In the Night Garden

**AUTHOR'S NOTE

Another new chapter for you lucky people! Although there isn't any direct interaction between Tom and Eva (which is what I know you all like ;]) in these two new chapters, I hope you'll like where my story is going, as I finally know myself how I want it to end after going through a few possible endings.

Alice will become a sort of pivotal character in the story, and I can assure you all that Tom and Eva will meet again, but Tom seems to be reverting back to his old ways and in the meantime he needs fresh meat to bend to his will, as he has an unhealthy compulsion to control women.

As usual, please comment with your feedback and any criticism, and some may not like where the story is heading, but please remember this is my story, and still the first story I ever wrote so it won't be perfect.

But now I'll shut up, here's the next chapter. Enjoy...

*****

It was already light out when Eva stirred after hearing the front door unlock from the outside, opening to reveal a disheveled looking Freddie who'd returned home early. He dropped his bags by the door, letting out a loud exhausted sigh as Eva rose from the sofa to greet him.

"Hey, you're home early," she said inquisitively, kissing him on the cheek. He hugged her with one arm and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a bottled water from the fridge. Taking a deep swig he wiped his mouth, placing the bottle down on the counter.

"Yeah," he breathed, "the festival was a bust; shit bands, shit crowd, I just wanted to get home and sleep in my own bed." He gave his armpits a sniff, wrinkling his nose as he grabbed a towel from the clothes dryer. Eva cleared her throat and approached him as he busied himself. "Have I got any clean boxers, babe?" She motioned towards the pile of laundry on top of the washing machine, watching him go through the heap of clothes to select a pair.

"Freddie," she said nervously, "I have to talk to you about something." Freddie turned and walked past her, removing his sweat and dirt encrusted clothes creating a pool of fabric on the floor.

"Can it wait, babe? I need a shower, I fucking stink!" He was already halfway up the stairs before she had a chance to reply. With a sigh, she gathered his clothes from the floor, shoving them into the washing machine as she heard the bathroom door close behind him.

Emerging from the kitchen, she heard a loud beeping coming from Freddie's backpack. She normally wouldn't bother to look at his phone, but her recent frame of mind had made her paranoid; not to mention curious. Searching through the side pockets to find the phone, she pulled it out, pressing the home button and watching the screen illuminate to show a message from someone named, 'Annie.' As her heart began to thrum vigorously, she darted her head towards the stairs; she could still hear the shower running. Looking back to the screen, she read the brief message without opening it.

'Had a fab wknd with you, you bad, bad boy. See you next Sat sexy ;) x'

Her heart froze in her chest; so she was right, he had been cheating on her. She wasn't at all surprised, nor could she feel any anger towards him considering what she and Tom had done. She struggled to find the right emotions inside of her; but she felt nothing. Getting up to put the phone back into the pocket of his backpack, she went upstairs to the bedroom, walked over to the closet and pulled out a suitcase.

Freddie entered the bedroom and stopped in his tracks; watching Eva packing her belongings with confusion.

"What are you doing, babe?" He asked, still watching as Eva got up and walked around him, pulling out drawers and grabbing everything out from them.

"I'm going to Kirsty's," she replied, coldly, placing the folded clothes neatly into the suitcase. Freddie looked on as she hurried around the room, taking a large cosmetics bag and putting a range of different sized bottles of toiletries inside it.

"What? What's going on?"

"Why don't you ask Annie," she replied callously, not stopping to look at him. Shocked, he took a long deep breath and walked towards her, taking the bag from her

hand and placing it down on the bed.

"Stop, Eva, look, just listen," Freddie begged, taking her now empty hand in his, "let's talk about this?" Eva went to pull her hand away, turning to look at him. His face was pained, searching her eyes for any sign of warmth towards him.

"What's there to talk about, Freds? I saw the text. I heard your phone, and I don't know why but, I took it out of your backpack and looked at it. I saw a message, from her."

Freddie pulled her by the hand to sit on the bed beside him.

"Okay, so, let's talk about it," he said softly, stroking the palm of her hand with his thumb; a gesture that would usually calm Eva when she was upset.

"What's left to talk about, Freds," she said, the exhaustion in her voice apparent, "you're seeing, or you slept with someone else, that's it." She looked away from him as he gazed after her sadly. "But the thing is, I'm not angry; because I slept with someone else too."

