Best Friends Ch. 02

I made a horrendous error in the first chapter and I apologise wholeheartedly.

I forgot to add credits to Charlie who helped me with editing. Thanks Charlie you are a star.

My life was now in tatters, my marriage and everything I had worked for had evaporated, disappeared up in smoke. I was a grumpy sour bastard, I snapped at everyone and I knew I was hard to deal with. I felt like my life was spiralling out of control.

Work was increasingly difficult, my boss lost patience with me. Since the night of the incident he had given me an increasingly hard time, I think my father was behind it because they were good mates. His attitude made life unbearable, I admit I can be a stubborn bastard when I want to be and his attitude was actually the catalyst for more change.

With my apprenticeship complete I was now a certified Electrician. Because of our deteriorating relationship I had been considering going out on my own for a while. I decided it was time to act and set the wheels in motion I talked to a local service station that had a small empty workshop out the back with a room above it that I could use to run the business from and live in as well. It was going to be my new business and my home.

I had been ferreting away any spare money I earnt from doing cash jobs for mates. That money didn't show up anywhere and it was going to be enough to at least get me started.

The separation of our finances was difficult I cancelled our joint accounts, and started my own, Cass was now on her own.

My dad, I think it was fair to say had lost any respect for me. My mother who had been at least a little supportive was now less than that, they were angry with me for walking out on my wife and new born.

Cassie's mum who knew part of the story was the only one who cut me any slack.

Dad caught me at Cassie's mums one day while I was doing some yard work for her. He took the opportunity to furiously lecture me in a spittle flying sermon about life, family and obligations.

Cassie's Mum heard the whole thing and although she didn't say anything until he had left, said. "Jason why not just tell them the truth? That way at least you will get some respite."

I shook my head. "No mum if I tell them it will ruin their relationship with Cassie and I need them to be there to support her. She is going to need all the help she can get in the coming years."

I settled into my new life. I found plenty of work although it meant working long hours. Financially the business was going well and I felt a resounding flash of self-satisfaction and pride. I was building a great clientele and getting plenty of call backs.

Cassie wouldn't let go, she refused to sign the divorce papers and fought kicking and screaming the whole way. She messaged me every day relentlessly. I woke in the morning and there was a message from her. When I sat down for lunch there was at least one message. They never stopped. She took great delight in telling me all about her and Jaycee's day. What they did and how they were going. She sent pictures of them both and every time she added I love you and kisses.

Then out of the blue they stopped. Just like that, no more messages. It seemed weird and if I was honest, I missed it. There was nothing for days and I figured oh well it was bound to happen. I had never responded to even one of her messages. She had obviously moved on and probably chosen to tell Chris the truth.

I was halfway up a ladder trying to run in some electrical cables when my phone rang, it was Cassie's Mum crying breathlessly begging for help. Between her sobs and her laboured breathing she cried. "Jason, help me please I need help."

"Where are you what's going on?"

"I am at your place, Cassie is sick."

She sounded weak and fragile and when the phone went dead I jumped in the truck and raced over.

Dad's car was in the driveway and when I burst in my mother had mum in a chair giving her a cup of tea, dad was carrying Jaycee around the room trying to quieten her down.

I stood staring open mouthed. "What the hell is going on?"

Dad snapped angrily. "Not that you care but your wife is in hospital with bloody pneumonia and she is very ill. Elizabeth has been trying to care for your daughter on her own but she had a bad turn."

"Shit what do you want me to do?"

He walked up and angrily thrust the screaming baby at me. "Here, look after your daughter."

The last thing I wanted was to hold that kid but I could see the steely glint in dad's eye. I pulled her into my arms and cradled her the way I had been shown in the antenatal classes. I held her tightly rocking slowly as I walked her around the house and slowly but surely she quietened until her gentle sucking alerted to me she was hungry. I walked into the kitchen passing Mum and dad sitting with Elizabeth trying to comfort her. I found a bottle in the fridge and heated it up.

Once Jaycee was fed I changed her nappy and put her to bed.

Dad looked up acknowledging me. "We are going to the hospital, look after Elizabeth and Jaycee." They disappeared leaving Elizabeth and I alone.

