Throw Your Arms Around Me

A/N - I'll be honest, I've had this hanging around on my laptop for over a couple of years, writing it before my somewhat enforced hiatus and subsequent return. Not sure why I've never gotten around to uploading it. Since I usually share anything I write, even I think it won't be particularly popular, I figured I might as well just upload it and wait for the feedback.

Usual caveats. All editing and reviewing done by the author with Microsoft Word. Spelling is usually spot on. Australian / British English. Definitely the occasional typo. Grammar can be ropey at times, but it's been a long time since I sat in a classroom. All mistakes owned up to by the author. Please remember this is only fantasy and I'm an amateur, and definitely don't get paid for this as it's simply a hobby I find enjoyment in.

Comments and feedback appreciated as always.

*****

I will come for you at night time

I will raise you from your sleep

I will kiss you in four places

As I go running along your street

I will squeeze the life out of you

You will make me laugh and make me cry

We will never forget it

You will make me call your name and I'll shout it to the blue summer sky

We may never meet again

So shed your skin and lets get started

And you will throw your arms around me

You will throw your arms around me

- 'Throw Your Arms Around Me' by Hunters & Collectors

*****

"We need to talk, Mikey."

There are probably few sentences in the English language that invoke as much fear in people as the phrase 'we need to talk'. Nothing good ever follows those words. I looked across at Katie, my girlfriend. The girl I'd known since before we started primary school. The girl who'd been my girlfriend since we were both twelve years old. The girl I spent nearly every day with, our houses at either end of the same street. The girl I first held hands with, kissed and made love to. The young woman I was already planning to marry. We were both eighteen years old, having just graduated high school in early November, ready to head out into the big wide world after we'd enjoyed our last holiday before the new year. I thought we'd be doing that together.

Yet I knew all my plans, hopes and dreams were about to come crashing down. I steadied my beating heart and met her eyes, waiting for the worst.

"We're about to go in different directions in our lives, Mikey. You're heading off to work. I'm going to university."

"Yes, we are. So?" I asked cautiously.

I noticed the deep breath she took. "Well, at university, I'm going to have opportunities to..." Whatever she said after that was white noise. Funny thing is, I didn't hear the words 'I want to break up with you.' I heard the term 'open relationship' and various other bullshit terms I'd grown used to hearing and reading online. Tuning back in, I heard, "This would give you an opportunity to perhaps find someone to have some fun with to."

I sat in silence for a few moments, Katie looking at me in expectation of a response. Her face was otherwise expressionless. Eventually I met her eyes again. "So you want an excuse to cheat on me or whore around, is that it?"

"How could you say that about me?" she asked, a little angrily.

"You just said you want to sleep with other guys yet keep me on the side. What kind of guy do you think I am? You think I'll just sit idly by and wonder how many other guys you're fucking?"

"But I've said you..."

"I don't want anyone else," I said through gritted teeth, "But I think you've just made your thoughts and feelings about me perfectly clear."

"How can you not understand?"

"I understand enough. You want your cake and you want to eat it too. Well, fuck you, Katie." I noticed the shock on her face and her eyes start to glisten. "Get the fuck out of my car. You can find your own way home."

"What?"

"Get out. I have no doubt you already have a guy lined up that you'd rather fuck instead of me. Call him to come rescue you."

"Mikey, please, we can talk about this."

I hardened my heart, the one she'd just practically ripped apart. My eyes were now cold as ice as I looked at her. The self-confidence she'd shown only minutes earlier had evaporated. She really thought I'd agree to what? Sharing her? She obviously didn't know me at all, despite how long we'd been together, how many years we'd know each other. Not once had I ever mentioned anything other than the two of us. I leaned across to open the door.

"There's absolutely nothing to talk about. Fuck off, Katie. You've made your opinion about me and what our relationship really means to you perfectly clear."

She started to cry. "Please, Mikey."

"Get. The. Fuck. Out," I growled. I was close to getting out and dragging her arse out of my car.