The room filled with a deafening silence as Freddie took in what he'd just heard. His face transformed into a scowl as his eyes followed her around the room. As she turned to leave the bedroom he shot up and blocked her path.

"Move out of the way, Freddie," Eva sighed, stepping from side to side as he placed his hands on either side of the doorframe.

"Who with?" He demanded coldly, his eyes ablaze with fury.

"Does it matter? The point is we both cheated; that's all either of us needs to know." Tears filled her eyes as Freddie refused to move out of her way.

"Of course it matters," he spat, "was it that old bloke from your work, that boss of yours who's always drooling after you?!" She rolled her eyes and ducked under his arm, making her way down the stairs as he followed swiftly behind her.

"Don't be stupid, Fred," she retorted, sounding almost bored. He pulled her arm and span her around to face him. "Freddie what are you-"

"What's so stupid about that?!" He shouted, his voice breaking at the last word, "he's always wanted you; perving over you, even when I was there for Christ sake, the pompous old bastard, I'll fucking kill him!" Eva exhaled loudly and laughed; a loud, genuine laugh that sent a chill down Freddie's spine. She couldn't stop; her whole body heaved as she gulped for air, tears streaming down her face as she giggled maniacally while he watched in horror.

"I'm sorry," she said, regaining her composure after what seemed like an age, "but this just shows how little we know about each other anymore. Do you care who I slept with because you care about me? Or is it just your pride that's hurt?"

Freddie was speechless; he stared at her for a moment and slumped down onto the sofa, his head dropping into his hands as his fingers clawed at his scalp. Letting

out a long, exasperated breath, he looked back up at Eva, who was still waiting for an answer.

"I made a mistake," he eventually said, defeated because he knew that what she was saying made sense, "it meant nothing, Eva, I swear." She smiled weakly as she sat down next to him, taking his hand and placing it on top of hers on her lap.

"None of that matters now, Freds," she soothed, "I don't think you love me anymore." Freddie pulled his hand away from hers in annoyance, jumping from the sofa to stand

above her.

"Of course I fucking love you Eva," he cried furiously, "but you never let me touch you anymore!" Eva's eyes widened in surprise at his outburst; but she knew that what he said was the truth. She'd felt far too guilty to let him touch her, to make love to her the way they used to before she'd fucked everything up.

"I know," she replied calmly, wrapping her arms around herself, "but I couldn't, the guilt was eating me up and I didn't know what to do. I tried to tell you so many times but I just couldn't find the words, Freds. I'm so sorry." He paced the room back and forth, his breathing shallow and sharp. She looked to him for some kind of response, for some kind of reassurance. She wanted him to hate her, she deserved it. He stopped pacing the room and walked towards her, sitting back on the sofa beside her as he took her hands in his.

"It's okay, baby," he whispered as she cried, hugging her to him, "I can forgive you, if you tell me who it was."

"What does it matter?" She croaked, her eyes clenched shut in fear of seeing his face.

"It matters to me. We can work this out. You just need to tell me who it was." She struggled out of his embrace and wiped the tears from her eyes. Sniffing, she looked up at him, waiting for a name; for Tom's name.

"I can't tell you that," she finally replied, "knowing his name will only make it worse. You don't know him anyway, it was some guy I met at work, that's all."

"If it was just a random guy then why can't you tell me his name, Eva?" His hand grasped her hand tightly; refusing to let go.

"Look, Fred, you don't know him, he lives hundreds of miles away. He's gone, he's not coming back. That's all you need to know."

Silence filled the room once again, neither of them speaking. His hand still gripped hers as he steadied his breathing. He finally let go and sighed.

"Okay," he mumbled, "I'll let it go; I don't need to know. I just need to know that we're okay." She looked down at the floor, studying the rug under the feet.

"I don't know that we are, Freds," she whispered, and before she could say another word he turned her head to face him; his lips crushing hers, hard and demanding. She let herself be kissed, felt his hands wander down over her body and between her legs; his tongue playing with hers as she felt his warm heavy breath on her face.

