The Cruel Twists of Love (20 page)

“
Guess who?” and Max playfully pulls her platted hair

“
No idea?” Helen giggles

“
Well the man you be dancing with all night that who? You not leaving me with the clones Helen, you got that?” he teases her

“
You no fun Max, Jane been after for you for months now. Just give in and get the horrible deed over with”

“
Which one is Jane again? Is it the blonde or the other blonde?” Helen laughs because she has no idea. They were never apart and spookily answering together.

“
You shit, you no idea have you? And what the other one called?” Helen gives a shrug

“The Clones scaring men everywhere they go” Helen digs Max in the ribs

“They not that bad Max”

“Helen they are seriously scary
, Maximus is strong not stupid” Max tightens his muscles in the thinker pose and Helen laughs at him. His name was not Maximus but after the film Gladiator Max thought it made his name sound macho.

“
So you got anything under that awful coat or have you taken up flashing?” Helen playfully opens her coat and flashes at Max

“
You forgotten your clothes Helen I’m shocked” grabbing his chest and faking a heart attack

“
Behave Max or I will leave you with the clones” Helen threatens him playfully

“No
anything but that” laughing when they wait for the bus

“
You look hot Helen, you very lucky I’m gay”

“I wouldn’t fancy you anyway.” Helen teases
him

“
You little liar” and he pulls her hair playfully

“
What is it with men and hair?” and slapping his hand to make him stop

“
Are you gay?” Max laughs loudly at her

“Helen you are terrible at jugging men, you will just have to guess” Helen moves out of his reach
when Max tries to pull her hair again.

“Helen, why are we waiting here
?” she looks up at Max confused

“
Um, like for the bus?”

“
Oh silly me I forgot I got us a lift, come on big macho Max will carry woman” and beating his chest

“
Don’t’ you dare Max or the clones can have you” but she giggles

“
You are a little bully Helen. Michael taking us in his car, you don‘t mind do you? ”

“
Why should I mind?”

“
Cause I might have to snog him, you know because of him being my boyfriend” Helen laughs hysterically

“
What is so funny?”

“
Bring him in to meet the clones then you can kiss him in front of them, they may finally get the message”

“
Good point Helen I don’t usually make it so public but I might give it a go” and pulls Helen hair twice

“
That is for moving Helen” Max dodges Helen hand when she goes to slap his hand

“
Come on Richard waiting”

          Richard was slender with green eyes that sparkled when he looked at Max and touching Max’s hand every time he changed the gears on the car. Richard had a shy
demeanour but Helen liked him the moment she saw his eyes light up when he looked at Max. Helen never seen Max so quiet is that what love did to you? Tame you. The change in Max when he talked to Richard was astonishing and making Helen privileged to the private love between the two lovers, it warmed her heart as she watched them talking. It was a true gift to watch Helen thought happily

“
You quiet Helen anything wrong?” Max asked warily, he nervous Helen thinks

“I was thinking of dragging Richard everywhere with us you behaving for a change” Helen laughs at Max
when he turns red

“
Don’t worry Richard is only me he plays up with, why don’t you come tonight? I know Max would love you too”

“
Would you mind if I pop in tonight when I pick you up?” this was directed at Max and not Helen and Helen whished Phil could be so considerate. They had a blazing argument before she came out, on the choice of dress she was wearing. It was the black dress she wore the first night he stayed over at his charity evening. She knew it was a little revelling but she was going dancing and that was what she bought her dress for. She promised she would wear the dress he bought her tonight but it was ghastly. It had long sleeves and was too long Helen had looked like a small child in her mother’s dress so Helen changed when he left. She watches Max nod happily and shyly smiling at Richard. Helen never seen Max shy before and she can’t help herself as she laughs loudly.

“Richard you really have to come tonight, Max will go into withdrawal if you not there” Richard smiles sweetly at Max

“But Helen it be so much sweeter when he does see me, a little space is good for a relationship and I be counting the seconds until I can make my grand entrance”

         Helen leaves Max to say his goodbyes to Richard as watching others kiss their goodbyes always made Helen feel uncomfortable.

“Sorry Helen watching a gay couple kissing is sick” she can hear Max bitterness in his voice

“
Don’t you dare Max I left because it was private between you and Richard not because you are gay so get it through your thick skull, I like Richard and he makes you happy so next time you two make out you will have to beg me to leave, happy?” she scolds him

“
Very Helen, sorry just some people think it sick to see us kissing”

“
How can love be sick? It the most precious thing you can witness”

“
Spoken by a true romantic Helen, come on party time with Maximus”

             Max grabs Helen hand
when the clones invade on them.

“
Dance Helen?” and Max not waiting for an answer drags Helen onto the dance floor and swinging her around into his arms. Helen can read his every move making her believe she can dance. They must look like a couple dancing when Max hands manoeuvres over her body. Swaying and spinning Helen around.

“
You got to face the clones sooner or later” grabbing Max tightly when he dips her and making Helen heart jump with the frill

“
Never Helen” Max slips his leg into Helen’s and he spins Helen closely with his body. Each movement of Max’s body telling her senses how to move with his. Helen closes her eyes and she transported into Alan’s arms. They danced only once in his flat but the connection was the same. Helen opens her eyes suddenly Alan was the past and no matter what could have been between them it was over. Helen was in love with Phil but deep down she knew the other Phil would resurface sooner or later. It was part of him and she wasn’t sure if she could love the two.

