Free Time for Change by Sam Crescent

her heart that she’d stayed in the warm bed with Chris.
    This was something she needed to do more than sleeping.
    “I can’t help but think you’re happy with what’s happening and at the
same time, annoyed that I’m sleeping with your husband.”
    “Enough, Rachel,” Chris said. She jerked, spilling coffee down her
jacket. He cursed, taking the coffee mug from her fingers. “Be careful.”
    She stared up at him, surprised that he was stood before her, glaring
down at her.
    “What are you doing here?” she asked.
    “What does it look like I’m doing here?”
    “I don’t know.” She’d been really quiet on her way out of the house.
    “You’re not going to get your answers here.”
    “I need to know Claire is okay with this.”
    “She’s okay,” Chris said, tugging her away from the scene.
    “How do you know if she’s okay with it?” Rachel asked.
    “I knew her, Rachel. I knew what she wanted.”
    “What did she want?” She stared at him, hoping he’d give her the answer
she wanted.
    “She wants us both to be happy. We’ll be happy together. We both want
this, Rachel. Stop fighting it, and please, accept what you want.”
    Rachel looked down at the gravestone. Chris would make her happy. She
knew in her heart that he’d be perfect for her.
    “Okay, I’ll be happy, and I’ll do whatever you need me to do.” She
nodded and let him lead her out of the morbid graveyard. The air was freezing.
He walked with her all the way back to his apartment.
    “I’m sorry for leaving you like that this morning. It wasn’t fair of
me.”
    “No, it wasn’t fair, but I knew why you did. Being around me can be a
little too much.” He held her hand as they made their way into his apartment.
“Go and change. I’ll get some breakfast ready. We’ll handle the rental on your
apartment and deal with your work. I don’t want you returning to them.”
    She agreed and left him alone. In his bathroom, she removed her soiled
coat. The coffee had spilt all the way through to her white shirt. Typically,
she’d worn her only white shirt to go out, and now it was ruined. It was just
her luck.
    When she was naked, she stood in front of the mirror and stared at her
reflection. Bruises were underneath her eyes from lack of sleep. What startled
her more were the fingerprint marks on her hips. Chris’s handprints were on
her.
    ****
    Letting out a breath Chris set up some pans on the hob. He was going to
make her some sweet French toast. Hearing the shower run, he started to dip the
bread into some beaten egg before putting it into some melted butter. His
thoughts were on Rachel and her fears about what her sister would think.
    Claire wanted them both to be happy. He truly believed her sister would
be happy regardless of whom he fell for. Their happiness was for each other.
    She walked out of the bathroom five minutes later wearing a bathrobe.
Her brown hair was wet from the water. Serving up some toast on a plate he
smiled over to her.
    “I’m sorry for leaving you this morning.”
    “Don’t worry about it. I knew where you were going.”
    “Is that because you know?” she asked. Her tone sounded bitchy, and he
looked at her harshly. “Sorry, I guess I’m nervous about us being together.”
    “We’ll work through it.”
    Rachel nodded, grabbing a knife and fork. He poured himself some coffee
then handed her another slice of French toast.
    “Are you going to eat some?”
    “Yes.” Sitting opposite her, he started to eat some toast all the time
watching her, waiting for her to freak out on him. “When we’re done you can go
and get dressed, and then we’ll go and settle your apartment and job.” He
wanted to deal with Richard himself. She could be talking to the management
while he was having a word with the man.
    “Sure.”
    They ate in silence. After minutes passed without another word spoken
Rachel started to relax. She was like a deer caught in the headlights, waiting
for him to explode.
    “I’m not