After my last story, submitted as 16 chapters, this a one-off romance of 30,000+ words.
All persons described as engaging in sexual activity in the story are over the age of 18.
As always constructive comments are appreciated as are your votes.
Please remember though, it is just a story, it isn't real.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He couldn't just walk away, could he?
Staring blankly out of the window, Jon Maer let his attention wander as he watched as darkness start to fall, the sun slowly dipping below the distant horizon to signal the beginning of the night.
The clatter of the wheels on the rails dragged him back to the present and once again he sighed with frustration.
An unexpected four-hour delay to his journey, due to an incident on the line they had said, was the cause of his sour mood. It meant that his train was now getting close to his destination at a little before twenty-one hundred hours instead of its scheduled arrival time of 18.45.
'Shit!'
He sighed again and rebuked himself for forgetting that, to everyone outside of the military, it was now nine o'clock in the evening. It would be something he needed to remember in the coming days if he was ever going to settle into civilian life.
Turning back, he glanced over at the attractive redhead sitting across from him and returned the smile she was giving him, wondering if he should strike up a conversation with her. She had been discretely eyeing him with undisguised interest for virtually the whole journey and, after more than 6 months away without female company, he knew that he could do with some fun.
'
Perhaps not though'
, he thought to himself.
He was very aware that he had plenty of things to do when he got home and there was no point in creating more problems where there weren't any. Besides that, she might not even be going to the same place that he was.
Looking away Jon checked his watch and noted he didn't have long to wait before he reached his stop and, still with half a mind to ask the girl out if she disembarked when he did, he started to collect his belongings.
The idea of getting her number was still occupying part of his thoughts when the train started to slow as it approached the station.
'Time to get off.'
He stood up, picking up his baggage, and smiled again at the redhead sitting opposite him.
"Bye." She returned his smile and mouthed a farewell to him but made no attempt to get up.
Clearly she was travelling on.
"Bye." A little disappointed he responded in the same way as they finally came to a stop and the carriage doors slid open.
Stepping out onto the empty platform, along with a handful of other bedraggled and unhappy travellers also getting off, he dropped his two large bags to the ground and looked around, taking a few seconds to remind himself that he was actually home.
It had been more than 6 months since he had last been here and, as always, everything seemed to be just as it was when he left. It never ceased to amaze him how, within just a minute or two, the stresses of life in the army fell away and he started to relax.
Watching his fellow passengers scurrying away to get home as quickly as they could he smiled to himself and breathed in the familiar air. Still unmoving as the last of them disappeared out of the exit he remained on the deserted platform and took a few moments to reflect.
He had spent almost the whole of the last half a year overseas with his unit, 3 Para (the 3
rd
Battalion of the Parachute regiment), on his final posting before his resignation from the army became effective.
'Had it really been 10 years.'
The thought suddenly struck him and he wondered just how many weeks he had spent at home in that time.
'Ten? Twenty?'
When he thought about it, it was virtually unbelievable to him that for almost a third of his life he had been in the military. It still seemed that it was just a short while ago that, as a heart broken eighteen-year-old, he had gone into the local recruiting office and enlisted in an effort to forget a girl.
'Maddie Bryant.'
How long had it been since he had last thought about her?
'A year or maybe even longer?;
'Where was she now?'
'What was she doing with her life?'
He had met her at school and, even though they were both only fifteen, they had fallen for each other almost immediately and had remained, to all intents, inseparable for the next three years.
They had been each other's firsts in just about everything. Although they had resisted going too far and waited until they had both celebrated their eighteenth birthdays before properly consummating their relationship, taking each-others virginity in the process.
On completing their 'A' levels their plan had been for both of them to go on to the same university together when they finally finished school.
He took a deep breath; life had seemed so simple and straightforward back then until suddenly, unexpectedly, it wasn't.
Totally without warning she had told him she had changed her mind and now intended to go to Durham university, while he would be miles away in Bristol.
It had come entirely out of the blue taking him completely by surprise and he could remember the conversation as if it were yesterday.
"I think we need to take a break Jon." She had said one afternoon as they sat in his bedroom.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing.... I... I just do."
"Why? What's changed Maddie?" He tried again to get an answer from her.
"It's not you it's.... it's me.. I.... I just think we should break up." She had avoided his eyes as she said it.
"But I love you."
"Please Jon don't make it any harder than it is."
It was all she had said and, sitting on his bed in a state of shock, he had felt the warm tears on his cheeks
There was no remorse, no apology, no anything, from her, she simply wanted to split up with him.
"Why? Tell me what I've done wrong Maddi?" Utterly stunned he had struggled to comprehend her decision.
"I.... I just think we should stop seeing each other."
"But why? I don't understand... we were...."
"Because I'm not going to Bristol with you." She had finally stated flatly, "I've changed my mind and I'm going to go to Durham now."
Heartbroken he had tried to get her to agree to a long-distance relationship; they could see each other during the holidays, he could visit at week-ends, but she had rejected all of his suggestions, adamant that it was over between them.
It had been two days later when he found out the real reason for their break-up, Danny Chapman was going to Durham and she was going with him.
Devastated at losing the love of his life he had shelved his intention of continuing his education and had walked straight into the nearest recruiting office to join the army.
His family had tried hard to dissuade him, only his sister offering him any support, but he had ignored their pleas and signed up eager to get away from anything that reminded him of Madeline Bryant.
It had been tough in the beginning but he had stuck it out and it was a decision he had never regretted, not once in the ten years he had served.
Shaking his head to dispel the melancholy memories he reminded himself he was home, this time for good.
'For good was a long time?'
That thought left him wondering just what he was going to do with himself now?
One thing he was certain of was that he needed to focus on building a new life for himself and not go chatting up cute redheads on the train.
Looking up he realised several minutes had passed and that everyone else had gone, leaving him alone on the dark and silent platform. With a rueful grin he hefted his kitbag onto his shoulder and picked up his holdall before heading out of the exit after them. As he walked through the deserted booking hall he hoped that he might just be lucky enough to find a taxi parked at the small cab rank outside.
However, just as he had expected it was empty, while the few nearby shops and café were all in darkness, shut up for the night.
He groaned inwardly knowing from experience that at this time of the evening on a Friday all the local taxis would be busy plying their trade in the town centre, where they were sure of a good night's takings.
"Fuck it." He muttered disconsolately under his breath.
Gazing up into the clear night sky he paused for a moment while he made his mind up whether to wait for a cab or to walk. It wasn't cold and, apart from a few small clouds that blotted out the stars here and there, it promised to be a fairly pleasant night so he should stay warm and dry.
Reckoning that it would take him around thirty minutes to make his way to his small apartment, or maybe a little longer as he was carrying his bags, he knew he would eventually get there under his own steam.
On the other hand, the chances of a cab appearing at this time in the evening were minimal at best. He knew he could easily end up standing around waiting a very long time and still having to walk when no taxi arrived.
It was really a no brainer for him.
So, picking up his stuff he set off along the familiar streets, reminiscing how he had been brought up here with his whole family around him.
They were all gone now, of course.
He had lost his parents, killed in a traffic smash more than four years ago and then his beloved grandfather, the last of his grandparents, taken two years previously, at the wonderful age of 91.
The only one left now was his sister Eleanor, or Ellie as she preferred to be known. She was two years older than him and was his sole reason for returning here, along with the small flat that he owned.
'The flat.'
Leaving the station behind and trudging purposefully along the deserted street Jon smiled cheerfully as he thought of the place he knew as home, even though he hadn't really spent very much time there since he bought it.