She looked exhausted so I made her some dinner and a cup of tea. As she was resting I whispered. "What happened mum?"

"Cassie got really sick and got rushed into hospital, I thought I would be OK but today it all caught up with me. I am sorry but I didn't know what to do, so I called you but Ted and Agnes turned up just after."

"It's alright mum you will be fine."

She stared hopefully at me. "Jason you will help won't you? If you could come and help in the evenings we could do this together."

Trying to back out I mumbled. "My folks can help during the day, there's probably some sort of government assistance to help with evenings."

"No..." She snapped. "Jason we are family and we need you to step up. I am begging you."

She held my hand firmly. "Jason this is your family. Cassie was a fool, but you will never convince me you do not love her despite her stupidity. You will make an incredible father if you just give it a chance. Please don't let me down."

She relaxed back in the chair for a while before she sighed. "The baby is sleeping soundly now honey. Perhaps you could go down to the hospital and check Cassie for me, I can't drive."

Cassie was in emergency in an isolation unit, she was sick alright, really sick. They had purposely put her into a coma to help stabilise her. Her lung had collapsed and although they had re-inflated it she was still in dire condition and on a ventilator. Mum and dad left so I sat and held her hand. I promised myself before I walked in that I would be strong, but it was impossible. As I sat holding her hand the realisation seeped in. She could die right here and now. I am not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby. I talked to her, I swore and cursed at her, I even prayed.

When I got back home mum was again trying to look after the baby who was crying. Mum was so weak I could see that she couldn't cope. I took the baby, washed her changed her nappy fed her and tucked her into bed. I took mum in a cup of tea. "Elizabeth if my mother can help you tomorrow I will come in the evening and take over."

She smiled. "Thanks' Jason we can do this honey. If you help we can get through this together. Cassie made a huge mistake, but something wonderful came from that and that is this little girl. Open your heart, open up and let her in. You will realise that regardless of the blood this little girl is yours."

I moved in staying the night to help care for them both. My mother helped during the day and I took over at night. My efforts did not go unnoticed and it certainly made my mother change her stance, she hugged me at every opportunity and told me over and over how proud of me she was.

Of course my father couldn't keep his nose out and came to help, and like mum when he saw the effort I put in, he softened as well.

Jaycee really was a cute little thing I tried to separate my feelings toward her, I mean it wasn't her fault, but it was hard to keep my anger suppressed. Every night I rocked and cuddled her to sleep. In the evenings after getting her and Mum fed and settled I went and sat with Cassie. Often meeting my mum and dad and we all sat together.

Eventually Cassie was brought out of the coma and she started to make a recovery. I was in the room when she opened her eyes, she smiled and held out her arms and we shared a tear filled embrace before she sniffled. "Jason where is Jaycee?"

I smiled. "Your mum is looking after her." The next day mum and I went to visit her early in the morning and we took Jaycee with us. Cassie's smile was wide and as I leaned over to hand her Jaycee she kissed me. "Thank you Jay, thank you."

I couldn't believe how relieved I felt seeing her come to life, my heart was racing, damn it I still loved the cheating bitch, and yes it still hurt.

We spent a pleasant day together. She held and cuddled Jaycee. Her mum found every excuse she could to leave Cassie and me by ourselves.

Two weeks later Cassie was well enough to be released. I picked her up from hospital and took her home. I stayed on and looked after them all for a few days while both her and her mum recovered fully.

It was hard, bloody hard actually. I wanted to stay mad. I had every right to be mad, didn't I? It was hard because it felt good to be home and seeing Cassie every day just reminded me how much I had missed her and then of course there was Jaycee. With every passing day I became more attached to her. She was gorgeous and all the good things babies are.

As Cassie and her mum perked up and were capable of caring for themselves, it was time for me to leave them to it.

Neither tried to stop me, but it was hard to walk away. It hurt, as much as I hated to admit it I had come to love the little urchin, sadly I held her responsible for everything that was wrong with my marriage, my wife had sex with my best friend and if I wanted to return to my marriage I would have to raise his bastard child, it just wasn't fair.