"Freddie," she said, her words muffled by his mouth, "no, stop, I don't-" He didn't stop, his fingers playing with her panties under her t shirt; his mouth moving down over her neck like a man starved, kissing and sucking at her. He moaned against her skin as she felt it getting hotter, her pussy was getting wet, but it just felt wrong. She grabbed his wrists and pushed them away from her, breaking away from his hold.

"Freddie, stop!" she shrieked, and backed away from him, "I don't want this." He glared at her, the fire in his eyes still glowing. He caught his breath and threw his arms up in the air.

"Then what do you want, Eva?!" He roared, frustrated that his now hard cock was pushing against his jeans, aching to be inside of her, "do you want me?" Looking back

down at the rug between her toes, she wiped her eyes, afraid to make eye contact.

"No," she whispered, "not anymore." He was speechless, but realized he was fighting a losing battle. With a defeated look he turned towards the stairs.

"Fine," he sighed, "I'll go. You can stay here seeing as you pay most of the rent anyway. I'll go get my stuff." He silently went upstairs and grabbed a few belongings, shoving them into a duffel bag and fastening it shut. As he went back downstairs Eva hadn't moved. She was frozen to her seat, an empty expression painted on her face.

"I'll come and get some more of her stuff on Monday," he said sheepishly, searching her face for any kind of acknowledgement. Still, nothing. With his head lowered to the floor, he pulled the door behind him. He was gone.

It was 18:30 on a Friday. Tom was outside a record store in his car, watching his new toy inside.

Her long scarlet hair was pinned up into a messy bun and she wore a black David Bowie t shirt tied at the hem, showing the base of her flat stomach. It was a warm day so she wore ripped pale blue denim shorts, revealing her toned creamy legs. He eyed her impatiently, waiting for her to emerge from the brightly coloured shop. He checked his phone once again and looked back at the store as she giggled with another young, good looking teenage boy inside. He wondered if that was her boyfriend and the thought pissed him off for some reason; then again he'd never liked other people touching his things.

At 18:37, the door opened and she waved goodbye to those inside, stepping out into the daylight. She turned down the path when she heard a loud car horn from across the street, startling her. She stopped in her tracks as did her heart when she realized; it was him. He flashed her that devilish smile; even though he was wearing black Ray-Bans she could tell his eyes were boring into her. Beckoning her over with a finger she complied, looking around her and shyly walking towards the car.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" She mumbled nervously, fiddling with the hem of her tshirt.

"Hello to you too, Alice," he teased, looking her up and down whilst licking his lips, making her once again feel self-conscious.

"How did you know where I work?" She whispered, slightly panicked, pulling down her shorts in an ill-fated attempt to hide her thighs from his admiring stare.

"You underestimate me, sweetheart," he replied smugly, "now get in, unless you want me to come in there and introduce myself as your new boyfriend." He beckoned inside the car with his head as she quickly hurried around whilst he opened the passenger door, hesitantly lowering herself into the seat.

"Where are we going?" She asked, her hands placed stiffly on her thighs. He was silent for a moment as he turned a corner, slowing down as he came up to his street. His hand slid under hers, his thumb gently stroking her thighs that were clenched tightly together, making him chuckle. So innocent, he thought.

"My place," he replied. "Although what you've got on is very sexy," he winked from over his shades, "I'd rather see you out of the clothes to be honest." Her hands began to clam up, her heart fluttering in her chest. She was terrified at the thought of what he planned to do to her, but a tiny part of her was excited at the prospect of having sex again and she hated herself for it. He disgusted her, but made her feel something she'd never felt before. Plus he was devastatingly sexy, even if he was a pig. She pinched the flesh of her thighs as she tried to block out the part of her subconscious that was betraying her, hoping the pain would punish her for the repulsive desires stirring inside of her.

The sudden image of his hands wrapped tightly around her neck flickered inside her head; she remembered him crushing her airways and how afraid she was, truly believing he was a psychotic killer that had taken her back to his lair to have his wicked way with her and murder her, burying her body in an unmarked grave. He looked crazed, like he was acting outside of himself, possessed. She shook her head as if to physically shake out the frightening thoughts and steadied her breathing.

Pulling up outside the expensive looking apartment building the car came to a stop. She remained seated inside the car even after he came around to open the door, staring wide eyed out of the windscreen ahead of her, playing with the frayed denim at the bottom of her shorts anxiously.

