4 comments/ 176779 views/ 46 favorites A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 01 By: AngeloMichael PART II OF THE "A SERIES OF MATTERS" TRILOGY AUTHOR'S NOTES: 1. The "A Series of Matters" Trilogy is foremost the story of the love between a mother and son and what they go through to be with each other. However, it is also a story about heroes, villains, and the grey characters that fall in between. Naturally, conflicts are going to arise so I caution you there is violence in these stories. This isn't a short story; it's a novel posted in chapters. If you don't like long stories, you've been warned. For those who are unfamiliar with my work, if you are expecting a quick sexual escapade with no deeper meaning, that's cool and more power to you, but you won't find that here. There is sex in my stories and plenty of it, I don't hold back on the details, but there is also more. If you are looking to make an emotional, as well as sexual, investment in the characters and get caught up in a gripping saga , that is what I have strived to provide. 2. All characters and events portrayed are fictional, any similarities to actual people is purely coincidental. While there are real locations in the story, many of the locales depicted are fictional as well. 3. I know many of my readers have requested and been waiting a long time for a follow up to "A Matter of Trust". Originally I had intended "Trust" to be a stand alone story, but the sheer volume of requests for a sequel made me rethink that decision. The more I thought about it the more I realized that there was more to tell of Colin and Aileen. My dilemma was thus: In the first story I had all ready built up the sexual tension between the main characters and brought it to a fruitful resolution. Where was I to go from there to keep the plot exciting and engaging? I knew I had to raise the ante, expand the plot, and bring Aileen and Colin's little world jarringly into the real world. Minor characters from the first story would have to play bigger roles and new characters would have to be introduced, but at the same time I did not want to do anything to corrupt the characterizations of Aileen and Colin established in the first story. As I deliberated on their further adventures the rest of their story just clicked into place. I was able to develop an outline and saw that their story needed to be told as a trilogy as there are three very significant turning points in their lives. Throughout all this it was the encouragement and kind words of my readers that kept me plugging along with this most complicated story I have written to date. Therefore, "A Matter of Betrayal" is dedicated to all my readers who have sent me such positive comments on the first story and especially to those requesting a sequel, without you this story and the ensuing one probably never would have come about. I thank you and hope you enjoy the next two parts of the "A Series of Matters" trilogy as much as you enjoyed the first. – AngeloMichael PROLOGUE: YOU'RE SO VAIN Today was New Year's Day, the first day of 2004. It was also Seth Reilly's birthday. Seth was turning eighteen years old today, which made this birthday even more special than most. He was an adult now, and it was time he took on adult challenges. Seth knew 2004 was going to be his year. He always liked the fact that the day he celebrated his birth, the rest of the world celebrated as well. His birthday was all ready a national holiday and all he did to deserve that was being born. Seth thought there was something portentous about being born on the same day a new year was born. It meant something. A new year meant new resolutions, new aspirations, and new opportunities. His parents had thrown him a lavish party at his dad's restaurant, Reilly's Pub and Grill. The place was decorated wall to wall with streamers, balloons, and "Happy Birthday' banners, along with the Christmas and New Year's decorations still up from the holidays. The restaurant had been packed with friends, family, and people who generally just wanted to kiss his ass. Seth may only be eighteen, but he could have written his own book on winning friends and influencing people. He had learned early in life that the more people who thought you were their friend, the more power you had. Everyone had something useful about them to exploit. You never knew when you might need someone with the right connection, and Seth knew that having the right connections was a way to achieve power and influence. The party had been quite entertaining. His parents and siblings lavished him with affection, more than one of his friends invited him to a "real" party after this one ended, and he got a shitload of presents, some of the best ones coming from the ass kissers. It kind of reminded him of the beginning of "The Godfather". People came up to him all night asking for favors. Seth wasn't averse to doing favors for people. In fact, he felt quite the opposite. He considered favors a type of credit. If you did something for someone, then they owed you. Most of the time what people asked of him was easy enough to accomplish, especially with his network of connections, but that was the great thing about favors, there was no real rate of exchange. You did a small favor for someone and could ask for a big one in return. The one thing Seth demanded was respect. If he was going to bestow a boon to someone, he damn well better see they respected him as a person of power. If someone asked him to do something as petty as to pass the salt and Seth perceived they regarded him as little more than their bitch, he would tell them to fuck off. It was all about respect. Vito Corleone knew about respect and resultantly he knew about power. Tonight Seth felt powerful. People from school or around the neighborhood that he barely knew or didn't know at all would come up to him trying to find the nerve to ask him for something and he could see they were ready to piss their pants in fear. When Seth put his arm around them, affected his most friendly smile, and acted like they were his best friend in the world and said, "Sure, I'd be happy to help you out!" he saw the fear drain from their body instead of piss. He knew he had become a hero in this person's eyes and they would stop a bullet for him now if they had to. That was when Seth assumed his most practiced expression. His previously congenial blue eyes grew cold, his brows knit to shadow those eyes, and his mouth locked to form one straight sober line. The fear would return to their expression, they better watch that bladder after all. Then Seth would say, "Just remember who helped you out," implying that if they forgot they would be reminded in a most disagreeable way. Respect. He demanded it because he deserved it. People came to him because they needed him. After all, Seth was a people person. Feeling powerful gave Seth a hardon like nothing else. Seth willed control over his erection. He liked to be in control of everything in his life, and that included his libido. He enjoyed fucking as much as any other eighteen year old male; he just didn't let his hormones dictate his actions. He decided the times he would fuck and who he would fuck with. Tonight he decided to indulge himself and have a birthday fuck. Seth located Sheryl talking with his mom and dad. Seth grimaced when he saw this. Ever since he had started going out with Sheryl he would catch looks of disappointment in his parents' eyes. It annoyed Seth that they were disappointed in him because he had stolen Sheryl away from Colin. What the fuck was with that? They had no right caring about Colin after the way he'd been treated. They should have been proud Seth had taken her away from the asshole. His parents were disappointed in him? Fuck that, he was disappointed in them. Seth strolled over to the table where his parents sat with Sheryl. He took her hand in his and motioned her to get up. "C'mon, some of the guys invited us to an after party, party," he said. "Seth, you know it's rude to interrupt people when they are in the middle of a conversation," Sarah, his mother, said. Inwardly Seth rolled his eyes, but outwardly he put on his "aw shucks" expression. "Sorry mom, it's just been an exciting day and I got carried away," he said. There were two ways to exert power over someone: intimidation and manipulation. It didn't take a neurosurgeon to know which method needed to be used on his parents. "This has been the best birthday party I ever had. It just seems to be winding down now and a few friends had invited me to hang out and have sort of an informal celebration. Would it be all right if I went?" His mother sighed but he saw the corners of her mouth trying to upsweep, then she said, "I suppose so, if it's all right with your father." Seth felt like grinding his teeth. He swore there would come a day when the only method he needed to exert power was intimidation. Seth looked at his father expectantly. "May I go Dad?" he asked. Patrick Reilly took a minute to look like he was giving the matter serious thought. C'mon Dad, Seth thought, this act grew old when I was ten years old! Everybody knows you always agree with whatever Mom decides. "I guess you can go," Patrick said. "Just remember, even though you are eighteen now and legally an adult, that doesn't mean you can do anything you want. Be home at a reasonable time and act responsible." "I will Dad, thanks," Seth said. Do they give every parent the same handbook with all these speeches written in them for them spout? Seth wondered. Ah well, he knew his dad was saying that more for his mother's benefit than his own. With Sheryl in tow he grabbed their coats and made his way out of the restaurant, saying "Goodbye" to his brother and sister and any friend he came across that wasn't going to be at the other party. The party was held at Ricky Woods' house, one of Seth's flunkies from school. Ricky's parents had gone out of town on New Year's Eve and wouldn't be back until Sunday. The previous night having been New Year's Eve, there had been a lot of parties with a lot of drinks. It had been pretty easy for each person to bring a bottle or two of leftover booze or a six pack of beer or something, and it wouldn't be missed. Most parents were still suffering hangovers from last night's festivities, and a few of their kids were too, but for them the best cure for partying too hard was another party. Seth never got drunk, especially when other people were getting drunk around him. Part of it was he didn't want to lose control, but also there were many opportunities to exploit when people around him were losing their inhibitions. He would only allow himself a few drinks at a party like this, spread out over decent intervals. When they got to Ricky's, Seth refused the drink offered him as he pulled Sheryl along to an empty bedroom. He gave people only the most cursory of greetings when they stopped to say "Hello" and wish him a happy birthday. Most of the people here were people he had direct power over so he didn't need to be sociable. He was a little bit more cordial when Carrie Moore greeted him, although he made sure Sheryl didn't notice, just a brief but meaningful glance between the two of them. It was rumored that Carrie had fucked half the boys at school (and a number of the girls too). She seemed to get a perverse sense of pleasure from fucking guys that she knew were in relationships with other people. Seth had to admit, it was kind of a turn on to cheat on your girlfriend but all Seth really cared about was Carrie was a hot piece of ass and it paid to stay on friendly terms with her. Seth allowed his arousal to heighten and he hurried Sheryl into the bedroom. Once there, he shut the door and locked it; then he began kissing Sheryl deeply on the lips. He unzipped his fly and gave his erection some room to stretch out. "Whoa there," Sheryl said breaking the kiss. "You practically ripped my arm off dragging me here, you barely said two words to me in the car when we were racing over here, and now you are just going to attack me like some horny gorilla?" Oh shit...Seth thought in disgust, the things I have to put up with just for a fuck!"Oh baby," he began putting on an admonished expression, "I'm sorry. It's just that this has been such a big day for me, the party my parents gave me was so huge, but the whole time I was wishing I could just be alone with you to celebrate in private. I just love you so much I wanted to spend some special time with you on this day." "Oh honey," Sheryl said with tears forming in her eyes, "I love you too and I'm here for you." Finally! Seth thought as he began kissing her again trying to get their clothes off at the same time. Sheryl was pretty cute, Seth supposed, but he had been with other girls with way better bodies than her and were much better in bed. Like Carrie Moore. Sheryl had light brown curly hair that went down just past her shoulders and brown eyes. She was wearing a sweater striped in pastel colors and blue jeans. Seth managed to get the sweater over her head revealing the white lace bra underneath. He quickly unhooked it. Sheryl's tits weren't that big, but they were nicely formed and felt good enough in his hands. He felt her nipples hardening as he ran his thumbs over them. Next he unbuttoned her jeans and let them slide to the floor. She had white lace panties on for underwear. She stepped out of her jeans and Seth took her hand and pulled her, gently this time, over to the bed. Seth undid his belt then and undid the button that fastened his khaki slacks. He let his pants fall down to his ankles and he sat on the bed. Sheryl knew what he wanted her to do. Slowly she squat down between his knees. She reached up and slowly pulled his underwear down around his ankles where his slacks were. She reached out and started rubbing her hand on his hard cock. Seth closed his eyes enjoying the sensation. Then he felt her tongue leerily reach out and touch the tip of his cock. Slowly but surely she took the head in her mouth. Sheryl really didn't like giving blowjobs, especially since that time he came in her mouth without warning her, but she knew Seth enjoyed them so she did it for him. She started bobbing his cock in and out of her mouth, swirling her tongue around the head. One of her hands reached to his shaft and began to stroke it. Seth started moaning and when his "Ohhhh's" and "Ahhhh's" started getting too loud, Sheryl let his saliva slick cock slide out of her mouth. She climbed up on the bed and started kissing him. Seth's hand found its way to the rim of her panties and he slowly pulled them down. His hand found her pussy and started rubbing it, feeling it moisten. When he felt she was wet enough he laid her back on the bed. He reached down to his slacks and fumbled around in the pockets until he found his wallet. He opened his walled and pulled out a condom. He took the prophylactic out of its wrapper and rolled the latex over his hard cock. Then he mounted himself on top of Sheryl. He rubbed his aching cock around the wetness of her pussy. He found the entrance and allowed himself to sink in. He pushed himself in all the way then he pulled himself back out almost to the tip of his cock and then he slid back all the way inside her. He got into a rhythm as his cock pumped in and out of her pussy. Sheryl moved her hips up and down synchronizing herself to his movements. Sheryl began moaning and he knew she was reaching climax. He pumped himself even faster into her and finally heard her scream out in orgasm. Seth wondered if the guys outside in the party had heard her, knowing what they were doing. Well, they haven't heard anything yet! Seth thought with a grin. He brought her to two more climaxes, each time she screamed louder, before he finally shot his load into the condom while deep inside her. When he was done he pulled out of her and removed the used condom. He tossed it into the wastebasket. He smiled knowing this was Ricky's room and he might very well see what he left in the trash confirming what they had done. That would lead to more bragging rights for Seth. He pulled up his underwear and his slacks and then lay back down on the bed beside her, basking in the relief of his sexual tension. Sheryl had gotten better at this since their first time together, Seth thought. He had taken her cherry more than a month ago. Hers wasn't the first cherry he had popped but it was the most satisfying. She hadn't been much different than any other virgin, a little unsure, a little excited, a little scared, then a little whimpering and it was over. What made it so satisfying was he had not only taken this girl away from Colin, he had taken something away from her that she could never get back and therefore never give Colin even if she wanted to. Colin, Seth thought, with an angry frown. He had never been able to accept that Seth was the superior one between the two of them. Colin thought he could compete with Seth on any level. Seth had to work hard and wear Colin down to achieve any grudging respect in eyes. That was unforgivable so Colin deserved whatever he got. That's why it had been so much fun winning Sheryl's loyalty away from Colin. For two years he had watched Colin strut around with the girl on his arm, thinking they had something special and therefore he was special. He had thought there was no way Sheryl would leave him. Seth's frown turned into a devious grin. There was always a way. Maybe now Colin realized that anything he had Seth could take away. Maybe now he had learned some real respect. The last month had felt like an unending victory celebration as Colin came to school every day to see him together with Sheryl. Every day Colin seemed to get more depressed and more despondent, he quit the basketball team and he also quit working at his dad's place. It was hilarious to watch the asshole get his due. "...said 'I love you!'" Seth was broken out of his reverie by Sheryl's voice. "Huh?" he said. "I just said 'I love you!' twice!" Sheryl said with an exasperated tone. "Oh! Uh, I love you too babe," Seth said. He could see that wasn't going to be enough so he added, "I was just thinking about us and all that you mean to me, and I kind of got lost in my train of thought." "Awwww, honey, that's so sweet!" Sheryl said. Yes, it was sweet! Now stop yapping and let me enjoy the silence! Seth thought. "What were you thinking about us?" Sheryl queried. Fuck! "You know babe, I'm kind of tired, could we talk about this some other time?" Seth asked. "Sure sweetie," Sheryl said wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest. Seth sighed and just let her stay there as he returned to his thoughts. It was kind of a let down that Colin was away for the winter holidays. It was going to be Seth's coup de grâce to rub Colin's nose in his and Sheryl's relationship on Christmas. But, in a way it was just as satisfying knowing he was snowed in at that stodgy cabin with no one for company but that bitch of a mother. It wasn't from anyone strange that Colin learned not to know his place in life. He heard they got over four feet of snow in the mountains from that blizzard. They would be digging out until Valentine's Day! Seth inwardly laughed with glee knowing that they must be at each other's throats by now having to spend so much time together stranded in that isolated place. Cabin fever in an actual cabin! The lameness of being stuck in a cliché was just too rich. Colin used to be a mama's boy, but at least Seth had put enough pressure on him to break him out of that sissy habit. He probably resented his mother for attempting to pull him out of his wallowing despair and she was probably fed up with having to deal with a mopey teenager all week. Both of them must be miserable! Seth chuckled out loud at the thought. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 01 CHAPTER 1: THE LONG HONEYMOON Colin Martin set the bags down as he entered the apartment and took a look around. It was the same old apartment, he thought as he removed his coat, same kitchen with the leaky faucet, same living room with the worn in furniture, same everything, yet it all seemed so different to him now. After spending the last nine days alone with only his mother in an isolated cabin in the mountains, his life had changed in a major way and everything seemed new to him. He heard the door shut behind him and he turned to see the vision of beauty that was his mother. She smiled at him as she pulled back the hood of her coat revealing her long curly locks of luscious red hair. Colin grinned back at her as she zipped down her coat and removed it. She was left in her maroon turtle neck sweater and black slacks, but all Colin could see was the beautiful body he now knew so intimately that lay beneath those clothes. Looking at her, he felt the heat rise in his cheeks and a yearning in his loins that he had become inherently familiar with over the last week. Colin knew that everything felt new to him now because he had changed during the stay up in the mountains. His mother had changed too and more than anything, she seemed new to him. This was the second time in his life he felt she had changed. The first time had been when Colin was eight years old and she had divorced his father. However, each time she changed, the core of her personality stayed the same, she remained being the wonderful person he had known and loved all his life, but she also became more than she had been before. This most recent transition though, and the way he saw her now, was the greatest change that could possibly happen. Colin's Uncle Patrick had lent them the use of his cabin up in the mountains for the holidays and Colin and his mother had gone up there to spend a private Christmas together and sort out some issues between them. It was there that they both discovered they had feelings for each other in more than a mother and son way. Their feelings had come to the forefront while at the cabin and at first they struggled with how to deal with them. But once they surrendered to them they had surrendered to bliss and there had been no turning back. They became lovers and nothing about that seemed wrong to Colin. In fact, it felt integrally right. He loved this woman with all his heart and she loved him. She was the first woman he had ever made love to and she will be the last. He knew he would be with her for the rest of his life and knowing that made all seem right with the world. There had been a huge blizzard while they were there and they were snowed in for the better part of the week. That was actually fine with them, it became like a honeymoon period for the new couple. But too soon the winter holidays were coming to an end and they had to focus some effort on getting back to the city. Colin had to return to school and Aileen had a job at a bank to get back to. It took the snow plows five days to finally get to the mountain roads, but while the plows were working their way up into the mountains, Colin had his own task before him. Even when the roads would be basically clear they still had a hundred feet of driveway buried under four feet of snow to get through before they could reach the road. Luckily Colin's uncle had a snow blower stored at the cabin, it was still tough work clearing a path sufficient to get the SUV to the road, but it would have been much harder if all he had to do it with was a shovel. Their last night at the cabin was on New Year's Day, and they had reveled in the knowledge that this was the first of many new years they would bring in together as a couple. They celebrated by making tender love repeatedly and passionately, but also at times screwing each other's brains out in a frenzied fashion. It was pretty much what they had done every day since Christmas morning. The next morning was a Friday and they decided to head home that day. There were weather reports warning of more snow headed to the mountains and as much as they enjoyed being snowed in together they needed to get back to work and school on Monday. It looked like their honeymoon had to end. "Home once again..." Aileen said with a sigh, "How are we ever going to get used to this place again after being so cozy up in the mountains?" Colin turned and placed his hands on his mother's waist and gathered her to him. "I think we can be pretty cozy here too..." he said, his grin turning lustful. He lowered his mouth to hers and their lips softly met each other, the kiss began gentle but became more intense the longer it went on, and neither of them wanted it to end. Colin drew Aileen's bottom lip into his mouth delicately sucking on it, eliciting a low moan of delectation from her. He then probed her mouth with his tongue, the bottom rubbed across the pearly texture of her teeth and then their tongues met and began to massage each other just like their hands were doing to each other's bodies. Colin's libido was working in overdrive now. It had taken them over six hours to drive back home to Philadelphia. The trip usually took only about four hours but due to the road conditions and the fact that when they were about an hour and half from Philly they stopped at a restaurant in Allentown for a bite to eat, it extended the trip. The sun had completely set by the time they arrived home. While the couple had engaged in solicitous petting during the journey, all that had accomplished was heightening Colin's all ready stimulated arousal. After separating from their kiss, he scooped his mother into his arms like she was a child. Aileen was no child at five feet eight inches and while she definitely wasn't fat, she wasn't skin and bones either, she was very well proportioned with a buxom chest, round hips, and plump ass; yet she had a slim waist and only a slightly rounded tummy. Colin was over six feet in height with a lean muscular build and he effortlessly carried the love of his life to her bedroom. He set her carefully on her bed and looked into her beautiful green eyes. Even though they had made love more times than he could count at the cabin, this would be the first time he shared his mother's bed in their actual home as her lover. He was looking for reassurance that she was ready for this. While he felt their connection was as strong as any two lovers' could be, this new relationship was still little more than a week old and Colin, at eighteen years old, was in his first adult relationship. He felt a certain fragileness to it in some ways. He knew he would never lose his mother's love but he was still tentative about how she felt now that they were back in civilization. Maybe she would want some time to adjust to being back at home before they resumed their new roles as intimate partners. He loved her so much and never wanted her to feel uncomfortable with their relationship. Aileen assuaged his concern with the next words out of her mouth. "Come to our bed and make love to me my darling," she said. Colin felt his heart swell with those words as well as another organ. He was hard as a rock. His mother ran her hand over the bulge in his pants, "I need to feel you," she said. Colin began stripping off his clothes maintaining longing eye contact with his mother, first removing his V-neck sweater, then he kicked off his boots and using only his feet managed to pull out of his socks. He unbuckled his belt, undid the button and unzipped the fly of his jeans and when they slid to the floor he stepped out of them. Now only in a white tee shirt and plaid boxer shorts, he climbed onto the bed. It was only a double bed, up at the cabin they had a queen sized one, but that made no big difference, they didn't need the extra room, the closer they could be to each other the better. Colin took his mother's chin in his hand and pulled her to his face and kissed her. Colin felt he could taste her excitement as he subtly sucked on her tongue. After a few minutes of being joined at the lips Colin could no longer ignore the building excitement inside him and had to progress further. He was holding Aileen in his arms and he slid his hands down to the base of her sweater giving her body gentle squeezes along the way. He pulled up on the sweater and Aileen enthusiastically lifter her arms so he could pull it off her, underneath she wore a white tee shirt similar to his and he could see she wasn't wearing a bra. The nipples on her large breasts were erect, he could easily see them poking out beneath the cotton material of her shirt. God, he loved to undress this woman! Her long hair was now a bit mussed from the sweater being pulled over her head with curly crimson strands falling haphazardly around her face, it gave her a wild look which made her seem even sexier if that was possible. "I love you so much!" Colin said to her. "I love you too baby," Aileen replied. Colin felt the emotion in those words and it filled him with ardent adoration and desire. He placed his hands on her breasts as she still wore the tee shirt. He affectionately caressed them. Even after a week of being able to see and touch them he still couldn't get enough of them, he couldn't get enough of any part of his mother. He started tugging at her tee shirt, he needed to feel his bare hands on her bare flesh, again she happily obliged by lifting her arms so he could take the shirt off, then they repeated the action only this time she was removing his shirt. He placed a hand on a bare breast thinking that even if he lived to be one hundred he would still feel the same excitement like it was the first time every time he touched her. Her ample tits were amazing. They were full and creamy, and if they slanted a little bit down it made them no less delectable. They were perfect to him. He slowly and reverently moved his hand completely around the luxurious globe avoiding the nipple that appeared to extend an inch out, and then he lavished the same treatment on its twin. Colin took hold of the waistband of Aileen's black slacks and pulled them off revealing Aileen's shapely legs, nicely rounded hips and the glorious mound that resided in her crotch underneath a pair of pink cotton panties and was nearly visible do to the wetness of the panties. He affectionately rubbed her feet for a moment then leisurely ran his hands up her smooth legs to her hips. His hands moved to caress her pillowy soft ass and then he pulled his lover into a lustful embrace, their lips pressed together and their tongues fondled each other. He held her tight to his body; he could feel her heavenly soft breasts with the hard nipples rubbing against his chest. Sometimes one of her nipples would brush against one of his and it felt like a bolt of electricity going through him, he could tell she was feeling the same thing as she gave a little shiver each time it happened. Colin had his hands on her back and he massaged her from her shoulders down to the small of her back and then back up again, kneading his hands into her flesh and muscle. His lips left her mouth to travel to her cheeks delicately kissing them, then to her left ear and down her neck as he kissed and licked her alabaster skin. Aileen made mellow cooing sounds as he did this. She lay back on the bed and Colin fell forward with her not wanting his lips to leave contact with her wonderful body, his hands moved to the bed as he held himself scant inches above her. His kisses continued their journey, his lips moved around her neck to the notch at the base, he licked her from that point up her neck and chin and back to her lips leaving a trail glistening with moisture. He took a moment to look into her loving eyes again, giving her a smile that conveyed the happiness he felt and then he lowered his head to her chest. He moved his tongue down the valley between her breasts going all the way down to her naval leaving another wet trail. Colin stuck his tongue inside her belly button and swirled it around a few times eliciting tickled giggles from his mother. He then moved back up and brought his tongue to one of her tits, going around retracing the movement he had done with his hand minutes ago. This time, however, after he made a full circuit around that delicious mammary he started to close in on the center. He made it to the florid areole stimulated with tiny bumps then navigated another circuitous route around the pink nipple. Aileen moaned as he got closer to that sensitive nubbin and he felt his cock stiffen to an almost painful degree. Finally he made light contact with her nipple and his mother arched her back at the feeling saying "Oh baby, oh baby, that feels so good! Oh my baby!" Colin's hardon was throbbing now with those words, but if anything, he was thorough and he knew he had a task to complete before he could he could allow his stiff friend to get the attention it was desperately crying out for. His tongue put more pressure on Aileen's eraser hard nipple, pushing the supple bud in one direction and then another. He closed his mouth around her nipple and began to suckle it, his mother's moans grew louder. After giving this one breast such pampered attention he began on the other knowing it deserved no less than the same amount of care. Aileen moaned even louder. Colin rolled over on his back to take a breather for a minute and he rested a hand on his mother's stomach and smoothly rubbed it. His cock stood straight up and out of the slot in the front of his boxers, he was so hard he was ready to stroke himself just to get some release from the ache. However, before his hand made it to his cock, he felt the delicate hand of his mother grasp his pulsating member, Colin let out a moan of pleasure at the sensation. "That's my job now sweetie." Aileen said. "I love the feel of your cock. I love how hard it gets and that it gets that way because of me." "Always you mom, always..." Colin managed to get out between deep breaths as she stroked his erection. "You turn me on like no one else, not only because of your incredibly sexy body, but because I know how much you love me...Ohhhh God yes...please don't stop!" "I won't stop baby, but my mouth is getting jealous of my hand though..." Aileen said coquettishly. Colin tensed in anticipation as she pulled his shorts down past his cock then completely off and leaned in to take it to her mouth. Aileen's tongue came out and made contact with the oh so sensitive head, she slid it all around it, she then gently moved his organ so she could get access to the underside, once she did she licked him in one agonizingly pleasurable stroke from his balls, up his shaft, and all the way back to the head. "Ohhhhhhhh yes!" Colin said. "That feels so good!" Aileen then put the entire head in her mouth and started moving it in and out while sucking on it. She had said she had never sucked a cock before Colin's, but in the week that they had been together she had learned to become an expert at it according to him. Of course, conversely, his mother was the only woman to ever suck his cock, but Colin had no desire to sample anyone else's methods. She had learned how to please him and was bringing him to ecstasy just like she did every time. She really seemed to enjoy it, she said it thrilled her to give pleasure to someone she loved so much. Colin could definitely understand that, everything he did that brought pleasure to her excited him just as much. She was his beloved mother and all sons wanted to please their mothers in their own way, and for him to be able to pleasure her in an intimate way was the ultimate reward. He couldn't imagine it being better with anyone else because the love they shared added significantly to the richness of the experience and he knew for certain he could never achieve their level of love with anyone else. "Ohhhh, you're the girl of my dreams mom!" Colin said. "And you've always been." Aileen was now rubbing her hand on his balls and stroking up and down his shaft, she gave his shaft a tender loving squeeze as a reply to what he said. She continued to suck on the head of his throbbing cock and playing with it with her tongue, exploring the texture of the engorged member. She was making smacking sounds and moans of yummy enjoyment as if she was tasting the finest thing on Earth. Colin loved the warm and wet feeling surrounding his cock. "Oh God! I love you doing this to me!" he said. Colin couldn't take much more stimulation and he knew he was going to blow his load soon. His mother had become adept at reading her son's body language and as he started moaning louder and his hips began thrusting upward erratically fucking her mouth, he knew that she knew he was getting ready to come. She stroked him faster and began cupping his balls mildly squeezing them and she sucked his cock in her mouth until the head touched the back of her throat. The pressure in his cock reached the maximum limit and Colin cried out in delight as he felt his balls contract sending forceful ropes of semen through his shaft and out the head of his cock into his mother's mouth. She received the creamy fluid and enthusiastically started to swallow immediately. Colin was having spasms as his body went on automatic pilot guiding him through a raging orgasm, warm feelings of immense gratification flushed through him as his cock expelled the last spurts of ejaculation. "Oh God! Oh God! That felt so good!" Colin said as his orgasm subsided and he regained control of his body, he was gasping for air. He gazed at his mother as she licked the remaining cum off his cock, then she looked up at him and licked the corners of her mouth where some of his cum had leaked out. She had the impish expression of satisfaction on her face he had come to expect after she orally brought him to orgasm and swallowed his semen. Aileen moved up into Colin's arms and placed her lips over his, as her tongue slid into his mouth he could taste the remnants of his salty sweet cum mixed in with her saliva. It gave him extreme pleasure to watch and feel her giving him a blow job, but tasting himself in her mouth afterwards was an arousing experience in its own right. "You are so amazing," Colin said after their lips unlocked. "I can't believe how lucky I am to have you in my life." "I'm the lucky one," Aileen said in a soothing yet passionate tone. "I love you so much," Colin said as he ran his hands all over her incredible body. "I love you too baby," Aileen said. Colin rubbed one hand on her chest over her breasts, it slid down to her tummy and continued downward until it slipped beneath the waistband of her panties. His hand grazed through her neatly trimmed pubic hair, feeling the dampness of the downy hair, the further his hand went, the wetter the climate became, in fact, her panties were sopping wet. His fingers brushed over the outer lips of Aileen's pussy and he could feel her stiffen in anticipation of more contact. He rubbed her nether lips for a while, his mother spread her legs as far apart as she could in the position she was in and he felt her vaginal lips widen. Colin continued to explore this most sacred of areas – the passage through which he was birthed. It had been bequeathed back to him by the woman who meant everything to him so he could return inside of her to connect with her body and soul in the most intimate way possible. Colin found the opening of that passage, he inserted his index finger and it quickly became coated in her feminine secretions. He moved his finger in and out of that wet channel feeling the slick silkiness of it as he moved it around her walls. Aileen was breathing heavier and her hands grasped tightly onto his shoulders. The next time he pulled out of her, his middle finger joined the action and two fingers submerged into her. He began sliding in and out of her at a faster pace, Aileen began to moan and her hands gripped on him tighter. When his thumb glided over her clitoris, erect and protruding from its hood, his mother bit her bottom lip and an airy "mmmph!" sound came out of her. He made subtle contact with her clitoris once more, and Aileen exchanged her bottom lip for his shoulder to bite and a louder "MMMPH!" emerged from her and her body shuddered. