Chapter 52
Chapter fifty-two
There had been a frosty start to the day. The temperature overnight had dropped and left a blanket of white across the garden.
Rosa stared out at it through the bedroom window, before her attention was drawn back to the bed and the woman still asleep in it.
Dark curls were spread out over the pillow, the duvet pulled up under Billy’s chin. The same woman—the only woman to have ever slept in her bed.
For a moment, Rosa was able to forget all the years apart, her memories stitching together the past and the present, creating a comfortable space where it had always been just them.
But something still itched at the back of her mind—something that stopped her from claiming this for herself and announcing to the world that Billy Fisk was hers again.
Billy’s eyes opened and a lazy smile appeared on her face. “Morning,” she said, her voice husky from sleep.
Rosa smiled. Having Billy in her bed again was certainly something she enjoyed—a lot.
Her mind flicked back just a few hours—to the confidence she’d felt, the positions they’d tried that she couldn’t recall ever exploring before.
Despite their history, sex with this version of Billy—and this version of herself—was much more… adventurous.
“Good morning. I was about to go and put the kettle on.” She pulled her dressing gown tighter.
Sitting up, Billy shivered and pulled the duvet back around her.
“Why don’t we go for breakfast somewhere and then head on over to watch Imogen?”
“We can’t keep eating out.” Rosa chuckled.
“Okay… Come back to bed and we’ll eat in.” Billy smirked, watching Rosa blush at the offer.
“I need actual food,” Rosa laughed, “if I’m to maintain this level of activity at night.”
“Was kind of athletic.” Billy reached out and grabbed Rosa’s hand, pulling her on top of her.
“Billy!” Rosa grinned, shaking her head at Billy’s antics.
They were running late. One kiss had led to another, and before Rosa could argue, Billy had shifted so they were scissoring. It was instant—that feeling of something more than sex—an intimacy Rosa couldn’t deny, and her clit refused to ignore.
“I’ll drop you at home and then head straight there. You need to be a few minutes later, otherwise it’ll look suspicious,” Rosa instructed, even though they were already in the car and minutes from Billy’s place.
“You think us turning up at the same time will instantly spell ‘shagged all night and came together’?” Billy grinned. “Literally?”
Rosa stifled the urge to grin. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I.” Billy continued to smile. She let her palm ride up Rosa’s thigh. “Thank you for last night. I know how big it was for you to let me stay over.”
Caught off guard by the sudden serious tone, Rosa said nothing.
“I just wanted you to know that.” Billy squeezed Rosa’s thigh gently.
“There’s never been anyone else in my bed, Billy, just you, so yes, it was a big thing for me, and I appreciate that you noticed.”
They turned the corner and Rosa pulled into the vacant space beside Billy’s car. For a moment, they just stared at each other, small smiles on their faces. Then Billy leant in and kissed Rosa sweetly.
“I’ll see you in a bit.”
Crowds hugged the touchlines of various pitches—mums and dads, siblings, even dogs on leads—all watching their kids run back and forth chasing a ball.
Rosa stood by alone, arms wrapped around herself. She’d waved at Imogen when she arrived, noticing the quick glance around to see where Billy was. Imogen hid the disappointment well, but Rosa caught it.
She checked her watch. Billy should be there any minute. A tiny pang of guilt ran through her for making Billy arrive late—she hadn’t considered Imogen would think she wasn’t coming.
Glancing across the field, she saw Georgia and Pippa. Max, their youngest, was running around with his own ball, while Cassie, the middle child, was trying to get it off him. Rosa smiled, remembering when Imogen was that little and would chase a ball around the garden on her own.
Another pang of guilt hit her. If they’d stayed together, maybe there would have been a sibling for Imogen.
The referee’s whistle blew and the game kicked off. Rosa didn’t know much about football—it had never been on her radar as a sport she enjoyed—but over the years watching Imogen, she’d picked up a few things.
Imogen played midfield, attacking the opposition—that much she knew. The ball was passed out to her and she began to slowly walk forward, keeping the ball at her feet as she looked up and around for her teammates.
“Go on, Immy,” Rosa called out just as Imogen brought her right foot back and hoofed the ball across the pitch towards Robbie. “That’s my girl,” Rosa said.
There was a murmur of excitement around her.
She could see parents leaning into each other, whispering and pointing.
Rosa tried to see what was creating the thrill, but her attention was quickly drawn to the long-legged stride and bouncing black curls, as Billy Fisk made her way across the park towards the match.
“Sorry… I ran in to get changed quickly and Mum called. Schultz had a fall,” Billy said to Rosa. They stood a foot apart, both staring towards the pitch.
“Oh, no.” Rosa turned instantly and stepped towards her, stopping herself from instinctively reaching out. “Is he okay?”
Billy glanced at her, unable to turn away. “Yeah, just needs to rest. The call threw me off schedule, though, and then I got stuck behind a taxi dropping someone off.”
Excitement from the crowd bubbled again—this time because Imogen was running at the defenders, twisting and turning, ball at her feet. Just outside of the penalty box, she took a shot and forced a brilliant save from the goalkeeper.
The referee blew the whistle for halftime, and the two teams ran to gather around their coaches. Imogen waved over and grinned at her parents standing together.
“Coffee?” Billy asked, rubbing cold palms together vigorously.
“Sure,” Rosa answered.
They walked beside each other, as close as they dared.
“Is it terrible that all I want to do is reach out and hold your hand?” Billy asked.
“Only if it’s just as terrible that all I want is for you to do that, but—” She glanced back over her shoulder to where Imogen was laughing with Robbie and some of her other teammates.
“I know. Not yet,” Billy said with a half-smile.
There was a queue when they reached the drinks van. Pippa was just ahead and waved.
“What a game,” Pippa said, speaking around the people queuing between them. She smiled at the man and woman and indicated they could jump ahead of her. “Imogen is having the best time to have a game like that.”
“Oh, why’s that?” Rosa asked, not having any clue about the timing.
“Did you not see who’s here?” Pippa laughed at their blank faces. “Okay, so, Nora Brady, Sammy-Jo Costa, and Gabby Dean are watching.”
Rosa still looked non-plussed.
“Gabby owns Bath Street Harriers. The women’s football team.”
“Oh, that’s…” Rosa was at a loss. “What does it mean, though?”
Billy chuckled. “It means, if they like what they see, they might invite Imogen, or the other players, to come along for a trial.”
Pippa shrugged. “Georgia knows Gabby from the Businesswoman lunches. She’s been trying to get them to come to a game for ages. Today seems to be the day.”
“I did wonder what all the excitement was about. Imogen will be over the moon. I’ve heard her talk about Nora… What was her name?”
“Brady,” Billy answered. “She was in the England squad.”
“So, you think Imogen has a chance?”
“Her performance today won’t do her any harm.” Pippa grinned, turning just in time to find herself at the front of the queue. “Two coffees, please, and two hot chocolates.”
Billy nudged Rosa. “I think we might have the next Lioness on our hands.”
Rosa frowned. “I have no idea what that means.”