Starting to truly sob, she grabbed her handbag and got out of the passenger seat, the door clicking into place. I slammed the car into gear, reversed, changed gear afterwards, and then floored it, not even looking in the rear-view mirror as I took off. My vision started to blur as I drove, needing to pull over a few minutes later, slamming the steering wheel in frustration and anger as I realised the last few years of my life meant absolutely nothing to someone that I had loved wholeheartedly. Stupidly, even naively, I had thought we would be the high school sweethearts that would spend their entire lives together. I now realised how little it had really meant to her.

Parking up my car in the driveway, I walked through the living room, ignoring the parents and my sister as I headed straight to my room. I sat on the end of my bed, feeling utterly drained, completely empty. I wasn't going to cry. I wouldn't cry for her, not after what she'd just asked for. She wasn't worth the tears. My father appeared a couple of minutes later. I met his eyes and it was like he immediately understood.

"Follow me, Mikey."

It wasn't an order, and I didn't really want to hear anything he had to say, but I did anyway. Following him into kitchen, he told me to take a seat at the table. He walked to the liquor cabinet, retrieving a bottle of bourbon, before grabbing two tumblers. Placing one in front of me, then one in front of himself, he poured two fingers worth in each glass.

"Drink."

"What's going on, Dad?"

"Drink."

I knocked back the shot in one hit, feeling the alcohol burn all the way down my throat, unable to stop coughing and spluttering. He poured another, telling me to drink that one too.

"Why?" I wondered.

"I've seen that look before on the faces of too many men. You'll know what I mean when you get to my age. This won't make you feel better. It'll help numb the pain for a little while, at least."

I knocked back the glass again. The third one, I drank a bit slower, my father just sitting nearby, not saying a word. Mum eventually headed in and just hugged me, before taking a seat opposite my father and pouring herself a drink too. I think they were waiting for me to start.

"She wanted an open fucking relationship. She wanted permission to fucking cheat on me."

"Oh..." Mum started, definitely surprised by the admission, though she knew enough about all these new-age ideas and relationships.

"And I take it you didn't agree?" my father enquired. The look I returned would have said everything. "I must say, I'm a little surprised. Why not just break up with you?"

"I would have preferred that. At least that's a clean break. But asking for that? Sorry, but that's just making a fool of me, as far as I'm concerned. 'Oh, I want to go and fuck other guys, but I want to keep you on the side too, just in case I don't meet someone else.' Fuck her," I finished bitterly. Dad poured me another drink. "I was eventually going to ask her to marry me." I laughed loudly. "What a fucking idiot I was to even think that!"

I knocked back another drink, and then another. There were a couple more before the night started to turn hazy. I remember finally crying at one stage, Mum hugging me tightly, as I no doubt told her everything I'd hoped for. After that, it goes a little blank, though I think Dad helped walk me to my room. I don't remember dreaming about much at all.

The hangover I had the next morning was the stuff of legends. I'd never been much of a drinker, even after turning eighteen. Dragging my sorry arse into the kitchen, Mum already had breakfast going, telling me to sit down. Dad was reading his paper, working his way through no doubt his second or third cup of the morning.

"How's the head?" he wondered.

"Ugh... Don't ask."

He chuckled. "Well, you certainly helped me with that bottle last night, son. Didn't know you had it in you."

"Thanks, Dad."

He looked at me and smiled. "No worries. Will you be heading out around the neighbourhood today?"

Since I was about thirteen, I'd helped my neighbours look after their lawns and performed other odd jobs. I was amazed by how many single mothers there were around, though considering divorce rates in the modern age, I guess it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Not saying I did it out of the goodness of my heart. I was paid for my hard work, but I know many of the single mothers appreciated what I did.

"I'll pop a couple of headache tablets and head out mid-morning."

"And what about Ms. Williams?"

Ms. Williams, otherwise known as Katie's mother. I figured she would be at home. I always had a good relationship with her mother, having known her for nearly as long as I had known Katie. I was left wondering what Katie would have told her about what happened. More importantly, if she told her the truth or a bunch of lies.

"I've always helped Ms. Williams, Dad. No reason I'd stop now."