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 01 Colin removed his hand from her flustered pussy; his mouth was salivating from an overcoming need to taste her. He pulled her panties down past her pubic region then over her hips and legs and finally they were off her and he tossed them to the floor. He lay back on the bed and grinning, said to his mother, "Move up here." Aileen straddled his chest and Colin put his hands on her waist moving her up until she was kneeling on the bed, her thighs spread, and his head was between them. He took in her musky aroma and started giving small pecks and licks to her inner thighs, first one and then the other, back forth and each time getting closer to the jewel in the center. Aileen kept squirming, repositioning herself to get her pussy directly over Colin's mouth, which he kept moving having a little fun teasing her. When she finally had enough she just sat on his face, Colin tried to say "Okay, I get the point!" but it came out as "Ommmrphrhhis!" She let up just enough so he could breathe and then he licked the entire length of her pussy causing Aileen to give a highly satisfied moan. His mouth sponged up much of her leaking juice then he gingerly extended his tongue outwards and slowly it slid in between the folds of her pussy. Aileen pressed herself down more firmly on his face again allowing his tongue to plunge deeper inside her. The hot humid atmosphere was like a tropical rain forest for Colin as he rolled his tongue inside her. His mother began to moan and as he continued to tongue fuck her, letting her juices trickle down his throat. Her moans became louder and interspersed with some actual words, "Oh yes baby! Oh yes!" She was saying, "That's it! Oh you make me fell so good! Ohhhhhhh yes!" She was moving her hips and pushing down and her pussy was wiggling and mashing itself on Colin's face. He moved his hands down to her hips to steady her and allow him to catch a needed breath as he slid his tongue out of her cunt. On a new mission now, his tongue slowly slithered up her pussy searching until it found that hypersensitive little bud stiffly poking outward. He probed it faintly with his tongue and felt his mother's body quiver. Ever so lightly he began playing with her clit, gliding his tongue over it back and forth. "Ohhhhhhhh" moaned Aileen. Colin continued his smooth maneuvering of her most sensitive of nerve endings, now gently circling it. "Ohhhhhhh Yesssssss!!!" Aileen said loudly. He started to suck on her clit. Aileen began grinding her pussy over his mouth, "Yes, Yes Yesssssss! That's it!" she said. Colin had become familiar enough with her anatomy to know exactly how much pressure and manipulation to use to bring her to maximum pleasure. "Oh baby! Yessssss! Oh honey you are so good! Yes! Yessssss! I'm almost there!" Aileen said working her hips faster and faster. "Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm gonna cum!" Aileen's body started to convulse. "Ohhhhhh God! I'm cumming!!!!!" she screamed. Colin felt her pussy lips contracting as her body shook, he continued to suckle on her clit. Aileen gave one final "Ohhhhhhhh!!!!"and then she stiffened. Colin felt a strong rush of juice poor from her cunt. He lapped up as much as he could savoring the taste. This was the result of her extreme pleasure, and he caused it, nothing could taste sweeter. Aileen slid off of Colin's face. He relished the feel of her soft ass, slippery from the cum she expelled, as it slid down his chest to his stomach and finally to his groin where his cock, once again rock hard, fit snugly between her cheeks. Colin folded his arms around her just beneath her breasts and Aileen let out a deep sigh of bliss. He kissed the side of her neck below her ear. Aileen wiggled her ass on Colin's hard on and his eyes rolled to the back of his head at the feel of it. "Baby?" she said. "Yes mom?" "I need you inside me." "Yes mom," Colin said with a grin. Aileen rolled over onto her stomach while still on top of him. Their pelvises were against each other now, her tits mashed against his chest, and Colin's hard cock was between their stomachs. Aileen put her rosy lips to his shoulder and kissed it, and then she continued to kiss down until she got to one of his nipples. She sucked on it for a few seconds, and then she sucked on the other one. Colin loved the feel of it. It felt like the erotic sensation traveled from his nipple to his cock. Aileen began moving her body back and forth over Colin's. Her tits rubbed against his chest and his cock was rubbed between their stomachs. Aileen pushed herself up with her arms and sat on him, now his cock was cradled lengthwise between the lips of her slit, she moved her hips and his cock slid back and forth along the length of her wet slit. The electric thrill the sensation gave him was wonderful. "I need you in me now, baby," Aileen said in a craving voice. "Yes I need it too mom!" Colin exclaimed. Aileen lifted herself off Colin and grabbing his cock she rubbed the head over her glistening pussy. She then positioned the head at the opening of her steamy cunt. The head went in smoothly as she lowered herself back down on his body, her hungry pussy engulfing the rest of his cock until he was all the way inside her. Their pubic bones met and the feeling of pure delectation Colin felt with his thick rigid cock inside of her was so incredible he just had to lie still for a minute luxuriating in the feeling. He couldn't believe he actually had his cock in her; he was actually making love to her! It had barely been a week since he lost his virginity but he thought he would never lose this feeling of incredulity every time he felt himself go inside her. "Oh honey, you feel so good inside me!" Aileen said echoing his feelings. She then began riding his cock, moving her hips up and down causing his shaft to slide in and out between the lubricious walls of her cunt. Colin started moving his hips in synchronization with her and they fell into a rhythm of lovemaking. He then reached up to caress her breasts and play with her nipples. As he thrust inside her, he could feel her erect clitoris when their pubic bones met, Colin began to maneuver his pelvis so her clit lightly rubbed against him each time it came into contact. "Mmmmm! Oh yes sweetie, that's it!" Aileen said in a husky voice. "I love you so much!" "Oh mom, I love you too! Oh you feel so good riding my cock!" Colin said. Aileen's pussy muscles would squeeze Colin's cock inside of her, hugging it, giving him enough sensation to stay fully erect, but not enough to push him over the edge. Colin gently squeezed her breasts and rolled her nipples. They continued to maintain their rhythm together for what seemed an awful long time. Finally Aileen's movements became erratic and she began to shudder, Colin kept pushing his cock up into her, but now at a faster pace. "Oh God! I'm gonna cum!" Aileen said. "Oh! Oh! Oh!" Aileen threw her head back arching her back and screamed "Ohhhhhhh!!!" as her body began to spasm. Colin remained hard and kept thrusting into her until her pussy clenched on his cock. When she unclenched, he began to thrust again. Aileen had not even completely subsided from her first orgasm when she said "Oh! Another one!" Her body began to shake harder again, "Oh God! Oh God! Here it comes!!!" she yelled. Colin propelled himself deep in her. She fell forward onto him as the second orgasm took her. She grasped his body as if she was holding on for dear life, her nails digging into his shoulders as the spasms overtook her. "OHHHHHHH!!!" she screamed and her cunt gripped Colin's cock once more. "Oh please, oh please, give me a minute!" Aileen said as she panted taking in as much air as she could. Colin stopped moving in her, but he remained stiff, still not having had his release yet. Aileen was now planting sloppy kisses all over his face, "Oh God you are so good!" she said. "No one could ever make me feel as you do!" She placed her mouth on top of his in a deep kiss and he felt her tongue's ingress into his mouth searching for his tongue. Colin wrapped his arms around her hugging her tight and shared the emotions of the passionate kiss with her. He then turned her over on her back and he was now on top, his cock staying entrenched in her pussy. They continued their sultry kissing and ever so slightly Colin once more began to move inside her. He started pumping slowly but kept increasing his pace, Aileen, having caught a second wind, began to respond by pushing her hips upwards to meet his drives into her. Colin kissed her breasts and sucked on her nipples. Colin pulled all the way out of her with just the tip of his cock remaining at the entrance of her pussy, and then he plunged back into her all the way in a single stroke. "Ohhhhhh!" Aileen moaned. Colin knew he was on the precipice as he brought his hand down in between them to play with her clit hoping to get his mother to cum with him. "Oh yes baby, yes!" Aileen exclaimed. "Oh God! I'm gonna cum again!" Colin kept drawing his cock in and out between the walls of her cunt and stimulating her clitoris with his hand. When Aileen trilled, "Oh! Oh! Oh! OHHHHHHHH!" and her body started to quiver in orgasm, her pussy contracted on Colin's dick. He was finally driven over the edge and he felt his balls swell up and discharge a massive amount of cum through his engorged and throbbing cock. "ERRRRRAHHHHH" he growled as drove himself in to the hilt and ejaculated deep into his mother's pussy. They both came together and Colin lost control over his body as he started to spasm. The extremely intense feeling momentarily carried him beyond rational thought and took him to a place that can only be described as heaven. When Colin came back down to Earth he was still on top of Aileen, his softening manhood still clutched by her fervid pussy. They were both breathing heavy and had a sheen of perspiration covering their bodies. Colin nuzzled against her neck, inhaling the mild fruity scent of her sweat dampened hair. He loved her smell. He administered her neck with tender kisses. Aileen wrapped her arms around him hugging him and said, "I love you so much honey." Colin lifted his head to look steadily into her emerald eyes. "I love you too, with all my heart," he said. "Tell me it will be like this forever," Aileen said. She had requested him to tell her this more than once since they embarked on this new relationship. Colin didn't believe for one second that she doubted his love for her, but they both had their insecure moments. Their bond was so profound, so deep with love, neither of them wanted to lose what they had found. Colin knew that they wouldn't, and he felt his mother knew that as well. Even when it seemed there was no one else in the world they could trust, they always had trust in each other. It just felt good to be reassured sometimes. "I will love you forever mom," Colin said. "I've loved you all my life, you were the first woman I fell in love with and no one I've ever met has even come close to making me feel the way you do, and no one ever will. I'm yours forever." "Oh Colin..." Aileen said with tears in the corners of her eyes making them sparkle. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me." "I'd be lost without you," Colin replied. "I love you." "I love you too baby," Aileen said. "Mom?" Colin said. "Yes honey?" "Are we being safe enough when we do this? I mean up at the cabin we didn't have anything but now we're back home maybe we should start using some kind of protection?" "I don't think we need it honey, Fred was the only man I'd ever been with before you and I'm the only woman you've been with so we don't need to worry about diseases and after you were born I was never able to get pregnant again, I don't think I can have any more children." Aileen said. "I see," Colin said. "That's good I suppose." He didn't know why but he sort of felt disappointed when his mother told him she couldn't get pregnant. But then he looked at her face glowing in the aftermath of their love and all disappointment completely left his mind as he was consumed by the happiness of just being with her. He kissed her tenderly. Aileen's eyelids were beginning to droop; it had been a long day and he could see she was drifting off. Colin was getting sleepy himself after the long drive and the physical exertion of their lovemaking. His cock had grown flaccid enough to slip out of her pussy and he moved off of his mother to lie on his side. He pulled Aileen's body up against him in a spooning position then pulled the covers up over both of them. The bed that used to be only his mother's from now on would be theirs. He knew he would never go another night without having this woman by his side. The thought gave him a warm feeling throughout his body as well as filling his heart with joy. Colin held his lover tightly in their bed as they both drifted off into a blissful sleep. * * * Colin awoke sometime in the middle of the night. Except for the light from the street shining in through the window, the room was dark. His mother must have gotten up at some point to turn off all the lights then come back to bed. He propped himself up on one elbow so he could see over Aileen's sleeping form to the clock on the night stand. It read a little past three in the morning. Colin was starving! They hadn't eaten anything since their meal at the restaurant on the way back home. Just as he decided to get out of bed and fix himself a bowl of cereal, he looked down at his mother. The illumination from the window gave him just enough light to see her. Her beauty never failed to stun him no matter how much he saw of her. However, the way she looked right now, with the glow coming off her body and the pose she was in, made her look extremely sensual. She was lying on her side facing away from him, she had the blanket and sheet pulled up over her breasts and tucked under her arm, but when Colin had awakened, his movement had skewed the covers. Aileen's back was uncovered almost down to the beginning of her ass. Her long red hair ran halfway down her back and the contrast between her carmine hair against her alabaster skin was breathtaking. Looking at her form beneath the covers, he could envision her plump ass, broad hips, and curvy legs. Colin couldn't resist reaching out his hand and placing it on her back, he had to touch her. He stroked his hand lightly over her bare back and brushed his hand through her hair letting the florid locks run through his fingers. He relished the feel of her smooth skin and lustrous mane. Every now and then his hand would sweep over something that felt like a slightly protruding line on her skin. He knew those were her scars. Even before they became lovers he had caught glimpses of her scars on occasion. They weren't that conspicuous, they had healed over time and now they only looked like slightly discolored marks on various parts of her body, and they were usually hidden by her clothes. Colin had always known that his grandfather physically abused his mother. She rarely talked about it though, and when she did say anything about it she was always vague. However, over the last week at the cabin his mother opened up her heart and mind to him as completely as she had her body. Sometimes during a lull in their lovemaking when they were just holding each other making quiet conversation, she would start talking about her past. She told him about the constant beatings, how he would use a belt on her making sure she felt the buckle. Another favorite instrument of his had been one of those telescoping antennas that had broken off of an old television set. Sometimes he would just use his bare hands. No matter what he used, he would usually whip her and hurt her until she bled. Most of the time she hadn't even done anything bad, her father would just come home drunk and in the mood to be mean so he would make himself perceive that she deserved a beating. There was hardly a time in her young life that she didn't have a cut or bruise somewhere on her body, most of the time she had plenty of both. It was a rare week that went by that she would escape unscathed. It must have been a horrible childhood. Colin had no idea how bad it had actually been for her. It sickened his heart and made his blood boil when he thought about it. When she left home at the age of eighteen, before he was born, she never spoke to her parents again. When Colin was five his grandmother had died, she had been beaten to death by her husband. Colin knew his mother still harbored some guilt about how she ended things with her mother, but when her father would beat her severely her mother never interfered. That was a kind of abuse in its own fashion. Colin's grandfather went to jail on manslaughter charges for killing his wife. Two years later he died there. Then there was Colin's father. Fred Martin was another miserable drunk that had taken a liking to beating up Aileen. Colin had been around at that time but for most of it he had been too young to understand what was going on and usually she would be beaten behind closed doors. He did have memories though of times when he would find his mom on the sofa or on her bed, surrounded by crumpled tissues and crying her heart out. He would ask her with genuine concern, "Mommy what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She wouldn't answer his questions, but she would envelop him in her arms, hug him tightly, and tell him how much she loved him. Of course, as he got older he began to get his share of whippings from his dad as well, but it wasn't even close to what his mom went through. Then there was that day when Colin was only eight years old, his father had beaten them up so bad he had put both of them in the hospital. Colin looked at his mother's face, so serene in her sleep. No one would ever believe that two of her front teeth in that beautiful rosebud mouth were false. His father had hit her with a closed fist knocking those teeth out. All she had been trying to do was stop him from hurting her son. That day everything changed. After they got out of the hospital, Aileen divorced Colin's father. He tried to worm his way back into their lives but Aileen wouldn't let him. When Colin was ten, his father died in an automobile accident while driving drunk. It had been two years since he had seen his dad and what he remembered most about him was how mean he could be. It didn't faze him that much to learn his father was dead; his Uncle Patrick was more a father to him than Fred had ever been. What mattered most to Colin, even then, was that his mother was all right, he could stand losing his father but if he ever lost her he knew he would never recover. Even though Colin and Aileen had other family in their life, it really seemed that it was just the two of them since the time of the divorce. They depended on each other for companionship and emotional support. Colin knew his mom had always loved him, but after that time in the hospital Aileen seemed a different person. She was still his mother, but she also became his best friend and not a day went by that she didn't show her love for him in some fashion. Colin supposed that was when he first began not just loving her, but being in love with her, at least as much as an eight year old could be in love with anyone. But from that time onward, his love for her just kept on growing. Aileen had managed to bury most of the trauma she had gone through as a child and as a battered wife deep inside her, but recently she wound up in another bad relationship with a guy named Ben who she met over the internet. When she discovered Ben was just a jerk trying to manipulate her, he even tried to attack her but Colin was there to stop him, it brought all her other bad memories back to the surface. When Colin and Aileen became lovers and started having those intimate talks up at the cabin, Aileen let loose her grief over her tormented past. She had held the pain in so long that once she found the security, comfort, and trust that were born out of their relationship she was finally able to find some release in talking about her past. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 01 Colin had listened intently to everything Aileen told him. He had held her close and when she cried Colin soothed her and wiped away her tears. Much of the time Aileen did the same thing for Colin. They had become so empathically connected that knowing the specifics of the anguish his love had gone through would bring tears to his eyes concurrent with Aileen's. She revealed that this was why she had never talked that much about it before; she never wanted to burden him with her grief. Their new relationship had changed things though. Aileen expressed how she felt she now belonged to him as much as he belonged to her and she wanted him to be the one person with whom she shared everything about herself. Colin believed their talks had been cathartic for both of them, although his experiences hadn't been nearly as rough as his mother's he had things to share with her as well. However, this didn't stop Aileen from trying to apologize when she upset him, but he would hush her every time she tried. They had become so close that even if she hadn't verbalized her agonizing experiences, he would have sensed them and would want her to unburden herself on him. He made it clear to her that there would never be a time that she needed to apologize for sharing her feelings with him. As Colin's mind drifted while he thought about all the things his mother had disclosed to him, his hand had continued rubbing her back. He had unconsciously focused his touch on her scars, seeking out random ones along her backside and his fingers were lightly tracing those meandering lines on her body. He began to feel overwhelmed with the love and compassion he felt for this divine woman. He nimbly moved down and closer to her, so close his lips were almost touching her skin. He had an urge to kiss her scars, like when a parent kissed a minor injury of a child to make the pain go away. This was something Colin hadn't done before and as his gentle kisses traversed those remnants of past hurts his attention roused Aileen from her slumber. "Baby...?" Aileen said as she hazily emerged from sleep, "What are you doing?" "Mom, I want you to know I'm never going to hurt you and I will never ever let anyone hurt you again!" Colin said adamantly as a tear rolled down one of his cheeks. Aileen turned her head to look at her son. "Honey, what's wrong?" she asked, now wide awake. "I just want you to know how much I love you and I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you!" Colin's reverie had brought on an intense feeling of protectiveness over his mother. She had gone through so much and he felt a burning need to keep her safe and happy for the rest of her life. Aileen rolled over to embrace him. "Shhhh...baby, I know sweetie, I know," Aileen said as she held him tightly in her arms. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I know how much you love me and I love you too, more than words can describe. And I know I will never be hurt as long as I have you in my life." Colin fiercely hugged her back. "You mean everything to me," she said, "you've given me so much and you have made me happier than I've ever been before." "You mean everything to me too. You make me deliriously happy." Colin said. He kissed her cheeks tasting her salty tears and then he landed his mouth on hers which she devotedly accepted. His tongue sought out hers and found it waiting to be caressed and he joyfully complied. Colin felt his mother comforting him and reconfirming her love in that kiss which is what he longed for at that moment. He responded by pouring out his soul into her, communicating to her that he was all hers and his love for her was immeasurable. It was an extremely passionate kiss, the kind that had nothing to do with lust and everything to do with love. For a while, time seemed to stand still. Up at the cabin, just before they had made love for the first time, Colin declared they would make a world just for them, a world sustained by their love. It would exist no matter where they were, as long as they were together. It looked as if Colin's declaration had been proven true. As the kiss went on, the outside world seemed to disappear completely and all that was left was their own little world. Colin vaguely remembered being hungry when he had woken up, but he no longer felt hungry for food, he felt a different hunger, an all-consuming one that could only be satiated by uniting completely with his soul mate. He separated his lips from hers and commenced kissing her slowly down her chin, then down her neck, and finally he reached her chest. As his mouth encompassed an area of one of her voluminous tits, he could see her nipples were fully extended. He took one of her nipples into his mouth, closing his eyes and just enjoying the sensation of sucking on that supple projection. Aileen began to moan and after a time pushed her other breast closer to his mouth, he understood the message and switched to the other nipple. Colin's cock felt stiff as an iron rod. He moved on top of his mother aligning their genitals. "I love you so much," he whispered. "I love you too my baby," Aileen said. Colin moved his hips sliding his cock over her entire vaginal area feeling the warm wetness there. Aileen squirmed and bucked her hips trying to capture his cock in her pussy. He felt his member glide over a petite protuberance and he paused for a moment. With adept movement, he managed to run the head of his cock over her erect clit. Aileen inhaled sharply, let out a loud moan, and then shivered. Colin moved his cock to the entrance of his mother's pussy. "That's it honey," Aileen said. "Take me; stick your cock inside me." Slowly he inserted himself until his entire length was buried inside her. Aileen sighed as if she just slid into a hot bath. "Please...let me just feel you all the way inside me for a moment," she said as she placed her arms around him, hugging him as close to her as possible. "I feel whole when you are in me." Colin remained still for a minute. He also enjoyed the sensation of having his cock nestled snugly inside her pussy. But soon the irresistible urge to begin movement came over him. He started slowly, easing his cock out of her pussy then pushing it back in, he repeated this action and each time the pace accelerated a bit. Soon he was pumping furiously in and out of her. His head was tucked in the crook between her neck and shoulder and his mother was lightly stroking the hair on the back of his head. "Mmmmm, oh yes baby, yes!" Aileen cooed into his ear, Colin could feel her warm breath as she spoke softly. "I love you so much sweetie, I'll always be here for you and I know you'll always be here for me. You are the most incredible lover I ever had." Her words stoked the flames of his burning love for her. "I love you so much, we'll always be together, I swear!" Colin said. They made love with intense fervor. It was just the two of them in their own private kingdom, he was her king and she was his queen, nothing else existed, they didn't need anything else to exist. All they needed were each other, which they freely gave to one another, and making love was an ultimate act that soothed their need. When they merged they became one entity, their thoughts, actions, and emotions all combining. Colin couldn't tell where he ended and his mother began. All he knew was that he felt absolute bliss, he had all he needed, and there was no part of him that felt incomplete. All too soon he felt the pressure building up inside of him demanding release. His motions became erratic as he tried to hold back, fighting his body to keep giving them one moment more. His balls tightened and he knew there was no longer any holding back. "Ehhhhhhhh!" Colin grunted in spasmatic frenzy as his cock shot a succession of powerful bursts of cum into his mother's cunt. Triggered by Colin's orgasm, Aileen was pushed past the precipice into an orgasm of her own. "Oh Goddddddd!!!" She screamed as her pussy clenched on his cock, her body wriggling uncontrollably beneath him. With his body spent, Colin slackened on top of Aileen. She refused to release his body from her arms and his cock from her pussy. Colin had no desire to be set free. He felt as emotionally exhausted as he was physically. Loving this woman took everything out of him, but that was not a problem because everything she took she returned to him tenfold. He lifted his head to stare into her green eyes. He moved a strand of her hair away from her face and then caressed her cheek. He ran his hand from her shoulder all the way down her arm to her hand and clasped it within his own. "I love you," he said simply, but no words could carry a heavier weight. "I love you too," she replied in a whisper. They kissed each other tenderly. Colin had thought their honeymoon period had ended when they left the cabin, but now he knew...it would never end. NEXT CHAPTER: BACK TO LIFE A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 02 CHAPTER 2: BACK TO LIFE It was late Sunday night. The next day Colin would be returning to school and Aileen to work. They were in bed together curled up in each other's arms. With the coming morning close at hand, they were discussing how they were going to handle reentering the real world. "Are we going to be all right, Colin?" Aileen asked with her arms wrapped around her son's torso, her head resting on his chest. Colin was still getting used to seeing this side of his mother. While she had always been warm and tenderhearted with him, she also always used to put up a brave front. During any crisis she would mask her most grave concerns from him. He supposed that, as his mother, she felt she needed to be strong for both of them. As her son he was subordinate to her, but as her lover she accepted him as her equal and didn't hide any of her thoughts or feelings from him. She now allowed him to see her vulnerabilities. This was just another in a myriad of ways she made him feel special. "We're going to be all right, Mom," Colin said matter-of-factly, "Because no matter what happens we are in this together. We can draw strength from each other." "I just can't help feeling that I may be short changing you. You have your whole life ahead of you. You're going to graduate high school in just a few months. You'll be going to college soon. What are we going to do then? You know I love you more than life itself, baby, and I have no doubt at all in my heart that you love me the way you say you do. It's just that sometimes I get so scared that we're at different points in our lives and we need different things. This is the time of your life where you are supposed to be free, to find out who you are. How can you do that if you feel obligated to me and this relationship?" "First of all, I haven't decided if I'm going to college. I enjoyed working at Uncle Pat's and I talked to him on the phone today and he said I could come back. When I was working as a server I had been getting some good tips and making good money, but whatever I end up doing we will decide together. "Secondly, I know who I am. I am a man who is madly in love with his woman. I don't need anything but you. I don't want to do anything without you in my life. I would be miserable wherever I was and whatever I was doing if I couldn't come home and be with you every day. "You told me that this was the first relationship where you ever felt truly in love, you thought you were in love before, but thinking and knowing are two different things and now you know it. I understand that completely. I thought I was in love with Sheryl but I know I'm in love with you. There's no way to describe it except this feeling of rightness when we are together that I've never felt with anyone else. Tell me you don't feel that too?" "I do feel it, just like you said," Aileen said, her voice a little choked up. "We are at the same point in life," Colin continued, "our ages don't mean a thing, it's that we both found exactly who we needed at the same time. This is going to be our time Mom, whatever we do, wherever we go, we're going to be together." Aileen looked up at Colin, her eyes brimming with moisture. "Oh Colin, I think it's going to be me drawing more strength from you than you will from me. Whenever I have doubts, your words erase them. I love you so much!" "I love you too Mom," Colin said softly, "But don't kid yourself, where do you think I get the strength to be so sure of my convictions?" With his thumb, Colin wiped away a tear that had just escaped from the corner of her eye. "You have the kindest, most loving eyes I have ever seen. When I see you looking at me with them my heart just melts and all I want to do is hold you. Knowing that look of love in them is meant for me gives me all the strength I need to know we are doing the right thing." "It is meant for you baby, and it always will be," Aileen said. "I know," Colin replied, "and my love is yours forever." Aileen reached up to place her lips on his and they shared an impassioned kiss. When they separated Aileen said, "So we stick with the plan. You go to school and I go to work and pretend everything is normal." "For now...yes. Believe me, if I could I would show my affection for you every moment of every day whether we were in public or not. Remember when we stopped at that restaurant in Allentown? They thought we were a couple there and it felt great to be that way with you!" "I agree. It was wonderful to be out in the world and having everyone see that you are my man." Aileen said with a smile "But for here and now that's not possible. Maybe someday we could live somewhere where people didn't know us and we could be seen in public as a married couple and not a mother and son." Aileen's breath caught. "Does that mean you would marry me if you could?" She asked. "Mom...Aileen," Colin said testing the name out on his tongue. Even after all that happened it still felt strange calling her anything but "Mom", but now when he called her that his feelings were anything but sonly. "I've felt like we've been married since Christmas morning," he said. "Oh Colin, I love you so much!" "I love you too." The two lovers fell into another kiss and embrace. This time it didn't end until Colin had come deep inside of Aileen. They fell asleep, their bodies entwined together as well as their hearts. Tomorrow they may have to separate physically to go back to the real world, but emotionally they would stay connected and thus their own private world would endure. * * * Colin started out on his way to school the next morning. Liberty High was close enough to the apartment complex that he could walk, but it wasn't much fun on days like this. The sky was overcast, there were piles of dirty snow on all the sidewalks and street curbs, there were puddles of slush to watch out for every time you crossed a street, and a harsh wind was blowing hard enough to chill the spine. However, with the memory of Aileen's taste, touch and smell still fresh in his mind and the thought of returning to her tonight, Colin couldn't have been happier if it had been a bright sunny day and seventy degrees out. "Yo Colin! Wait up!" Colin turned to see the Rosini brothers running to catch up with him. He usually ran into them on the way to school and he considered them friends. He had what you would call an average guy relationship with the Rosini brothers. In other words, whenever they got together they reverted to twelve year old boys. "Hey Matt, Hey Moe," Colin said as they came up along side him. The older brother, Matteo or "Matt", was a senior like Colin and they had some classes together. He was a big stocky guy, he weighed at least two hundred twenty pounds and all of it muscle. He was a star wrestler at their school. Massimo or "Moe" was a year younger than both Colin and Matt and a junior in high school. Despite his name he was kind of a runt. He was short and wiry with long black hair sloppily tied back in a pony tail and he probably weighed only a hundred pounds. "Hey Matt, look who's returned from the living dead!" said Moe. "Heh," said Matt. Matt wasn't the most talkative guy around, he was actually kind of shy, whereas Moe would talk your ear off and would say anything that came into his mind. It had gotten him into trouble more times than Colin could remember. If he ever got in too deep Matt was always there to bail him out, but otherwise Matt took a sadistic pleasure in seeing his little brother talk himself into a bind. Colin supposed that if he had to live every day with that mouth going nonstop he'd feel the same way. "What are you talking about?" asked Colin. "You, with that shit-eating grin on your face," said Moe with a quirky smile. "All last month you barely said two words to us most days and you were always in this grim daze. We thought we was walking to school with a zombie or something, I thought any day you were gonna turn around and eat my brains." "Woulda been a light meal," said Colin. "Heh," said Matt. "Fuck you!" said Moe jovially, "I gave you that set up on purpose just to see if you were really back." "I'm back, better than ever," Colin said. "So what happened?" asked Moe. "Uh...nothing really,"Just the most wonderful thing that could ever possibly happen to me! "Oh shit! Now I recognize that look, Col got laid!" Moe said gleefully. Colin blushed. "Fuck! You did get laid! Who was it? Don't tell me it was Sheryl." "It wasn't Sheryl," Colin said immediately without thinking. "Then who was it?" Moe asked. "Like I'm gonna tell you!" "Fuck! I always tell you guys when I get to dip my pen in the inkwell" "Your hand don't count as an inkwell," Matt said. Colin burst out laughing. "Fuck you, you muscle headed pimple popping crotch sniffing Neanderthal! When was the last time you got laid?" Moe shot back. "Like Col said, I ain't gonna tell you!" "Cause you ain't got nothing to tell, but Colin, he definitely got some. C'mon man, just tell me she at least had big tits. Give me something." Colin just kept his mouth shut. "This is fuckin' weak man," Moe said. "Yeah, just like your so called physique." Colin retorted. "Heh," said Matt. "Fuck both of you! I ain't setting you jagoff's up no more!" Moe said and walked ahead of Colin and Matt in mock indignation. "So..." said Matt, "can you at least say if this girl is special or was she just a one time thing?" "Matteo, she's the most special girl in the world, but that's all I'm gonna say on the matter," Colin said grinning. "Heh," Matt said. * * * Colin and the Rosinis arrived at Liberty High at about a quarter to eight, they had to be in home room by eight. They arrived just in time to see Seth's shiny red Mustang pull into the parking lot. "Must be nice to be rich," Moe said looking at the flawless car. "Not if it turns you into spoiled punk with a superiority complex," Colin said in disgust. His Uncle Patrick wasn't exactly rich, but he was well off financially. However, Patrick got to where he was in life by hard work and a savvy mind for business, Seth just sponged off his father's wealth. "Am I detecting some hostility here..." Moe said in a high falsetto voice, "Still holding a grudge for what he did to you and Sheryl?" "I have no feelings for Sheryl one way or another anymore," Colin said stoically, then he thought about it and said, "Well, I guess I have one feeling for her...I feel sorry for her that she has to put up with one hundred seventy-five pounds of pure ego." Colin glowered at Seth as he and Sheryl got out of his car. Seth and Sheryl approached the entrance of the school. Sheryl held her gaze downcast, but Seth stared straight at Colin. It was as if Colin could feel the animosity radiating off his cousin. Seth had rust red hair and a muscular build similar to Colin's. Colin could see the contempt in his icy blue eyes, Seth seemed to resent everything about his cousin, even the things he had no control over like the fact that Colin was two months older and one inch taller. "Colin!" Seth said with a huge malevolent grin, "We missed you at Christmas. It wasn't the same without you and your mother." "I bet," Colin said brusquely. "So how was your Christmas?" Seth asked with obvious amusement in his voice. Colin couldn't help it, especially with Seth standing there with that smug look on his face, so he said plainly, "It was the best Christmas I ever had." While Colin's mouth was upturned in a smile, his eyes held no mirth. He matched Seth's stare with a piercing glare of his own. A cold wind blew over them. Seth flinched and seemed taken aback by the cool confident look of Colin. Seth recovered and said, "Well what made it so great? Having to dig a ton of snow just to move five inches?" Then he laughed. "No, it was the first Christmas I didn't have to see your pompous face." Colin said. "Ooooh! Burn!" Moe said. Seth looked ready to take a swing at someone but he seemed to be deciding on whether it should be Colin or Moe. Before he could do anything however, Sheryl finally spoke up. "Colin! That's no way to talk about your cousin!" she said. "Listen, we need to talk, will you be free at lunch?" Colin shrugged then said, "I guess so." Seth stared at Sheryl in askance but she ignored him for the moment and said, "Ok, we'll talk then, right now we have to get to class." Sheryl tugged on the arm of a still slightly bewildered Seth and they headed into the building. "She wants you back man," Moe said. "I don't think so," Colin replied. "Sure she does! Think about it, you could be fucking two girls at once now." The idea of getting back together with Sheryl, even if she did want him back, seemed repugnant to him now. Aileen was all he wanted. I can't believe I ever thought I loved her, Colin thought. "I don't want anything to do with her," Colin said. "Seth is welcome to her, but I don't know how she will feel when she finds out that the only person Seth is really capable of loving is himself." "Fuckin' Eh, man!" Moe said laughing, "It's about time you showed some backbone with that prick!" Moe had been bitter towards Seth ever since the time last year when he had duct taped his mouth shut...using a whole roll of tape. "I never used to let him get the better of me when we were kids, but I guess I had just gotten tired of fighting with him all the time. But now I've found new strength. That guy can't touch me anymore." Colin said. A strange look passed over Moe's face for a moment, but then his expression quickly returned to his normal simple grin and all he said was "Fuckin' Eh!" again. Colin and the Rosini brothers headed to class. * * * It had been a strange morning. Colin couldn't believe how many people remarked on how much happier he looked or just stared at him in surprise. It happened in each class and even in the hallways. He had been so self consumed in his own depression last month he hadn't realized how he must have looked to others. The contrast between himself from last month and himself today must have been huge. The other thing was he couldn't stop thinking about Aileen. Her emerald eyes, her tender ear lobes, her soft skin, her whole gorgeous body, but most of all he couldn't stop thinking about how much he loved her and how she made him feel. He was in a constant battle with himself that morning to keep his, as Moe called it, "shit-eating grin" from popping up on his face, as well as another part of his body from popping up. But it was a battle he was losing because his mind kept returning to thoughts of Aileen. When lunch rolled around he went to the cafeteria and bought his meal. It was typical school fare, you could either have pizza, a hamburger, or the mystery dish. Colin went with the hamburger. Colin made his way to the empty table he had been eating at all last month. All throughout his high school years he had usually sat with Seth and his friends, who he thought were his friends too, until the break up with Sheryl. After that Colin had refused to sit with Seth so he ended up eating alone, apparently most of his friends weren't really his friends at all. Not that it mattered, last month he was too depressed to care and now Aileen was the only person that it mattered to him was on his side. She was his best friend as much as she was his mother and his lover. He missed her. They had only been apart a few hours now, but it was the first time they had been apart this long since they became lovers. Her company was all that he longed for, but at least he had his thoughts of her. "Yo Colin!" Colin looked up and saw Moe Rosini standing up and motioning him over to his table. Colin debated this with himself for a minute. Moe and his buddies were an interesting group, well they were stoners (among other things), which really wasn't Colin's scene. What the hell, Colin thought to himself and made his way over to their table and took a seat. Most of the students at the table were juniors, but there were some seniors there as well. They were an odd group, like any group of teenagers isn't odd, but they made him feel welcome at their table. Colin looked over to Seth's table while he ate his burger. He saw that Matt still sat with them. Colin couldn't blame him, Matt was part of the group and he considered those people his friends. On the mornings they walked to school together last month, Matt made it clear that he was still his friend as well and Colin had appreciated that. However, when it came to choosing between sitting with a reticent friend consumed by his own depression and his regular group of fun loving pals, Colin could understand it wasn't a hard choice to make. The one person Colin didn't see sitting at Seth's table was Sheryl. Colin wondered about that for a moment until he remembered that Sheryl had asked to talk to him at lunch. He was just about to scan the cafeteria looking for her when he heard her voice behind him. "Colin? Are you free for a moment?" Sheryl asked. "Uh, sure," Colin said, then to Moe he said, "I'll be back in a few minutes." Moe acknowledged him with a nod and a prurient look on his face. Colin and Sheryl found an empty table and sat down. "You look different," was the first thing she said. "I feel different," said Colin. "You seem better than you have been in a while," said Sheryl. "If you're asking if I'm over you, then the answer is 'yes'," Colin said. "Good," she said with a sigh, "I've wanted to have this talk with you for a while, but didn't think it was a good idea while you were feeling so low." "I don't think there's anything we need to talk about. What happened happened. It's over and done with," Colin said. He was starting to feel a little disgusted with himself that he let this girl get to him so bad, she was nothing compared to Aileen. "But I want to explain why it happened," Sheryl said. "There's no need to explain..." "Please?" Sheryl interrupted. Colin exhaled slowly. "All right," he said. "You remember how for a while I was working the closing shift at Plus Video on Friday nights?" Sheryl asked. "Yes." "Well one night a couple months ago I closed up the store and started heading home. I noticed there were two guys walking behind me and they gave me a creepy feeling. I started walking faster and they started walking faster. I started to run and they started to run. They caught up to me in no time. They were wearing bandanas around their faces. I saw one of them had a knife. I just knew they were going to rape me. I tried to scream but I couldn't get my voice to work. "Then, all of a sudden, this figure jumped out of the shadows. He tackled the guy with the knife making him lose it. Before the other guy could get close enough to do anything, the new guy swept his foot around and knocked the other attacker off his feet. Both of those would be rapists then ran off." "Wow," was all Colin could say. "Yeah," Sheryl agreed. "When I finally got control over my trembling body I got a good look at who had saved me...it was Seth. I had been so scared, so shook up; I just ran into his arms and started to cry. He just held me for the longest time comforting me. I never felt so safe in anyone's arms as I did in Seth's that night." Colin was speechless for a minute, and then managed to get out, "I'm so sorry that happened." "It's ok, nothing bad really happened to me and Seth was there to rescue me. He walked me home and I asked him what he had been doing there in the first place. That's when he confessed that he had fallen in love with me, had been in love with me for a while, and he regularly watched me work at the video store then followed me home just so he could be close to me. