Chapter Fifty Four

Lizzie hugged Freya, hard. She was more of a sister to her than Janis had ever been, and whilst that hurt so much to say, she always felt as though she wasn't enough, it was ultimately still VERY true. She loved Janis, had...still did, she missed Janis every day. But then she had spent her whole life missing her, and Janis had gone and lived her life, to the full, to her own limits. Not the same way that she, the second best, put-up-on daughter lived her life. She had spent every moment trying to create a perfect image, a perfect persona, and all the while, she was broken inside, always wondering why her sister had left, why her parents despised her, and what she could do to make them love her. She'd half lived her life whilst her sister painted a thousand towns red with no care for what that meant, to Lizzie, her parents, anyone but herself.

Impulsively, she kissed Freya's cheek.

The other woman grinned, "What was that for?"

Lizzie sighed, "for being so nice to me, for making me feel part of your family. You have no idea what that means to me. Being here, it's everything, you have no idea."

Freya didn't try to draw that out, didn't try to dissect it, she just grinned, "Don't worry about my wonderful nephew. OK? He'll be fine with us. Just go and make him happy for the afternoon."

"We're going to pack up his flat. That's all."

Freya winked, "of course you are, young love and all that."

Apparently he lived in apartment number six, on the third floor. The lift wasn't arriving with any speed, so she took the stairs. At a jog. After all, she was excited, dare she say longing to see him? She still found it hard to even think about how important he was to her, but she had to think about what it meant...at some point.

She was both breathless and on edge when she reached the correct door. Taking a very deep breath for many reasons, she raised her hand to bang on the door, but then paused. The door was unlocked and slightly ajar. But she reasoned that he did know that she was coming. Her heart rate raised a notch as she wondered what he was planning. Where would she find him? What was he going to do? What were they going to do? Something to make her blush, she was sure of that.

She craved that.

With a smug grin on her face, she pushed open the door, the words 'Hi honey, I'm home', poised on her lips, then stopped in her tracks.

Oscar was stood there, naked bar a pair of gym shorts, his bronzed and beautiful body so tempting, so stunning. She had to rein in the desire to fly across the room and hang around him koala bear style. Because stood in front of him was Krystal. Lizzie had only seen her once, but she couldn't forget the apparent perfection, the beauty...the jealousy. Though she didn't seem so perfect today. She had her hands spread over his bare chest. Lizzie sucked in some air, as a red mist settled over her eyes and she fought the desire to punch that bitch.

Stepping into the room, with a steadiness that betrayed the trauma she felt inside, she was about to screech, "Get you filthy hands off MY man." When said bitch flung her mid thigh raincoat off her shoulders and tried to drape her naked body around Oscar, she snapped mouth closed, and stepped into the room. No more Ms Nice Guy.

"What the FUCK do you think you are you doing?"

Her voice caused them both to freeze, then two pairs of eyes flashed to her, one guilty, anxious, terrified; the other gloating, smug and she knew contrived. She thought she'd feel different, that she'd hate Oscar, want to scratch his eyes out. But he looked petrified.

"Shit, Lizzie..."

She held up a hand to silence him, "no, Oscar." This wasn't about him, not at that moment, instead she turned slowly to the naked woman. "I asked you, what the fuck are you doing here?"

Krystal opened her mouth, then snapped it shut, indignantly.

"You are interrupting something..." Krystal finally managed haughtily.

That made Lizzie laugh. She nodded her head towards the anxious looking Oscar and laughed, "does that look like someone who wants you here? I suggest you leave, before I throw you out."

It seemed that that comment was the one that pushed Krystal into fight mode, she stepped towards Lizzie, thrusting those gigantic breasts in her direction, "it's YOU that is interfering. Oscar and I, we were having a conversation."

Lizzie shook her head, "there's no conversation he wants to have with you whilst your naked, isn't that right Oscar?

They both glanced at the man, who looked stunned. Unable to form a word he merely nodded.