As with every broken marriage the emotions are just part of it. Cassie had to go back to work, her mother although she was still a bit fragile cared for Jaycee during the day. Even with Cassie back at work money was tight so I agreed to cover the mortgage and utilities. Even with that they still struggled and I often took groceries, Cassie eased the pain of that by making sure I stayed for dinner and I always ended up spending time with Jaycee and putting her to bed.

One day as I was dropping off some groceries for them and it had been a long tiring day and feeling grumpy, I got Cassie alone. "Cassie you need to get Chris here to help out with this stuff. I can't afford two households, this is his responsibility not mine."

Her face dropped and I saw angry thunder spread across her face. She vigorously shook her head until she exploded. "No fucking way! Chris has nothing to do with this. He is not this baby's father. I don't care what you say, I would rather starve. If you don't want to help, then don't but Chris will never be Jaycees father. I will raise Jaycee by myself but he will never know."

Later as Cass walked around nursing Jaycee, trying to quieten her down I could see the levels of frustration growing because she screamed blue bloody murder. Cass looked distraught, and exhausted. Reaching out I took Jaycee and held her in my arms. The moment she snuggled against my cheeks she stopped crying and she nestled in, I gave her a burp and within twenty minutes I had her tucked up in bed.

As I walked back into the living room Mum smiled. "That little girl is definitely a daddy's girl."

She muttered. "Jason I understand the bitterness you must feel but don't let resentment get in the way of what could be the happiest days of your life."

I turned and walked out, Cassie followed catching me at my truck. "Jay I am sorry, I know I have said it before but, I mean it. I fucked up, I made a terrible mistake and I hurt you, I can see that but please, please can't you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"I want to forgive you Cass, but it still hurts so much, I am sorry but I can't do it."

Life it is a twisted path and as much as we all think we know what we would do in these situations it is never that cut and dried. Watching movies I always criticised the weak bastards who gave in, but here and now......

Each evening I spent with Cassie and Jaycee was another day that my life was put on hold and every night I cuddled and played with Jaycee made it harder to walk away.

Every day was this never ending loop of work, helping Cassie and then returning to my cold empty little room late at night above the workshop trying to figure out finances. One night I realised this was stupid, the only person being punished by this separation was me, I was paying all the bills and doing all the hard yards and getting nothing in return, to top it of I was sick of masturbation.

It was slow and drawn out, but with each passing day I felt the anger and hurt fade a little. It was Jaycee who broke my heart and made up my mind. I was sitting in the lounge cuddling her when she nestled in under my chin and mumbled. "Dah, dah."

Cassie just about fell off her chair. "Oh my god Jason did you hear that?" Cassie cried, grabbing Jaycee she kissed her. "Oh you sweet beautiful little angel."

Of course I heard it, how could I not. My heart raced and there is no explanation for the way I felt. Her first words...

That night when I drove home I cried and it was a restless few nights and I decided to stay away for a few days just to think and clear my head.

The next time I saw them was on the weekend when I went around to mow the lawns. Cassie was at work and mum and Jaycee were sitting on the living room rug playing, when Jaycee saw me she stood up clinging onto mum and tottered stumbling unsteadily towards me with her arms outstretched. I knelt down and she picked herself up and carried on falling into me. "Dah dah..."

The look on Mums face said it all. She was amazed. "Oh Jason why can't you see, she loves you. Son you need to stop all this silliness, this is your home and your family. I am begging you wake up."

I made the decision... I moved back home, there would be a lot of people reading this who think it was weak or stupid, but for me it felt right, sometimes you just have to do what you think is the right thing even if it hurts.

Initially I slept in the spare room but even that was hard Cassie wanted a proper marriage and wanted me back in our bed. She took every opportunity to tease and torment me, parading around the house in ever decreasing amounts of clothing, the house filled with her sweet perfume. It was getting harder to deny her charms and I was only human.

The tension had been building and it was time. I took great delight in smashing our old bed to pieces. I didn't disassemble it I took the axe to it and exhausted all my anger as I chopped it into a million bits. I loaded it on the back of my truck and took it to the dump. On the way home I brought a brand new bed.

I didn't say anything but when Cassie got home she went into the bedroom to put away her jacket.