"Good boy. Don't let what happened with Katie effect how you treat others, particularly her mother. She always treated you near enough to one of her own." He paused, and a look crossed his face. "I wonder what she thinks, if Katie told her."

"Guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes."

After popping a couple of pills and having a quick shower, I headed out into a warm early summer's day. I worked my way up the street, helping Ms. Jones with her lawn, clearing out the gutters of Miss Smith's house, then helping Ms. Brown with her flower bed. If I didn't know any better, they were aware of what happened, each of them taking extra time to ask how I was, how much they appreciated what I did for them and, hell, I think one or two even were flirting with me, though I probably completely misinterpreted their friendliness.

Then came the Williams household. I saw no sign of Katie's car, which was a relief, so I headed to the door with only a slight feeling of trepidation. I heard the doorbell chime inside, waiting a little nervously for the door to open.

The door opened and Katie's Mum smiled. "Hello, Mikey."

"Hello, Ms. Williams."

The smile quickly disappeared. "I was wondering if..."

I just shrugged. "I still have responsibilities to keep, Ms. Williams."

The smile reappeared as she stood to the side and gestured. "Come in. Can I get you a drink before you start?"

"Glass of water will be fine, thanks."

I followed her into the kitchen. I knew her first name was Sally, but she'd always been Ms. Williams, as far as I was concerned anyway. She had asked me to call her Sally one or twice, but I didn't think that was respectful, considering she was my girl... ex-girlfriend's mother. She had been married, though I was aware that she had been divorced for at least five years. I didn't know why, though Katie mentioned something about her father cheating. Sally had kept the house after the divorce. I knew she worked as some sort of businesswoman, but other than that, I only knew what Katie had told me. We talked from time to time, but I'll be honest, I was always a little nervous around her.

Mostly because she was drop dead gorgeous. I mean, if she was a vision of what Katie would look like in around twenty-five years' time, then I'd have been one lucky man. Her hair still looked to have its natural colour, her face still retained most of its youthful beauty, only one or two faint lines around her eyes. She was slim with only a small bust, smaller than Katie. She looked after herself, though had those curves I guess every woman gets as they get a little older. But she had certainly never let herself go.

I couldn't help ogle her butt as I followed her into the kitchen. I'd done that once or twice, but in the back of my mind now was, considering I was now a free man, I can ogle whoever the hell I want without guilt. I took a seat at the breakfast bar as she handed me a glass of water. She stood on the opposite side, and I could sense she wanted to say something.

"Katie broke up with me last night."

"I was aware something happened, considering she arrived home in a taxi in tears. That's why I was surprised to see you."

"Have you spoken to her?"

"No. She was up early and disappeared before we could talk. Don't suppose you can share details?"

I smirked and I noticed a look cross her face. "I think you should ask your daughter what she wanted, Ms. Williams. Then you'll understand why I feel like I had my heart ripped out and then she squished it into the ground."

She grimaced at my words. "I'm not sure I want to know... I guess that means you won't be remaining friends?"

I could help bark a laugh at such a thought. "No, ma'am. That definitely won't be happening. She's thrown that all away, as far as I'm concerned."

What surprised me next was her walked around the breakfast bar and wrapping me in a hug. "I'm sorry. I always thought you'd stay together," she said softly.

That nearly broke me. "So did I," I said quietly before clearing my throat, "I'd better get started."

"Okay. Everything is where it normally is."

Sally had a larger house than most. Mowing the lawns, trimming the hedges, cleaning the pool, even helping tend her garden. It all took a couple of hours. Just after lunchtime, I was bathed in sweat and had my shirt off, appreciating the warm sun on my back as I worked. Sally appeared as I was busy raking the backyard, lying back on one of the sunlounges in a one-piece swimsuit. She looked at me occasionally and smiled. I tried not to look at her. Again, it was nothing unusual, as mother and daughter would sometimes sunbathe together, but now that I was a free man, I certainly took more looks than normal.

I had everything done by mid-afternoon, amazed that all the hard work had helped sweat away my hangover. After packing everything away, Sally suggested I have a quick swim. "I don't have my swimmers."