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 02 "We started talking more after that night and I soon came to realize that I loved him. I'm sorry that I hurt you and I know I had always promised you that you would be my first, but when I started seeing Seth it felt so right. I realized that even though I do love you, Colin, I was never in love with you, not the way I am with Seth. I hope you can forgive me for what I did." Colin was quiet for a moment taking the whole story in. Truthfully he was nonplussed, not knowing what to think. Finally he said, "I forgive you. I know now that what we had between us was more friendship than love. I wish you the best." Sheryl smiled demurely. "Thank you Colin," she said. "Just promise me that you will be careful with Seth, you don't know him like I do," Colin said. "I think maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do," Sheryl said. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to have this talk with you when I felt you could handle it. I feel so bad about coming in between your friendship. You are the only one besides Seth who knows what happened that night. You're the first person I told." "You never went to the police, or told your foster parents?" Colin asked. "What good would going to the police have done? Nothing happened to me and I never got a good look at their faces. There would have been a big commotion over nothing. If my foster parents found out about it, they'd be worried sick every time I left home. I didn't want to put them through that after all they've done for me. I told you about this because I know I can trust you to keep it between us." "You can trust me not to say anything, if that's what you want," Colin said. "As for Seth, don't worry about you coming between us, this was a long time coming. We were never friends," Colin said sharply. "At most we were...rivals." "That's not true Colin! I know Seth can be a braggart at times, but that's just a façade he puts on to hide his insecurity. I know deep down he really feels bad about what happened between you guys, and he wishes you could be his friend again. Give him another chance." "I don't know Sheryl, I'll have to think about it," Colin said. Sheryl grasped Colin's hand for a moment and smiled, "I know you'll do the right thing," she said. With that she got up and left. Colin sat alone at the table quietly digesting the entire conversation he just had. He held no enmity towards Sheryl, especially now. He'd be the first to admit that what they had before wasn't really love now that he had found the real thing. But Seth? Could he have been wrong about Seth? Could Seth have truly fallen in love with Sheryl and not just taken her away from him out of spite? Did Seth really think of him as a friend? Sheryl made a convincing argument for him, but after growing up together with Seth all these years he found what she said hard to accept. But confusion and doubt were setting in now as well. He would just have to mull it over in his mind for a while. * * * The rest of the day went by in a blur, less people remarked about his change in attitude because, while he no longer seemed depressed, he also no longer seemed obnoxiously happy. Colin kept brooding over how he should handle Seth. Also, his longing to be with Aileen kept increasing by the minute, he couldn't believe how much he missed her. He had a study hall period in the afternoon. He tried to get as much homework done as he could during that time. Every time his mind started to wander, thinking about Aileen, thinking about Seth, he reprimanded himself. He told himself that the more homework he got done here, the less he would have to do at home and the more time he would have with his mother. That inspired him to keep his mind on his work. He had most of it completed by the end of study hall. At the end of the school day Colin didn't go home, he went to the school's gym instead. School let out at two-thirty, but his mother wouldn't be home until after five. He knew he would need something to do to occupy his time before she came home, something physical. When he played basketball, they held practice after school until four every day. Colin had quit the team a month ago mainly because Seth was on the team as well and at that time Colin was trying to do everything he could to limit his contact between Seth and Sheryl. He missed playing the sport and he was angry with himself for letting his feelings about Seth make him quit the team. Colin went to talk to Coach Fletcher to see if it was possible for him to get back on the team. He found the head basketball coach for the Liberty High Eagles in his office. "Coach Fletcher?" Colin said as he gently tapped on the office door. "Could I talk with you for a minute?" Even though Colin was six foot two in height and the coach was only around five foot ten, he was an imposing man, even when sitting behind his desk. The coach was a middle-aged black man. He always wore the same outfit: short sleeve button down white shirt, black slacks, and black tie. What made him so imposing was this look he could give you. He wore black horn-rimmed glasses and when he stared up at you over those glasses it could make even a marine think twice about confronting him. The coach was giving Colin that stare right now. After about thirty seconds and Colin didn't flinch, the coach slowly raised his hand and motioned him inside the office. Once inside the office Colin figured he better say something, he knew the coach would do nothing but stare at him until he talked. "Um...Uh, I was wondering if there was still a position open for me on the team." The coach continued to stare and when Colin felt a drop of sweat run down his neck the coach finally said simply, "You quit the team." "Uh, yes sir, I know, and that was a bad decision on my part and that's why I was hoping I could rectify it." Colin said. "You were first string. Do you know how many students would love to be on this team in any position, on any string? We're Liberty High son, we go to the finals every year and we've won State twice in the last five years. You were first string on this team and you quit." "I know sir and I apologize for the situation I left you in, like I said I would like to make up for it..." "Make up for it? You've missed six games; we lost three of those games. Can you get me those games back?" "No sir, but the season is still young and if you can find it in your heart to give me another chance..." "Find it in my heart? Son, I'm a basketball coach, we don't have hearts." "But you have intelligence," Colin said trying a desperate gambit, "coaches are smart enough to make use of the players that will win for them." "How will you win for me if you decide on a whim to up and quit on me again?" "Well, sir, that's the chance I'm asking for. I know I messed up a good opportunity by quitting on you. You've taught me so much and I want to show you that you haven't wasted your time on me. I won't quit on you again. I've learned that quitting and hiding from life is no way to live it. If you give me that chance I promise you I will be your most dedicated player. As the cliché goes, I will give you one hundred and ten percent and that's no hyperbole." "Hyperbole? You were always a wordy kid," the coach said. "Yes sir and I was also a great player," Colin said. The coach gave Colin "the stare" once more. Colin stood his ground. After about a minute the coach said, "Go suit up, practice is about to start." "Yes sir!" Colin dashed out of the office and headed for the locker room. Before he was out of earshot he heard the coach yell, "Martin! Don't take this to mean you're back on the team, I just want to see how rusty you've gotten over the last month without practice!" Colin smiled, all he needed was a chance and he knew he could prove he still belonged on the team. On his way to the locker room Colin thought about how he never would have been able to stand his ground against the coach like that a month, or even two weeks ago. Even when Aileen wasn't with him in the flesh she was with him in spirit and he drew strength from her. This concept wasn't anything new to him, he knew he could accomplish anything with the love he had for her in his heart. This was just the most difficult confrontation he had had to face yet. It made him feel good to know she was there for him in so many ways. This was just another example of the power she gave him and he loved her for it. He had no idea what to expect when he got to the locker room, but he knew he was probably going to need to draw on her strength again. * * * Colin entered the locker room to see his former teammates dressing up for practice. The school colors were white and green. Half the players wore green uniforms outlined in white and the other half wore white uniforms outlined in green. They typically played a thirty minute scrimmage match at least once a week during a practice, usually on Mondays. The other practices would consist of Coach Fletcher going over various game strategies and fundamentals and have the team practice those. Today was Monday and the team was suiting up in their practice uniforms for a scrimmage. Seth was the first one to spot Colin. He was wearing one of the green outlined in white uniforms. "Well, well, well, the prodigal quitter returns," Seth sneered. A couple of the guys laughed but most of the players looked at Colin with either surprise or indifference. Colin remembered the conversation he had with Sheryl so he decided he would try to give Seth the benefit of the doubt and take it easy on him. "What can I say, I missed you guys," Colin said with a sheepish grin. "So are you back on the team Col?" one of the players, Brian Chaplin, asked. "If he is, I say we petition the coach to cut him," Seth said. "Who wants a quitter on their team?" "I know I sure don't," said Ricky Woods, one of Seth's perennial lackeys. There were murmurs of agreement from some of the other players. Colin went over to the equipment room and pulled out a practice uniform, one of the white with green outline uniforms. "All coach said was I could come and practice with you guys today and see if I still had my skills." "Coach must be getting soft," Seth said, "who's he gonna let play with us next, the computer geeks? Why don't you just go home Martin you're not wanted here." "Afraid of a little challenge Seth?" Colin said. Taking it easy on Seth was one thing but he wasn't going to let Seth walk all over him. He knew Seth could never back down from a challenge, especially from him. "Get your gear on and get out on court and we'll see who's afraid." Seth growled. As he left the locker room he intentionally slammed his shoulder into Colin's. * * * Colin quickly got suited up and was out on the basketball court just as the last of the team were making their way there. Coach Fletcher had the team do warm up drills. He usually had them do twenty minutes of various drills like the Focus Drill, Coburg Weave, and the Shoot-Box-Board-Outlet. After they were warmed up he had the team divide in half, the green shirts against the white shirts. He called five players from each team to the floor to take their positions. Seth was out among the first five called on his team, but the coach kept Colin on the bench. Coach Sullivan, the assistant coach, was standing in the middle of the court holding a basketball. When Coach Fletcher blew his whistle, Coach Sullivan threw the basketball in the air and the game was on. Coach Fletcher moved all over the court shouting at players when they did something wrong and pointing it out to the whole team when somebody did something right. In the first ten minutes the green team was up 14 to 6, Jim Hayden, one of the white shirts wasn't having a good game, Coach Fletcher benched him and then told Colin to go in and see what he could do. Colin was confused for a moment, Jim's position was small forward, Colin always played center, but then Colin realized the coach must be testing him, to see how committed he really was to be back on the team. Colin hopped off the bench and took the position of small forward. The greens had the ball. Seth was playing point guard and Colin happened to end up guarding him. "What were you and Sheryl talking about today," Seth said breathing heavily as he dribbled the ball. "She just wanted to make sure everything was cool between us," Colin said blocking Seth from making a shot. "She said some good things about you." "I'm sure she did," Seth grinned, "you know she is an awesome fuck...oh wait...you wouldn't know that!" Seth chuckled. Colin was temporarily taken aback by the comment, although he should have expected it coming from Seth. This distracted Colin and led to him being a bit slower on the move with what happened next. Seth passed the ball to Ricky who was playing center for the greens. Colin took his eyes off of Seth to follow the ball, but Ricky passed it right back to Seth. Before Colin knew it Seth had charged into him, his elbow hitting him directly in the nose. Colin went down and Seth went on to score another two points for the greens but Coach Sullivan blew his whistle indicating Seth had committed a foul and the points didn't count. Colin stood up and felt his nose running, he wiped it on the back of his hand and it came away red with blood. Coach Sullivan handed him a towel and looked at his nose moving it back and forth a little. Colin winced but it didn't hurt too bad. "Well, your nose isn't broke at least," Coach Sullivan said. "Go get some ice on that and take a seat Martin. Reilly, you're benched." Seth smirked as he made his way to the bench. Another player, Blu Anderson, took the point guard position for the greens. Same old fucking Seth! I should have known better! Colin thought angrily as he carelessly wiped the blood off his face with the towel then tossed it aside. Let Sheryl think what she wants about him, I don't owe her anything and I know Seth for the asshole he really is! "Coach, I'm not hurt that bad, I'd like to stay in the game," Colin said. Both Colin and Coach Sullivan looked over to Coach Fletcher. Coach Fletcher stood still with his hands on his hips and there was that stare again. Colin stared back. His attitude was deferential towards the coach but he didn't break eye contact. He had gotten the impression after that conversation in his office that Coach Fletcher respected a person who didn't shrink from one of his stares. After a few seconds that seemed to last hours, Coach Fletcher gave a barely perceptible nod. "Ok Martin," said Coach Sullivan, "you stay in. You get to take the free throws then." The smirk on Seth's face vanished to be replaced by an expression of anger. Colin had two free shots because of the foul. He moved his head from side to side to stretch his neck and then took his position at the free throw line in front of the net. Colin made both shots for two points. The players got into position for the game to resume. The whistle blew and Coach Sullivan tossed the ball in the air. The score was 14 to 8 now. Colin moved about the court guarding either the point guard or the power forward when they had the ball. Colin made some deft moves and was able to steal the ball away from Blu. He dribbled the ball down the court and made a basket. Tedd Silvers was the point guard for the whites and when their team was on offense, he was being heavily pressured. However, Colin was able to get him out of trouble by handling the ball, dribbling it down the court, and passing it back and forth between his teammates when he ran into obstacles. He quickly scored three baskets in this fashion while the greens scored only one bringing the score to 16 to 14. By this time, Tedd was clearly having trouble keeping the team in check and it was only Colin's playing that had kept them in the game. Coach Fletcher blew the whistle signaling a time out. He sent Tedd to the bench. "Martin, take over point guard," the coach said then he sent in Brian Chaplin to take Colin's place as small forward. Point guard is arguably the most difficult position to play. You have to have your mind in several places at once. You have to direct the offence as well as recognize and respond to what defense the opposing team is using. Much like a quarterback in football, the point guard must be the most aware of all elements of the game. Because of that, he also stands to gain substantial glory if his team succeeds. Hence this is most likely why Seth covets the position. Colin had practiced playing the position before and it wasn't his favorite. He just made himself stay calm and direct the team where he felt they needed to be. With his leadership, his team was able to tie the game at 20 to 20. Seth was allowed back in the game now and was at his position. As Colin looked around at the players on the court he realized that the greens were all first string players while the whites were all second and third string players, except for Colin who technically wasn't on any string at the moment because he wasn't officially back on the team yet. Colin seemed to feel his team gel around him. It was as if the second and third stringers knew this was an opportunity to show the coach their value and they accepted Colin's leadership to make them all look good. Meanwhile the first stringers on the green team were showing their vexation at being routed. Colin led his team down the court to make three more baskets and when the other team tried to come back he formed up a solid defense to hold them at bay. Towards the end of the game Colin was dribbling the ball down the court and saw Seth come charging at him to strip the ball from him. At the last second Colin turned to the side and made a quick pass to Brian then braced himself. Seth couldn't stop his momentum and slammed right into Colin's shoulder and arm. Colin's feet stayed planted on the ground but Seth ricocheted off Colin and fell to the floor landing hard on his ass. Brian went on to make a basket. Seth got up and Colin could see how hard he was trying to walk like he wasn't hurt. Seth was looking for a flagrant foul to be called but Coach Sullivan didn't call one. He said there was no foul because Seth couldn't control where he was going and all Colin did was stay on his feet. Seth was irate. When Coach Fletcher blew his whistle to signify the end of the game the final score was Greens: 24, Whites: 30. Colin's teammates shouted gleefully and all the white shirts slapped him on the back or told him "good job" for leading them to the win. Seth was fuming. Colin restrained himself from looking too smug, but it felt good to beat Seth. Coach Fletcher gathered the team around for his usual after practice brief lecture. "We had an interesting practice today," he began. "I think we learned the value in that no lead can not be overtaken. So if we are winning we need to stay winning, if we are losing we can't give up. The main point is you have to play a full four periods, at no time during a game do you let up thinking you have it won or give up thinking you have lost. "White team: good job on your win today. Green team: think about what caused you to lose. Mr. Martin, you showed excellent playing and team leadership abilities. If you play that well against Saint Mathew's Wednesday night I have no doubt we will hand them a decisive defeat. Welcome back Mr. Martin." Colin nodded his head to the coach in thanks while undergoing another round of back slapping from the players on the white team. Some of the other Eagles from the green team also came over to welcome Colin back and to praise him for his team's victory. However, Seth and the group of players around him just stared fiery gazes his way. Colin kept a blank expression on his face when he looked at them, but he had to admit to himself, it felt good to get under Seth's skin for a change. It was worth an elbow to the nose. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 02 Coach Fletcher officially declared practice was over. * * * Colin was wondering if Seth might try something when he went back to the locker room, but Colin was surrounded by teammates that, after today, would defend Colin against any threat. Seth never tried anything unless the advantage was clearly his. Besides, it appeared as if Seth was in no mood to do anything but go home and rest his sore ass. Colin showered and changed back into his street clothes. Coach Sullivan had given him a bag of ice for his nose which he said still looked a little sore. Colin didn't really see the need for it, he was ready to go out into the freezing cold to walk home, and he could always put some ice on his face when he got there. Home. He couldn't wait to get there. It had been way too long since he had seen the love of his life. A full eight hours! NEXT CHAPTER: REUNITED A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 03 CHAPTER 3: REUNITED Colin arrived at the apartment a little after four-thirty. His mother wasn't home yet, she wouldn't be off work until five. The place felt extremely empty and lonely without her. Colin decided he might as well get dinner started. Whenever Colin was home first and didn't have to go to work, he usually made dinner. He and his mother had always shared the responsibilities of home life ever since it had been just the two of them living together. It was like they had been married all along, except for the having sex part which I am very glad we rectified, Colin thought with a lascivious grin. All ready having removed his coat, Colin slipped out of his V-neck sweater leaving him only in his white tee shirt and jeans. He didn't want to stain his good school clothes while cooking, but more than that, he was more comfortable this way. Colin attended to the task of finding something to make for dinner. There was ground beef in the refrigerator and Colin decided to sauté it with some canned cream of mushroom soup. He found some egg noodles up in the cabinet, he cooked them up and when the ground beef was ready he would lay it on a bed of noodles. There were some baby carrots in the refrigerator as well, he decided to sauté them in a garlic butter sauce to serve as a side dish. Colin didn't really care for salad but his mom liked them so he made a fresh garden salad for her. He got out a bottle of white zinfandel wine for his mother and for an added touch he lighted some candles on the kitchen/dining room table and dimmed the lights. Just as he finished preparing the meal he heard the door unlock and saw Aileen walk in. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her. His mother looked up and saw him standing at the table with dinner made and she just stared at him for a second. Just when Colin was about to ask if everything was all right, she burst into tears and ran into his arms. She collided with him so hard she almost knocked them both down. "Oh baby, I missed you so much today!" she said through her tears. "All I could think about all day long was your love and how you felt inside me. I don't know how I made it through." She was bathing his face in kisses. "I love you so much!" "I love you too mom and I missed you so bad today," Colin said hugging her tight. God, it felt good to have her in his arms again. "Ouch!" Colin said as she kissed him over his sore nose. Aileen looked at his face and for the first time saw the swollen nose and beginnings of a bruise. "Oh honey! What happened to your beautiful face? Please don't tell me you got into a fight." "I didn't mom, I just got hurt a little at basketball practice." "Oh baby, I'm so sorry," Aileen said. "Does it hurt bad?" "Only a little mom, really I'm okay," Colin said. "Well, Mommy's gonna make it all better." She kissed his nose very gently and then slowly her tongue poked out of her mouth and being even gentler she slowly licked the sore area of his face. Colin got an immediate erection. Aileen's hand traveled down his body and took a firm hold of his hard cock through his jeans. "Does this need to be made better too?" Aileen asked innocently but with a mischievous grin. "Yes mommy," Colin said breathily. Aileen led Colin over to the couch and had him sit down. She removed her coat tossing it aside and beneath it she was wearing her navy blue business suit with white blouse. She removed her blazer and untied the white bow on her blouse then knelt in between Colin's legs. She brought her hand up to her vividly red hair and pulled out several hair pins and placed them on the coffee table. She had been wearing her hair up, but soon her long curly locks fell down to drape around her head. Aileen placed her hand on Colin's aching crotch. She slowly moved it back and forth over the large bulge in his pants. Colin moaned. She then undid his belt buckle and unfastened his jeans. On her hand's next trip over his bulge she caught the zipper of his fly between her thumb and forefinger and carefully the sliding tab crept downward. The white of Colin's boxer shorts emerged as Aileen opened his pants. Aileen slipped her hand into the slit in the front of Colin's shorts and pulled his aching cock through, freeing it from the confines of his pants and shorts. Colin's cock stuck out through his shorts, stiff as a flagpole, the head glistening with precum. "My mouth has been watering for the taste of cock all day," Aileen said as she pouted seductively, "and there's only one cock in the whole world that can satisfy me." She smiled up at her son, her jade eyes sparkling; she had a secure hold of his member in her dainty hand. "I'm glad it's all mine." She rubbed her hand up and down the shaft. Colin groaned in pleasure at the sensation and at Aileen's discourse. His mother had gotten steadily bolder at sensual play since their first night together, Colin believed she found it liberating to have a lover she was able to explore her sexuality with to her full potential. But whatever it was that caused it, he wasn't complaining. "It's all yours," Colin said in ecstasy. "Every part of me belongs to you." "And every part of me belongs to you my love," Aileen said, "my heart, my soul...and my body." Aileen leaned in close as she said those last words and Colin felt her warm breath gust over his cock. Colin's cock became even harder, which he hadn't thought possible. Aileen continued to stroke her son's erect cock as her tongue came out and meticulously licked the precum from the tip. Colin felt a thrill go through him. Her tongue circled the head of his cock covering an ever widening area, eventually she was licking around his entire shaft basting his cock with her saliva. She was making "mmmmm" noises as if she tasted the sweetest delicacy on Earth. Then she encompassed the head of his cock in her mouth, her tongue twirled around the head and played with the tiny slit at the tip. She was still stroking his shaft with her hand but now at a faster pace. She then slipped her hand through the hole in his boxers and started to fondle his balls, her mouth took more of his cock inside as she sucked and slurped on it. She began moving his cock in and out of her mouth, her lips sliding back and forth over his shaft. Colin was in a state of sexual fervor. Aileen had him so incredibly aroused he wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. He experienced his stomach fluttering and his body going rigid, he knew his mother must have felt it when his balls tightened. "OHHHHHHH!" He shouted as he felt his hot cum blast out of his cock and into his mother's voracious mouth. She gulped down each blast like she was dying of thirst in the desert and his semen was water. Colin felt extremely drained and content as his mother licked the last remaining drops of cum trickling out of his softening cock. He relaxed his whole body and just enjoyed the aftermath of his orgasm. Aileen climbed up his body like a cat climbing a tree and joined herself to him at the lips. Colin wrapped his arms around her curvaceous form and held her closely against him. When they broke their kiss Colin said, "I love you." "I love you too," Aileen said and then she giggled. "What's so funny?" Colin asked. "You," Aileen said. "You've got a goofy grin on your face." "Well, I'm goofy in love with you," Colin said as he let his hand slide down her back to her rounded bottom and gave it a not too gentle squeeze. "Hey!" Aileen said. "Hey, what?" Colin said. He mashed his lips against hers cutting off any reply she may have had. He kissed her long and soulfully. He sucked on each of her lips and then his tongue swiped over her teeth. His tongue encountered hers and they intertwined, dancing together like they were performing a ballet inside their mouths. When they finally separated Aileen breathlessly said, "Hey, I love you!" "Goofy grin and all?" Colin asked. "Everything," Aileen said soberly. "I love everything about you. You are the most wonderful man in the world." Colin lifted Aileen and placed her in his lap. "Everything I am is because of you," he said staring directly at her. "I'm just a reflection of the wonder that you possess." Her eyes were beaming like glowing flecks of kryptonite, but unlike the man of steel who would be drained of power; her eyes infused him with it. He securely held her and they became lost in each other's embrace. After some time had passed Aileen said, "You know, I really missed you today." "I know my love, same here," Colin said. "No I mean I REALLY missed you!" Aileen said. Colin looked at his mother not really knowing where she was going with this but he said honestly, "I REALLY missed you too!" Aileen reached over to the coffee table and grabbed her purse. "Did you miss me this much?" She asked with a devilish grin. She opened her purse and pulled out a pair of red panties. They were her red panties. She tossed them onto Colin's face. The crotch landed right over his nose and mouth, he could feel the dampness there and smell his mother's musky scent. He inhaled deeply taking in the aroma of her sex. "I got so wet thinking about you today I soaked them through," Aileen said. "I had to go into the bathroom and take them off. I thought you might like them as a memento of how just the thought of you can get me so excited." Colin took another whiff, the smell inciting the return of his arousal. "I love this gift," Colin said smiling, "but...if you took these off at work, what did you wear for the rest of the day?" "Why don't you see for yourself," Aileen said sexily. Colin grinned and ran his hand up her silky stocking clad leg. His hand went underneath her blue skirt and continued on its way. He made it to where the stocking ended and her smooth skin began, as his fingertips brushed her inner thigh, she giggled. He could feel the heat coming from the humid furnace that rested between her legs. He continued up to the center of that heat and confirmed what he suspected: she wasn't wearing in panties at all, her pussy was bare. "You've been naughty today," Colin said, his smile becoming more salacious as he ran his fingers over her wet pussy lips. "Mmmmmmm," Aileen cooed, "I couldn't help myself thinking of all the naughty things my baby was gonna do to me when I came home." Colin loved hearing his mother talk this way; it turned him on like crazy. His cock was rock hard again and he knew his mother could feel his erection poking into her ass; she squirmed a bit getting it to fit right between her ass cheeks. Colin brought his hand back from her pussy, Aileen looked disappointed when it left, but her eyelids half closed in contentment as he slowly slid his hand back down her luxurious leg. When he got to her foot, he removed the black pump she was wearing, and then he removed the pump on her other foot. He positioned Aileen off his lap and onto the sofa with only her feet remaining in his lap. His hands went back to the first foot and began giving it a massage. "Ohhhhhh that feels so good," Aileen said as his fingers worked deep into her muscles and tendons. Pleasuring his mother in any way aroused Colin like nothing else. His cock, still sticking through the slit in his boxers stood straight out, his mother giggled as she played with it with her other foot, making it move up and down. Colin tried to keep his attention on the massage as Aileen ran her smooth foot still in the stocking over his cock, then ran it along the underside of it. It felt so good to feel the smoothness on his erect organ. Then her foot reached his balls and stroked them. Before he could become completely lost in the feeling of what her foot was doing to him, Colin ran his hand up and tickled his mother in the spot behind her knee. Aileen laughed out loud and forgot about playing with his cock for a moment. He then ran his hand all the way up to where the stocking began and tugged on it pulling it down and off her leg. He let the stocking fall to the floor. Colin switched his attention to the foot that had been teasing his cock. He gave it the same deep massage as the first one and Aileen "ooooohed" and "ahhhhhhed". He then ran his hand slowly up this leg, feeling all the curves and contours as he went along. He pulled the stocking off this leg as well. Colin turned and looked at his mother, the hungry expression on his face caused her face to turn as red as her hair, she knew what was coming next. Aileen slid up the couch until her back was resting up against the arm and she spread her legs wide apart. Colin dove underneath her skirt and began kissing the inner sides of her legs starting above the kneecaps. He worked his way to her inner thighs, planting small kisses and running his tongue along the creamy skin tasting the pussy juice that had been running down her thighs day. He made his way to her glorious center, the steamy heat and the powerful womanly scent emanating from her cunny was enough to drive him over the edge if he wasn't careful. His tongue probed outward and made contact with her delicious lower lips. He slid his tongue up her slit and felt a shudder run through her body. He moved himself in closer, exploring every part of her sex with his tongue. He heard his mother moaning as he attended to her. His tongue slipped in between her lips, it curled around inside her and her moans became louder. His tongue twisted one way and then the other; it formed a point and curled upwards grazing the upper wall. He began thrusting it in and out of her, fucking her with a tongue made extremely slippery by her juices and his drool. Aileen's moans became louder and more intense, he could feel her body wriggling as a barrage of mini orgasms swept through her. He removed his tongue from her cunt and licked in broad swipes over her entire vaginal area taking in as much juice and flavor as he could. His tongue ran over a protruding bump and zeroed in on it. He took her clit between his soft lips and sucked ever so gently. Aileen's moaning became yells as he administered to her erect nubbin relentlessly. He sucked on her clit like it was a lifesaver and his tongue came forward to delicately run circles around it. Her body was writhing as he heard "Oh God! Oh God yes!" coming from outside the skirt. He used a bit more suction and her clit breezed deeper in his mouth. "OH GOD! I'M CUMMING!!!" he heard his mother yell. Colin continued to suck on her clit as his head was squeezed tightly between her legs. She was squirming in pleasure as an impressive orgasm swept over her entire body. When her legs released his head enough to move, he quickly shifted downward and placed his mouth over her hole to lick and slurp up as much juice as he could, he then licked up the fresh juice that had ran down her inner thighs. Colin needed to come up for a breather. As his head emerged from beneath her skirt the air felt positively chilly on his face even though their apartment was comfortably heated. Colin looked at his mother. She had unbuttoned her blouse and her voluptuous breasts were sticking out of her bra, her dark red nipples pointing straight up. No doubt she had been fondling her tits and playing with her nipples as he had been giving her oral stimulation. Aileen was gazing at him with a look that was part lust, part love, and part worship. It was a reflection of the exact same sentiments Colin was feeling towards her. He always felt that his mother was the most desirable woman on the planet, but looking at her now, this way, she was just exuding sexuality from every pour. His cock ached to be inside her, but even more so, his heart ached to be one with hers. He had to have her now. The bond between them was so strong he knew she felt what he needed and he knew she needed it too. His mother opened up her arms to him. Colin removed his tee shirt and pushed off his jeans and underwear then moved on top of her and into her embrace. "I love you so much!" Aileen said passionately as she ran her hands through his damp hair kissing and licking him all over his face tasting her own juices and sweat that he was covered in. "I love you too," Colin said. "Always and forever!" He kissed her with his heart full of love and ardent hunger. His hand fell to her leg and ran up it along her perfect smooth skin, he pushed up her skirt. When her skirt was pushed up all the way around her waist, Colin's cock was able to slide over her moist pussy gathering lubrication. Colin's cock wandered all over her pussy as he kissed her. "Put it in me! Put it in me! Put it in me now!" Aileen begged as she ran her hands over his shoulders and chest. Colin found the entrance and thrust his steel hard rod all the way inside her. He was home. "Ohhhhhh you make me feel so full," Aileen said. "I love you inside me!" "I love being inside you and I love you!" Colin said transported. "I love you too," Aileen said. Colin applied his lips to the side of her neck and began to suck, as he did so he began to move his cock in and out of her lush pussy. "Oh yes baby that's it, that's it," Aileen said. "Fuck me honey, fuck mommy! You're the only man who can have this pussy! Fuck me like you own it!" It seemed she was in one of her more feral sexual moods; as their relationship progressed, the more audacious she became when she got like this. Colin never would have imagined her talking like that before and her words were having a strong effect on him. He drove his cock in and out of her cunt like a man gone wild, going as deep as he could. His mouth moved down her chest to suck on her supple nipples spending equal amounts of attention on each breast. "Oh my darling! My darling baby boy, you make me feel so good! So fucking good!" Aileen said. "I love the feel of your cock in me; I love being fucked by you!" Aileen brought her hand down to play with her clit as Colin's cock continued to steadily surge in and out of her. He was in a state of pure elation being joined with his one and true love and he wanted the feeling to last forever. "Oh God! Oh God!" Aileen began her familiar chant that let Colin know she was on the verge as he kept up a steady rhythm. "Oh God, yes! Oh Colin! I'm almost there! I'm gonna cum! I'M CUMMING!!!" Aileen let out a bellowing scream as a massive orgasm bolted through her. He thrust deep inside her and hung on for the ride as her pussy clamped down on his cock and she howled and writhed beneath him. Still hard when she started to calm down, Colin kissed her fully on her tasty lips and started pumping in and out of her again. It wasn't long before her mantra started again. "Oh God, I'm gonna cum again! OH GOD!!!" Colin didn't stop pumping this time but kept going. Colin was holding back his own orgasm to stretch out his beloved mother's pleasure as long as he could. Whenever Aileen's pussy would contract on his penis he would stop moving for a moment enjoying the sensation of his cock being squeezed by her cunt. When her pussy loosened a bit he would start pumping again and the clapping sound of skin hitting skin filled his ears as his balls slapped against her pubic bone. This went on for several minutes as Aileen rode a string of huge orgasms screaming herself hoarse. "Oh God, please, I can't take anymore," Aileen whispered exhaustively. Colin felt he couldn't hold back any longer. "Please Mom," he said softly to his lover, "cum one more time for me. We'll cum together." "Yes, baby, yes, one more time. We'll cum together. Cum inside me sweetie, let me feel it!" Aileen said. That did it. "Oh God!" Colin said strenuously as he felt his balls constrict and his rigid cock get that ecstatic bulging feeling just before it shot its load. "ERGHHHHHH!!!" he grunted as he plunged himself in to the hilt. Colin's whole body spasmed and he hollered as he had an enormous orgasm of his own. He felt his seed burst out of his convulsing cock, ropes of hot cum shot into Aileen's pussy triggering her to have one final enormous orgasm. Aileen screamed at the top of her lungs one last time. