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And don't worry-their rel/ship will be explained in coming chapters!

CHAPTER TWO

He opened his eyes, fumbling blindly,

‘Susie…’

His search proved unrewarding and he opened his eyes to find the bed empty. He sat up abruptly, his expression darkening when he saw the clock and the sun streaming through the open window. It was ten a.m. her plane had taken off an hour ago, she’d left the house three hours ago…and hadn’t woken him to say goodbye. His first reaction was one of a spoilt child, angry and hurt that she’d not bothered to do something so little that would please him so much. His second reaction was one of guilt, she’d not woken him because he’d upset her the night before, she’d not woken him because he’d implied that he’d not miss her and she’d not woken him because he could have-and indeed, should have-made an effort himself to wake and see her off.

~

‘Hi, you’ve reached Susannah Hepburn. I’m afraid I can’t take your call right now but if you’d leave a message, I’ll be happy to get back to you as soon as I can.’

‘Susie…baby…I…you’re gone, I mean…shit…I hope the flight was okay. It’s quiet without you…um…I miss you. Call me.’

‘Hi, you’ve reached Susannah Hepburn…’

‘Hey. It’s me. Connor. Con. I-could you call me, honey? Please.’

‘Hi, you’ve reached Susannah…’

‘Hey. It’s me. Again. For Christ’s sake, call me.’

~

The ball flew through the air, aiming for an invisible point about five metres to the left of the goal.

‘Jesus Christ!’ Sam roared, ‘Connor Sullivan, what the hell is wrong with you?’

Connor sighed,

‘Nothing.’

‘Nothing!’ Sam, the head coach roared, ‘where the hell were you aiming for?’

Connor shrugged,

‘I’ll keep practising.’

‘Do,’ Sam snapped, ‘and try aiming at the goal this time!’

‘I’m fucking doing it,’ he muttered, ‘okay?’

‘Hey hey,’ Matt said quietly, nudging him lightly, ‘calm down.’

‘I’m calm,’ he said tightly, ‘fine.’

‘Sure.’

‘I am. I…’ he kicked again, ‘fuck.’

Matt regarded him,

‘Girl troubles.’

‘I don’t have girl troubles.’

‘Course not,’ Matt laughed, ‘not Sullivan, international bad boy, renowned womaniser…’

Connor stopped, turning to his friend,

‘Is that how you see me?’

Matt looked baffled,

‘Connor…what the hell is going on? Before Susie, how long was your lengthiest relationship?’

Connor squinted with thought,

‘Three days.’

‘Right.’

‘And how many celebrity women have you been associated with?’

‘Um…a few?’

‘A few? Every Hollywood actress, most singers under the age of 30…’

‘Okay, okay-more than a few!’

‘Yeah. You should be pleased.’

‘Susie doesn’t trust me.’

Matt blinked,

‘Did you cheat?’

‘No! No….’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. God, why the hell does everyone look so surprised to hear that?’

‘Well, you’re not known for your monogamy, Con.’

Matt glanced at his watch,

‘What are you doing after training?’

‘Nothing. Susie’s away.’

Matt smiled,

‘Meet you at the pub?’

Connor nodded slowly,

‘Sure. Thanks, man.’

‘No problem,’ Matt grinned and headed off.

~

‘Mum?’

Caroline frowned,

‘Susie? Sweetie?’

‘Hey Mum.’

‘Susie! Hey honey. I thought you were in Italy.’

‘I am. I just wanted to talk. Are you busy?’

‘Not too busy to talk to you, love. Is everything all right?’

‘Yeah,’ Susie leant back on the hotel bed and sighed, ‘I just messed everything up with Connor.’

‘Baby, I’m sure…’

‘I did,’ Susie sniffed, ‘he probably doesn’t even want me to come back.’

‘What happened? Sweetie? I thought you were going to that nice party.’

‘We were-we did. And…I was late, again. And he was so mad, mum. And he hardly spoke to me for the whole evening.’

‘Did you apologise?’

‘Yeah! But he said it had happened too often and…he said I thought his career was a joke!’

‘He’ll get over it…’

‘No! I left without him-without telling him even. And then, when he got home, I accused him of cheating with me.’

‘He cheated on you?’ Caroline asked tightly.

‘No! That’s the whole thing, mum. He hadn’t. But I told him I couldn’t trust him because of who he was.’

‘What did he say?’

‘He said that in that case…it was all a waste. And he stormed out.’

‘Where to?’

‘I don’t know,’ Susie sighed, ‘oh mum…’

‘Where is he?’

‘Oh, he came back. When I woke up he was there and…’

‘And?’

‘Mum, I love him.’

Caroline took a deep breath. Her baby girl. Her only daughter. Only child. In love.

‘Does he know this?’

‘No! God, no. He…I don’t talk to him about our relationship.’

‘Huh?’ Caroline was baffled, ‘what do you say?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Nothing?’

‘Nothing, mum,’ Susie said, a little irritably.

‘But he’s always telling you things.’

‘Like what?’

‘When you guys came for dinner, he was like ‘Susie, so beautiful…so smart…I was telling all friends how funny…how cute…’ And you say-nothing!?’

Susie sighed,

‘Thanks for the support, mum.’

‘Try talking to him. Telling him you trust him.’

‘Fine, fine.’

‘But you’re okay?’

‘Yeah,’ Susie giggled, ‘I’m fine.’

‘Good. Now listen, baby, I have meeting to go to…’

‘Okay, sure. Love you.’

‘Love you too, sweetie.’

‘Thanks, mum.’

