried to make a joke.

I found the man less funny than a piece of grass.

"Is there a point where you agree someone can leave? You know what I mean, age, death, something along those lines?"

"There are certain ways to get out of the Society, yes," Caius called.

"And would you care to share those ways?"

"No."

He called it sternly.

"When the time for you to leave comes, we will inform you. There is nothing more to discuss on the matter, Henry."

His voice was sharp.

And I was getting irritated.

"Is there anything else, Henry? I have work to be getting on with."

Oh, I bet you do.

"That will be all, Caius. It seems like I'm wasting my breath."

I stormed out.

I heard Caius laugh as I left.

It took everything in me not to turn around and punch the life out of the man.

I headed back to the dining room to collect my keys.

I was shocked to see Lucy sitting there waiting for me.

She looked at me pleadingly.

I shook my head and she broke down crying.

"How can he keep us here like prisoners? He knows we loathe the place."

I didn't loathe the place anymore.

Not since Ella had joined.

But tonight had been the worst night of my life.

Not seeing her face killed me.

I had to see her.

I had to work out a way.

But how?

"Come on, love. Let's head home."

I pulled her from the seat and placed my arm around her waist.

"I do love you, Lucy."

I kissed her temple.

And the truth was, I did.

I loved her with all my heart and soul.

But the feelings I had for Ella were growing.

And if feelings for someone else could grow, then how could Lucy truly be the one for me?

The problem was, I could never have Ella.

I needed to realise that.

The sooner, the better.

There was only one thing I could do.

If Ella did come back to a Thursday evening, I had to take the spike off the keys and let fate have a hand in this.

I couldn't let Lucy down.