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 03 Used up and spent, Colin collapsed on top of Aileen. She hugged him to her body in an enduring hold and kept her pussy clenched on his softening cock refusing to let it slide out. "Oh my sweet baby boy, I never want to let go of you," she said squeezing him tightly. "I love you so much. You are all I want out of life. Just having your love is paradise." "I love you too mom, so very much" Colin said. No matter how raunchy they would sometimes get during one of their lovemaking sessions, it always ended with them confessing their love to one another. Colin wouldn't have it any other way. It felt good at times to let loose and get lost in their primitive desires, but it felt equally good knowing that in the end, they always returned to the tenderness that was at the heart of their relationship. That's what made whatever they did, in whatever fashion, special. The thought of being with anyone else made Colin cold inside. No one could ever make him feel as good as Aileen did because she was the only one he could bare his entire soul to. Aileen started to giggle. "What is it mom?" Colin asked. "I was just thinking, what if the neighbors heard us?" "If anyone asks we can always say we just had the TV on loud." Colin suggested. "Then what would they be thinking that we were watching?" Aileen said and started to laugh harder causing her breasts to jiggle. Colin joined in the laughter. Their fit of laughter eventually calmed down and Colin's flaccid cock finally slipped out of her lubriciously slick pussy. Colin slid his body down his mother until his head was cushioned on her soft sweaty bosom. He couldn't imagine a better pillow as he basked in the afterglow of their coital bliss. Aileen kept her sheltering arms around him and he shifted his arms around her as they lay on the sofa. Most of the time it felt like they held each other equally, but there were times when it felt more like he was the one doing the holding and she was the one being held, and then on occasion there were times like this one, when he felt like he was the one being held. Sometimes when a certain mood came over him, usual after a long period of running on high emotions, Colin just wanted to regress to when he was a little boy being cradled in his mother's arms. He knew Aileen always sensed it when he needed to feel secured and protected by his mother, by his lover. "I love you so much," Colin said with his face nestled in her breasts. One of her nipples was so close to his mouth he could almost taste it. I know sweetie, I love you too," Aileen said. She reached over and grabbed a blanket to cover them both up. The perspiration that had exuded from their bodies during their vigorous lovemaking had now cooled and the air felt chilly around them. Later, they would shower and then reheat and eat the dinner Colin had made, but for now they just wanted to stay close to each other after being so far apart all day long. Soon they were both in a satisfied sleep. * * * "Yes! Yes! Yesssssssss!!!" Sheryl exclaimed as Seth came inside her. She arched her back only to be reminded once again that the steering wheel was behind her as it dug painfully into her back. She hated doing it in the car, but she loved Seth and she wanted to make him happy. She lowered her lips to his and kissed him passionately. When they ended their kiss, Seth lifted her off him rather abruptly and placed her in the seat next to him. "Sorry babe, I guess I'm still a little sore," Seth said shifting in his sear uncomfortably. Sheryl pulled down her sweater and fixed her panties and skirt then said, "Oh poor baby, I'm so sorry you got hurt today. I can't believe what Colin did to you! I thought he was a better person than that!" she said with a touch of anger in her voice. Seth just grunted. She snuggled in close to him resting her head on his arm. After a while she said, "Seth?" "Hmmm?" Seth responded. "How come you never want to...you know...?" "What?" "You know...when we're making love, you never...go down...there." Seth grimaced. "You know I don't do that Sheryl." "I know...but I do it for you and if you loved me I thought..." Seth turned to look at Sheryl. "Is that how it is? I don't want to put my face in somebody's crotch and that means I don't love them?" "No, but..." "Look Sheryl, I won't deny I like it when you suck my cock, but if you doing that for me means I have to reciprocate in kind to show you I love you, well fuck that!" Seth said angrily. "I know honey, I'm sorry," Sheryl said. "If you think I don't do enough to show you how I care for you, then why don't you go back to Mr. Fantastic?" Seth said heatedly. "What are you talking about?" Sheryl enquired. "What were you talking about with Colin today at lunch?" Seth asked. "Oh...that? I just thought it was time I had a talk with him," Sheryl said. "Explain to him what happened between you and me. We did go out together for two years, I felt I owed him that and I hate the idea that I've ruined the friendship you've had with him." "Our friendship was ruined a long time before you and I got together Sheryl." "Colin said something along the same lines today, but then how come you two always used to hang out with each other before?" Sheryl asked. "Because, Colin always enjoyed seeing me humiliated." "What do you mean?" Seth sighed. "You don't know what that guy has put me through." "Honey, talk to me." Seth paused for a moment then spoke. "He has been this way ever since we were kids. It started when he and his mom came to live with us for a while. I thought it was great having someone my own age to hang out with all the time, but that didn't last for long. My parents had taken them into our home and I tried to be gracious about it, but after a while Colin took advantage of that. He took every chance to upstage me in anything we did. He even tried to turn Morgan and Kyle against me. Luckily they knew who their big brother really was and stayed on my side...but his mom, anytime anything bad happened I was the one she always blamed, I could see it in her eyes. Colin was her perfect angel, he could do nothing wrong, I was pond scum to her. "Even then I could see that the way she treated Colin would only have a harming influence on him. Even after the way he treated me, I still cared enough about Colin to hang out with him in the hopes of getting him out from his mother's influence. It's one of the worst things to be known as a 'mama's boy' for a kid and the older he gets the worse the stigma gets. I got him involved in competing. I was constantly challenging him at different games and sports, trying to get him emotionally involved in something besides clinging to his mommy's skirt." "That's what Colin said, that you had always been rivals." Sheryl said. Seth nodded then said, "but for a while I thought we were more than that. I thought I was actually doing him some good. I made him realize he had to stand on his own and not depend on his mom always being there for every little thing. Yes we were rivals, but I also thought we had become friends. Then Colin and you got together." "That's what I mean, it is because of me you lost your friendship." Seth was shaking his head. "You really don't know do you?" he asked. "Know what?" Sheryl asked perplexed. "When Colin and you first got together I thought it was great and I was happy for you guys. I was happy he found somebody so nice. You helped him more than I ever could in getting him away from his mother's control. Colin bragged about what a great girlfriend he had all the time and mostly to me, to him it was just another competition. He had a girlfriend, I didn't. But I was still happy for you guys, because you seemed so happy." Seth hesitated briefly before continuing. "The thing is, the more time I hung out with you guys, the more I came to realize that I was in love with you." "I know baby, and you have my love now, you know that, all of it." Sheryl said. Seth turned to her, his sky blue eyes sparkling with moisture. "Yes I know that sweetie, and I love you more than anything and having your love is the greatest thing in the world. The thing that I'm trying to get at though is that Colin knew." "What did he know?" "He knew I had feelings for you the whole time and that just made him flaunt his relationship with you all the more. It got to a point where it was torture for me seeing the both of you together and he enjoyed seeing me suffer." A single tear ran down Seth's left cheek. "So you see, you can't blame yourself for what happened between Colin and me, because we were never really friends. For some reason Colin has no respect for me and never has, you were just a pawn to him in one of our never ending games, but, oh honey, you always meant the world to me." Sheryl clasped her arms around Seth hugging him as tight as she could tears flowing freely from her eyes. She was shocked how she could have misjudged Colin so. He had always seemed so polite and sensitive towards her needs. He knew about the rough times she had had growing up, how her father and uncle physically and emotionally abused her as a child, how she had bounced around from foster home to foster home, where in some of them she was treated even worse than in her real home until she came to live with the Buckners, the family she still lived with now. They were good people and even though she was eighteen now and legally an adult, they continued to allow her to stay in their home until she finished high school. When she met Colin and gotten to know him over time, she had somehow felt she could trust him enough to tell him about her life. She had tried telling other boys she thought she felt close to about what happened to her. Each time she had barely scratched the surface of her life story and it sent the other boys packing, it seemed like they considered her "damaged goods" and wanted nothing to do with her problems. Colin had been different though. She told him about the pain she had gone through bit by bit and through it all he had listened to her and given her a shoulder to cry on. His eyes had seemed so caring, so empathetic. She really thought she loved him and he loved her. It made her love him even more when he said he was willing to wait until she was ready to take their relationship to the next level. He had told her he was just happy being in her company. It felt so good to have someone like that in her life...but to now find out all this time he had just been using her, that he cared for her as little as everyone else in her life did...it made her furious and nauseous at the same time. Sheryl buried her head in Seth's chest, the tears and sobs erupting out of her from deep with in. "Oh Seth," she said through her tears, "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you! I love you so much!" "I love you too sugar," Seth said. Sheryl gulped then said, "That night that you saved me, I remember what I was thinking when those two guys came up to me. I thought, 'so this is how it is gonna end for me, I guess it's fitting,' but I also remember feeling so bad for Colin because I knew how hurt he would be when learned my fate. Then all of a sudden you showed up popping out of the shadows like Batman or something. You saved my life and most likely my sanity. You're my guardian angel. I hate Colin for what he did to both of us, but we've showed him! We're together now and nothing can tear us apart!" "Yes, we definitely showed him," Seth said. NEXT CHAPTER: IL CANTO DI MALAVITA (Songs of the bad life) A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 04 CHAPTER 4: IL CANTO DI MALAVITA (Songs of the bad life) Tuesday started much the same as Monday, after Colin and Aileen made themselves tear their bodies away from each other they both headed out of the apartment to their separate destinations. It wasn't overcast today; the sky was bright blue with white fluffy clouds lazily drifting across. It was still bitterly cold though, in fact it was even colder than yesterday. All the partially melted snow and slush had frozen solid overnight and Colin had to watch where he stepped or he would end up with a broken neck. When the Rosini brothers caught up with Colin as he crossed the street they lived on, that was when the day really began to diverge from the previous one. "Yo Asskicker!" Moe said as he and his brother caught up to Colin. "Asskicker?" Colin queried. "Yeah man, it's all over the school how you and a bunch of no names kicked the shit out of the all mighty Seth and his regiment of rejects at basketball yesterday!" Moe said with glee then said "Damn! Look at your face, it's fucked up!" "It's just a bruise it will be gone in a week," Colin said. "Yeah we heard about what Seth got in return, his ass is literally sore from the butt whipping you gave him yesterday." Moe started laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world, Matt just stood there looking uncomfortable. "How could it be all over school?" Colin asked. "It happened only yesterday and after school let out." "Ah, well, there's this thing called the internet that allows information to be exchanged between large groups of people almost instantaneously. Maybe you've heard of it?" Moe said. "Oh," said Colin. "'Oh' he says. That's it? No tales of victory? No recount of how the beleaguered forces of Gondor managed to turn back the evil might of Mordor?" Moe said. "I swear if you reference that movie one more time in any way, I'm gonna tape your mouth shut myself!" Matt said. Moe gave his brother a dirty look. "It was just a scrimmage match, it didn't mean anything," Colin said. "Didn't mean anything?!!" Moe said in a huff. "Seth never loses at anything. Well, almost anything, I have seen him lose once or twice when he's playing a game one on one with you. But when he's got his team behind him, they're unbeatable." "They lost three games last month," Colin retorted. "Did they?" Moe asked. "Of course they did, it's in the standings," Colin said. Moe's voice became very hushed and he got close enough to Colin that he could smell the pancakes and syrup he must have had for breakfast on his breath. "If Seth didn't really want to win those games do they really count as losses?" "Moe..." Matt said. "Why wouldn't he want to..." Colin began saying and then Moe's implication hit him like a slab of cement to the head. "You're not saying Seth and his pals took dives in those games?" "Let me ask you this: Seth has had that cherry red Mustang for what? Almost a year? Now a teenager driving a car bright enough to make fire look dim compared to it would attract a lot of attention, don't you think?" Moe asked Colin nodded while Matt said, "Massimo statte cito!" in a low voice. Colin picked up enough Italian hanging around the Rosinis and other Italians in the neighborhood to know that "statte cito" meant "shut up". Moe went on anyway. "You know how the cops are always busting teens for reckless driving or drunk driving or whatever? We do that shit, that's who we are and that's why insurance is so fuckin' high for us when we do get a car of our own. But has Seth ever gotten a ticket for anything, even a warning?" Colin thought about it for a moment and he realized Moe was right, as far as he knew Seth had never had any traffic violations that he could think of; he hadn't had any violations of any kind regarding the law now that he thought about. "No, he never has," he said. "Seth must be a very responsible driver then," Moe said sardonically. Colin knew that Seth was hell on wheels in that car, but he was still confused. "What does all this have to do with fixing games?" "Do you know what the odds were on those games Liberty lost last month?" Moe asked. Colin shook his head in the negative; he really hadn't been paying attention to it back then. "Liberty was favored to win by more than ten points for each game." "Statte cito, Massimo! Statte cito!" Matt hissed through his teeth. "Vaffancullo!" Moe said which meant "fuck you!" "Ah vaffancullo!" Matt said as he brushed by them in a huff and walked ahead of them. "Moe just because our team lost to a few teams we were heavily favored to beat doesn't mean the games were fixed," Colin said. "The team could have been overconfident and not played to the best of their abilities; if there is one thing Seth has it's over confidence." "Colin, I know those games were fixed. Okay?" Moe said sharply. "How?" Moe let out a long breath then said, "Let's just say the basketball games aren't the only things Seth has been fixing." Moe glanced meaningfully at his older brother walking ahead of them. Matteo, the school's star wrestler. Colin hadn't been paying much attention to the wrestling matches just like he hadn't been paying attention to the basketball games but he thought he recalled hearing Matt had lost a few matches here and there which was odd because it was rare for anyone to beat Matt. "Oh Matty," Colin said under his breath. He considered Matt an upright person; it just proved how strong Seth's influence was if even he could be corrupted. "Our family is having some tough times right now, we've been really short on money," Moe said. "Our dad was laid off last year and he hasn't been able to find a job that pays even close to what he had been making." "I still can't believe Matt would do that." Colin said. "It was your fucking cousin that put him up to it and convinced him to do it!" Moe said hostilely. "Moe, my head is spinning here, first you are talking about games being fixed and then you are mentioning how Seth never gets ticketed. What's the connection? You've got to explain to me what this all means!" Colin said as he noted in the back of his mind that never in his entire life would he have thought he would be asking Moe Rosini to explain something to him. "Colin, you're smarter than me when it comes to tests and getting good grades and all, but it always amazes me how dumb you can be about how the neighborhood you live in works," Moe said. "Your cousin has an in with at least one of the Bosses." "Bosses?" "Oh Cee, man do I have to say it? Organized crime!" "You mean the mafia?" Colin asked. Moe raised his eyebrows, "Look I'm only gonna say this once because you're my friend but if I ever hear you making assumptions about me or my family we're through, got it?" "Got it." Colin said nodding his head. "Just because my family is Italian people assume we either know somebody in the mafia or are in the mafia ourselves. It's one of those fucking stereotypes we all got to live with. You don't know how many fucking Sopranos cracks I have to put up with every day! The only reason I know what I know is not because I'm Italian, it's because I live in this neighborhood and can see what's happening with my own two eyes. It don't take Italian blood to see it, anyone can if they look hard enough, your cousin sees it very clearly." "So Seth is with the mafia?!!" Colin asked. "Not so much the mafia as organized crime, there is a difference. The mafia isn't just Italians anymore, now you got the Russian mafia, the Black mafia, the Japanese mafia. They are constantly bumping heads with each other now and when they bump heads people notice, people like the Feds. Around our neighborhood? Yeah we got some mafia ties, but who really runs the show are the Bosses. They stay underground and try to draw as little attention to themselves as they can. They figure let the ones with the high profiles fight with the Feds and each other over who's got the right to rule where. They don't give a damn which mafia is the current power in the area, whoever it is, they just pay them enough money to keep them off their backs so they can rule their small territories in peace. "Keeping a low profile is the main objective for the Bosses outside of making money and staying informed about what's going on in their territories. The Bosses even work together sometimes if there's enough profit or incentive in it. It's an underground crime network. Sometimes conflicts arise between two or more Bosses, but then they just send out their foot soldiers to settle the matter, in other words the gangs, while the Bosses stay hidden in the shadows. Most of the people in the gangs don't even realize they are working for a Boss, they just think they are part of a local crew and the leadership stops with the guy who's giving them orders." "It sounds to me like there isn't much of a difference between organized crime and the mafia, the Bosses just sound like they control smaller areas," Colin said. "Okay, so maybe they are both forms of mafia," Moe said grudgingly, "but they are two different forms, there's high profile and there's low profile. Some people love to advertise that they are made men, but that's fuckin' idiotic. There's no more immunity for made men anymore, the ones that bring the most attention to themselves also bring either a Fed to their doorstep or a bullet to their brain. That's what being high profile costs you. The Bosses are definitely low profile." Colin was trying to grasp in his mind the entire meaning of what Moe was trying to explain to him when they arrived at school. "We'll pick this up later," Moe said. Ricky Woods was standing outside the building talking to Matt who had gotten there a couple minutes before Colin and Moe. Colin looked over at Matt, he still found it beyond belief that he would do such a thing, but Colin supposed if their family was really hurting for money throwing a few matches wouldn't seem like such a big deal, especially if Seth was the one who talked him into it. "Hey Colin!" Ricky shouted, "Nice look you got there, you might wanna think about wearing a bag over your head the rest of the week!" He started laughing. "No, I don't think I'll need to do that, my face is only going to be like this for a week or so, but you've been stuck with that ugly face all your life and you've never seen the need to hide it." Colin shot back. Moe started laughing his ass off while Ricky turned red with rage. Matt found something particularly interesting about his shoes because he kept looking at them. Once again Seth arrived to school in his car right when Colin and Moe got there. Seth and Sheryl got out of the car. Seth took a little more time getting out of the car favoring his rear end a little, Colin inwardly smiled at that, but Seth had the same arrogant look he always had, and perhaps he was looking even smugger today. When they approached, Sheryl went over to Colin and slapped him hard in the face, hard enough to make his head turn. "Bastard!" Sheryl said. "I never want to speak to you again!" She then rejoined Seth and he put his arm around her but he also turned his head around so Colin could see the gloating smile on his face. Ricky was in a better mood now and followed Seth inside like a puppy dog, all the time laughing at Colin. "What the fuck was that?" Moe asked. "Yesterday she was acting like a bitch in heat around you." Colin knew that Seth felt threatened by the private conversation he and Sheryl had yesterday and after the scrimmage match, he also felt humiliated. So now it wasn't enough that Seth had taken Sheryl away from him, he had made her despise him as well. "You should recognize it by now Moe," Colin answered with a sigh. "That was a direct result of the manipulation machine known as Seth." "Fuck me," Moe said in a quiet voice * * * It was another strange morning for Colin, maybe even stranger than yesterday. People were no longer commenting to him on how much happier he looked, most likely because he didn't look happy, but rather pensive, not to mention he had a huge purple splotch on his face. A few of the members from the basketball team came up and slapped him on the back reiterating how great he played yesterday. Some people not even on the team came up to compliment him on his performance. However, most people just stayed quiet around him but Colin noticed they all had expressions of either anger or fear on their faces. Colin couldn't be sure, but he also thought he saw some with expressions of hope. He tried to tune out the world around him and concentrate on the thoughts running through his mind. When he could afford to not pay attention to what was going on in class, and even sometimes when he couldn't, Colin spent much of his time thinking about what Moe had told him. Did this network of organized crime really exist right under his nose and was Seth really a part of it? Would he go that low? Colin knew the answer to that. The truth was Seth would do anything he felt necessary to achieve his goals. What about Sheryl? She couldn't know about Seth's clandestine affairs and still be going out with him. Colin couldn't care less at this point if Sheryl hated his guts, but he still felt sorry for her. He knew what she had gone through growing up and now she was with someone like Seth. Should he try to warn her about him? Yesterday he had tried warning Sheryl that Seth wasn't such a good guy and that was before he knew any of the things Moe told him. She easily dismissed his warnings then, there was no way she would believe him now. Colin decided to worry about Sheryl later, right now he was just trying to wrap his mind around the entire conversation he had with Moe and get the big picture. By lunch time Colin thought he understood at least some of what was going on but he wanted to talk to Moe again so he could understand it more clearly. When Colin got to the cafeteria he saw that today's choices were pizza, hot dog, or the mystery dish which looked suspiciously like yesterday's hamburgers without the buns in some kind of sauce. The cafeteria workers were calling it Salisbury steak. Colin went with the pizza. With his lunch in hand, Colin made his way to Moe's table. There was an empty seat directly across from Moe, he asked if anyone minded if he sat there, no one at the table objected. He was even given congratulations by some of the people for "kicking Seth's ass" in basketball yesterday. Colin couldn't believe how a little scrimmage match could cause so much commotion. Colin leaned in close to Moe and spoke quietly. "So," he said, "Seth rigs the basketball games so the team loses and one or more of the Bosses makes money off of betting on a sure thing?" "Welcome through the looking glass." Moe said. "Huh?" Colin replied. "God Damn! Don't you ever go to the movies Col?" "Oh, Alice in Wonderland, I get it," Colin said. "Well...aww fuck it," Moe said with an air of resignation. "Do you at least get what I'm saying about your cousin now?" "I think so...but it doesn't make sense, Seth has too big of an ego to actually lose a game on purpose just to make some money," Colin said. "Seth always has to win!" "You still don't get it!" Moe said in exasperation. "Seth isn't doing this just to make a little extra dough. He's doing it for the connections!" "Connections?" "Yes, connections!" Moe said. He then looked around to make sure he hadn't spoken too loud. "Look," he said as his voice went down an octave, "the Bosses have at least some influence with the police, the courts, even the local politicians. Seth does favors for the Bosses, they do favors for him and he gets special treatment...from everybody." That explained what Moe was talking about this morning when he brought up traffic tickets and Seth never receiving any. "More than that," Moe continued, "he's in a position to grant favors to people because of his connections which he loves to do because then he can collect on the return favors." "Now that does sound like Seth," Colin said, "but still I can't imagine him willingly let someone beat him at anything." "Maybe he doesn't see those games as a team beating him; they were just teams he didn't care to win against. At the time, Seth was strutting around like he owned the place. You had always been his greatest adversary and in one swoop he took away your girlfriend, made you quit the team, and sent you spiraling into depression. He had enough goodies from that to keep his ego well fed." "That's true," Colin agreed. "But Moe, are you sure you're just not imagining all this?" Colin still wasn't completely convinced, and the fact that all this was coming from Moe...not exactly a reliable source. Colin knew Seth was an evil manipulator, but to actively participate in criminal schemes? Also it was so difficult to believe that Matt would be in on something like this as well. Colin just didn't know. Moe sighed then said, "This isn't the delusion of some hallucinating pothead. I know I speak out of my ass most of the time, but this time I am being dead serious." "But how can you be so absolutely sure about these connections Seth is supposed to have?" Colin asked. Moe looked like he was debating with himself whether to say something, finally in a voice so low Colin had to strain his ears to hear, he said, "Hardly anyone knows exactly what happened that day he..." Moe paused for a moment then quickly spat out the next few words, "taped my mouth shut." "I always thought Seth did it because he was being Seth and you were...well you," Colin said. Moe grimaced. "No there was more to it than that," he said. "I told you my family has been hard up for cash lately, so last year I thought I could make a few extra bucks dealing." "Oh no, not you too Moe!" Colin said. "I was only selling some of the weed that I grew myself. I never once tried to sell any of the harder stuff." Moe said in his defense. "And that's somehow supposed to make what you did less offensive?" Colin asked. "In some peoples' eyes...yes," Moe said bitterly. "I realize that you believe the laws against smoking weed are unjust," Colin said. "If what you are doing isn't hurting anyone else, then the law shouldn't interfere. Believe me I'm on the same page with you on that one, but pushing that stuff on others is wrong." "I don't want to get into an argument with you over this so I'll admit it was a bad idea trying to sell the stuff, but you will never get me to admit that weed is just as harmful as heroin or crystal meth or any of that other junk." Moe said. "Fair enough," Colin replied. "Can I finish my story now?" Moe asked. Colin nodded his head. "I hadn't been dealing more than two days when Seth showed up at my locker along with his pack of followers. I looked around and noticed there was no one else in the hall; it was like it had actually been arranged for me to be there on my own at that moment. Until this day I had never talked to Seth, never really seen him up close, I had only seen him from afar hanging out with you and my brother; we weren't in the same circles. "Seth had this expression on his face, I don't know how he does it but it feels like he's zapped you with a freeze ray when he looks at you, I couldn't move. Then he broke out in this smile that would have put me at ease if his eyes hadn't stayed so cold. 'You're Motor Mouth Moe, aren't you?' he said. "'I guess some people call me that, I prefer just Moe if it's all the same to you.' I said. "'Well it really isn't all the same to me, because you are a motor mouth,' Seth said. I just stared at him and then he went on, 'I hear you've started up your own little business, I guess you are depending to get customers by word of mouth, motor mouth that is.' Some of Seth's lackeys laughed at that. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 04 "At this point I felt relief wash over me. I figured Seth was there to buy some of my stuff. 'If you want something I can give it to you, I'll even give you a discount since you're a friend of my brother's,' I said. "'Oh, that's right, you're Matt's little brother, aren't you?' Seth said. "'That's right,' I told him, 'so if you just tell me what you need I can...' before I finished that sentence Seth slammed his fist against my locker making a loud booming and clanging noise causing me to jump. "Seth said, 'Motor Mouth, I'm not here to buy any of your shit, I'm here to shut you down.' "I was starting to feel a little pissed at this treatment so I said, 'What are you? A fucking narc?' "Then Seth said, 'In a way I guess I am, just not one who works for the government.' I just stared at him confused not sure what he was talking about. Seth continued saying, 'You know how some businesses and schools make deals with companies like Coca-Cola to sell their brand and only their brand on the business's property?' I wasn't entirely sure about it but I just nodded my head. Seth said, 'Well when someone tries to start selling Pepsi in a business that has agreed to sell only Coke, someone has to shut that person down. That's my job. See I work for Coca-Cola and you're selling Pepsi. I can't allow that.' Seth was speaking so calmly it was nerve wracking. "I was starting to get a very bad feeling so I said, 'Seth, man, I didn't know this school had a deal with anybody, I'm just trying to make a few extra bucks for my family. It won't be that much.' "Seth raised his voice and said, 'It won't be anything!' "I had managed to summon the rest of my anger and courage to say, 'Seth, if I go down for this you go down too, I swear!' "Seth just laughed. 'Go down for what?' he asked. He raised his hands up and said, 'I'm the Corporation's liaison officer, I deal with getting rid of anything that isn't corporate brand. I never touch the product myself; there are others that do that.' "'I can blow your whole operation wide open!' I said more out of fear now than anger; I was just trying to find a way to leave in one piece. 'I can tell everyone what's going on here!' "Seth leaned in real close to me and almost whispered, 'Who's story will they believe? Clean cut, well mannered Seth Reilly who has never put anything in his body more toxic than Vodka, and only a bit at that, or Massimo Rosini, a long hair, pot leaf tee shirt wearing punk who not only will be found with illegal substances on him, but most likely in him as well. I assume it's been less than a month since your last hit?' It had been less than twenty four hours. "I started to freak, I didn't know what to do so I did the only thing I could think of; I begged. 'Please Seth, I promise I will never deal again, I swear it! I won't even bring the stuff to school, please Seth just don't turn me in!' I was actually on my knees begging! I looked up at Seth and he had such a smile of satisfaction on his face, but right then I didn't care, I would have licked his shoes to get out of there unscathed. Later that smile would come to haunt me, how I had begged and it made him happy. "Seth just let me stay there on my knees for a few minutes, all his toadies looking over his shoulder and laughing at me. Finally he said, 'Since your brother is a friend of mine, I'm going to let you off this one time, but I better not ever catch you doing this again.' "'I won't,' I promised him, 'thank you Seth, thank you!' I picked up by book bag and started to leave. "'Where do you think you're going?' Seth's voice came from behind me "I said, 'I thought you were letting me off?' "'For the dealing, not for being a motor mouth,' Seth said. "I know I shouldn't have said it but it came out anyway, 'Fuck you!' I said. "'You really do have diarrhea of the mouth,' Seth said, 'it's time for someone to plug up that hole.' Then Seth held up the roll of duct tape so I could clearly see what he had, and then he tossed it to Ricky Woods. 'Use it all,' he said. Ricky nodded smiling that 'yes master, anything you say master' evil smile that he has. "I tried to make a break for it but two guys were all ready behind me, I didn't know when they got here. They grabbed me by the shoulder and hurled me into the boys bathroom. They taped me to the door of one of the stalls; they used the whole fucking roll! Just about every inch of my body had tape sticking to it. My mouth was completely covered, the only way I could breathe was through my nostrils, thank goodness they at least left them uncovered. "I stayed there until the janitor found me a few hours later. By the time he got me down Principal Grant was there asking who did that to me. I knew if I ever blabbed about what Seth did to me the punishment would be way worse than what I had all ready received. I refused to tell her and until this day the only people I've told the whole story to have been Matt and now you. The rest of the school just knew that someone had taped my mouth shut and pretty soon the rumor spread that it was Seth who did it. But no one heard anything about the events that led up to that. Since no one could prove it was Seth who was behind the taping because no one came forward as witnesses, they couldn't even punish him for that." "Well that's Seth, he hates to let an opportunity for notoriety pass by but he always makes sure he comes out squeaky clean. I'm so sorry man." Colin said. "So do you believe me now?" Moe asked. "About everything?" "Yes," Colin answered then looked at Moe for a moment and said, "but why did you decide to tell me all this? You know I'm his cousin, I could get you in deep trouble." "Well, up until a month ago you were a part of His Royal Fucking Majesty's court," Moe said motioning over to the table where Seth sat surrounded by his friends and the people who wanted to be his friend. "You may not have been in on most of the dirty shit, for two years there you had your nose stuck so far up Sheryl's ass you hardly noticed anything that didn't involve her, then last month you were so down in the dumps the school could have burned down around you and you wouldn't have noticed. "The way things stand at the school right now there are two types of people; those who love Seth and those who hate Seth. No matter what kind of person you are, you also fear Seth. Yesterday I noticed there was something different about you, that you were happier was obvious, but there was something more, like you had some new inner strength inside you. You had no fear of Seth. I wasn't positive about this, but when I heard how you galvanized that group of second and third stringers into a team that beat Seth's, I knew you were...the one." "The one?" "Okay, we've all ready established you're not a movie buff so I'm not going to take the time to explain that reference." Moe said. "I will just explain it to you flat out. The ones of us here that hate Seth...we've been holding out hope that one day there would be one of us strong enough and fearless enough to take on Seth. We we're hoping it would be you because you are the only one to have ever beaten him at anything, but until yesterday you seemed content to let Seth rule. Now things have changed, all you need to do is say the word and you've got an army behind you." Moe motioned to the rest of the people at the table and Colin saw they were all looking at him nodding their heads. Colin hadn't noticed when they had begun to pay attention to the conversation and their eyes on him made him feel extremely uncomfortable. "Moe, we're not in some computer generated environment fighting evil programs. This is real life, and you're talking about dealing with real people!" Colin said forcefully. "First of all," Moe said holding up one finger, "the jury is still out on whether we're in a computer generated environment. Second of all," Moe held up a second finger and grinned from ear to ear, "you thought you were being slick making me think you were dumber than Keanu not knowing the movies I was talking about." "My ex-girlfriend works at a video store, of course I know movies. I just don't devote my life to them so it takes me a little while to catch on to your subtle references." "They weren't so subtle," Moe said. "They were subtle enough. In any case, what is it you think I can do?" Colin said. "Take Seth down." The way Moe said it made it sound so simple, but Colin knew it wouldn't be that way. Seth always seemed to be at least one move ahead of him. Then it all clicked for Colin. Chess! One game he could never beat Seth at was chess and Seth loved to play it. Seth was a master at being able to see ten to fifteen moves ahead in the game, Colin could never manage to see that far ahead and Seth always won. Seth never joined any clubs or even mentioned the game at school because he didn't want to take a chance of being branded a "chess geek". Image was very important to him. But Colin now realized that Seth had found a way to play chess without harming his image. He was playing it with real life. That's why losing those basketball games didn't mean much to Seth. They were pawns he had sacrificed so he could move into a better position in a much bigger game. A game he was playing on more than one level and this was the game he wanted to win. Ricky and Seth's other friends were his knights (or more pawns depending how Seth needed to use them), the connections he made were more moves, and Sheryl...Sheryl had been Colin's queen and Seth had captured her. In effect Seth had checkmated Colin in the personal game they were playing, a game that Colin hadn't even been aware of. But Colin had found a new queen, a queen that made him feel he could do anything. It was a new game between them now and this time Colin knew they were playing. "I'll do it." Colin said in a low but certain tone. "Yes!" Moe exclaimed. "Hold on Morpheus," Colin said. "I didn't say how I would do it. I won't stoop to Seth's level of arm twisting and dirty tricks. I'm going to make sure that whatever shit Seth has done, he pays for it...but I'm gonna go by the law." "The law?!!" Moe said pulling his hands through his greasy hair. "Haven't you heard what I said, the Bosses run the law and Seth works for the Bosses! Hell, for all we know Seth could have one of the Bosses working for him by now." "I'm sorry, but I can't believe every facet of our community is corrupt. There's help out there and I'm going to find it." Colin said. "It's your funeral," Moe mumbled. "Hey," said Colin, "you told me that all I needed to do was say the word and I'd have an army behind me, right?" "Yes," said Moe. "The word is said. Now my first order is for all of you to have faith in me. You're my army, I'm gonna find us some ammunition," Colin said. "Fuckin' eh!" Moe said brightening up. "Gondor is yours to command my king." * * * Jack Reynolds sat at the same table as Colin and Moe; he was considered one of the stoner group. What most of the group didn't know and only a few assumed was that Jack had gone onto harder drugs. He was able to hear some of the conversation between Moe and Colin, especially the part about Colin agreeing to help bring Seth down. Seth had been good to Jack. When Jack was in desperate need for a fix it had been Seth who sent him to the right person. All he had to do was say "I'm a friend of Seth's" and he was supplied with the heroin he so fiercely needed. Seth had done this for him without demanding anything from Jack except that he return the favor some day. Jack thought about it and figured that informing Seth about the people plotting against him was a good way to return the favor. Besides, Jack knew there may come a time when he might need another favor from Seth, it was getting harder and harder to get the money he needed for his fixes. It would be wise for him to facilitate his relationship with Seth that he could count on him to return favors. Jack knew that the people he sat with at lunch with every day were supposed to be his friends and it would be betraying their friendship to rat out Moe and Colin, but when Jack had been in his hour of need it was Seth who had been there for him. He knew who he owed his allegiance to. NEXT CHAPTER: IL CANTO DI MALAVITA PIÙ (More songs of the bad life) A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 05 CHAPTER 5: IL CANTO DI MALAVITA PIÙ (More songs of the bad life) Today at basketball practice Coach Fletcher spent most of his time going over what to expect from Saint Mathew's, the school they were playing tomorrow night. During the regular season the team usually played two basketball games a week, one on Wednesday or Thursday nights and one on Saturday afternoons. Practice let out at the usual time of four in the afternoon and Colin got home around four-thirty. When he arrived at the apartment he was by himself once more, his mother still being at work. Today would be Colin's first day back to work at his uncle's restaurant. Colin had started out there as a dishwasher