"You're wearing underwear, right?" I nodded. "Well, they'll work. You look very hot there, Mikey." For some reason, I blushed at the term. She noticed, adding, "I just mean you look like you need to cool off after all your hard work."

I was wiping myself down after a quick swim when the back door opened and Katie appeared. I quickly put on my shorts and shirt as Sally got to her feet. "I'll grab your money, Mikey." Katie looked at me in silence for a few seconds, obviously wanting to say something. The look I returned suggested she should not say a word to me. Finally, she turned and walked back inside. I followed a few seconds later, almost running into Sally walking out to meet me. "Are you sure you can keep doing this?" she asked after handing over a trio of twenties. More than she'd normally pay me, but I understood why.

"I didn't break up with you, Ms. Williams," I managed to say with a hint of a smile, "Once a fortnight or month, depending on the weather, as always. Or just send me a text if you need something urgent."

I wasn't planning on looking for a job until after the holidays so I found myself with plenty of free time over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas. Having planned to spend most of the time with Katie, I found myself at a loss of what to do. I had some close friends, but even they had come second to Katie. Thankfully, they seemed to understand the heartbreak I was going through, so I found myself being dragged out of the house more often than not. We'd either head down to the park to kick a ball around, perhaps end up in the cricket nets to hit a few balls, or we'd head to a pub in the evening.

Throughout that time, I continued to help out around the neighbourhood. And now that I had plenty of free time, I had more requests than normal for help, including new households who had never requested help before. I told them my prices and they were always happy to pay for the help. The one thing that helped me move on was keeping myself occupied and not allowing myself to wallow in self-pity. And I definitely wasn't blind to the flirting I received from many of the single mother's. I still think they were only being friendly, but I couldn't help notice the ogling I received whenever I wandered around in just my shorts and shoes.

Since the night we'd broken up, Katie had attempted to call and text me. The first couple of times, she was simply told to fuck off. Since then, I'd ignored them. She'd even tried coming to my front door a couple of times. The first time I slammed the door in her face, the second time my father suggested she should just leave me alone. "You've got exactly what you wanted, freedom to be with whoever you want," I heard him say.

My love for the man exploded at the innuendo behind those words. I bought him a bottle of liquor as thanks for his support. We finished half of it that same night, my mother smiling as she was glad to see her husband and son still as close as ever.

I ran into Sally once or twice across November and December, never more than a couple of minutes here and there. It was a fortnight before Christmas when I managed to have a proper conversation with Sally again. Still surprised to see me, as she was sure I'd stop coming around, she escorted me inside and hugged me tightly once we were in the kitchen. "She finally told me everything," she said once I was sitting at her breakfast bar.

"Did she? She told you exactly what she wanted me to agree to?"

"Yes, she did. And my daughter is an idiot to have thrown away what you two had so easily. But she's free to do whatever she chooses. It's her life."

"I don't suppose she's told you about trying to get in contact with me?"

"She's miserable. She's lost her best friend." She gazed into my face for a reaction. I kept my face and eyes blank, eventually earning a nod of understanding. "I don't blame you at all, Mikey. But, do you think, one day, you could... I don't know, bury the hatchet?"

I was tempted to say I'd love to bury it in Katie's back, but that would make me sound like a nutjob. "It'll take a long time to get over it, Ms. Williams. Maybe one day. She wasn't just my best friend. She was my first love, and I thought would be my forever love. I don't know what a lot of people think, but that meant a hell of a lot to me, to share something like that with someone I truly did love, and with someone I really did believe I'd be with for... well, I stupidly thought forever."

I was taken aback by the fact she started to cry and hugged me again. I didn't really know what to say. "Sorry, it's just... I enjoyed having your presence around the house so often."

"I think hanging around with my ex-girlfriends' mother would be a little awkward, don't you think?" I asked, unable to prevent the chuckle.

She leaned back and had a curious look in her eyes. "Well, it would certainly get tongues wagging don't you think?"

Feeling my cheeks heat up again, I got to my feet and said, "Er, I'd better get started."

"Of course, Mikey. Would you like me to make you some lunch today?"

"That'd be grand, Ms. Williams. Just give me a holler whenever you want."