"See?" Lizzie gloated. She couldn't ever imagine being this aggressive, this forthcoming. But there was something about what she'd witnessed, this bitch thinking that an hour glass figure and a pair of fake breasts would beat all that she had, all that they had together. Stooping she picked up Krystal's coat and threw it over the back of the sofa. Out of her reach. She wanted to be naked, she could bloody BE naked. This new devilish evil streak in Lizzie seemed to be unrelenting.

"I think you need to take your hands off my boyfriend, and get the FUCK out of this building!"

Krystal's confidence deflated like an untied balloon, obviously her current naked state didn't appeal in a street in broad daylight.

"He doesn't want you," Krystal offered, but the anxiety in her voice was evident.

Lizzie looked at Oscar for a moment, but his eyes were trained back on her, wide with pleasure. She'd called him her boyfriend; he'd crucify her for that later.

"Yet he's staring at me...and I'm fully dressed. Get out of here TRAMP!"

The other woman stepped towards her, a hand raised, but Lizzie wasn't about to be intimidated. She reached out and grabbed her shoulder, then propelled her to the door.

Krystal stumbled in her heels, "you can't do this. My coat."

Lizzie laughed, "should've thought of that before you threw it off. Now, GET OUT."

Oscar watched his jaw wide open as Lizzie tossed a stunned Krystal out of the door. Since he'd mistakenly let her in, he'd been trying to get her out, not wanting this to happen, Lizzie to see her. He saw his happiness with Lizzie diminishing by the second. Then she appeared, just as Krystal disrobed, and he knew it was all over. He could never have envisaged this happening, Lizzie. He shook his head in wonder as she slammed the door closed behind Krystal.

Then she collapsed into a heap on the floor.

Rushing to her, he picked her up and carried her to the sofa.

"You are Wonder Woman, do you know that?"

He thought she'd laugh, instead she turned to him with tears in her eyes, and his heart sank. He'd thought she believed him, that she trusted him. His world crumpled all over again.

"Don't cry Lizzie, please. I'm so sorry."

She whimpered, and then looked up at him, "I've thrown her out with no clothes on!"

Staring at her, he tried to hide a laugh, "THAT'S why you're crying?"

She nodded, "what a bitch I am."

Then he did laugh, "baby, you are anything but. Shot. You were amazing. You HAVE to believe that."

When he smirked she rolled her eyes, "don't!"

"You called me your boyfriend..." He leaned in and whispered, "I almost came in my pants at that. Wow!"

She punched his arm, and then thumbed in the direction of the door, "what do we do about..."

He stopped her words with a finger to her lips, "she deserves all she gets. Won't be the first time she's had to get out of a pickle like this."

Her eyes were sat, staring at him, so he jumped to his feet and found the coat behind the sofa, walking to the door he threw it into the hallway, then slammed it shut immediately.

"It's there if she wants it." He stepped towards her, "but I don't want to talk about Krystal."

"No?" She swallowed nervously, and he grinned. This was Lizzie, the contrasting, never certain, beautiful and fiery woman.

He sighed, "God I love you woman, I thought you were going to storm in here and think the worst."

Reaching out, he pulled her to her feet, as she asked, "you think that badly of me?"

Shaking his head, he wrapped his arms around her, "no, but if I'd walked in on you naked with an ex boyfriend...then I don't know how I'd react."

Sighing, she ran her hands over his chest, lustily, then finally met his eyes, "you knew I was coming. I can't believe you'd willingly hurt me by having her here by choice."

His face burst into the biggest grin, she trusted him. Hell, he knew she loved him, as strongly as he loved her. She wasn't ready to admit, or even realise that yet. But she would. Relief washed over him at that thought...then desire.

As his lips found hers, there was no resistance, if anything; she was as desperate and needy as he was. It was all music to his senses.

Lifting her slightly, he was rewarded with her legs wrapping around him, tightly, all the while their lips and tongues tangled. He couldn't see where he was going, and it had been a long time since he'd live in the apartment, so they bumped into several obstacles before he kicked open the bedroom door and threw her down onto the mattress.

She but her lip as she watched him kick off his shorts, "we haven't got time."

Completely naked, and very excited, he climbed beside her, "there is always time for this, for us. Don't ever doubt that. OK?"

Nodding, she pulled her t-shirt over her head, but before she could do anymore, his hands and fingers were on her skin.