and busboy, and eventually moved up to prep cook. When he turned eighteen, Patrick had allowed Colin to become a server. He enjoyed cooking in the kitchen, but if you were a good enough at it, you could make more money waiting tables by earning good tips plus a regular salary. Colin was good with people, he was always polite and did his best to make their dining experience pleasant, and as a result, most of the time he received generous tips from the people he waited on. Colin was scheduled to work from five to nine today. Inwardly he groaned at that. Today was going to be an even longer day away from his beautiful mother than yesterday had been. But Colin knew that having a job was important and that however long he was apart from his love, they would make up for it at night. He had been spoiled by all the time he got to spend alone with Aileen over the holidays. Colin knew he had to get himself into the mindset that he couldn't be with her all the time. The only thought that really helped him manage to bear this separation was that no matter what, he would be coming home to her every night. Colin changed into his uniform of black shoes, black slacks, and a green polo shirt with the "Reilly's Pub and Grill" logo printed on the left breast. Colin put his coat back on and headed off to work. The pub was pretty much in walking distance from the apartments, if you considered twenty blocks as being in walking distance, which Colin did. He had to hustle though to get there by five. He could have taken the bus if he wanted to but Colin preferred to walk, it was probably faster anyway. He wouldn't have to deal with standing around waiting at the bus stop for a bus that usually ran late and would be making stops at every block to let people on and off. Colin was glad Uncle Pat had given him his job back. However, he was concerned about how to treat his uncle on the subject of Seth, whether he should tell his uncle what he knew or not. Colin had been thinking about this all day and he decided that he should tell his mother about it first. This was a family matter and the entire family needed to deal with this together but Aileen was his partner in life and she deserved to be the first person he told. She was his greatest ally as well and he felt that as long as the two of them were together they could accomplish anything. Thinking of his mother made Colin's heart long for her so much it was almost unbearable, so he did what he had to do regularly over the last two days, force the burning desire he held for her into a slow boil to be heated up to full blast when he saw her again. Colin arrived at work a few minutes early. He went to the back of the pub to hang up his coat and punch in on his time card then went to over to where the linens were stored to grab a black apron that he would wear around his waist. The apron had pockets for him to store pads, pens and his guest checks within. He went over to the bar to sign in and be given the guest checks he would be using that night. As Colin approached, he saw his uncle coming out of the small office he had on the other side of the long bar. Patrick took one look at Colin and said, "Jesus Colin! What the hell happened to your face?" "It got bruised by a certain cousin of mine during basketball practice yesterday," Colin said blandly. "Ah, I see," Patrick said. Then, "I'm sorry lad, but I can't have you working the floor looking like that." "What?" Colin said looking at his uncle to see if he was kidding. He looked serious. "I can't have you waiting on customers with that big splotch on your face," Patrick said. "It will be gone in a few days, a week at the most," Colin said. "Then in a week you can start waiting on tables again." "C'mon Uncle Pat, please, it's not that bad," Colin pleaded. "I'm sorry Colin, but I can't," Patrick said. Colin looked at his uncle in dismay. He couldn't believe this, Seth got him again! It was Seth's fault his face looked this way. Colin knew it hadn't been an accident and now he wasn't entirely sure Seth hadn't planned for this to happen as well. Always thinking ten moves in advance... Patrick ran his hand through his graying hair and said, "Look, we're a bit short in the kitchen this week, so if you want to, you can work back there in prep at kitchen wages." Colin figured that was better than nothing, he still enjoyed working in the kitchen; he could just make more as a waiter. "I'll take it. Thanks Uncle Pat," Colin said. "You're welcome Colin. You are my favorite nephew after all," Patrick said with a smile. I wonder if I'll still be your favorite nephew once I tell you your son is a criminal. Even though I'm your only nephew you may wish you had no nephews after that. Colin thought as he went back to the linens to trade in his black apron for a white one. * * * It was slow at the pub for most of the evening so there really wasn't much to do. Colin had sliced all the vegetables he thought they would need that night and was taking his time dipping boneless chicken breasts in batter and flour so they would be ready to fry up whenever someone ordered a dish or sandwich that called for crispy chicken. The head cook and general manager of the kitchen was a guy named Pete. Pete was relatively new, the old kitchen manager, Joey, had found a job somewhere else and given his notice. Pete was kind of a nervous guy and the type that was always looking over your shoulder to see if you were doing things the right way. Colin had worked in this kitchen for four years, he knew the place better than anyone else and it was a little annoying having Pete tell him every little thing he had to do. As is wont to happen on weekday nights, the dinner rush came in all at once so the kitchen staff went from having nothing to do to having to do everything at once. Ten orders came in at the same time and people were moving at a hectic pace to put the orders together. Then another five orders came in for carry out which was a hassle in itself because you just couldn't make the damn food and put it on a plate you had to go get containers and pack them up nice and neat. Pete went into frantic mode screaming at everybody to pick up the pace. He had people busting their asses back and forth all over the kitchen, Colin swore he saw one young kid just spinning around in a circle for a couple minutes Pete had him so addled. Luckily Colin was used to rushes like these and he worked at a fast but steady pace getting done what he felt needed to be done in the order it needed to be done and ignoring most of Pete's inconsistent commands. The waiters kept coming into the kitchen complaining about the food taking too long to be ready. Colin could sympathize with them, the longer it took for a customer's food to be ready the less satisfied the customer became, and unsatisfied customers didn't leave good tips. But even Colin had to admit he felt the servers were being too obtrusive and was beginning to get aggravated by their constant pressuring, it wasn't like they were purposely being slow, when you have fifteen different things to make at once things get confusing. Colin swore to himself that when he got back out on the floor as a server he wouldn't be this pushy with the kitchen staff. Pete finally got fed up and started yelling at the servers to get out of the kitchen, he'd ring the bell whenever an order was up. He was so nasty he put Becky, a nineteen year old waitress, in tears. She ran out of the kitchen and since another server came when her orders were up, Colin assumed she had left the pub entirely. Oh well, that was Uncle Pat's problem to deal with. Once things got calmed down enough for the food to start coming out at decent time intervals, that's when the dirty dishes came back to the kitchen to pile up in the dishwasher section. Plates, glasses, silverware, there was a ton of the stuff and only one person to wash and restock dishes. So now clean dishes to put the food on were running low so Colin had to pitch in and help washing the dishes, now he was back to the job he did when he was fourteen! Colin was bringing a rack of clean glasses out to the bar when he noticed that his mother was there talking with Uncle Pat. Colin felt a charge go through him at the sight of her; she just had such a powerful effect on him. When Aileen saw him she waved him over. Colin approached her and he heard Uncle Pat saying, "...well you know how boys can be when they get competitive, accidents are bound to happen." "Hi honey!" Aileen said giving him a big hug. Colin hugged her back in return indulging in the feel of her body against his. He wanted to do more than just hug her, he wanted to kiss her rosebud lips passionately, he wanted to run his fingers through her ruby red hair, but being out in public he had to be content with just the hug for now. "What are you doing here?" Colin asked as his uncle walked off to see to one of his customers. "I just needed to be near you," Aileen said. "I was alone in the apartment and missing you so much it was driving me crazy!" "I missed you too Mom," Colin said. Fortunately it wasn't that unusual for Aileen to stop by the pub while Colin was at work. "I'm sorry your uncle couldn't let you work on the floor," Aileen said with a genuine look off sympathy on her face. She ran her hand lightly over the bruised portion of his face. "How's it feel?" she asked with concern. "Fine Mom, honestly it doesn't hurt at all," Colin said. "There's something bothering you though, I can see it in your eyes," Aileen said. "There are some things I need to discuss with you, but I can't do that here," Colin said gravely. "Is it about us?" Aileen said in a hushed whisper and a very worried look on her face. "No, it's nothing like that," Colin assured her taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "There has just been some...problems that have come to my attention and I don't want to do anything until I talk to you about it first. But it has to be later, when we're at home." "All right sweetie," Aileen said. "You know I'm here for you for whatever you need." "I know and I depend on that," Colin said. Just then Pete stuck his head out of the kitchen and saw Colin standing at the bar talking to his mother. "Colin! Are you on a break or something? Get your butt back in here!" Pete said. Colin rolled his eyes which made Aileen grin. "I have to get back to work," he said. "Okay honey, I'll be out here," Aileen said. "You don't have to wait for me Mom; I can get home on my own." "I know baby, but I don't want to go back just yet, I like being close to you even if we can't be together," Aileen said with a smile. "I like having you close," Colin said, "but I should really get back in there before Pete has a conniption fit." Aileen laughed. "I understand sweetie, I love you," she said. "I love you too," Colin said and headed back into the kitchen. When he got back Colin couldn't believe how Pete could have completely demolished the modicum of order Colin had managed to carve out of the chaos that was the kitchen. With a sigh he headed back to work to try to get things straight again. * * * As fast as the dinner rush had appeared it disappeared and by eight-thirty the pub was practically empty except for the few customers at the bar. Pete gave the order to start closing down the kitchen and by a little after nine Colin was let off. Aileen had waited for him the whole time and while Colin had been honest about her not needing to wait for him, it certainly made him feel good when he came out of the kitchen and he saw her there. Colin went to grab his coat and punched out. When he got back to the bar he saw Aileen had her coat on and was saying goodbye to her brother. Colin said goodbye to him as well and they both left the pub. Aileen had her Honda Civic with her so they didn't have to walk or take the bus home which Colin was grateful for. The time it took to drive the twenty blocks to Green Park Apartments seemed an eternity. At every stoplight Aileen would run her hand up and down Colin's leg inspiring him to grow a mammoth hardon. When she ran her hand over his crotch giving his dick a squeeze it was all Colin could do to restrain himself from ravaging her right there in the car. When they got to the apartment complex they raced through the lobby and up the stairs to their home. Once safely inside the apartment and the door locked behind them, Colin attacked Aileen with a deluge of kisses. Aileen started giggling as Colin planted kiss after kiss all over her face. "Oh Colin, I feel like I'm getting a chance to relive my teenage years the way they should have been and it's all because of you! You make me feel so young and alive!" Aileen said hugging her son tightly. "You are young," Colin said. "You're young and you're beautiful and you're mine." "Yes baby, I'm yours forever, I love you." Aileen said. "I love you too," Colin said. "Make love to me." "There's nothing I want to do more right now, except that I've been working in that kitchen all night and I'm sweaty and greasy and I need a shower first." Colin said. "Mmmmmm, a shower sounds like just what I need too; aside from your cock in my pussy of course. Mind if I join you?" Aileen asked. "I was hoping you would." Colin said as he began to undress his mother and she returned the favor. Soon after, a trail of clothes consisting of coats, a jacket, shirts, shoes, pants, a skirt, socks, stockings, a tee shirt, a bra, boxer shorts, and panties led from the front door through the living room down the hall and to the bathroom. Once they were in the bathroom Colin and Aileen were completely naked. Colin turned the water on to let it warm up then took his mother in his arms and passionately kissed her. When the mirrors started steaming up, they entered the shower. Aileen got in first which allowed Colin to admire her shapely backside. She had the sweetest roundest ass with just the right amount of plumpness to it. He loved the sensation of squeezing those soft globes. Her legs were so elegantly curved; he could run his hands over them for hours. The sides of her tits were peaking around from her front and Colin found the tantalizing image incredibly sexy. When they were both in the shower they spent a little time soaping each other up but once Colin got to soaping up Aileen's curvaceous breasts and playing with her supple and erect nipples and Aileen's soapy hand found her way to Colin's hard as iron cock, all pretenses of washing were dropped. Colin held Aileen pressed up against the corner of the shower, her arms were wrapped tightly around his back, and he helped her wrap her legs around him too. Hot water sprayed down on them as he ran his cock over the lips of his mother's pussy. "Oh yes baby! I need you inside me!" Aileen exclaimed. "Oh God you are a beautiful woman! Your body turns me on like nothing else!" Colin said with passion as he shoved his cock in her tight wet pussy. Aileen moaned in pleasure as he slid inside her. He pulled out again and then pushed back in building up a steady rhythm. "Yes! Yes! Fuck me baby!" Aileen said gripping tightly to Colin. "I love the feel of your cock inside me. Oh God it feels good!" Aileen's descant urged him on. He pushed himself deeper inside her and when their pubic bones met he rubbed against her causing friction on her egressed clit. "Ohhhhhh yesssss! That's it honey! You are the man of my dreams no one has ever treated me as good as you do!" "Oh God mom you feel so good!" Colin said as his wet and soapy chest rubbed up and down against her tits and his cock continued to drive in and out of her. "You are the most fantastic woman in the world! You turn me on so hot I feel I'll explode!" Colin thrust himself inside her all the way and ground his pubic bone against her clit once more. "Oh God! OH GOD! I'M CUMMMMMMING!!!" Aileen moaned as her whole body shook. Colin was in such an excited state that when he felt her pussy clamp down on his cock he couldn't restrain himself and gobs of semen jet forth from his dick in a series bursts. "OHHHHHH EEEEEYAH!" Colin cried out. "Yes baby yes! Fill me up with your cum!" Aileen exclaimed. "Ohhhhhh! Oh yesss!" She had gone through a huge orgasm and now she was having a string of little ones with each jolt of sperm that gushed out of Colin's cock. Colin placed his lips over Aileen's as they forcibly spasmed together in climax, Aileen's pussy clenching and unclenching on his ejaculating cock. "Oh God, I love you so much!" Aileen said when their lips parted. "I love you too mom," Colin said taking deep breaths. "I will love you always." * * * Aileen and Colin finished up their shower washing then drying each other off. Now they lay in their bed, Colin with his arm around his beloved mother, their naked bodies staying in close contact with each other. Aileen's head rested on his chest, Colin loved the feeling of her damp hair on his skin and the smell of its clean fragrant scent. Colin had just finished relaying to Aileen the disturbing news he had learned about Seth today. "Now I think I have half the school looking to me to do something about him. I thought about going to the principal or maybe even the police," Colin was saying, "but I know Seth, he always covers up his tracks and any accusations I make against him I'll never be able to prove. If I get Moe to come forward with his story, not only would he be turning in his own brother, but Seth will have a dozen people with him ready to call him a liar. I've always known he's had this network of friends and acquaintances, I just never knew how deep-seated it was or how powerful. I guess I've been pretty blind, distracted by other things," Colin thought of his relationship with Sheryl, "I was just going along with the flow because for the most part, I was content. I never noticed the truly heinous activities he had been up to. Now I don't know what to do." "Colin, I know you and Seth have been rivals for a long time and you feel it's your responsibility to do something about him, but he's gotten himself involved with some very dangerous people. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you, you are my life." Aileen said as her hand stroked over her son's abdominal muscles. "I think Patrick needs to know what his son has been up to and I think I'm the one who should tell him. We'll go from there." "I agree about telling Uncle Pat, I almost told him myself today, but I wanted you to be the first one I talked this out with. That was the one thing I knew I had to do. I'm sorry I put this on you Mom, but I need your help. Whatever courage I feel I have gained, it's all because of you. Whenever I'm in a tough situation I think of your love and our bond and it pulls me through," Colin said. Aileen looked up at Colin, her incandescent green eyes brimming with moisture. "I love you so much baby and I feel the same way. Don't be sorry honey," she said. "I can't say I'm happy to hear this, but one thing that does make me feel good is that you felt you needed to tell me above anyone else. In all things we are together. You are the most important person in my life, if I had no one else but you I would still be fine because you make me happy like no one else, but we have to accept that there are other people in our lives that need us from time to time. This is a family matter and our family needs to take care of its own, even Seth. No mater what he's done in the past, even some things that may be unforgivable, he's still our blood. He's gotten himself into a mess and we need to pull together to get him out of it." A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 05 "I don't think he realizes he's in a mess, it's all a game to him and the people around him are just the pieces he needs to move so he can win. It's always about winning with Seth." Colin said. "I know, but it's still hard to believe, even with all Seth has done, I never thought he'd go this far. It's going to break my heart telling Patrick, and poor Sarah, when she finds out I don't know how she will handle it, she's such a sweet woman, she doesn't deserve this," "Are you sure you don't want me to tell Uncle Pat?" Colin asked. "I'm sure," Aileen said. "I have to do this." "I stand with you in whatever happens. You know that, right?" Colin asked. "Of course I do," Aileen said, "I want you to be careful though. Don't confront Seth right now; let me see what Patrick says." "Okay," Colin sighed. "I love you so much Colin," Aileen said. "I love you too," Colin replied hugging his mother tightly. Aileen rolled on top of her son, the feel of her breasts squashed against his chest and her wet pussy sliding over his cock immediately brought Colin to a state of arousal. Colin placed his hands on his mother's back and slowly slid them down her silky skin until he was cupping the soft rondure that was her ass. Aileen's hand delicately took hold of his manhood and guided him inside her. The two lovers joined giving themselves over to the rhapsody only they could create for each other. * * * The next day on her lunch hour Aileen went to Patrick's pub to talk to her brother. It was still early and there were only a few customers there so they were able to sit down at a table that afforded them a good amount of privacy. "Pat, I don't know how to tell you this so I guess I'll just come out and say it. Your kid's in with the mob." Aileen began. "What?" Patrick said almost laughing as if she was joking but Aileen's face was serious. "Seth has ties to organized crime Pat. I'm sorry to be the one who has to tell you this, but it's the truth." Aileen said grimly. "What makes you think this?" Patrick asked. "Colin told me." "Colin! You know how those boys are, Colin's probably making this up to get back at Seth for that whole fiasco with Sheryl." Patrick said in a tone of dismissal. "I know Colin and I know he wouldn't make something like this up." Aileen said sternly. "So my son's a criminal because your son says so?" Patrick said and Aileen could see his ire was starting to rise. "Of course we all know your precious Colin couldn't be just a little jaded that the girl he liked likes his cousin better so he fabricated this story to slander Seth. Oh no, we all know Colin would never do something such as that!" "That's right he never would!" Aileen said starting to become angry herself. "Grow up Leena!" Patrick said, his face turning red. "You've coddled that boy all his life and he's got you tied around his finger. I bet if he told you the sky was green and the grass was blue you'd believe him then too!" "This is not about Colin," Aileen said trying to keep her temper in check. "This is about your son, you're not blind Pat, you've seen how sneaky the boy can be, is it that far a stretch to believe he'd conspire with criminals to get what he wanted?" "Oh I think this is about Colin. He's held a grudge against Seth since they were little, a grudge that you've nurtured! Any time Seth and him got in a scrap as kids he'd come crying to you and you would hold him and tell him how much better he was than that mean and bad Seth. Don't think I don't remember that!" Patrick said fuming. "Don't think I don't remember what it was like back then. Seth tortured Colin and only because he wouldn't allow Seth to control him like he did his brother and sister. Colin stood up to Seth and was ostracized for it; you don't know how bad that hurt him!" Aileen said as her eyes started to water. "They were kids Aileen, you made too much of a big deal out of it, kids fight every now and then. It was because of you that Colin never got over it." Patrick said. "You don't make enough of a deal of it!" Aileen shouted as tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks. "I understood what it was like to be mercilessly teased by a sibling growing up, and don't try to tell me Seth and Colin are not brothers because while they lived in the same house that's what they were! Colin loved Seth...and Morgan and Kyle just like a brother would, a brother that didn't get pleasure from teasing his siblings that is, but you wouldn't know about that would you Patrick?" "Aileen please don't bring this up. I've apologized to you many times over for the way I acted when we were kids. I put a roof over your head and protected you when you were going through your divorce and I got you back on your feet. Don't you think after all that I deserve some absolution for my crimes?" Patrick said. "But don't you see Pat?" Aileen said as she wiped at her eyes with a napkin. "You're doing it again, this time indirectly by closing your eyes to the way Seth acts. I got Colin out of that house and still Seth had an influence on him, I can only imagine what Morgan and Kyle go through, but at least they have Sarah. I had no one growing up and all Colin had was me, we learned to depend on each other for support, it would be impossible for either one of us to blatantly lie to the other because it would destroy the relationship we have built between us and depend on to survive." "Leena," Patrick said softly, "I hope you don't still think that all you and Colin have are each other. Sarah and I are your family too and we love you and support you." "I thought I could count on you Pat, but then I came in here today and we're at each other's throats just like when we were kids." Aileen said with a sniff. "I'm sorry Leena, but you came in here and the first thing you did was call my son a criminal. How was I supposed to react? How would you have reacted if I said the same of your kid," Patrick said. "I suppose I would have been livid," Aileen acknowledged. "But Pat, please believe me, I'm not trying to denigrate Seth, he may be in serious danger and you need to know the whole story. Please just hear me out." "All right," Patrick said, "I'll hear you out." Aileen spent the next ten minutes telling her brother everything that Colin had told her the night before, about the fixed basketball games and wrestling matches, Seth getting special treatment from public officials, and about his working with at least one of the mob bosses to make sure that they were the only supplier of the drugs that came into the high school. When she was finished Patrick said, "So, Colin got all this information from a spaced out pothead who's had an aversion towards Seth ever since he played a stupid prank on him. Leena, I'm not calling you or your son liars, but I think gullible may be the right word." "Patrick, it may all be a story, but so much of it fits! If there's the slightest chance there's truth to it wouldn't it be worth it for Seth's sake just to check some of this out. He could really be in trouble." Aileen argued. "Leena, you asked me to hear you out and I've done that, I think the whole thing is ridiculous. I also think it's time we both got back to work," Patrick said. "How can you be so stubborn when this concerns the wellbeing of one of your children?" Aileen asked. "Because I know it's not true," Patrick answered. "If you're not going to believe me then I guess I'm going to have to talk to Sarah," Aileen said. "Why would you do that? It would get her upset over nothing!" Patrick exclaimed. "Because I don't think it's nothing. I believe Seth has gotten himself involved with a bad element of society and could be in danger. If you're not going to take this seriously maybe your wife will." Aileen said. "Leena, please don't get her involved," Patrick said imploringly. "You are leaving me with little choice here," Aileen said. Patrick sighed and it looked like he was deflating right before Aileen's eyes. "Seth knows what he's doing; he's not going to get himself hurt." Patrick said quietly. Aileen stared at her brother for a moment in confusion, but then the ramifications of what he just said hit her. "You knew!" Aileen accused. "Of course I knew!" Patrick snapped. "How do you think I..." Patrick stopped speaking in mid sentence. "How do I think you what?" Aileen asked. Patrick stayed quiet but Aileen continued to stare at him. This went on for a few minutes until finally, speaking in an undertone, Patrick said, "Look, if I tell you, you have to promise me you will never breathe a word to this to Sarah." Aileen thought it over. She didn't like the idea that Patrick was keeping secrets from Sarah, especially this one, but in the end she decided she had to know what was going on. "I promise," she said. Patrick breathed in deep and let the breath out then said, "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to bring up some bad memories." "Why doesn't that surprise me," Aileen said caustically. "Go on," she said. "How much do you know about what Dad did for a living?" Patrick asked. Aileen gulped; she didn't know he was going to bring up their father. "He was a bartender," she said flatly. "He was more than that," Patrick said. "Yeah he was a wife and child beater as well," Aileen said. The malice was obvious in her voice. "Do you want to know this or not?" Patrick asked. "I don't want to know it, but I think I need to know it," Aileen said. "So he was more than just a bartender?" she asked. "Yes," Patrick said. "Bartending was his official occupation, but he had another job he did on the side. There was this loan shark named John Biggs that lived in Southside, Dad would sometimes do work for him and a few others." "By work you mean...?" Aileen asked "Collections." "And how did he go about collecting?" "Well if the mark had the money he would just get it from them." "What if they didn't have the money?" "Then...he would have to break some thumbs, once in a while an arm or a leg." Patrick said "Well that would definitely be up Dad's alley," Aileen said feeling sick. "Yeah, but it wasn't up mine," Patrick said. "You did it too?" Aileen said in disgust. Patrick nodded and said, "I'm ashamed of it, but yes. When I got older Dad started taking me on assignments, he wasn't as quick as he used to be and he needed someone who could chase down the runners. After a few years of this I had gotten sick of it and told Dad I wasn't going to do it anymore. That caused a big fight between us and I didn't see him much after that. "By that time I had married Sarah and we had Seth and Morgan was on the way. Sarah thought I was just a bartender, she knew nothing about the other job I did. I didn't like hiding things from my wife and I was afraid she would leave me if I she ever found out I did these things. So I quit. "The thing is, I still wanted to provide a good life for my family and the salary I made as a bartender wasn't going to be enough to do that. Even though I quit working for the loan sharks I had still kept in touch with them. By then John had retired and his son James had taken over the operation. James' operation had grown and he essentially became one of the more powerful Bosses in the neighborhood. When I wanted to open my own place, I went to James and asked him to front me the money." "I thought you got a loan from the bank," Aileen said. "That's what Sarah thinks too, but why would a bank give me a loan? I had no collateral, no real credit. The only way I saw to move up in life was to accept the help of James Biggs. The Bosses are always looking for legitimate businesses to launder their money through, so James gave me the money to start up this place and became a silent partner." "And now that Seth is old enough, he's let in on the family's secret connections," Aileen said. She was feeling very sick now and she thought she may throw up. "No," Patrick said. "I never intended Seth or any of the kids to find out about the kind of people I dealt with. I didn't want them to get involved the way I did. I wanted a better life for them, an honest life. But Seth...he has a way of finding things out and then using the knowledge to his advantage. Somehow he found out about James Biggs and approached him on his own. "When I first found out I was furious at Seth for becoming involved with him, but now I see what Seth is doing and I see he is giving himself a future that I can't provide him." "A future as a criminal? He's dealing drugs Pat!" Aileen said. "He is not dealing drugs, Seth has never handled an illegal substance in his life. All he does is make sure that whatever drugs do come into the school come from the same source." "And that is so much more reputable," Aileen said with sarcasm. "No matter what, the drugs are going to get into the school and kids are going to buy them," Patrick said. "Seth knows not to use them, but it doesn't stop him from what he always does, take advantage of the situation. Seth has helped make James Biggs one of the most powerful Bosses in town, but Seth isn't going to stop there, he has bigger plans." "Bigger plans? Let me guess he's going to sell arms to terrorists." "Leena, my son is a good boy whether you think so or not, all I want for him, all I want for all my children, is to get farther in life than I did. Maybe you haven't noticed, but my business isn't doing as well as it used to. TGI Fridays, Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays, places like those are popping up all over the city and they are taking away my customers and employees! I can't compete with the benefits those corporate chains offer their employees, so I lose my best workers and all I have left are people that I would never even have hired ten years ago. They bring down the quality of my place so the customers I do have left get shoddy service. "James Biggs knows some influential people and through him, Seth is getting to know these influential people. These people appreciate what Seth is doing for them, they realize how smart he is and they know how useful he will be if given the chance to become an influential person in his own right. The way things are going, he's going to have his way paid through college and have a good career afterwards." "All thanks to organized crime. Do you know how wrong this is Patrick?" Aileen said trying to get through to her brother. "Seth is deliberately throwing basketball games and getting other kids to do the same in their sports! What about athletic scholarships? Seth may be good enough to get one, why couldn't he have focused on that as a way to get to college." "You can't depend on getting a scholarship, if Seth shows his merit to the Bosses; they'll make sure he gets through college. The Bosses may be a little less tactful in the way they run things, but when it comes down to the bare essentials, they are no different than the legitimate businesses that run the country." Patrick said. "What are you talking about?" Aileen asked completely lost. "Exxon, Ford, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Phillip Morris," he was counting them off on his fingers, "or whatever, the big corporations control the world." Patrick said. "Just like what's happening to my place. The corporations come in and set up their restaurants and all of a sudden I'm being run out of business! The corporations are just more powerful versions of the Bosses and because they are in control, everything they do is legal." "That's a pretty cynical way to look at things." Aileen said. "No, it's an honest way. If you want to be somebody you have to get in with the corporations. Seth knows this, we've had talks about it and he knows what he wants to do with his life and he knows how to get it. His work with the Bosses is just a stepping stone to higher goals." "If anyone finds out he has been involved in organized crime his life is over Patrick!" Aileen said. "If any legitimate corporation finds out who Seth associates with they won't want to have anything to do with him." "You'd be surprised Leena," Patrick said. "I told you, Seth knows what he's doing. The Bosses want him to succeed, they recognize his potential, they will make sure his record stays clean." "What do you mean they recognize his potential?" Aileen asked. "Seth has aspirations; he doesn't want to work for major corporations, he wants to use them like he uses the Bosses now. Seth wants to get into politics and the only way to get anywhere in politics these days is to have major corporate backing. The Bosses are going to help him get through college and in touch with the right people, and the corporate world will make sure he gets a good start in politics. With Seth's natural charisma all he needs is the financial backing and he could win any race. "The Bosses will make sure he gets the funding for his education and then they will connect him with the right people he needs for a legitimate backing in politics. Right now the Bosses and soon the corporations will be investing in Seth's future because they know what a kid like him in the right place could do for them. The Bosses are always eager to help sponsor candidates they believe will be useful to them." "Oh my God!" Aileen said imagining Seth holding any type of political office. "You mean they are always eager to have another corrupt politician in their pocket and you are okay with this?!!" Patrick scowled at her and said, "All politicians are corrupt, if Seth can play the game why should I hold him back? Why not support him? I know you don't have a high opinion of Seth, maybe he deserves that from what you've seen, but you don't know him like I know him. He's ambitious and he understands how things work in the real world and knows how to use this to his advantage. He's going to make it farther in life than I ever dreamed I ever could. But deep down he also cares for his family. He's going to open the door for Morgan and Kyle to go to college and have good careers. That's the most important thing to me, my children's future, and I see Seth well on the way to securing that, as far as I'm concerned the ends justify the means. You know, he could do a lot for Colin as well." "Pat, you're talking about Seth becoming a corrupt politician as though that's something to be proud of and that's sick. I don't know what Colin is going to end up doing but I do know he won't owe any favors to criminals!" Aileen said. "All politicians are corrupt in one way or another. Like I said, the world is controlled by the corporations, if you want to be somebody you have to play their game, there is no other way. The only way a kid from this neighborhood can get anywhere in life is to do it the way Seth is doing it. Once Seth gets some real power he can start doing good. I know it's a dirty way to get there, but for a kid like Seth, it's the only way." "The ends don't justify the means Pat!" Aileen said as tears returned to her eyes and she fought down a wave of nausea as she realized that if Patrick could support Seth in what he was doing he wasn't the person she thought he was, or maybe he was still the person he had been when they were growing up. Maybe he hadn't really changed at all. "Pat," she said through her tears, "for your son's sake, please get him off this path." "He's my boy Leena and I know what's best for him. He's going to be a great man someday, a powerful man." Patrick said with conviction. "No he won't, he's going to end up either dead or in jail. Can't you see that? Pat, don't let this happen!" Aileen cried. "It won't be that way, you'll see." Patrick said. "No I won't see it," Aileen said, "because as long as you support Seth in this I want nothing to do with you or him and I'm going to make sure Colin stays away from both of you as well!" A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 05 "Leena, you don't mean that," Patrick said. "I'm afraid I do. Goodbye Patrick," Aileen said and she grabbed her coat and walked out of the pub. NEXT CHAPTER: FOOLISH GAMES A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 06 CHAPTER 6: FOOLISH GAMES Colin arrived home from school after finishing basketball practice. When he entered the apartment he was surprised to find his mother's coat hanging up behind the door and her purse and keys on the shelf by the door. It was only four-thirty; it was unusual for her to be home this early. He didn't see her in the living room or kitchen so he decided to check the bedroom. He found Aileen lying on her side in bed and he could hear soft sobs coming from her. Colin's heart stopped as he feared the worst. "Mom, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. Aileen looked up at Colin; her eyes and nose were red and she was clutching a handful of tissues. "Oh nothing," she said, "I've just been shown what a complete fool I am once again. Nothing new." Colin climbed into the bed behind his mother and laid down spooning her. His arm went around her waist and he held her close to him. "What happened?" He asked her softly. Aileen retold the account of the conversation she had with Patrick earlier in the afternoon, pausing periodically as her voice cracked or she had to dab at her eyes with a tissue. She finished by saying, "After I left the pub I felt so ill I called in sick at work for the rest of the day. I just wanted to come home." "I'm so sorry Mom," Colin said giving her a hug. "Please don't call yourself a fool though, because you're not. I would never have believed Uncle Pat would condone something like this either." "Colin what if we just picked up and left after you graduated?" Aileen asked. "What's keeping us here? We can just leave and move anywhere, somewhere we could be known as a couple. The only reason I would have wanted to stay here was to stay close to family. But I know now, you are all the family I need." "You're all the family I need," Colin said, "and nothing is keeping us here. After I graduate we'll move anywhere you want. As long as I'm with you I'll be the happiest man in the world. We'll be free and live like the married couple we really are in our hearts." "Oh Colin, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you so much!" "I love you too." Colin said hugging her as close to him as he could. He really felt he held the most precious thing in his life in his arms and the feeling of joy she brought him was almost too much to bear. "Colin, please promise me you'll stay away from your uncle and Seth until you graduate. I'm so afraid something might happen to you. I know this means you'll have to quit your job and the basketball team again and I'm so sorry, but I need to know you'll be safe." Aileen said. "I can stay away from Uncle Pat, I all ready decided I was going to quit, this time for good. I can find a new job anywhere. Seth is going to be more of a problem. Mom, I can't quit the basketball team. Not again, not after just getting back on it." Colin said. "But what's the point? If Seth is fixing the games what point is there in playing?" "I have to find a way to stop Seth from fixing those games. I owe it to Coach Fletcher. He's been a roll model for me since I started going to Liberty. There's no man I know with greater integrity than him. I can't let him down again." Colin said. "Please Colin," Aileen said with fresh tears. "I'm asking you to let this be, just stay away from Seth, don't provoke him!" "I...I can't do that," Colin said sitting up. "What happened to you doing anything for me?" Aileen asked. Colin was silent for a moment then said, "I will do anything for you. I just never thought you would ever ask me to compromise my integrity." "Is that what you think I'm doing? Colin, I just want you safe!" Aileen said. "Sometimes there are things worth taking risks over," Colin said as he got out of the bed. "But not a stupid basketball team! I don't understand it, you quit before," Aileen said. "And that's just it. I quit because of Seth and what he did to me. I let my team down and I let Coach Fletcher down. I