           A hand roughly grabbing Helen shoulder and pulling her from Max

“What the fuck are you doing?” Phil screams at Helen and she cowers from his glare as he looms down on her.

“It alright mate, we were only dancing” and Max quickly blocking Phil from Helen

“You look like a whore Helen, get your fucking coat we fucking leaving”

“
That not called for, Helen just having some fun with a mate I think you need to go home and calm down” Helen is shaking she never seen Phil so mad.

“
You had your hands all over her. See the ring she fucking mine and you wonder Helen why men think you easy if you act like a whore men will treat you like one”

“
You call her a whore again and it lights out mate. I’m gay that why she let me dance with her.”

“I better go Max
I will call you later” her tears falling she got to end this tonight.

“Helen you can’t go with him you just got here, don’t let him play you like this”

“I not going to but I got to do this my way, give my love to Richard for me”

“
Take my mobile, you might need it” Helen hides it in her bag when Phil glares at Max

        Phil drags her out without her coat and he pulls her
into the car park

“Phil I’m not going with you but we do need to talk”

“Get in the fucking car Helen then we can talk, not here where everyone can see us” He got a point Helen thinks embarrassed by the open display of hostility and reluctantly gets in the car

“
Not a word Helen or so help me you will regret it” his threat silencing Helen and he starts the car

           He drives Helen to abandon warehouse miles from town. Helen never felt so scared in her life. She never learnt she scolded herself. She knew she couldn’t trust this monster Phil becomes and she waited for her punishment silently shaking.

“
Good girl, now fuck me like the whore you are” Helen slaps Phil hard across the face and Phil pins Helen arms behind her seat and tying her hands with his belt.

“Phil let me go, no” Helen screams
when Phil pulls her panties off roughly.

“Fuck me like the whore you are or get the fuck out of my car” she has no idea where she is or how to get home

“Let me go please” she pleads and looks away from Phil eyes. His eyes terrified her but he unties her and Helen grabs her bag and gets out. She shaking with fear and the cold and wets herself when she watches Phil drive off leaving her stranded alone.

          She huddles from the cold and she searches her bag for Max’s phone and she dials the number to the only person she can think of in her dazed mind. He picks up on the third ring

“Sorry wrong number” she says quietly, why did she ring him?

“Helen
? You sound upset, where are you?”

“I don’t know
I’m sorry, I’m so cold and I dialled the wrong number” Helen hangs up, she needed to start moving it was beginning to snow and she wraps her arms around her and starts walking to the lights in the distance. The phone rings and she recognizes Alan’s number

“Helen
please will you tell me where you are baby?” her tears are out of control and she shakes from the cold.

“I don’t know he left me here, mum and dad are out and I didn’t know who to call. I’m so cold
because I left my coat. I’m scared Alan”

“Its o.k. Helen I find you, where were you?”

          Helen explained the best as she could and he asked her directions that they went.

“
Is there anything on the building Helen?” the phone’s battery was becoming low and Helen hoped Alan heard her when it went and finally died on her.

          She knew she needed to keep moving but it was becoming harder and she shivered uncontrollably from the cold. It been ages since the phone died so she started walking. She was confused when she saw the head lights coming towards her it was not Alan’s car but a family car and her heart jumped
when it slowed down. She was embarrassed by the way she looked and hoped Alan would get here soon. The feeling she has for Alan resurface when she sees his face through the glass, he looks so worried and he rushes to Helen and wrapping her in his arms. She so glad he came

“I wet myself, I’m sorry but I was so scared” Helen cries into his chest
and he helps her into his car. Wrapping Helen in a blanket from the back seat and he rubs life into her cold joints

“I’m here baby, you safe now”

“He tied me up and said I was a prostitute, so I needed to and he took my panties off. But I wouldn’t have sex so he left me then he left me, I knew he hurt me if I did but I was so scared” Helen cries hysterically into Alan’s arms

“
You safe now hush, I take you home Helen you safe now” he soothes her and he gets into the car and starts the engine

“
Who did this to you Helen?” he says angrily

“
It my fault because this keeps happening to me”

“
No Helen, don’t ever think that, no is no and no decent bloke would bully you into sex”

“
But first you, then that man and now Phil, it must be my fault?” Helen watches Alan close his eyes, the pain in his face when he realized Phil was the man she was now with

“
That guy who helped you? You don’t waste time do you?” Alan says angrily

“
He made me feel alive again, after I lost you. My feeling for you, have not changed Alan but I made room to love someone else. You can never be mine Alan so I had to move on, Alan I am sorry I will always love you but we need to move on don’t we?”

“I’m sorry Helen, you right we do need to move on but why phone me?”

“I don’t know? I was scared and I dialled the number before I knew what I was doing”

“Me and Ali have an open relationship now and are only staying together for Rebecca sake so we can be together Helen. Then when she older we could be together properly. We could go back to how it was Helen, me and you together”