"Shit," she murmured as he dragged the lace cup of her bra down to free her nipple for his lips and then teeth. His responding laugh was a rumble against her sensitive skin.

Within moments she was as naked as him, and he groaned as he joined their bodies. And it was perfect, more perfect than ever before. Lizzie didn't just let him lead, take control as usual, she fought with him, wrestling until he was on his back and she was in command. Oscar had never thought he'd enjoy that, but seeing her so brazen, so confident as she sat astride him, looking down at him, uncaring of her own nakedness, only focussed on their mutual pleasure...he knew he'd never felt so turned on his life.

The explosion, when it happened was cataclysmic; he wanted to literally melt into a heap. And when she collapsed in a gibbering wreck on top of him, he knew that she felt the same way.

"It's late."

Lizzie's words were a rumble into his chest, not enough to make Oscar open his eyes, "gonna have to come back and finish this tomorrow." His own voice was a hoarse whisper.

"We need to head back for Nate."

Oscar managed to open one eye, to see her staring at him, "I've just lost a battle with Wonder Woman, show me some mercy!"

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him, "lost? I hardly think you've lost anything."

With a grunt, Oscar rolled on to his back, pulling her over him, "no, you are right, I've hit the jackpot with you."

She rolled her eyes at the compliment, but her retort was smothered by his lips.

They managed an hour of sorting through the larger items in the apartment, before they loaded the SUV with the bags filled for charity and those that were to be taken to the local dump. He planned to distribute them on the way back to his sister's. As they passed the small shopping mall, Lizzie put a hand on his forearm.

"Can you drop me here? I promised Freya I'd get some wine for us to drink tonight."

Swinging into the car park he nodded, "I'll be fifteen minutes."

"Perfect!" She announced before disappearing.

They had a barbeque that evening, sat on the first floor deck, a conversion of the old fire escape. It was still early in the summer, but it seemed that the small wooden area was a sun trap. The men had their shirts off as they took it in turns to flip steak, sausages and chargrill vegetables.

It left the women to sit and watch as they children were all in bed, and in listening distance of the baby monitor on the table between them.

"So did your brother tell you he had a visitor today?"

Lizzie smirked from behind her glass of wine as all eyes turn to Oscar. He glared at her, but there was humour in his expression.

"How did I know you'd bring that up?"

Coop looked between the two of them, "now I'm intrigued! Who was it?"

Oscar hesitated, so Lizzie replied, "a naked woman."

Freya sprayed a mouthful of wine across the table, "what?"

She nodded, "apartment door was a jar, so I enter the lounge in time to see a woman disrobe and drape herself around your man here's neck!"

Coop burst out laughing, but Freya looked fraught, "are you ok, Lizzie?"

"It was Krystal...you warned me she was up to something."

It was Lizzie's turn to look s hocked, "she did? You didn't say."

"I haven't as much as thought about her in months. Why would it bother me and why should I take it seriously?" He ran a hand through his hair, "and anyway, Lizzie here, poor innocent Lizzie, threw her out without any of her clothes!"

Coop doubled over howling with laughter, "really? You go girl!" With that he hi-fived her. "That is golden. Tell me more."

The rest of the evening flew by, it seemed the Coopers were seeing her in a different light, there was far less sympathy, and much less ribbing of Oscar, and she liked that. Equal.

"I'll check on Nate, you head on down to bed, ok?"

Oscar brushed a kiss over her lips before helping Coop with the rest of the barbeque paraphernalia. She scooted down stairs and was curled up under the blankets when he finally came into the room.

"You ok?"

She nodded, watching as he stripped down to his boxers, all tanned beauty. When he lifted the blanket to climb in beside her, he froze, and she turned slightly to face him.

Oscar stared, and stared. Lizzie was wearing a skin tight strappy top that failed to hide her curves, or how hard her nipples were, but it wasn't them that made him gasp, but the pattern, Wonder Woman, vest, and tight red knickers with a matching logo on the front of them. It was like all his dreams had rolled into one, never before had something been more appropriate. Rolling his eyes, he collapsed next to her with a groan, as she pounced on him.