won't do that again. Seth doesn't control me, not anymore!" "Colin, I forbid you to play!" Aileen said. "You forbid me? Is that where we are now? I'm back to being the son and you're the mother? I thought our relationship had changed," Colin said. "It has, but honey, I'm always going to be your mother," Aileen said. "I know that, I accept that, I even need that!" Colin said. "But I can't be just your son, I also need us to be equal partners in this relationship and I thought that's what we were! But if there are going to be times where you simply forbid me to do something like I'm some sort of subordinate...well then, we are going to have some issues." "You're right Colin, you're right. I can't forbid you not to play, all I can do is ask." Aileen said. "You have to understand," Colin said kneeling by the side of the bed in front of Aileen. "You are the one who gives me the strength to stand up to Seth. Knowing I have you in my life is all I need. He can't hurt me like he used to because we have our little world, all I have to do is think about that and I have refuge. I need you so I can be the person I am, but the person I now am is someone who won't be pushed around by Seth. If you ask me to not to play then I won't. I will do anything for you. But if you ask me not to play then you take away a part of me, a part of the person you love." "Then go," Aileen said coldly. "Mom..." "No. Just go. I don't want to make you less than who you are. Go play your game if it's that important." Aileen said. "I just..." "JUST GO!" Aileen shouted and Colin felt as if it pierced his heart. Colin got up and left. He had a basketball game to play tonight. * * * Colin arrived back to school at six o'clock that evening. The game would start at seven. He went to the locker room to change into his uniform. Tonight, all the Eagles were wearing the green uniforms with white outline; the standard uniform for home games. Saint Mathew's team was called the Cardinals and they wore white uniforms with red outlines. Saint Mathew's had only managed to win one game so far this season and Liberty was favored to win by twelve points. Colin's stomach felt upset all the way until game time. He and his mother had their first fight since becoming a couple and he felt miserable about it. A part of him wanted to say fuck the game and run home to beg her forgiveness, but another part of him knew he would lose too much of the self-respect he had gained if he quit. Ironically, that was the part of him that drew all its potency from his relationship with his mother. Colin felt lost when he ran onto the court with the rest of the team. Colin saw his Aunt Sarah in the stands along with his cousin Kyle. Morgan didn't really like coming to the games and his uncle usually couldn't make the night games. His mother tried to make it to all his games in the past. It was so disheartening not seeing her up there. He got another urge to just leave the court and game, but he fought it. The game started a little after seven. Colin took his familiar position as center. After his performance during the scrimmage match earlier in the week Coach Fletcher returned Colin to first string on the roster. As team captain, Seth was on the floor and in his position of point guard. Right from the start Colin could tell that Seth and the other players on the floor weren't playing to their fullest capabilities. It was subtle and probably couldn't be seen unless you were right in the game. Most of the time Seth was playing at full speed, but once in a while when he would be dribbling the ball down the court and one of the Cardinals was after him, Seth would slow down just enough to let the player overtake him and steal the ball. The other players on the floor were doing the same thing. Dropped passes, missed baskets, penalties, they all seemed to happen at random intervals, but if you paid enough attention you could see that the mistakes would happen just when the Eagles seemed to be getting some momentum or the Cardinals were in a position to take full advantage of a mistake. As the center Colin was usually the last line of defense when the Cardinals were driving to make a basket. Colin blocked many shots, but the Cardinals seemed to have the ball the majority of the time and he couldn't block every shot. When the Eagles had the ball, the other players made only half-hearted attempts to pass him the ball, but whenever he did manage to get his hands on it he would most likely score a basket. That's when his teammates "accidentally" started bumping into him or tripping him up. Since it was players on his own team doing this, no fouls could be called. By the end of the first half Colin was drenched in sweat and was mentally and physically exhausted. The score was Eagles 18, Cardinals 30. When the team retired to the locker room at halftime everyone could see Coach Fletcher was furious. He didn't scream, he didn't shout, he just calmly looked over every single player with that paralyzing stare of his. "Is everyone half asleep out there?" he asked. "You must be with all the mistakes I've seen this half. What have I been trying to drill into your skulls? You must have focus! You can't win a game if you play on autopilot; you have to focus to win!" "You also have to be trying to win." Colin muttered as he wiped his sweaty face with a towel. "What was that?" Coach Fletcher asked. Colin looked at Seth and the other players that had been intentionally playing bad; he knew they would never admit it. "Nothing Coach," Colin said. Seth had his poker face on looking coldly dispassionate. The coach looked at Seth with a strange expression on his face. "Martin, if you've got something to say about what's going on out there now's the time to say it!" Coach Fletcher said. Colin was quiet for a moment then thought, Fuck it! The whole reason I'm here is to put a stop to Seth so I might as well give it my best shot! "We should be winning this game!" He blurted. "But I think for some of the players on this team it would be more advantageous if we lost." Colin glanced at Seth. "It sounds like your making an accusation, do you have anything to back it up?" the coach asked. "Nothing concrete sir," Colin said. The coach looked at the rest of the team, "Can anybody back Mr. Martin up on what he's saying?" No one said a word. Colin had a feeling they wouldn't. "Martin, I can't bench any players without any proof of your accusations and unfounded accusations against your teammates is poor sportsmanship. That's not how a member of this team behaves!" Coach Fletcher said. "Yes sir," Colin said in resignation. Coach Fletcher put his hand to his face and paced back and force a few times then said, "That being said, it did seem like you were the only one out on the floor trying today. The rest of you looked like you were at a picnic! When we go back on that court I want ALL of you to bring your A game! Is that understood?" There was a chorus of people saying "Yes Coach" or "Yes sir". The coach finished his halftime lecture by going over all the things the team had been doing wrong during the first half and what they needed to do if they were going to win. The team went back on the court for the second half. Just before Colin went to take his position on the floor the coach told him to stay on the bench and put Ricky Woods in to take his place. Colin couldn't believe it, Seth and his pals were the ones throwing the game and he was the one being benched! Oh well. Why should he care? He was the only one putting forth an effort and what was he getting out of it except abuse? What the fuck was he doing here? Colin sat back on the bench and watched the game get started again. For the next five minutes the game played out just like it had during the first half, with the Cardinals dominating the Eagles taking a 36 to 20 lead. Colin heard Coach Fletcher grumble under his breath, "I've had just about enough of this!" and he called a time out. All the players returned to the sideline and Coach Fletcher immediately benched everyone who had been on the floor. "You can't do that!" Seth said his cool veneer finally showing some cracks. Coach Fletcher looked at Seth and said, "I'm the coach of this team; I can do whatever I please, now take a seat Reilly!" Seth sat down, his eyes shooting daggers at the coach. To Colin's surprise, the coach put him in the game as point guard and put in most of the second string players Colin had played with in the scrimmage match on Monday in the other positions. The second stringers all looked like deer caught in the headlights, not knowing what the heck all of them were doing out on the floor together. "All right," Colin said as the players gathered around him. "The coach has put it on us to make something happen here. No pressure though," he said with a smile as a couple of the players' faces began to look as green as their uniform, Colin wondered how his complexion was fairing. "We can do this! Last Monday we showed them we can play this game and we can do it again! I promise you, if you guys don't let me down, I'm not going to let you down." Colin meant that, he figured after all he had gone through to be there tonight, he wasn't going to play halfhearted. His teammates looked a little better after he made his speech. He ended it by saying, "Go Eagles!" The rest of the team responded with an enthusiastic "Go Eagles!" and they took their positions. There were murmurs from the crowd as they saw that the Eagles had replaced every player that had been on the floor. While it wasn't unusual for a coach to pull his starters late in a game when the team was well ahead, to pull all of them while the team was being decimated was unheard of unless they were giving up. The referee blew his whistle and the game was on again. Just like on Monday, there was a certain simpatico he felt with his team. They formed an effective unit to play the game. On defense they slowed the Cardinals down and they were scoring less, and on offense they were able to take the ball down the court and make some baskets. For the rest of the game they were playing catch up, but they were narrowing the gap. Brian Chaplin was showing a strong ability at being able to steal the ball away which kept putting them on the offence. Colin made sure the ball moved down the court and got passed around keeping it out of the hands of any Cardinals and eventually into the hands of the best man to make a basket. By the final ten seconds of the last period, the score was Eagles: 40, Cardinals: 42. The Eagles had the ball and were striving to make one more basket to tie the score. The crowd was on their feet reinvigorated by the Eagles comeback, they were stomping their feet in the bleachers shouting "EAGLES! EAGLES!" Colin used his forearm to wipe the sweat from his brow. The Cardinals, at first stunned by the rapid comeback of the Eagles, had finally managed to put up a staunch defense. Colin could see they weren't going to let them get close to the basket to rob them of the victory that had seemed assured to them just a short while ago. Colin felt the Cardinal that was guarding him at the moment wasn't that strong a player, but Colin wasn't that close to the net either. There were only five seconds left in the game however and it was time for a desperate move. Tedd Silvers was playing center and he had the ball, he glanced over at Colin who nodded his head slightly. Tedd passed the ball to Colin. As soon as he caught the ball he focused his sight on the basket, jumped high and let the ball fly from his finger tips. The Cardinal in front of Colin tried to block the shot but it was too high. The ball soared through the air and hit the backboard. The ball landed on the edge of the basket circling around the hoop for a second that seemed to last an eternity until it finally fell in as the referee blew his whistle signaling the end of the game. There was pandemonium in the crowd. Everyone was going wild. The place from where Colin had made his shot was far enough away to make the basket count as three points. Colin hadn't tied the game with his shot, he had won it! The final score ended up being Eagles: 43, Cardinals: 42. Colin's teammates were jumping up in the air shouting and slapping him on the back. Colin felt like his legs would give out any second, he was completely exhausted. He made it over to the bench and collapsed. He was handed a paper cup of Gatorade and he downed it in one gulp, then two more after that. They had pulled off a win, even with Colin's pep talk to his team of second stringers, he was doubtful they could do it. But the core group of players the coach had gathered together with Colin had been strong and they knit well together. Second stringers or not, Colin realized that this team had some great talent on it and he was proud he had some part in making that talent shine. They deserved it. Colin knew they had burned Seth badly, not only by winning the game, but by taking the game out of his control completely. He wondered if he had to be prepared for retribution of some kind like his mother was afraid of. Whatever happens, Colin was just too tired to think about it and too concerned over what he would face when he came home. Seth could wait. * * * The locker room after the game was an experience in dichotomy. The majority of the team were hooting and hollering in the showers, exuberant over their tremendous comeback win. However, a group of about ten players including Seth were acting somber and moody as if they had lost the game, which from their point of view, Colin supposed, they had. Seth had not only had his plans for fixing the game derailed, but also, in light of Colin pointing out that Seth and some of the other players were actually trying to lose the game, Seth lost the respect of most of the team. Colin was in no mood to celebrate however, he just wanted to get home. He missed Aileen terribly and was heartsick over how he had left things. After quickly showering and dressing he left into the cold night air and even though he was tired he ran through the streets of Philadelphia. He ran home to his love. * * * When Colin arrived home the apartment was dark. Apparently Aileen had all ready gone to bed or had never left it. He was burning with desire to be with her, to talk with her, but he didn't want to bother her if she was all ready asleep or wanted to be alone. Colin opened the door to his old bedroom and stared at the bed. It looked so lonely and cold but he wasn't sure if he was welcome in the other bed tonight. Colin was tired and sore and felt beat up physically, mentally, and emotionally. He was ready to put this day behind him and it looked as if he would have to put his old bed back into use to do that. "Colin?" He heard his mom call from down the hall. "Yeah mom?" Colin answered. "Could you come here?" She said. Colin went and stood in the doorway of their room. "How was the game?" Aileen asked. "We won," Colin said. "The coach benched Seth and the other starting players except for me." "You told the coach about Seth?" "Yeah, but I couldn't offer any proof. Apparently the way they were playing was proof enough for the coach to change the players though." Colin said "Colin I am so sorry for what happened this afternoon!" Aileen said. Colin could hear her voice crack and the sobs escape from her. "I was just so upset over what happened with Patrick and so worried about you!" Colin could now see her eyes red and swollen by tears. "I am just so afraid Colin," she said. "The happiness I've found with you is like a dream, I've been so afraid something is going to happen to make us lose that and I want to do everything I can to prevent that. But now it looks like I'm damned no matter what I do. Either I let you gamble your well being, maybe even your life by balking Seth, or I gamble our relationship by asking you not to." A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 06 "Mom when it comes to our relationship there is no gamble," Colin said. "I am yours forever. But until I graduate I'm going to see Seth almost every day anyway. I know a confrontation is going to happen between us no matter what. I don't think I can avoid that. But I promise you I won't let anything happen to me and I won't let anything happen to us! I love you so much mom! You mean everything to me." "Colin, could you please hold me?" Aileen asked. Colin rushed over to the bed and climbed in taking his mother securely into his arms. "I am so sorry for what happened today," he said. "Me too baby, me too!" His mother said. "I understand what you were saying today, I honestly do. You are the most important thing in my life and I would move Heaven and Earth to protect you, but you have to be the person you are, the person that I love, and I wouldn't have it any other way, even if it means I have to be worried sick sometimes." "I don't want to worry you, I really don't and it breaks my heart to know you are hurting." Colin said. "As long as you tell me you love me then it won't hurt so bad," Aileen said. "I love you! Always and forever!" Colin said. "I love you too; I'm yours forever, no matter what. I promise you that." Aileen said. Both Aileen and Colin had an exhausting day and with the comfort found in finally being in each other's loving arms they quickly fell asleep. * * * The next day at school Colin found himself eating lunch with Brian Chaplin, Tedd Silvers, and some other members of the basketball team, mostly the second and third stringers. Some of the guys' other friends and girlfriends joined them too. Their bunch took up a couple tables in the cafeteria. It felt good to be included in a group again and this group was great because they didn't adulate Seth. Of course Seth still held court at his end of the lunch room with Sheryl at his table and all his sycophants, but he seemed to be ignoring Colin. At basketball practice that day Coach Fletcher called a team meeting. He announced that there was going to be a full investigation into not only the basketball program but all school athletic programs due to accusations of games being fixed. The Coach also suspended almost the entire starting lineup, including Seth. Colin was the only starter not suspended and the coach appointed him the new captain of the team. Seth was seething mad. Coach Fletcher put together a new group of starters that included Brian at small forward and Tedd at center. Two other players that were on the second string became starters as well. A tall gangly player named Kendis Dumont was given the power forward's position and a somewhat short, compared to the rest of the team, yet fast and tenacious player named William Grey was at shooting guard. These were all players that Colin had worked with in the scrimmage match and the game against the Cardinals. They had all ready developed a sense of camaraderie and worked well together as a team. After basketball practice Colin went to his Uncle Pat's pub for probably the last time to inform him of his resignation. It looked like Uncle Pat wanted to say something to Colin but all he did was nod and say he understood. When Colin was leaving Patrick said, "Colin just tell your mother this. If she ever needs me I'm still here for her and you too for that matter." Colin nodded and left the pub his stomach feeling queasy. Colin still believed his uncle was a good man; he just cared about his son and wanted the best for him and the rest of his family. Seth had taken advantage of his father's love and manipulated him into believing Seth wasn't doing anything wrong. Until his uncle realized that, Colin would honor his mother's wishes and stay away. It was a shame that he and his mother had to separate themselves from the little family they had. But above all else he lived on the love he and his mother shared as much as he lived on the air he breathed. As long as they were together things would be all right. Colin's dilemma now was he needed new employment; the money he had been making at the pub had been an important part of their household income. He was able to put aside a portion of it for his savings but while his mother made the majority of their household income working at the bank, it barely covered their rent, grocery bills, car payments and insurance. The addition of Colin's paycheck had allowed them a little more comfort in their lives. It was Moe that came through for Colin. Moe worked as a dishwasher and busboy at a place called Buddy's Diner. He gave Colin a heads up that the diner was short on staff and was hiring. Colin decided to apply for a job there. He hadn't realized it before, but Moe seemed to be a true friend to Colin and he was appreciative of that. If there was one thing there was an abundance of in the Philadelphia/ Jersey area it was diners. Franchises like McDonald's, Taco Bell and all the rest hadn't managed to get a monopoly on fast food restaurants in the area yet, though they were desperately trying. There were different types of diners in the area, from your average greasy spoon to the more upscale restaurants that were impeccably clean and made regular diner fare like burgers or meatloaf as best tasting as possible. They were almost like gourmet restaurants that specialized in American cuisine if there was such a thing. Buddy's status was in the upper middle part of the scale between the two extremes. The food and atmosphere was better than most, not as good as some. It was a theme diner; it was designed to look like it came out of the 50's. It was bathed in glaring neon lights; some were curved and made to look like vinyl records. Rock n' Roll music of the 50's and 60's was piped in through the speakers and a replica of a sky blue 1957 Chevy sat in the lobby. The diner had opened in the early 90's and since then Moe said they had lax their policies over the last few years. Originally the employees had to dress up in 50's costumes but now a nice tee shirt and pair of pants were all you needed to wear to come to work in the kitchen and the wait staff wore modern uniforms. Colin was thankful for that. The guy who interviewed Colin was named Tom and he said he was the manager of the diner. Tom asked about the bruise on Colin's face which had begun to fade and became more of a yellow splotch than a purple one. He informed the manager it would be completely gone in a day or two and it wasn't the result of a fight or anything like that. Aside from that one issue Tom seemed impressed with Colin because he had experience working as both a waiter and a prep cook. Tom offered the job of short order cook to Colin and said if things worked out after his face completely healed he might be able to work some nights as a waiter. Colin considered the offer, it would mean going back to work in a kitchen but that wouldn't be too bad, it was kind of fun cooking for people and Moe would be there. The worst part of working any job was the monotony of doing the same thing every day; if he was able to get out on the floor as a server every now and then it would be a nice change of pace. He accepted the offer and was once again employed. * * * On Saturday the Eagles had an away game against the Lincoln High Panthers. They were a mediocre team and the Eagles' new starting lineup was able to pull off a hard fought victory. Aileen came to the game and it felt great for Colin to see her there. It was as if she were telling him that even if she was afraid for him, he had her full support if this was what he had to do. After the game Brian, Tedd, William, Kendis and most of the team said they wanted to go out and celebrate their win at Joe's Pizza, a regular hang out for the team. They invited Colin, but he demurred saying he was too tired, which in part was true, but mostly he was in the mood to celebrate but he had only one particular person in mind he wanted to celebrate with. "You should have gone out with your friends," Aileen said for at least the third time as they entered their apartment. "I hate the idea that you are sacrificing the experiences you should be having because of me. You should be able to celebrate with your friends and be out in public with a girl on your arm." "Hey!" Colin said as he lifted his mother's chin with his thumb and forefinger, and saw her emerald eyes shining bright. "I'm right where I want to be and if I had to have any other girl on my arm besides you, it wouldn't be worth it." Colin bent forward and gave Aileen a passionate kiss as she swept her arms around him. Their lips parted, Aileen's hands stayed wrapped around Colin's neck and she looked deeply into his eyes. "Have I told you that I love you?" she asked. "Only about six million times," Colin answered then said, "and I could hear it six million more, I never get tired of hearing you tell me that." "Good, because my love for you is so strong I feel like I'll burst if I don't tell you as often as I can," Aileen said. "I'm the one that feels like I'm about to burst every time I look at your gorgeous body." Colin said. "Hmmmm," Aileen said with a pixieish smile, "I guess I better make sure you burst in the right places." She ran her hands caressingly down Colin's shoulders and arms and around to his stomach, then she explored further down until she felt the hardness of his manhood straining against his jeans. "Luckily I know the location of all the right places," she said. "More than anyone else ever will," Colin said as he took her in her arms for another kiss. Their tongues found each other and cavorted in play as the passion between the lovers intensified. Colin felt his heart racing faster with each second as the kiss continued. He needed to be with this woman, his true love; he needed to feel her naked body against his. He picked her up sweeping her off her feet, her arms once again securely fastened around his neck. He loved carrying her, he loved being able to hold her whole luscious body in his arms, and he loved the way she looked at him when she knew he was whisking her to their room, the look of complete love and trust in her eyes. He made the way to their bed room, normally she felt light as a feather in his arms, but after the exertion he put his body through during the game he wasn't his normal self. He felt perspiration break out on his face and a burning feeling in his biceps by the time he laid her down on the bed. Aileen must have noticed his discomfort because she asked, "Baby? Are you all right?" "I'm fine my love, I think my body is just a little sore from the game today." Colin answered as he sat down next to her. Aileen got up into a kneeling position behind him then sat back on her haunches. Colin felt her warm hands set down on his shoulders and begin to rub. He felt himself melting from her touch. "Oh my God! That feels wonderful," he said. "I think I know just what my honey needs," Aileen said as she slid off the bed, Colin felt disappointment as her hands left contact with his body. "I'll be right back," she said as she headed toward the bathroom. "In the mean time I want you to strip." "Strip?" Colin asked. "Strip," Aileen confirmed. "When I come back I want to see you lying face down on the bed without a stitch of clothing on." Aileen said authoritatively. "Whatever you say!" Colin said with a smile as he tugged at his shirt. While he was undressing he heard the faucet turn on in the bathroom and assumed his mother was going to take a shower before she rejoined him in the bedroom. Colin was lying on the bed in the nude and between the lulling sound of the steadily running water and all ready being tired from the great amount of physical energy he had spent during the game, he started to doze off. The next thing he knew a fragrant berry smell was drifting into his nose and something cool and damp was brushing up against his cheek. He opened his eyes to see the angelic form of Aileen bending over him. It was the freshly washed curls of her alluring red hair cascading down from her head that he smelled and felt. Aileen ran a hand lovingly through Colin's own reddish-brown hair and said, "Don't fall asleep on me yet darling, the fun is just about to begin." "I'm awake," Colin said. "I just didn't see the point in keeping my eyes open until I had something beautiful to look at." Colin gazed up at his mother and smiled. "Uh-huh," she said in a dubious tone. "Well I hope this is sufficient." She slowly untied the belt of the blue terrycloth robe she was wearing and let the garment slide off her body. Underneath she was completely naked. Not only was Colin now immediately wide awake but his cock had come to life as well as it became taut against the mattress. "More than sufficient, you are drop-dead gorgeous," Colin said. Aileen stepped back in front of him and her pussy was right at eye level and he certainly got an eyeful. He looked directly at her crotch studying the trimmed red hair, he was shocked to see there was only a little bit left, only a short strip over her pubic mound, she had shaved the rest of her hair off. "You like it?" Aileen asked blushing. "It's...it's...wow!" was all Colin could say, his cock strained even harder against the mattress. He reached out to touch her smooth mound but Aileen stepped away at the last minute with a teasing smile on her face. "All in good time," she said. Aileen climbed onto the bed and straddled Colin's buttocks; he reveled in the feel of her bare pussy on his ass. He felt movement on the bed as Aileen jostled around. He saw her hand grasp a bottle of baby oil that Colin hadn't even noticed had been on the bed beside him. A moment later he felt something wet on his back, then the sublime feeling of his mother's hands rubbing into him. She had poured some baby oil on him and was now giving him a massage. She moved her hands all over his back and Colin could just feel the soreness begin to fade from his body. It was a luxurious feeling. "Am I making you feel better baby?" Aileen asked. Colin could only give his assent in a moan of bliss. Her oil slick hands rubbed down each of his muscular arms and then moved to his shoulders. She dug in rigorously and massaged the tension right out of him. Colin's eyes rolled back in pleasure. Aileen then worked on his back some more, he felt her touch all down his spinal cord. Her hands manipulated every muscle. Aileen's administrations were so relaxing that Colin started dozing off again, his cock going soft. That was until he felt Aileen slide down his body and her hands begin to knead the gluteal muscles of his butt. "I always thought you had cutest bottom," Aileen said as her hands worked magic on his posterior. Once again, Colin's cock expanded against the mattress. "The award for cutest bottom definitely goes to you Mom," Colin said contentedly. Aileen playfully smacked him on the ass but it still stung enough to elicit quite a bit a shock out of him. "Colin you can be such a ham sometimes," Aileen said with amusement in her voice. "I can't help it if I think you are the most perfect woman in the world, every part of you is gorgeous. It's no exaggeration when I give you a compliment. I wouldn't say the things I say if they weren't true," Colin said in all seriousness. "Oh Colin, you have such a sweet soul, I know you are sincere." Aileen said as she gently rubbed the area where she previously smacked him. "It's just that I've never encountered anyone else like you until you were born, that's part of the reason I love you so much. It's hard for me sometimes to believe someone can love me as much as you do." "I couldn't love you the way I do if you hadn't given me so much love all my life," Colin said. Aileen bent over until her delicate lips were on the area she had previously slapped and planted a tender kiss there. Colin chuckled. "Wow, I've heard of having your ass kissed but I never knew it happened literally," he said. Aileen smacked him again and they both broke out in fits of laughter. Aileen's oily hands went back to her massage delving deeply into his tissues. She paid equal amounts of lavish attention to each butt cheek. She then slid a hand between his cheeks and when Colin felt her fingers slide over his anus an electrifying charge surged through his body. "Mmmmmmm," Colin intoned. "You liked that did you?" Aileen asked. "Mmhmm," Colin said in delectation. "Let's see how you like this," Aileen said. Colin felt her change position and then felt her weight on him as she lied face down on his back. He could feel her fleshy breasts and erect nipples squeezed into his back, lower down his back he felt her tummy pressed against him and on his butt he felt her pussy. Aileen rubbed her hands over his shoulders and upper arms and her body slightly moved up and down over his oil slick body. Her soothing hands on his shoulders, her nipples sliding over his back, her pussy sliding over his ass, Colin thought he may go into sensory overload. It was one of the most erotic feelings he ever felt. A low euphoric hum emanated from deep within Colin. Aileen's lips gave soft kisses to the back of Colin's neck and eventually found their way to an earlobe. She lightly nibbled on his lobe making sounds like she was enjoying the most delicious of meals. Then her tongue discovered the inside of his ear and went to work laving the inner rim and canal. With her lubricious body pressed up against him and her hot moist tongue frolicking in his ear Colin's cock felt like it was going to punch straight through the mattress. Aileen must have realized Colin's discomfort because she said, "Hmm, this side's done, looks like it's time to flip you over." "Yes, before I strain something you really wouldn't want me to strain," Colin said. "Well we can't have that!" Aileen said with a lascivious smile. She temporarily moved off Colin while he rolled over on his back. His erection stood up straight as a pole. "Oh poor baby!" Aileen said looking directly at Colin's rigid cock as she straddled him once again. "You must have been suffocating!" She wrapped both of her oil coated hands around his cock and began stroking him up and down. "Ohhhhhhhhhh," Colin moaned. "Feel better?" Aileen asked as she continued to stroke him. "Ohhhhhhh yesssssss," Colin said enraptured. He watched his mother's naked body undulate and her hands move masterfully over his highly aroused cock. Aileen's hands left his cock but Colin's disappointment at the loss of the sensation lasted only a few mere moments. Aileen slid her body up pushing Colin's erection flat against his stomach, her pussy maneuvered on top of his cock, the long shaft slipping lengthwise between her slit labia. She began sliding back and forth over his cock; her pussy was lubricated not only by the baby oil but by her own juices, she was sopping wet. This new sensation was glorious; Colin let his satisfaction be known by moaning even louder. Aileen took more baby oil and slathered it on his chest; her hands glided all over his pectorals, she spent a little time playing with his pebble like nipples, and then she smoothed over the abdominal muscles of his flat stomach. Her hands went back up to his shoulders and then each hand slid down an arm. She massaged into his deltoids, biceps, and triceps. During all this her hips kept swaying, her glistening pussy kept sliding over his cock. Colin was in Heaven. "I love your body," Aileen said rubbing his arms. "You are so handsome. I can't believe you're mine." "Do I get smacked again if I point out that you are the one with the loveliest body?" Colin said. "Yes," Aileen said with a coy smile, "but it will be this kind of smack." She leaned down and placed her lips on his giving him a quick kiss. Before she could pull back up however, Colin's hand snuck around her neck and held her mouth to his. The quick kiss turned long and passionate as their tongues dueled with each other. "I love you so much," Aileen said when the kiss ended. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 06 "I love you too," Colin said. "I need you," Aileen whispered into his ear. "I need to feel inside me the cock of the only man who's ever made me feel like a real woman." Her words sent a chill of excitement through Colin at the same time making him feel overwhelmed with emotion for this woman. Aileen sat up and rubbed her well lubricated pussy over Colin's cock a few more times before she lifted up her hips. His cock stood straight up; Aileen took hold of the shaft and guided the head to the entrance of her vaginal opening. She slowly lowered herself back down and Colin's cock was sheathed by her hot slick pussy. Colin delighted in the feel of his cock plunging deep inside his mother and Aileen let out a very audible sigh of contentment as their pubic bones met and she was filled with his turgid manhood. They stayed motionless for a time. Colin just wanted to enjoy being connected to the woman of his dreams and he could see in her jade eyes that she wanted the same. He wanted to savor this ultimate feeling of completeness, without her he was only half a person. After a time their bodies demanded more and Aileen's hips went into motion. She rose up until only the head of Colin's cock was still inside her, she then descended back down and his whole cock was enveloped by her pussy once again. She repeated the maneuver and then she did it again each time building up a faster pace. Colin began to move his hips. With every down stroke of Aileen, he would push up. Aileen's clitoris was fully stimulated and each time their pelvises met, their pubic bones would rub against each other and cause friction on her clit. Aileen would moan and give a little shiver each time this happened. Colin placed his hands on his mother's slim waist and leisurely ran his hands up her sides and around front to her chest. His hands reached up to her full breasts sliding beneath then around those curvy tits still slippery with oil. He softly stroked and caressed those wonderful mammaries, his hands glided over her supple nipples pinching them, playing with them. This in conjunction with her riding his cock and rubbing her clit on his pubic bone brought a massive orgasm over Aileen. She screamed in delirium and her cunt muscles flexed on his cock as her moves became erratic. Colin did everything he could to hold back his own orgasm wanting to last a bit longer. As the spasms began to subside in Aileen she began riding his cock at a furious pace she seemed desperate for one more climax and for Colin to cum with her. "Oh God! Oh God!" Aileen chanted. "Cum with me baby, shoot your cock deep inside me, fill me with your cream!" She slammed down on Colin's pubic bone, her clit sliding over it. His cock went so deep inside her it felt like he was touching her womb. Her cunt clamped down around Colin's cock as Aileen screamed at the top of her lungs, Colin couldn't hold back any longer and he jetted a powerful load of semen straight up into his mother's eager pussy. "OHHHHHHH!!!" Colin exclaimed as the spasms overtook them both as they orgasmed in unison, it was as if they were transported together to a higher plane. It was rapture. Aileen collapsed on top of her son and he threw his arms around her hugging her tight as they rode out the last of the convulsions together. They stayed in that embrace for several minutes as they came down from their climaxes. Colin's cock stayed embedded in Aileen's pussy staying semi hard as she would still contract around him from time to time in the aftermath of their throes. Eventually Aileen looked up, her loving eyes making contact with Colin's; she had a look of not only satiation on her face but also one of worship. "It just keeps getting better with you," Aileen said. "It doesn't seem possible but every time you take me to a higher plateau. Oh God Colin, I am so in love with you! I love you so much!" "I love you too," Colin said. "You are the great love of my life; my soul would be lost without you." The two lovers kissed with fervor, their oily bodies sliding against each other. * * * On Monday the appointed agent from the city's school board to conduct the investigation into the athletics scandal showed up for the first time. His name was Arnold Miller. He was a short man, only around five and half feet tall, He had brown thinning hair and he always wore a pinched face expression that seemed to express how much he disliked this assignment. Mr. Miller would become a constant presence in the school for the next two weeks. He scheduled sessions with all the coaches and players on all the various sports teams where he would question them on what they knew about games being fixed. When it was Colin's turn to be questioned he explained everything that led up to him suspecting that the basketball team was throwing games. The defeats by weaker opponents, the way the team seemed to play just good enough for it to not be obvious they were holding back, and he talked about Seth's manipulative abilities at length. One thing Colin left out, however, was Moe and Matt's involvement in the whole thing. He knew he should have reported that he knew Matt had admitted he had thrown wrestling matches to his brother Moe, who had then told Colin; but Colin just couldn't bring himself to involve Moe or Matt in this. Moe was his friend and he still thought of Matt as one and he didn't want to betray them. Colin tried to convince the investigator that Seth was the mastermind behind the whole scandal; he was the one who influenced athletes to throw games. He explained how Seth had a way of always getting what he wanted either by subtle manipulation or veiled threats. The investigator seemed doubtful; he mentioned that no one else even brought up Seth being a part of this, Colin was the only one who was accusing him. In fact, Colin was the only one accusing anyone of anything, Coach Fletcher was backing Colin up saying that things seemed suspicious but he couldn't provide any proof and neither could Colin. Moe didn't come forward, if he did that would have meant incriminating his brother. Everyone else vehemently denied any wrong doing. Colin was surprised that Brian and Tedd or his other teammates didn't back him up on this. When he questioned Brian about that Brian said, "It's not like any of us has any proof they did anything and if we couldn't prove it and Seth heard we were making accusations against him and his crew, he would make life miserable for us!" He at least had the decency to look ashamed when he told Colin this. Mr. Miller told Colin during their session that he had talked to Seth and had been very impressed with the young man. "His record doesn't have even a blemish on it and he is a model student." Mr. Miller said. Colin sighed; it was the same story as always, Seth was untouchable. "So much for my valiant army," Colin said when Moe joined him at lunch on the Wednesday following Mr. Miller's arrival. "I thought you said I was going to have back up if I decided to take Seth down?" Moe looked miserable. "I'm sorry man," Moe said. "Seth's fucking hold on us is fucking inflexible. You don't know the pressure his goons have been putting on everybody here to keep their mouth's shut. It's like they knew we were going to go against them. They've not only threatened us, but members of our families, and we all know Seth has the connections to do it." "If just some of you had come forward with the things you know more probably would have spoke up too!" Colin said looking at the other students sitting at the table. They were all quiet looking guilty and depressed. "Spoke up with what?" Moe asked. "Seth always