"Do I have to carry you upstairs," he asked, holding out his hand, "or are you gonna get out?" She stayed defiantly still as if to ignore him. He rolled his eyes letting out an exaggerated sigh as he leaned over her, unclasping her seat-belt. "Okay," he sighed, "that's how you wanna play it, babe?" He grabbed her waist with one arm, pulling her out of the car as she fell out into his arms. He lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder, patting her ass as she squealed, kicking her legs in protest.

"I gave you the options, sweetheart," he chimed, rushing into the building and carrying her up the stairs.

"Put me down!" She screamed, her body bumping up and down with each ascending step, and finally they reached his front door. "Are you gonna behave, baby?" He scolded mockingly, slapping her hard on the ass making her cry out.

"Yes!" She shrieked, "please put me down!"

"Good girl," he said, rubbing the cheek where he'd landed the harsh blow before setting her down on the ground. Flashing another famous grin at her, he turned the key in the lock and opened the door, ushering her inside before him. She looked around her, taking in the sights and scents she'd experienced the week before. Tom walked past her into the kitchen, busying himself in the fridge.

"Hungry?" he asked, a tone that seemed almost concerned. She shook her head as he looked out into the living room at her.

"Drink?"

"Yes...Please."

"You like beer, right? I've got Rose wine if you prefer that?"

"Wine's fine," she said coldly and compliantly, sitting down on the sofa, her thighs once again tightly pressed together. He grabbed a beer for himself and a wine glass from the cupboard, bringing the bottle in an ice bucket out into the living room with him, pouring her a glass and handing it to her. She took it from him gratefully; the cold liquid soothing her dry throat.

"Slow down there, babe," he said with a laugh, "I don't want you passing out on me. Besides, I've got something else for us tonight." She eyed him suspiciously, and he could immediately tell what she was thinking. "Don't worry, I won't be so rough this time," he reassured her, squeezing her thigh, "I forgot you were a virgin, my mistake." He kissed her forehead tenderly as he got up, going to a small cabinet across the room and taking out a small black leather case.

Sitting back down, he put the case on his lap and reached for a little black remote which turned on his sound system. Bon Iver flowed from the speakers and a smile formed on Alice's face.

"You like them?" He asked softly, taking a swig of his beer, sliding his other arm around her waist.

"Um, yeah," she stammered, "Blood Bank is one of my favourite EPs." She took another deep swig from her glass and he took it from her, topping it up with more fizzy pink wine, and handed it back to her. He grinned and gave the flesh on her hip a squeeze.

"Well that's one thing we have in common, babe." He took the black case from his lap and opened it, Alice looked into the box curiously. Inside laid a few tiny bags of white powder, along with a small shiny razor blade and a glass pipe.

"Is that...Cocaine?" She asked, recoiling from him as he took out a pocket mirror; pouring some of the powder onto it, neatening it into short thick lines with the blade.

"Yup," he said, "ever tried it?" He took the glass pipe and held it out to her.

"I, I don't do drugs," she replied nervously, her eyes looking up at him innocently.

"Well how do you know you don't like something if you've never tried it? You'd never had sex before last week and you definitely liked that," he purred, slowly waving the pipe in front of her face. She frowned, unsure; he was introducing her to so many new things she wasn't sure she was ready for, which frightened her but at the same time made her heart race with excitement.

"But, this is illegal," she said, "it can kill you." He let out a full belly laugh; he kept forgetting how pure and innocent she was. Well, she wouldn't be once he was done with her.

"Not in small amounts, sweetheart," he whispered mischievously. "Look, how about I do one first to show you it's not poison and you can watch me not die?"

His smile although slightly menacingly, was also so reassuring. He was a master of manipulation and knew how to work people to his advantage; only sweet Alice was naive, and in a strange way she trusted him.

"Okay," she blurted almost too quickly, excited at the idea of doing something illegal with a slightly older man no one else knew about. "You go first."

"That's my girl," he grinned, taking the pipe and inserting the end into his nostril. He lowered his head and inhaled loudly, the line of white powder disappearing from the surface of the mirror. He exhaled loudly and shook his head vigorously, handing her the pipe. She held it between her fingers as he lifted the mirror to her face and she looked to him for guidance, slowly lifting the pipe to her nose.