She came bursting out into the lounge and jumped into my arms with a huge smile plastered across her face. "Oh my god, thank you Jay."

That night we became husband and wife again. At first it was hard; we didn't fall into sexual bliss. I still had feelings of betrayal and yes inadequacy. I struggled with what happened that night and the look of pure ecstasy on her face while Chris fucked her. She was lost in total rapture, sexual euphoria. Her arms and legs wrapped around him her head rolling from side to side as she screamed cumming harder than I had ever seen. I had never seen that level of excitement before and it hurt that he was able to do that for her.

So at first when we made love Cass tried too hard and it pissed me off. When we made love she just about screamed the place down and I knew it was fake. One night as we were in the midst of making love she started to scream I pushed her away fiercely and exploded. "Shut up Cass, just shut up, don't treat me like an idiot, if you don't like what I am doing or if I am not ringing your bell just say so but don't fake it."

She stared at me in horror and burst into tears, obviously embarrassed by being caught out. "I am sorry." She sniffled. "I just wanted you to know how much I enjoy our lovemaking."

"Yeah well if you enjoy it why all this theatrical shit, it's insulting."

"Babe, you do it for me, you are a wonderful lover, I just want to be better for you and I want to make it special."

Those words resonated, when alone I researched lovemaking methods I was determined not to be second best. I wanted her to enjoy sex as much as I did. She was an incredibly sexual woman. I wanted to make sure I didn't pale by comparisons with Chris.

There's plenty of info on line about improving technique. While immersed in it I realised I really had been lacking, I was too focused on my own pleasure. That had to change, so I started slowly bringing in the things I had learned.

It all fell into place as we made love one night which I considered the start of our new marriage.

We had a pleasant evening, Jaycee was off at Cassie's mums place. I cooked a romantic dinner and I focused on her. We had a few drinks, we danced and we made out on the sofa before I carried her off to bed.

I started slowly, teasing and caressing her, I teased and tickled, kneaded and stroked everywhere except, her pussy, I didn't dive straight in the way I used to I took my time and her purring cooing little whimpers proved she was enjoying it.

As we kissed I ran my hands slowly down past her perky erect nipples, down over her fluttering abdomen and settled on her inner thighs stroking and massaging before resting on her pussy. She raised her hips and let her legs fall open inviting me in, but I waited just playing with her pubes and running my fingers along her outer lips again teasing and tantalizing. When I finally slipped a finger into her swollen and engorged pussy, I was surprised at how easily it slid in, she was wet with anticipation. "Do you like that baby?" I asked.

She cooed, "God yes, what do you think... that feels so nice."

I closed my mouth around her pointy nipple and sucked it into my mouth, I nuzzled nibbled and sucked until she mewed, "That feels good, don't stop."

I started to thrust my fingers into her with more intensity, adding another to the mix; I pumped them in and out fucking her gently. Her pussy squelched and her clit appeared from its protective folds looking enormous. As I fucked her harder and harder, faster, deeper my hands became covered in her warm gooey juices. "Oh fuck babe I am going to cum," She whimpered. "Fuck don't stop, don't fucking stop, fuck me."

Her body tensed up as she pushed her pussy hard against my hand trying to embed more of my disappearing hand up into her gushing hole.

As she recovered I climbed between her legs and kissed my way up her inner thighs, I sucked on her flesh, I kissed and nibbled leaving little bite marks where I had been. As I arrived between her legs I licked slowly around her pussy licking up all her juices. "Jesus Jay what are you doing to me."

I didn't speak I worked my tongue into her succulent tangy hole; it was still swollen and filled with juice as I worked my tongue around. She writhed and wriggled trying to move away. "Jay baby, just fuck me honey I need it now."

I laughed. "You will get it when I am good and ready and not before." I slid a couple of fingers in beside my tongue and thrust them in and out purposefully, gently at first but with a building intensity.

She had given up trying to move me and her hands tangled and tussled my hair as I licked and sucked her flooded pussy, the squelchy squishy sounds filled my ears as I moved my tongue over her clit and sucked it into my mouth. She jumped, her whole body left the bed as she screamed. "Oh fuck, oh fuck yes, Jesus don't stop."