stays in the background and has his pack do the fucking dirty work. No one ever directly threatens anybody, they just make off hand remarks like 'Wouldn't it be sad if so-and-so's dad got laid off from work,' or 'It's a shame there are so many bullies in schools these days, I hope your kid brother never runs into one.' Nothing anybody could come forth with, but we all know Seth knows the right people that can make this shit happen." "Always ten moves ahead..." Colin mumbled. "What's that?" Moe asked. "Nothing, I just thought knowing that Seth was playing the game would give me an edge and I could counter him, but I should have known better. Seth always wins." Colin said in dismay. "Look," Moe said, "In a few months both you and Seth are out of here. You guys can go your separate ways and never speak to each other again. I know when I get out of this place I'm gonna move a thousand fucking miles away. I'm sorry that I dragged you into this, it's just that on that day when I saw you meet his glare stare for stare with no fear of him in your eyes, I thought maybe you were the one who could help pull that bastard down. But his hold on us is too strong, he owns the place and all we can do is keep our fucking heads down and hope he doesn't take notice of us." "You can keep your fucking head down all you want Moe," Colin said heatedly, "you and your cheating brother." Moe flinched at that. "But when I see Seth I'm going to hold my head up high, I know now not to expect help from anyone else, but I won't be cowed by him. He's been trying to push me around all my life and I started taking it, but never again!" With that Colin got up and threw the rest of his lunch in the garbage, he had no appetite that day. * * * Liberty High's winning streak came to an abrupt end with their next game. They played the Central High Bobcats, a high ranking team and were blown away. Perhaps the Eagles had been a little bit overconfident with their last two victories and it made them think they were strong enough to take on any team. At least that's what Coach Fletcher suggested. On the following Saturday they played an away game against the East Valley High Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were ranked number one and the Eagles couldn't come away with a win on that game either. However, they kept the score close throughout and Coach Fletcher said he was proud that they never gave up. With two losses, however, there began to be some groaning from the fans that maybe the coach's decision to replace the starting lineup wasn't one of his better ideas and the word "witch-hunt" had been heard grumbled more than once regarding the investigation. The coach stayed determined to keep the suspected cheaters off the team even when the Eagles consistently had trouble with the higher ranked teams. It got to the point where they were beginning to be booed on their home court. It was Colin's home life that enabled him to survive his public life over the next few weeks. Colin and Aileen's life had fallen into a routine. Every weekday morning Colin would head off to school and Aileen would go to work. Colin went to basketball practice every day after school and worked his job at the diner four days a week. His usual hours were five to nine, but on Fridays he worked five to eleven. During the week Aileen and Colin were kept pretty busy but, no matter how tired they were, when they were finally home together they would still make love every night before going to sleep. It was hard being apart so much but Colin felt their nights together were what rejuvenated them and allowed them the strength to make it through the next day. When Colin would have basketball games, Aileen always came to watch him play. After the Saturday games, they wouldn't always go directly home; sometimes they would go out for dinner or even catch a movie. These were enjoyable times for them because it made them feel like an actual couple going out on a date but they still had to be careful not to show too much affection toward each other in public. They constrained themselves to nothing more than hand holding on their "dates" but Colin always felt hard pressed not to put his arm around her or give her more than a platonic kiss. Sunday was the best day of the week as far as Colin was concerned. They had the whole day to themselves and would usually spend most of it in bed, tenderly exploring and loving every part of each other's bodies. They would make slow passionate love to each other sometimes and at other times they would just fuck themselves to exhaustion. If their nightly lovemaking sessions during the week were what sustained them during the following days, it was their ardent reaffirmation of their love on Sundays that sustained them during the week. Colin had essentially moved into his mother's bedroom. He still kept most of his clothes and other possessions in his other room to keep up the pretense that that was where he slept in case of visitors, but for all other intents and purposes he considered the room with the double bed theirs. Colin spent every night, all night, in that room and he had grown accustomed to having the warm naked body of the woman he loved snuggled in his arms. It had gotten to the point where he believed he would never be able to sleep soundly without her next to him. NEXT CHAPTER: YOU SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 07 CHAPTER 7: YOU SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY Aileen's birthday was coming up and Colin was in a quandary over what to get for her. His mother always seemed to get a little depressed on her birthday and the day after. When she turned eighteen, she had married Colin's father the next day after. Colin was determined to make it a good day for her. The problem was that her birthday was January 29 and Valentine's Day would be coming up only two weeks later. Colin all ready had plans for what he wanted to do on Valentine's Day and he had the gift picked out that he wanted to give her. He had saved up some money from when he worked at his uncle's pub and he had just received his first paycheck from his job at Buddy's Diner, but he simply couldn't afford two expensive gifts. The gift he planned to give her on Valentine's Day was very special and he wanted it to be on that day he gave it to her. So what gift could he get for her birthday that showed how much he truly cared for her but didn't cost that much? Colin thought this over and over and couldn't seem to be able to come up with an answer until one day he saw it staring right at his face. The University of Pennsylvania had close ties with Liberty High. The college was located on the western outskirts of the city and would often publicize events going on at their school on Liberty High's bulletin boards. It was an effort on the University's part to attract prospective students into checking out the campus. When Colin walked by the bulletin board he noticed that Francis J. O'Connell was scheduled to give a lecture at the University on the Saturday right before Aileen's birthday. O'Connell was an author who had written a few popular books and one of them, Dublin Daze, was his mother's absolute favorite book. Colin must have seen her read that novel at least three times. Colin had a basketball game that day but the game started at two and the lecture was scheduled to begin at ten in the morning. When the Saturday came, Colin got up early and told his mother he had some errands to run. He arrived at the University of Pennsylvania at about a quarter of ten. Carrying his backpack with him, he made his way over to the lecture hall where O'Connell would be speaking, paid five dollars for a ticket, and found a seat. A few minutes past ten a man came out and introduced himself as the Dean of the English department, though it looked like most of audience knew who he was. He spoke for about five minutes about how honored the University was to have this guest speaking today and then he introduced Francis J. O'Connell. The author came out to the lectern while the audience clapped enthusiastically. He was about average height for a man but he looked younger in real life than he did on the picture on the back of his book. There he sported a full beard and mustache and had longer hair, now Colin saw that he had trimmed his facial hair to a goatee and his dark black hair was cut short. The man looked like he could pass for someone in their early to mid twenties. O'Connell mainly talked about how he became a published writer, the current book he was working on, and his own thoughts on the creative writing process. Colin learned that the man was in fact twenty-eight and had sold his first book, which was Dublin Daze, at the age of twenty-six. He claimed to be more surprised than anyone at how popular the book became. He had published two more books since then which were well received and was working on his fourth. At the end of the lecture he took some questions from the audience. He was mainly asked about his writing techniques, what he thought of other authors, and what he thought was the best way to become a successful writer. His answer to the final question was, of course, write a good story. But then he elaborated on that. "You can't choose to become a writer for the profit," O'Connell said. "The chances of making a career out of it are very slim. I just signed the contract for my fourth book and only now am I making enough money that I no longer have to find ways to supplement my income, and I'm one of the lucky ones. If you want to be a writer, you have to do it because you love writing, no other reason, and if you want to be a good writer then no matter what, just write; even if you feel what you are writing doesn't make sense or isn't good, just write. As with everything, practice improves your skills." That was the last question he answered. Colin had no intention of ever becoming a writer, but he found what O'Connell had to say interesting and the impression that he got from the author was that he was a kind and generous man. Colin hoped so for the favor he was about to ask. The lecture had lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, now that it was over many of the people from the audience were approaching O'Connell to autograph books of his that they had brought with them. Colin was relieved to see that O'Connell seemed to have expected this and was happy to sign the books; this was what Colin was hoping for. He made his way down to the lectern and got into the line that had formed of people wanting O'Connell's autograph. When it was Colin's turn he opened his backpack and took out three books. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir," Colin said as he handed O'Connell two of the books, they were Siberian Summer and Kilimanjaro's Shadow the other two books the author had written. O'Connell opened one of the books putting a pen to it and said, "The pleasure is all mine...?" "Colin. But could you please make the autographs out to Aileen? She's my girlfriend and she loves your books." Colin said. He had rehearsed what he was going to say before coming up to the author and he knew that for what he wanted to ask it was definitely wise to let O'Connell think Aileen was his girlfriend. "Of course," O'Connell said and asked how she spelled her name as he scribbled in the first book. "Why isn't she here today?" "I want to surprise her, it's her birthday this Thursday," Colin said. "I see," the author said and nodded his head. A broad smile broke out on his face and laugh lines appeared at the corners of his mouth as he scribbled into the second book. Colin took the two books back and held out a brand new hardcover copy of Dublin Daze. Colin had brought the other two books from home, but he had bought a new copy of the third book because he had something special planned for it and Aileen's copy had become kind of dog-eared. "I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor?" Colin asked before O'Connell took the last book. The author hesitated and looked wary, "What kind of favor?" he asked. Colin unfolded a small piece of paper and handed it to O'Connell. "Write this in the book," he said. The author read the paper and then looked back at Colin, before he said anything Colin said, "It's for her birthday and I know she would love it and it would really mean a lot to both of us." The author studied Colin for a moment then asked, "Do you really mean this?" he waved the piece of paper. "Every word of it Mr. O'Connell," Colin said sincerely. The author hesitated another moment and then the smile returned to his face. "You're lucky I'm a romantic at heart," he said. He took the copy of Dublin Daze opened it up and began writing in it every now and then looking at the piece of paper Colin had handed him. While O'Connell was writing Colin looked at the inscriptions in the other two books. They both said: To Aileen, Best wishes, Francis J. O'Connell The author's signature was barely legible but Colin supposed if he had to sign his name thousands of times his signature would get pretty sloppy too. O'Connell finished writing in the book and handed it and the piece of paper back to Colin. Colin opened the book and read what the author wrote, his eyes widened in surprise. "Will that be sufficient?" the author asked. "More than sufficient," Colin said. "It's terrific! You went beyond what I asked for; you don't know how much I appreciate this! Thank you so much Mr. O'Connell!" "You're welcome, and call me Jack," the author said as he held out his hand. Colin shook it. "Thank you Jack," Colin said. Before Colin left he said, "Mr. O...Jack, do you have a true love?" Colin didn't know why he asked that question, he supposed it was a combination between Jack mentioning he was a romantic and what he wrote in the book. "Yes I do," Jack said wistfully. Then he pointed to the books Colin held and said, "You can find her in each one of those. She may go by different names, have different looks, different backgrounds, but it's still always her." Colin was confused by the answer but the people standing behind him had passed impatient long ago and were bordering on irate. "Thank you so much again!" Colin said. Jack nodded and Colin moved on. With each step he took as he left the lecture hall the more excited he got. He couldn't wait until Thursday! * * * The week started off well...sort of. On Monday it was announced the school board investigator, Mr. Miller, had concluded his investigation and would not be returning. When the news came over the intercom you could hear the cheers erupting from all the classes, Mr. Miller had been there every day for the last two weeks and he wasn't well liked at Liberty High. Usually when the student body acts up the teachers are quick to call for order, however it seemed like the cheering was allowed to go on for a little longer than normally would be allowed. The teachers were not all that fond of Mr. Miller either. Colin was happy he would no longer see Arnold Miller and his sour face around school but he had a sinking feeling about the results of the investigation. No one besides Colin and Coach Fletcher had come forward with their beliefs that there was rampant game fixing going on throughout the school's athletic programs. How could the investigation prove anything was going on if no one admitted anything? Colin decided not to think about that. His mother's birthday was this week and he didn't want to dwell on what the future may hold regarding the investigation when he had such a happy occasion to look forward to. Wednesday night the Eagles played the West Philadelphia High Falcons. The Falcons were another good team and while the Eagles came close, they couldn't pull off a win. There were more grumbles about the Coach's judgment and the fans were definitely losing patience with this Eagles team. It looked like this year might be the first time in five years Liberty wouldn't go to the finals. The worst part of it was seeing the look of smug superiority on Seth's face the next day every time the Eagles lost a game. Colin wouldn't let himself feel dejected though. Tomorrow was too important a day. * * * The alarm went off at seven on Thursday morning; it was the usual time they got up on weekday mornings. Colin woke up in the position he had gotten so used to, spooned up behind his mother, his arm around her warm body his hand pressed against her chest. "Mmmmmm, five more minutes," Aileen groaned as Colin turned the alarm off. It was not uncommon for her to request a few more minutes to snuggle in their cozy bed together, Colin hated having to leave it just as much. But today was a special day. "C'mon birthday girl, you have to get up!" Colin said. "Ugh, don't remind me." Aileen said "Today's your special day sweetie let's start it off right!" "There's nothing special about turning thirty-seven," Aileen said. "Thirty-seven! Oh God I'm old!" "You are NOT old. You are young and vivacious and the most beautiful woman I know." "Liar. I'm old so let me sleep." "C'mon get up!" Colin said bouncing on the bed. "Get up, get up get up!" "There should be a law against being so cheery in the morning," Aileen said. "I'm just excited honey, we are going to have a very special night tonight," Colin said as he nuzzled Aileen's neck planting kisses on her cheek. "The sooner we get started on the day, the sooner we can get started on the night!" Aileen turned her head and their lips met and Colin gave her a passionate kiss. "Mmmmm," she said when their lips parted, "don't start anything you can't finish." "I will finish it, but tonight, that was just a preview," Colin said. "Now get up!" "All right, all right I'm getting up!" Aileen said. Colin watched her naked body slide out of bed and the view of her backside made his cock twitch. "That is definitely not the ass of a thirty-seven year old," Colin said with a lascivious smirk. "I know, it's the ass of a forty-seven year old," Aileen said as she headed to the bathroom. "You know I'd still love you if you had the ass of a hundred and seven year old!" Colin shouted, "But you don't, yours is perfect! I could bounce a quarter off it!" Colin didn't hear exactly what Aileen said back to him but he got the gist of it, something about where he could shove that quarter...Aileen really didn't like her birthdays and her mood reflected it. Colin grinned to himself, he hoped tonight would change all that. * * * Colin rushed out of school after basketball practice. He wanted to make it home before his mother did and he needed to stop at a neighborhood bakery to pick up the cake he had ordered. It was a simple round chocolate cake with vanilla icing but this bakery always made good food. He had them write "Happy Birthday Aileen" on the cake in pink frosting and there were four red roses with green stems made out of icing placed on the cake. Colin made it home at about a quarter to five. He usually worked Thursday nights at the diner, but he traded with another worker so he could have the night off. He put the cake away in the refrigerator and immediately started on dinner. Tonight he was making chicken parmesan; it was one of Aileen's favorite dishes. He was also making some spaghetti to go with the meal. Aileen came home when he was right in the middle of making dinner. "Hi Mom, dinner should be ready in about a half hour or so, if you'd like I could pour you a glass of wine while you wait." Colin said. Aileen walked straight to the kitchen on a direct path towards Colin. She put her arms up around his neck and drew him towards her for a deep, long lasting kiss. When their kiss ended Aileen said, "I'm sorry how I treated you this morning, you were being sweet and I was a bitch." "No you weren't Mom," Colin denied. "I was overly animated this morning because I was so excited about making this day special for you. No one should have to deal with that amount of enthusiasm first thing in the morning!" "That's true," Aileen laughed then sobered up when she said, "But Colin, just so you know, every day I get to be with you is special." Her arms were still around his neck and Colin gazed deeply into her beautiful green eyes. "I feel the same way," he said. "I love you Mom." "I love you too." Colin broke contact with his mother and turned back towards the stove where the spaghetti was boiling. "Well if every day is special, then I'm just going to have to make today extra special!" Colin said with a smile. "Now go sit down and I'll bring you a glass of wine." Aileen sighed, "There's no way I'm going to get around doing this birthday thing, is there?" She asked. "Nope," Colin said. "All right I'll go sit down," Aileen said. She went over to the couch and took her shoes off and massaged her feet a little bit. Colin came over with a glass of wine. Since they were having Italian for dinner, he opened a bottle of Chianti. When dinner was ready both he and Aileen sat down at the kitchen/dining room table. Colin had the lights dim and candles lit on the table. He had placed the plates with the chicken parmesan and spaghetti along with the bottle of Chianti on the table and had made a salad as well to go along with their meal. "Mmm, Colin this is delicious!" Aileen said as she took a bite of the chicken. "Thanks," Colin said pleased she liked it. "You are really turning into a great chef," Aileen remarked. "It's just something I picked up and it's fun to do," Colin said modestly. "I thought I would like being a waiter better because I could make more money on tips, but really the cooks get paid better than the wait staff at the diner and I've found I enjoy making food for people." "Well, I'm glad you like your new job," Aileen said somberly. Colin knew his mother was starting to think about his uncle because it was the rift between them that led to Colin seeking new employment. He didn't want her to be thinking sad thoughts on this day so he tried to get her mind off that track. "Mom, have you ever heard of the C.I.A.?" Colin asked. "Of course I have, C.I.A., F.B.I., N.S.A., who hasn't heard of those agencies?" Aileen replied. "No, no, this is a different C.I.A.; it stands for Culinary Institute of America. Jimbo, the head cook at the diner, was telling me about it. It's a college in the state of New York for people who want to become chefs. They don't even require you to take the SAT's but they offer degrees like any college, but it's all based on cooking. They offer Associate and Bachelor degrees in culinary arts or baking and pastry arts, you can even become a C.M.C., Culinary Master Chef." "So this is something you are seriously considering?" Aileen said and Colin nodded. "Between working at the pub and the diner I discovered I really like preparing food for people; I think I would enjoy being a chef," Colin said. "Most people are eligible for financial aid at the institute. All I really need to apply is at least six months experience working in a professional kitchen. Since the diner uses fresh ingredients to prepare almost everything, they count. Most graduates of the C.I.A. go on to be successful head cooks or chefs at highly rated restaurants. "Mom, no matter what we do with our life, we will make the decision together. I know we were talking about moving when I graduate, I thought this could be an option to think about." "It's an interesting idea sweetie, get more information about the school, take some time to think if this is really what you want and we'll talk more about it. It's such a daunting thought; moving away after living here all these years, but you're right, it's time for a change and the idea of being able to be seen out in the open as a couple makes me tingle all over with excitement," Aileen said as she finished her glass of wine. "Have some more," Colin said refilling her glass, "it's your birthday you can splurge." "Are you trying to get me drunk?" Aileen asked with a smile. "Well, how else am I supposed to take advantage of you?" Colin said raising his eyebrows. "And here I thought I was the one taking advantage of you!" said Aileen. "You can take anything you want from me, I'm yours." Colin said. "And I'm yours," Aileen replied. Their hands reached across the table and took hold of one another. They continued eating their dinner making some small talk but mostly just gazing lovingly at each other. After their main course was finished Colin suggested they retire to the living room. While Aileen was getting comfortable on the sofa again, Colin got the cake out of the refrigerator, placed candles around the circumference, and lit them. When he came out of the kitchen singing "Happy Birthday" Aileen's face turned as red as her hair. Colin imagined his face was just about the same color as he could barely carry a tune. He set the cake down on the coffee table and told his mother to make a wish. Aileen closed her eyes for a second then blew out the candles. "What did you wish for?" Colin couldn't help asking. Aileen just stared at him with a mysterious smile and said, "For something I really want." She left it at that and Colin decided not to press her. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 07 Colin cut slices of cake for each of them and brought in cups of coffee to go along with it. They sat next to each other on the sofa as they ate enjoying their togetherness. After they finished eating, Colin excused himself to go to the bathroom but where he really went was into his old bedroom to extract his mother's present from its hiding place in the closet. Colin walked back out to the living room carrying the present behind his back; he had wrapped all three books together in shiny gold wrapping paper. He casual walked around the sofa making sure to keep the gift out of his mother's sight. When he was standing in front of her he held out the gift. "Happy Birthday Mom," Colin said. Aileen's eyes lit up when she saw the present. "Oh Colin, you didn't need to do this, the wonderful dinner and the cake would have been enough," she said. "I wanted to do this Mom, I want to give you the happiest birthday I can," Colin said still holding out the present. Aileen took the gift from her son's hand and carefully unwrapped it revealing the three books. "But these are my books," Aileen said in confusion. Siberian Summer and Kilimanjaro's Shadow were on top. "Look inside," Colin suggested. Aileen opened the cover of the first book and saw the inscription. "Colin, when did you get this done? How?" Aileen said in delight. "I have my sources," Colin said grinning. Aileen looked at the second book which had the same inscription, and then she got to the new hard cover copy of Dublin Daze and opened up the cover. This was the one Colin really had been waiting for. He knew what she was reading; he had memorized the inscription by heart: Dear Aileen, I have been requested to write to you that the man who loves you more than life itself wants you to have the most wonderful of birthdays and hopes that this gift will mark this day in your mind as one of your happiest memories. He also hopes that whenever you look upon this book and this very page you will feel the love of this man and know there is nothing he wouldn't do for you and that includes asking your favorite author to write a love note to you as an inscription in your favorite book. He will always be there for you, his heart belongs to you. Sincerely, Francis J. O'Connell (as dictated to by Colin) Now this note is from me. It is very rare to find true love but as I stand here looking at this young man I can see in his eyes everything he has asked me to write is true. You should both know how fortunate you are, but I believe that you all ready do. I wish you both a long life of happiness and the best of luck in all things. Your "favorite author" (smiles), - F.J.O. Aileen had her hand over her mouth as she read what O'Connell had written, she looked up at Colin and he could see tears brimming in her eyes. She set the book down, jumped off the sofa, and ran into Colin's arms. Colin let out an "oomph!" as she ran into his embrace with considerable impact. Aileen laid her head against Colin's shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly around Colin's body. She was crying freely now; Colin held her tight. "Mom? Are you okay?" he asked. "Yes dear," she said through her sobs. "That's just the most thoughtful present I've ever received. You are so good to me, I don't deserve you." "Don't talk like that Mom," Colin said. "You deserve the best in life and I'll always try my best to give you that. It's going to be you and me forever; I would do anything for you because I know you would do anything for me. I love you so much I wanted to give you the best birthday I could. I want you to be able to have good memories to associate with your birthday. They should be happy times." "As long as you're with me, all my birthdays will be happy from now on," Aileen said. Colin lowered his head to meet her lips and they kissed deeply. For a long time they just stood together holding each other and kissing. When the kiss finally ended Aileen looked at Colin with her iridescent eyes sparkling and said, "Make love to me." They walked hand in hand to their bedroom. Once there they took their time undressing each other. Colin unbuttoned Aileen's blouse and as he slid it off her he softly kissed her shoulder, when he removed her bra he cupped each breast gently massaging them. Aileen lifted Colin's tee shirt over his head and kissed his nipples. Colin's hands lovingly caressed his mother's body as he removed her skirt and panties; Aileen's touches were no less intimate as she removed her son's jeans and underwear. Once they were completely naked they got beneath the covers and made slow passionate love for hours. Colin felt he gave the woman he loved a nice birthday, but he new for certain he enjoyed the day. NEXT CHAPTER: I'M NOT YOUR STEPPING STONE A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 08 CHAPTER 8: I'M NOT YOUR STEPPING STONE On the Monday after Aileen's birthday, it was announced that the school board's investigation was closed. Just as Colin had feared, based on Mr. Miller's report sighting no evidence of foul play, the school board saw no need to keep the investigation going. With Mr. Miller no longer coming to the school and having his questioning sessions, things were starting to get back to normal, but not completely. Coach Fletcher was given a reprimand for causing such a commotion based on the soundless theory of one student (i.e. Colin). The coach was ordered to immediately reinstate all those players he had suspended. The coach was also told that they should be put back in the positions they rightfully deserved. Colin's captaincy of the team was short lived as Seth reclaimed it. Colin thought about just throwing in the towel and quitting the team again but then he thought better of it. He wasn't going down that road again. Seth could play his game all he wanted but Colin was not going to be one of the game pieces. So it wasn't Colin that quit the team, but in the aftermath of the investigation another person did decide he had enough. It was shortly after the investigation ended that Coach Fletcher put in his resignation saying this would be his last year coaching basketball at Liberty High. He announced it to the team at practice on Tuesday. A strong wave of guilt washed over Colin for the coach's resignation and he knew he had to go talk to Coach Fletcher. * * * Colin arrived early for practice on Wednesday and went to see the coach in his office. The door was open and the coach was sitting at his desk looking over some papers, Colin knocked on the open door. "You have a minute Coach?" Coach Fletcher looked up from his desk and waved Colin off. "Not now, Martin," he said gruffly. "Please Coach, I need to get this out or it will eat me up inside," Colin said. Coach Fletcher sighed and motioned for Colin to come in and sit down. "What is it that you need to say Martin? If you want to quit the team again I won't blame you," he said. Colin came into the office and sat in the one empty chair in front of the coach's desk. "It's not that sir," he said. "I made a commitment to the team and I'm not going to let you down. What I am here about is your resigning from the team. It's all my fault Coach and you shouldn't take any blame or responsibility for any of this. I'm fully prepared to take whatever reprimand is deemed appropriate for starting all this." "Martin, close the door," Coach Fletcher said. Once the door was closed Coach Fletcher looked at Colin and he was shocked to find instead of the intimidating stare, the coach had a look of melancholy sincerity on his face. "Colin, I know damn well those boys were throwing games," the coach said, "anyone who paid close enough attention could see it. I was all ready taking steps to bring this matter up with Dr. Grant or even the school board if I had to, I just needed to be completely sure that what I thought was going on really was. It was the game against Saint Mathew's that finally had me convinced. When you came forward with your suspicions about the way certain players were playing I had hoped maybe other players would come forward as well, but that was wishful thinking. "The investigation was a joke." Coach Fletcher lowered his head in a sorrowful manner. "You're awfully young to have to learn about how much injustice there is in the world, but I learned when I was even younger. Right now you are struggling against an injustice because of who you are. I've had to struggle all my life against injustices, not only because of who I am but what I am. I'm a black man living in a world where there are still people who judge me and discriminate against me only because of the color of my skin. "For some people the road of life is harder than it is for others, it's just the way things are. That can make some of us bitter and unmotivated, for others it just makes us try harder. I've always been a fighter; there are narrow minded people out there that think less of me because I'm a black man, so I've had to fight harder than others to prove I deserved whatever I was fighting for. It's not fair, but...there you have it. "I have always been of the mindset that the harder I tried and the further I got in life the easier it would be for the next generation. I felt I owed that to the generation that came before and paved the way for me and others to come this far. Each generation stands on the shoulders of the previous one. "But I'm tired now and feel my time here is done. I didn't spend half a lifetime getting to where I am in life to be dictated to by an eighteen-year-old kid who thinks he owns the school just because of the people he knows. I've gotten to a place where I have to choose my battles, and I don't want this one." "But what are you going to do now Coach?" Colin asked. "I may be tired, but I'm not finished. There are other places for me out there, other teams to coach. I can still make a difference somewhere, still pave the road a little smother for the next generation, but I think I've worn out my welcome here," Coach Fletcher said. "Coach," Colin said feeling surprisingly emotional, "I just want you to know how much I respect you and that you have made a difference in my life. One thing I'm thankful for is that I got to have you for my coach through my senior year. If you have to leave, at least I'll be leaving too. I've learned a lot from you Coach, not only about basketball but about life. I've had two men in my life who were father figures and both have let me down, if I could have chosen my father, I would have chosen someone like you." Coach Fletcher removed his horn rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyes; if Colin didn't know better he would have sworn he saw moisture there. For a man who claimed he didn't have a heart, he sure seemed to be showing one now. "You're a good kid Martin," the coach said. "I was worried about you for a while there but you've shown me that you've grown into a respectable man. I'm proud of you. I'm glad that I have you on the team my last year here." "The feeling is mutual sir," Colin said, his voice cracking a little. "Now get out of here before you're late for practice and I have to make you run extra laps in the gym." Coach Fletcher said. Colin got up and left. * * * On the way to the locker room Colin met up with Brian Chaplin and William Grey. "Did you speak to the coach?" Brian asked as they walked on. "Yes," Colin said. "What he say, is he still resigning?" Brian queried. "Yes, there's no talking him out of it," Colin said. "We should have come forward, backed you guys up," William said. "Yes, you should have," Colin agreed. "Come forward with what?" Brian asked. "We had no proof of any foul play. If Seth heard we spoke out against him we would be royally screwed. Not all of us are related to him," Brian said glancing meaningfully at Colin. Colin stopped and stuck his hand out flat against Brian's chest halting him. "What's that supposed to mean?" Colin asked. "You know exactly what it means, not all of us can stand up to Seth and get away with it because we're his cousin," Brian said caustically. Colin shoved Brian up against a locker and there was a loud "Clang!" His forearm pressed up against Brian's neck placing pressure on his windpipe. "If you think I get special treatment from Seth because I'm his cousin; well, you're right," Colin said irately. "I've taken more shit from him all my life than any of you. I'm his special project. Seth's mission in life is to make me miserable. I stand up to him because I have to! If I didn't he would be walking over me all my life. If you want to trade places with me I'd be more than happy to. Is that what you want?" "Colin, quit it!" William said. "We know what he's done to you, we know you don't get off easy cause you're his cousin. Don't we Brian?" Brian nodded as best he could with Colin's arm under his neck. Colin saw what he was doing and released Brian. He hated himself for letting his anger get the best of him, but after all the grief Seth had caused him, what Brian said hurt. He walked away from the both of them. "Colin!" Brian rasped then took a couple breaths before trying again, "Colin, wait up!" Brian and William caught up with Colin. "Look man, I'm sorry," Brian said. "I got upset because it's true what William said, we should have come forward, but I just couldn't do it. I'm mad at myself for being a coward and letting you and the coach down. I took it out on you because you were the only one of us to stand up to Seth. I tried to make myself feel better by coming up with an excuse for why you had the guts to do that and I didn't, I'm sorry. We still friends?" Colin looked at Brian a moment then said, "Yeah we're still friends." Brian held out his hand and Colin grasped it and they did one of those handshake hugs that guys do where they shake with one hand and slap each other on the back with a closed fist with the other hand. "So we just have to put up with Seth's shit for a few more months and then he's out of here," William said. William was only a junior and would be back at Liberty for his senior year next year. "If you think Seth's graduating will loosen his control on things here you're mistaken," Colin said. "He's just going to get more power and influence over the school, the neighborhood, the entire city as time goes on. Who knows how far he'll go if no one stops him? Unless he ends up getting himself killed considering the people he associates with, but I think he's too smart for that." "It's depressing," Brian said, "that the best scenario we can hope for is he gets killed somehow." "I don't think that's likely, Seth is going to keep getting more people under his control. Moe said he's going to get out of town when he graduates, Coach Fletcher is heading off, I think I'm going to follow their examples and just leave town once I graduate, go someplace far enough away from Seth where I can be happy." Happy with the woman I love, Colin thought. "Until then, I won't cower in the shadows though; I'll stand up to him every time I see him trying to push me around." Colin said determinedly. "How do you do it? Not let him push you around?" Brian asked. "I have a source of inner strength," Colin said. "Must be some source," William said. She is, Colin thought as they entered the locker room. As soon as they went inside they could tell something was off. The room was too quiet, even though the team obviously still hadn't left for the court. They rounded a row of lockers and saw Tedd Silvers sitting on a bench holding a towel to his face, there were red blotches on the towel. "What happened?" William asked. "Nothing much, Tedd just slipped and hit his face on a lock while getting changed," Ricky Woods said with a grin, Colin could see blood on Ricky's knuckles. "Isn't that what happened Tedd?" Tedd just nodded despondently. "He must be so worn out from having to be a replacement starter for a couple games. I think all you replacements should take this as a lesson: don't take on what you can't handle." Colin saw Seth standing in the background, a neutral expression on his face, watching over everything, but it was almost as if Colin could see the puppet strings leading out from his fingers to Ricky's body. Colin walked briskly yet calmly over to Ricky then punched him hard squarely in the middle of his face. Ricky went flying back into a row of lockers then slumped forward falling flat on his face. Colin turned to Seth and spat, "You can have the school, you can have the team, and you can even have Sheryl. The only thing you will never have is me! I won't bend to your will Seth, you know why? There's one part of me you'll never be able to touch, never be able to manipulate, no matter what you do. You can't win Seth!" Colin thought he saw a brief flicker of emotion pass over Seth's face, a fleeting moment where he caught a glimpse of the rage inside his cousin, and then his expression returned to a dispassionate look. "All right, what's going on in here?!!" Coach Sullivan exclaimed as he barged into the locker room. No one said a word. By this time Ricky had pulled himself up onto a bench and held a towel to his nose much like Tedd was doing. Finally Seth broke the silence. "We just had some accidents," he said very calmly. "There was some water on the floor and a couple people slipped and hurt themselves." Why is Seth covering up for both of us? Colin wondered, but then he realized that if he was going to cover up for Ricky, he would have to cover up for him as well. "Silvers? Woods? Is that what happened?" Coach Sullivan asked. They both nodded. "I suppose no one else has a different story?" The rest of the players in the locker room remained quiet. Coach Sullivan sighed then he went over and checked out both Tedd and Ricky. "Looks like both of you have broken noses and you've got a nasty bump on the back of your head Ricky. Both of you come with me, we'll get some ice for those injuries then I want both of you to call someone to pick you up, you may need to go see a doctor. Reilly!" "Yes Coach?" Seth said. "I want you to inform Coach Fletcher of what happened and where I've taken these boys." Coach Sullivan said. "Of course," Seth said nonchalantly. Coach Anderson left with Tedd and Ricky in tow. Colin expected Seth to say something to him once the coach had left the locker room, but all he said was, "Okay team, let's get out on the court." Seth's cool demeanor