‘It was nothing-and Susie?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Your father and I are always on your side-you know that? And if you wants to kick his ass….’

Susie burst into laughter,

‘I know, mum. Love you guys.’

‘Love you too, sugar.’

~

‘So?’ Matt and Sam regarded Connor, ‘what did you do?’

‘I was mad at her so I ignored her and flirted with all my ex-girlfriends. I was rude to her and I practically announced that she wasn’t what I was looking for in a woman.’

Matt glanced at Sam,

‘You want to punch him first?’

Sam looked entirely confused,

‘Susie?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Not what you’re looking for in a woman.’

‘Yeah.’

Sam blinked,

‘Let’s get this straight.’

‘Okay.’

‘She’s gorgeous. She has an incredible body…’

‘Hey!’ Connor frowned, ‘you shouldn’t have been looking…’

‘…she’s smart-very smart. She’s cute and funny.’

‘Yeah.’

‘And she’s not what you’re looking for?’

‘I was angry!’ Connor exploded, ‘I didn’t mean it!’

‘You tell her that?’ Matt sipped his beer.

Connor blinked,

‘No. I was too mad at her for not trusting me.’

‘Right. And she’s supposed to trust you when you’re flirting with every blonde bimbo on the planet.’

Connor scowled,

‘I was actually hoping for some sympathy guys.’

Sam pulled a face,

‘You’re a stupid old fuck, Connor.’

‘Thanks.’

Matt grinned suddenly,

‘You got it bad.’

‘What? No…’

‘Yes you do!’ Matt laughed hysterically, ‘you’re nuts about the woman.’

‘I am not!’

‘You love her?’ Sam set down his beer.

‘Of course not! I mean…I have-strong-feelings-for her.’

‘Good,’ Sam leant back, ‘because she might not come home.’

‘What?’ Connor jerked upright, ‘why?’

‘You were a bit of a shit. I wouldn’t blame her.’

‘Me neither.’

‘She has to come home! I need her, I…’

Sam and Matt exchanged triumphant glances,

‘You…?’

‘Oh fuck,’ Connor leant forward, thudding his head against the tabletop, ‘oh fuck, I do.’

~

He got home with the realisation still pulsing around his body, giving him a wild-eyed look and a baffled expression. He pulled into the drive way and noticed, immediately, her battered racing green Mini parked outside the apartment. He stumbled out of the car, raced up the steps and flung the door open. She was standing in the hallway, still in her coat and holding her scarf as though it was her last life-line.

Three days of pent-up fury, guilt and need exploded,

‘Susannah Hepburn,’ he yelled, ‘I have spent the past 72 hours thinking….of nothing but you. And do you know what?’

‘No…’

‘I’ve had it. You either trust me or you don’t, and it’s that simple. I don’t want other women, I want you. And I want you tell me now-tell me right this instant if you can’t accept that.

I won’t be with you if you can’t trust me, Susie, and if every time I’m out, you’re imagining me with someone else. I know I fuck up plenty in other ways but I never doubt you and even if the media said different, it’s you that I’d trust and believe.

And this has got to be reciprocated. And if it isn’t, then what we have is pretty damn pointless. So, tell me now. Do you trust me?’

She nodded silently, swallowed, then whispered,

‘Yes.’

He was still for a long time, then nodded,

‘Good. So…’ he stopped suddenly, realisation hitting, ‘you’re back a day early.’

She nodded,

‘I wanted to apologise.’

He frowned

‘Huh?’

She cleared her throat,

‘I wanted to apologise. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for Sunday night and that I love you.’

He blinked,

‘You came home a day early to tell me you love me?’

She nodded,

‘Yes.’

‘Oh.’

She stared at her lap,

‘I thought you were ending it…when you walked in.’

He shook his head, struck mute for a moment,

‘No,’ he managed eventually.

She bit her lip,

‘I spend too much time at work.’

‘No…’

‘And I never tell you that I care.’

‘Susie…’

She blinked back tears,

‘I’m terrible at this relationship thing.’

He laughed slightly,

‘No…you’re not.’

She took a cautious step forward,

‘So, you’re not breaking up with me?’

‘You should be so lucky.’

She laughed weakly,

‘Next time, maybe.’

He touched her cheek gently,

‘I’ve been a mess with you gone. I didn’t know if you’d come back.’

‘I couldn’t have stayed away if I’d tried.’

He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her mouth,

‘I hurt you.’

She shook her head, began to speak, but he interrupted,

‘I did. I know. That…Sunday night.’

She sighed,

‘I was just tired and…’

‘Don’t make excuses for me,’ he said quietly, ‘for a start, I was a jerk when you were tired and hungry after a long day. I should have scrapped the whole bloody party and spent the night with you before you went away.’

‘Connor…’

‘And I shouldn’t have tried to hurt you with Antonia.’

‘Connor…’

‘And I shouldn’t have just shouted at you as I walked through the door.’

She laughed, kissed him softly,

‘I missed you so ridiculously much.’

‘Me too,’ he brushed his lips over hers, ‘and you know, Susie?’

‘Know what?’

‘I love you too.’

‘Oh yeah?’ she smirked, ‘a bookworm like me?’

‘Mmn,’ he picked her up, ‘a bookworm. Because, despite what Antonia thinks, you’re just my type.’

‘And what is your type?’ she giggled as he raced up the stairs.

‘Oh I don’t know,’ he kissed her between every word, tugging at her clothes impatiently, ‘sulky. Opinionated. Moody. And…’ he kicked the door shut behind them, ‘absolutely-fucking-gorgeous…’