routine was starting to give Colin the creeps. He was up to something, Colin could feel it; he just didn't know what. * * * Both Tedd's and Ricky's noses turned out to be broken and they had to miss the rest of the season. There were only three games left. They didn't miss much on Wednesday and Saturday. Liberty High went to Franklin High and got their butts kicked 42 to 59. Then they had a home game against George Washington High and that was another loss. Morale wasn't high among the team in the wake of the scandal and Coach Fletcher's impending departure. Colin had still played his best as did many others on the team, but it wasn't enough. It was so easy to see Seth and his coconspirators weren't even trying to play but there was nothing anyone could do. There had all ready been an investigation that concluded no foul play was being conducted. The final game of the regular season was scheduled for the following Thursday. Next week was the start of finals beginning with the district championships and there would be no Saturday game as Saturday was Valentine's Day and most schools were having dances. The Liberty High Eagles were playing the William Penn High Patriots for their final game of the season and it was a home game. Whether they won or lost their last game, it was clear Liberty wasn't going to make it to the finals. Colin had decided he would put this disappointing season behind him and concentrate on the good things in his life, namely Aileen. As long as he had her, even his bad days now seemed better than his best days before he got together with her. The game started out much as Colin expected it to. Colin played his heart out but he wasn't getting any help from Seth and the other starters. Kendis Dumont had been put in to play power forward since both Ricky and Tedd couldn't play. Colin knew Kendis wasn't in on Seth's scam, but he wasn't playing well all the same. Seth was in rare form that night; his cold disposition warmed up enough to let his arrogance shine through. He smirked at Colin and Coach Fletcher every chance he got. They couldn't touch him and he was rubbing their noses in it. By halftime the score was 28 to 36, with William Penn in the lead of course. When they were in the locker room Coach Fletcher surprised the team by announcing that for the second half he was replacing the first stringers with the second stringers, except for Colin who would take over the point guard position again. In effect he had reinstated the team he put together while Seth and the others were on suspension, minus Tedd who was replaced with Jim Hayden. Seth jumped up and shouted, "You aren't allowed to do that! The investigation showed we did nothing wrong and you were told to let us play." "What are they going to do? Fire me?" The Coach said with a wicked grin. Seth seemed about to say something but no words came out of his mouth. He was speechless! He sat back down with a brooding look on his face. "Team," the coach said addressing the rest of the players. "This is my last game coaching for this school. I'd like to go out with a win, but as long as you go out there and give it your best shot, I'll be satisfied. I know you are the ones I can count on to try your best, that's why I'm putting you in. Now let's show the Patriots that we aren't a bunch of pushovers!" "YEAH!!!" shouted most of the team jumping out of their seats. The coach had pumped everybody up for the second half, well almost everybody, Seth and the other first stringers looked ready to commit murder. The Eagles paraded onto the court for the second half. When the game resumed it was like new life had been breathed into the team. A fire seemed to have been lit under Kendis who had replaced Colin at center position. His play improved dramatically; when Colin fed him the ball he scored more than half the time. By the start of the final quarter the score was 42 to 48 with the Patriots still in the lead, but Liberty was catching up. There was electricity in the air during the fourth quarter. The Patriots were getting tired but the Eagles were playing with energy and enthusiasm. Brian, William, Kendis, Jim, and Colin were all making good plays and making baskets. With ten seconds left in the game the score was tied at 54. It looked like the game was going into overtime but in the last few seconds Colin got around a defensive player and passed the ball to William who was the closest to the net. William took a shot and made the basket. The Eagles had won 56 to 54. The crowd was going wild because once again the back up players had outshined the starters and saved the game. Even though the investigation was closed Colin thought that maybe now the court of public opinion might decide that there was something to the allegations he and Coach Fletcher made. Colin imagined the coach must be thinking the same thing. He was sitting on the bench with a satisfied smile on his face; it was quite a contrast to Seth's frown. NEXT CHAPTER: DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 09 CHAPTER 9: DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART It was Friday night, the night before Valentine's Day, and Sheryl was excited about it. The school was having a big dance tomorrow night. Sheryl had gotten a new dress, a red satin gown with spaghetti straps, and she had the perfect red high heel shoes to go with it. Sheryl had borrowed her foster mom's Ford Focus and was just returning from shopping at the mall to get some last minute things she would need in preparation for the dance She couldn't wait for Seth to see her in her dress. He'd been so stressed out since last month when Colin had made those accusations about Seth fixing games. Sheryl knew that Colin had only done that to get even with Seth for going out with her. It was hard to imagine Colin could be so cruel, but it was even harder for her to imagine that anything Colin said about Seth was true. This dance would be good for Seth, he needed to have some fun and relieve some of the pressure he'd been under. Absentmindedly Sheryl wondered if Colin would be at the dance. She hadn't heard that he had asked someone and she hadn't seen him going out with anybody new, but that didn't mean he wouldn't show up alone. If she did see Colin there Sheryl resolved to just ignore him, pretend he didn't exist. Sheryl had a winsome smile on her face as she drove to Seth's house. He had told her to stop by after she finished shopping, he said he would be all alone tonight and would love her company, she knew what that meant. She parked the car in the street in front of his townhouse. When Sheryl walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell there was no answer. She tried ringing the bell again and still no one came to the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted and found the door unlocked. She walked into the house, it was dark inside as there were barely any lights on, however she did hear music coming from upstairs. With an uneasy feeling she climbed the stairs as the sound of the music grew louder. Once she reached the top of the stairs she could tell that the music was coming from Seth's room and there was light peeking out from under his closed door. He probably just fell asleep with the stereo on which is why he didn't hear the doorbell, Sheryl thought to herself. She decided to go into Seth's room and slip into bed with him thinking Seth would enjoy waking up with her arms around him. Sheryl opened the bedroom door and felt her heart drop down to her toes. Seth was naked lying on his back in bed and on top of him riding his cock was Carrie Moore, the school's biggest slut. The loud music had covered up their moaning and groaning but Sheryl could hear them and see them now. She felt she was going to throw up. Seth turned his head and made eye contact with her, she could see it register on his face that he was aware of her presence; the bastard didn't even look guilty! Tears came to Sheryl's eyes and she ran out of Seth room and made for the stairs. Once down the stairs she was out the front door, when she got her hand on the car door handle she felt someone grab her upper arm. She turned to see it was Seth. He had put on jeans and a tee shirt but was standing on the cold pavement in his bare feet. "Sheryl, wait! We need to talk about this!" Seth said. "Talk about what?!!" She screamed at him through her tears. "You were fucking the school whore!" "Please Honey, calm down, I'm so sorry!" Seth said. "She came over to talk and one thing led to another...it was a stupid mistake! It won't ever happen again." "You're right it won't happen again, we're through!" Sheryl declared. "Please just give me another chance, we can get through this!" Seth pleaded. "No! I hate you Seth Reilly!" Sheryl spat at him as she tried to get free from his grip. His hold on her tightened however, to an almost painful degree, and the look in his steel blue eyes turned from one of contrition to one of contempt. "Fine, go! I don't really give a shit anymore. I never loved you anyway." Seth released her arm with a shove towards the car. "What?" Sheryl asked in disbelief. "You heard me. I never loved you, I just thought you were too good for that loser Colin and I took pity on you," Seth said. "That's not true," Sheryl said. "You really are dense, you know that? That night when I saved you, it was all a set up! I knew those guys who attacked you, I asked them to do it, just so I could win you over, and guess what? It worked!" Sheryl felt like she had just taken a blow to the stomach that knocked all the wind out of her, when she finally was able to say something she screamed, "You fucking bastard! I gave you my heart; I gave you my...everything!" Sheryl went to slap his face but Seth blocked the slap and gave her a slap of her own. He slapped her so hard she fell to the ground. "Colin can have you back now, I'm through with you," Seth said emotionlessly as Sheryl lay crumpled in a ball in the street crying her eyes out. Seth walked back to his house with an air of indifference as Sheryl lay there. Sheryl managed to pull herself up and climb into the car. She was having trouble driving, her eyes were blurry from her tears and her face was stinging from Seth's slap, but most of all her stomach was churning as she thought about how completely fooled she had been by Seth. When she turned the corner she had to pull the car over, she opened the door and threw up all the contents of her stomach. When she had nothing left inside her and the dry heaves had subsided Sheryl wiped her mouth and settled herself back inside the car. She continued driving even though she still couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Sheryl felt so betrayed she didn't know what to do or where to go. Then all of a sudden it hit her, there was only one person who could soothe her scorched soul. * * * Aileen sat at the computer in the small alcove of their apartment; she was online organizing the monthly finances and making sure all the monthly bill statements were correct. It was a curious thing but when she logged on to her user account her files didn't seem to be exactly in the same place she left them. Colin could have been moving things around but he had his own user account on the computer and that didn't seem likely, the only other explanation she could think of was the computer had a glitch in the system. Aileen hoped that wasn't so, the computer was getting a bit outdated but they couldn't afford a new one at this time. She would just have to ask Colin if he knew anything about it when he came home from work. Just then the intercom buzzed. Aileen got up to answer it but before she got there the intercom buzzed twice more, whoever was at the door was quite impatient. Aileen pressed down on the "speak" button and said "Hello?" then she pressed on the "listen" button. "M...Ms Reilly? It's...it's Sheryl. I...I need to speak to Colin" said the voice over the crackling intercom. Aileen was shocked at who it was and about to tell her that Colin was at work but the girl sounded like she was crying and Aileen didn't feel right just sending her away. "Come on up dear," Aileen said and she pressed the button to buzz the door open. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. Aileen opened it to see a much disheveled Sheryl with tear streaks running down her cheeks from red rimmed eyes and a nasty red welt on the side of her face. The girl looked beyond miserable and Aileen's heart went out to her. "Oh you poor dear," Aileen said when she saw the state the girl was in and she held her arms out. Sheryl collapsed into Aileen's embrace as a new wave of crying shook her body. "Shhh...there, there dear," Aileen said as she ran a hand through Sheryl's auburn curls. It felt a little funny to be consoling Colin's ex-girlfriend, especially considering the conditions under which they broke up, but the girl clearly needed somebody and Aileen's motherly instincts took over. Sheryl let Aileen lead her inside the apartment and sit her on the couch. Aileen sat down next to her and allowed the girl to continue crying on her shoulder. "Shhh, honey it's okay," Aileen said as she ran her hand through Sheryl's hair. "No it's not okay!" Sheryl said through her tears. "I was so stupid; I can't believe what I've done!" "What happened sweetie? Who did this to you?" Aileen asked indicating the mark on her face. "Is Colin here?" Sheryl asked looking around and evading Aileen's questions. "No he's at work right now," Aileen said. "Oh," Sheryl said "Do you want to tell me about it?" "I really wanted to talk to Colin," Sheryl sniffed. "I understand dear," Aileen said feeling some trepidation, she had a feeling she knew what was going on. Still, she felt bad for the girl, she was in obvious pain and Aileen didn't have it in her to be unsympathetic toward her. Aileen continued to hold Sheryl trying to calm her down. Once her tears subsided Sheryl blurted out, "It's Seth. He was using me all along." This only confirmed Aileen's suspicions. Seth had gone out with Sheryl only to hurt Colin and now that Seth could see Colin apparently wasn't hurting anymore, he no longer had any use for her. "I'm so sorry sweetie," Aileen said sincerely, but her emotions were conflicted. Here she was comforting the woman who had once captured then broke her son's heart, the heart that Aileen had healed, and yet Aileen could not forget the men in her life that she had loved and had hurt her so deeply. She was feeling sympathy for Sheryl while at the same time fear that now she knew the real Seth, she would want Colin back. "I was such a fool, I believed everything he said. He played me from the beginning!" Sheryl said starting to tear up again. "You weren't the fool Sheryl, it was Seth for treating you the way he did and not realizing what a special thing he had." Aileen said. "I was never special to Seth! He tricked me into believing we had something and into throwing away something that really was special! Oh my God! I have to see Colin! I have to know if he can ever forgive me!" Sheryl darted off the couch and headed for the door. "Sheryl, wait!" Aileen said. "Take a little more time to calm down before you go out, it will do no one any good if you get into an accident because you were so upset." "I'll be careful; I just need to see Colin right now!" Sheryl said as she ran out of the apartment. Aileen was left alone with her thoughts and most of the thoughts that were running through her head right now were quite unpleasant. She got off from the couch to get herself a glass if White Zinfandel, as she poured the wine into a glass she thought for a moment then shrugged her shoulders and brought the entire bottle back to the couch. Aileen let the wine warm her body and try to help calm her nerves. She couldn't stop thinking about Colin. It was clear that Sheryl wanted him back. What if Colin decided he was still in love with her? Sheryl could offer him so much; she was the same age as Colin, their relationship could be out in the open, they could legally be married someday, and he could have children with her, a family. What could Aileen offer him? An incestuous relationship with his thirty-seven year old mother, a relationship they would always have to hide from the rest of the world, and, whether they admitted it or not, an underlying feeling of guilt that what they were doing was wrong always lurking in the shadows of their minds. Aileen got off the sofa and went to the book shelf and picked up the copy of Dublin Daze that Colin had given her for her birthday. She brought the book back to the sofa, sat down, and opened it to the inscription. She read it over more than once, especially the part about Colin loving her more than life itself. She felt the same way about him. Aileen drained her glass of Zinfandel and refilled it. Tears came to her eyes as she thought about losing Colin and at the same time she laughed at the bitter irony of the situation. She had never loved a man like she loved Colin, he was her one true love and the only man in her life that had ever been worth fighting to keep and she would fight tooth and nail to keep him, except that she couldn't. The intense love she felt for him that made her want to see him happy would also make her stand aside. She grabbed a handful of tissues from the coffee table to wipe her eyes. If it came down between her and Sheryl, Aileen would have to let Sheryl have him. She would always do what was in the best interest of her son. For a while there she had deluded herself into thinking she could offer him everything he needed, that they could continue to be together for the rest of their lives. If she was the one who made him happy, wasn't it in his best interest for her to be with him? He would always feel secure with her ever abiding love. If it just so happened that he made her just as happy...well that was a lucky coincidence. However, she saw now that Colin having a relationship with Sheryl would be healthy, what she had with him was...beautiful, but potentially harmful. If she truly wanted to act in his best interest she would have to let him go. Aileen drank the entire bottle of wine as thoughts of her and Colin circled around and around in her mind. Not only was her mind spinning, but the room had begun to spin as well. She thought it was a shame this all had to happen the night before Valentine's Day. Colin said he made special plans for them tomorrow and Aileen had been looking forward to it; her first Valentine's Day with him since they became lovers, such a shame she couldn't at least have that. That was her last thought before she passed out. * * * Aileen roused to a semi-awake state when she heard Colin come home. "Mom?" She heard him say. She opened her eyes briefly and saw her handsome son standing in front of her, she wanted to gaze at him forever but her eyelids felt like they had ten pound weights attached to them and they were soon closed again. "Mom?" She heard Colin repeat, but this time she couldn't even pry her lids open for a second. Aileen felt his warm fingers brush a strand of her hair behind her ear then run down her cheek, she wanted to reach up and hold his hand to her face but she had no control over her body and too soon his loving touch was gone. She heard Colin rustling around and the clinking of glass and assumed he was tidying up after her pity party. Then she heard the water running from the kitchen faucet, Colin washing the dishes. The steady sound of the running water lulled her into an even deeper sleep. At one point she felt like she was floating in the air, then she couldn't hear the water running any longer, Colin must have finished with the dishes, but then the regular sound of water came flowing to her ears again and she decided Colin must not have finished after all. All the running water made Aileen realize how dry her mouth was and how she could use something to drink. She opened her eyes and pushed herself up into a sitting position on the couch. She saw Colin sitting in the arm chair next to the sofa. "Hi," Colin said. "Hi," Aileen said returning the greeting. She could see from the pensive look on Colin's face that he had something on his mind. Aileen could guess what it was. "Did you see Sheryl tonight?" Aileen asked. "Yes," Colin said. "And...?" Aileen prompted. "And..." Colin took a deep breath, "and I realized I still have feelings for her." Aileen knew that was coming but it still felt like a bullet being shot into her heart. "So, are you back together?" Colin looked at his mother for a moment then said, "I'm sorry Mom..." "Hush," Aileen said with a tear running down her cheek. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You two belong together. I've thought about it all night long, I'm glad I could be there for you when you needed me, but I can't hold onto you forever, not like that, it wouldn't be right. You...you can have a normal life with her." Tears were flowing freely from Aileen's eyes now. Colin got up from the chair and went over to sit next to his mother on the couch to hold her. "Mom, I love you so much, you know that, I never wanted to do anything to hurt you." "I know that honey," Aileen sobbed. "I know that. Your happiness is what's important to me baby, I want you to have all that you desire." "I desire Sheryl, I desire having a normal life, but I also desire my mother to be happy," Colin said. "Just make sure you live your life to its fullest and someday give me some grandchildren to spoil and I'll be happy, I promise." Aileen said wiping her eyes with tissue. "I'll make sure Mom," Colin said hugging her tightly. And so it went, Colin and Sheryl were together again. Aileen always felt a pang of loss in her heart whenever she saw the two of them together and so in love, but she knew they were all doing the right thing. Colin and Sheryl stayed together through the remaining months of high school and after graduation they both decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania. They were able to pay for their education with financial aid and by working part time jobs. They found a small apartment just before they started college and moved in together. In their junior year at the University, Colin proposed to Sheryl and she accepted. They decided to set the wedding for the summer after they graduated college. Sheryl made a beautiful bride and Colin was handsome as ever in his tuxedo. Aileen watched the two of them at the alter reciting their vows. She could see by the way Colin looked at Sheryl that all the love he held in his heart was devoted to her. Aileen could remember when Colin looked at her that way. It wasn't until the minister said "I now pronounce you man and wife," and the two kissed that Aileen realized the horrible mistake she made. She saw the newly married couple run down the aisle and out the church as the wedding guests pelted them with rice. Aileen stayed seated in the church pew, her hand over her heart. It was broken and causing her physical pain. She knew now she wouldn't be able to live without Colin. Without his touch, without his kisses, without the special kind of love that she once shared with him but now he shared with another woman. Why oh why hadn't she fought for him? Aileen placed her hands over her face and openly wept as the pain in her heart grew and grew. "Oh Colin," Aileen sobbed. "Don't leave me Colin! Please don't leave me! Colin!!!" * * * "Colin!!!" "Mom? Mom!" Aileen felt a hand on her shoulder. Disoriented, she found herself in her own bed and right next to her was Colin. It was a dream, she realized. Only a dream! She looked into her son's brown eyes and saw the love he held there still directed at her. He was still hers, all hers! "Oh Colin!" Aileen said as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his bare chest sobbing. The dream may not have been real but her tears were. Her son hugged her tightly and she took solace in his embrace. "It's okay Mom, everything's okay," Colin said in a soft voice as he stroked her back. "I dreamt I lost you," Aileen sobbed. "That's never gonna happen," Colin said. "But, if you ever find you love someone more than me, I will have to let you go. I came to that realization tonight." Aileen said into his chest. "Mom, I'm never going to love anyone more than you. You are the love of my life, you know that," Colin said. "What about Sheryl?" Aileen asked. "Sheryl?!!" "Didn't she come to see you tonight?" "Yes she did." "What happened?" "She came into the diner crying, I asked Jimbo if I could have a little break, he wasn't too happy about it, it was Friday night after all and the place was packed, but he told me I could have five minutes. I took her to an empty booth so we could talk. She told me all that happened between her and Seth." A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 09 "Didn't she say she wanted you back?" Aileen asked. "Yes, she did say that, but I told her I no longer felt that way about her and she was probably just confused. I told her how sorry I was about how Seth treated her, but the most we could ever be was friends. She told me she wasn't confused, she was finally thinking clearly, she tried a couple more times to ask me to give her another chance but I told her the feelings just weren't there any more. She was pretty upset about this but I eventually calmed her down. Finally, I told her I needed to get back to work, I felt if I stayed any longer my job would be in jeopardy, but I also told her if she ever needed a friend I'd be there for her. She grudgingly accepted that, I think, and she let me get back to work." "Are you sure you still don't have feelings for Sheryl?" Aileen now asked. "You could have a normal life if you were with her. No matter how much it would hurt me, you would be better off and that's what's most important." "How can you say I would be better off?" Colin demanded to know. "You wouldn't have to live with this secret relationship and the guilt that goes along with it. You would be able to have a relationship out in the open." "Mom, I feel no guilt about what we're doing. I love you and I love being with you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I could never be as happy with anyone else as I am with you and I'll be damned if I have to feel guilty for being with the woman I love no matter who she is. I thought we got over this guilt thing a long time ago?" "Me too honey, but it keeps creeping back. I guess I just keep getting the feeling I'm cheating you out of something and it hurts me to think that." Aileen said. "The only way you could cheat me out of anything is if you denied me the love you feel for me." Colin said. "You're my baby; I could never deny you my love," Aileen said. "Also, I learned from my dream that if I ever lost you to someone else I wouldn't be able to go on, but that's still a sacrifice I'd make for you. I wouldn't deny you my love, but I'd surrender it if I had to, I'd do anything for you." "But don't you see that's how I feel?" Colin said. "If I ever lost you that would hurt me more than anything, I would die Mom! You are my soul mate we belong together, you and I." "I just feel this deep sense of foreboding hanging over our heads at times and I know that must be caused by the guilt. Colin, I'm so sorry for feeling guilty, but I will tell you this: every time the guilt creeps up on me you are always able to sweep it away. I love you so much!" Aileen said giving him a big squeeze. "I love you too, forever and always," Colin said, "and whenever that guilt creeps up on you I'll be there to take it away, maybe if I do it enough times it will learn never to come back." "Maybe," Aileen said. "I really do hope so sweetie, I want to be everything you need in a woman." "You all ready are Mom, you are everything I need and more." Colin said. "Um...I just have one more question." Aileen said. "What's that?" "How did I get in bed? Last thing I remember was falling asleep on the couch." "That's no wonder; you were pretty sloshed when I got home. I found you asleep on the couch with an empty wine bottle on the coffee table. I tried to wake you up but you were out of it, so I cleaned everything up then carried you in here. I then undressed you and put you to bed." "So that's how I got undressed, must have been fun for you," Aileen said with a grin. "Not half as much fun as undressing you when you're awake," Colin said returning the smile. "But I do get a thrill out of watching your naked body sleep; you are a thing of beauty." "Oh honey, that's so sweet, but don't you get a thrill out of watching my naked body when I'm awake?" Aileen said in a girlish voice as she ran her fingers up and down his spine. "You know I do," Colin said adamantly. "Baby, I need you, I need you to be inside me. I need to know that this is real and that dream wasn't." Aileen said huskily. "Please make love to me!" "I'm yours body and soul, and that's the reality," Colin said as he lifted Aileen's chin and brought their mouths together. They kissed intensely, Colin sucked on her bottom lip for a while before slipping his tongue inside his mother's mouth to dance with hers. He brought his hands up to caress her soft breasts. Aileen's nipples were hard and sensitive and it sent thrills through her body when Colin rolled them between his fingers and pulled gently on them. Aileen broke their embrace and lay back on the bed staring at Colin with a feeling of lust born from their love. He leaned over her propping himself up on one arm and continued massaging her breasts with one hand. He bent forward until his lips were touching her neck. He planted soft kisses there and slowly began moving downward. As his lips moved down from her neck, his hand moved down from her breasts. Aileen reveled in the feel of his touch. His hand moved to her stomach gently rubbing in circles and his lips were on her clavicle. After spending some time rubbing her stomach, Colin's hand moved further down her body. His lips left her as she watched his hand on her body. The closer he got to her pussy the more wet she became. His hand took a slight detour and headed down her thigh, it slid under her ass and he gave her left buttock a squeeze. Aileen moaned; she loved it when he squeezed her ass. His hand came back around and started massaging her inner thigh. He was so close to her heated center! Aileen couldn't take it anymore; she grabbed his hand and pulled it to her pussy letting him feel how sopping wet she was. Colin let his fingers glide over her slit spreading her juices all over her pussy. One of his fingers slipped inside her. Oh the joy! Any part of Colin she could get inside her, she wanted. He slid another finger in and started moving both in and out of her. He hooked his fingers so they rubbed against the roof of her inner walls, when he found her G spot Aileen convulsed in a minor orgasm. Aileen let out a louder and longer moan, oh the things this man could do to her! She knew no one else could ever make her feel the same way. Colin continued to move his fingers in and out of her rubbing her G spot along the way. She felt the sensation of another orgasm building up inside of her. She ran her fingers through the tresses of her red hair then slid her hands down to fondle her breasts and squeeze her nipples hard making a purring noise all the while. She felt her clit fully out of its hood standing erect and proud and when his slick thumb slid over it a huge orgasm swept over her body. "Oh God!" Aileen screamed and had a major convulsion and felt her juices flood out of her cunt. "Take me now baby! Please I am so ready for you! I need you! Fuck me! Fuck Mommy!" Aileen pleaded she was desperate to feel him inside her. Colin moved on top of her, she felt his cock sliding over her soaked genitals, when the head of his cock brushed over her clit for an instant it sent another spasm through her. Aileen wanted his cock inside her, the cock of her baby boy, the cock of her man; she wanted to feel full of him. "Please, please, please..." Was all she could say, she wanted him inside her so bad it hurt. Suddenly his cock found her entrance and the head slipped in followed by the rest of his shaft. The walls of her pussy surrounded his thick cock in a tight grasp but her slick lubrication allowed him to glide all the way in smoothly and gratifyingly until their pelvises met. She could feel the head of his cock touching her cervix. "Oh sweetie, you feel so big inside me, so deep!" Aileen said with worship. This was the sensation she lived for! She felt so full, so loved, so connected. All anguish, past and present, disappeared from her mind; only the peace and contentment of their union existed for her now. Colin was using his arms to hold himself above her but Aileen wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him down. "I love to feel your full weight on top of me," she whispered into his ear. More tears leaked out of her eyes. "I want to stay like this forever. I love you so much; you make my life worth living." Aileen felt his cock flex inside her at her words and she knew that the happiness she felt was shared by him. "I love you too," Colin said. "I'm yours forever, never forget that." "Never," Aileen said, "no matter what you'll always be mine and I will always be yours. You will never be alone." He was her boy, her man; they shared a bond that was unbreakable. No matter what happened nothing could ever erase that. Aileen felt his cock pulsating inside her in rhythm with his heart beat. "It's like I have two hearts beating inside me," Aileen said. "We only have one heart between us Mom," Colin said. "We make each other whole." With that Colin began sliding his cock in and out of her pussy, his chest rubbing against hers; he elicited a feeling of exhilaration from Aileen. "Oh God, I love it when you fuck me!" Aileen said. "No man will ever have this pussy but you, no man could ever satisfy me like you." Aileen knew it always brought Colin's level of excitement up when she talked like that, but it also did the same for her, it was almost an orgasmic experience in itself to let what she was feeling out in words. Especially when she was feeling so possessed by Colin, the only man she would ever feel safe enough to surrender all of herself to, body and soul. "It's your pussy, all yours. Fuck your pussy baby, fuck it hard!" "Oh God! Oh Mommy!" Colin started pumping in and out of her at a faster pace. "You feel so good! So good!" His cock slid almost completely out of her pussy which grasped to keep it inside her. Her cunt was screaming for the return of his cock, and then it was back, he was back, stuffing himself back in her pussy, filling her up. His pubic bone rubbed against her hypersensitive clit each time he plunged into her causing ecstatic chills to run through her body and she would moan loudly. The stiff nipples on Aileen's breasts rubbed against Colin's chest as he slid over her with each movement. "Oh God yes! Oh God yes!" Aileen kept repeating. "I love you!" "I love you too!" Colin said in a strained voice. Aileen felt another orgasm building up. "Oh God, I'm gonna cum!" She said. "Cum with me baby! Let me feel you shoot up inside me!" Colin started pumping at an erratic rate and she could feel his cock throbbing inside her, she knew he was almost ready. "I wanna feel it! I wanna feel my baby's cum all hot and gooey spurt up in me! Cum with me baby, cum with me!" Aileen said as her pussy clenched tight on his cock and she felt those glorious spasms overtake her. "OHHHHH! I'm cumming!" Colin grunted as he thrust himself deep into her one final time. She felt his cock swell within her pussy walls and a moment later the warm fluid bursting out of him and coating her insides. Her pussy contracted and expanded around his cock numerous times massaging him until every drop of cum was drained from his member. Colin collapsed on top of Aileen, both their bodies were slick with sweat and their genitals were coated in the juices of their lovemaking, his cum leaking out of her cock filled pussy. He kissed her deeply and lovingly and Aileen returned the kiss just as strongly. They stayed locked in that kiss until Colin's cock had softened enough to slip out of her. Then their lips parted and Colin moved off Aileen to lie next to her on his side. He pulled her up close to him in a spooning position; he put his arm over her and held his hand gently to her breast. He slipped his cock between her legs and she held onto it with need. "It's yours, my cock belongs to you like every other part of me, and it always will," Colin whispered in her ear. "We belong together always." With those words Aileen fell into a contented sleep. NEXT CHAPTER: MY FUNNY VALENTINE A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 10 CHAPTER 10: MY FUNNY VALENTINE "Can't you at least give me a hint where we're going?" Aileen asked from the bedroom as Colin emerged from the bathroom wearing only a towel around his waist after taking a shower. "Nope," Colin said smiling mischievously. "All you need to know is to wear something nice, I have this whole evening planned out for us." Colin called back to his mother then went to his old bed room to finish drying off and get dressed. Colin had been planning this occasion for over a month. He wanted it to be as special as possible. This was the first Valentine's Day he got to spend with his mother since they became lovers. He wanted it to have special meaning and for her to remember it always. It had all ready started off wonderful. They had woken up late and spent the remainder of the morning in bed making gentle love with each other. After thoroughly drying himself Colin tossed aside his towel and pulled on his boxer shorts and a white tee shirt, he then went to work combing his russet hair trying to make it neat as possible. The suit he was going to wear tonight was laid out on the bed. It was his best suit, a navy blue pinstripe, and he was wearing his royal blue tie with it. Colin finished dressing and checked himself out in the mirror to make sure his tie was straight. "My, don't you look handsome." Colin turned around to see his mother standing in the doorway and his jaw dropped. She was wearing a turquoise chiffon gown; it only had one strap going over her left shoulder holding up a bodice adorned with turquoise and silver beads and with a sheer insert at the top that allowed an enticing glimpse of her magnificent cleavage. The gown fell all the way to the floor and was form fitted to her curvaceous body. Not only that, her long scarlet hair hung in loose curls draped down her back and was pushed back over her ears to reveal silver earrings with turquoise stones that matched her dress. Her lips were rose red and there was the slightest hint of blush on her porcelain cheeks. She looked absolutely stunning. "My God, you are beautiful!" Colin sputtered when he was finally able to speak. "So this is nice enough for tonight?" Aileen asked with an impish grin. "If it were any nicer I don't think we'd make it out of the apartment," Colin said. "Right now I've half a mind to scuttle the plans I made and spend the entire night here making love to you." "Hmmm, that doesn't sound too bad," Aileen said stepping up to Colin so her bosom was almost in contact with his chest and running her hand up and down his jacket sleeve. "No, it doesn't sound bad at all," Colin said. "But tonight is your night to be shown off to the world and my night to be seen as the luckiest man in the world to have a woman like you." "Colin, you know once we leave this apartment we can't act as a couple," Aileen stated. "I've taken care of that, you have to trust me," Colin said. "You know I trust you with all my heart," Aileen said. "I know," Colin said smiling. "So let's get going!" Colin said as he helped his mother on with her coat. "What's wrong mom?" Colin asked as he noticed the frown on her face. "Oh, I was just thinking about Sheryl, I feel bad for her," Aileen said. "For Seth to have done what he did to her and on the day before Valentine's Day! I didn't think my opinion of him could get any lower. Now she's going to be all alone." "She's not going to be alone," Colin said. "What do you mean?" "I've made arrangements for someone to take her to the school dance and keep her company tonight." Colin said. "How did you get someone to do that for you on such short notice?" Aileen asked. "I have a friend who feels he owes me one..." * * * Colin led Aileen to the parking garage of their apartment building and to their Honda Civic. He opened the passenger door for her and once she was seated he closed the door and went around to the driver's side and climbed in. It was roughly three-thirty in the afternoon when they began their journey. Aileen stayed silent as Colin drove through the streets of Philadelphia, but he could tell she was burning with curiosity as to their destination. When it was apparent they were leaving the bounds of the city Aileen turned to her son like she wanted to say something but then decided to stay silent. When Colin merged onto the New Jersey Turnpike heading north it was clear where their destination was. "We're going to New York?" Aileen asked. Colin smiled and nodded. "What's in New York?" "You'll see," Colin said. "Arghhhhh!" Aileen cried. "You know how infuriating you're being?" Colin took his mother's hand and pressed the back of it to his lips. "But you love me anyway," he said. "Yes," Aileen sighed exaggeratedly. "I love you no matter what...even though you are driving me crazy!" Aileen said and Colin laughed. The drive from Philadelphia to New York City takes a little less than two hours if traffic isn't too heavy. For the most part, the traffic seemed to be very forgiving for Colin and Aileen as they made good time. About a quarter after five, Manhattan came into view. The sun was setting behind the buildings giving a glowing halo to that magnificent skyline. "It's so beautiful," Aileen remarked. "Yes, it is," Colin had to agree. "But the most beautiful thing in the world is sitting right next to me." Aileen turned to him and gave him a radiant smile. "I love you," Colin said. Aileen smiled and replied, "I love you too." Then she was thoughtful for a moment before she said, "You love me enough to tell me what you have planned now?" "Yes, but I love you even more that I want to keep it a surprise." "Arghhh!" When Colin and Aileen got to the Lincoln Tunnel, their luck with traffic ran out. It was bumper to bumper at the tunnel entrance. It seemed everyone had someplace to go in the city for Valentine's Day. At a snail's pace they made it to the other side of the tunnel. Colin looked at the clock on the dash board and saw it was a quarter to six and began to get nervous. Slowly they made their way up Dyer Avenue, then across West 42nd Street, then up 8th Avenue. Colin gave a sigh of relief when they turned onto West 52nd Street. "Are we running late for wherever we're supposed to be?" Aileen asked. Colin looked at the clock and saw it was five fifty-five. "Reservations are for six, we'll be there on time, at the most we'll be five minutes late." Colin said. "Reservations for what?" Aileen asked. Colin stayed tightlipped. "I know...'It's a surprise!'" Aileen said in exasperation. They pulled into a garage on West 52nd Street, the attendant asked if they had reservations for dinner, when Colin informed them they did and gave his name the attendant nodded and said that they could go inside and they had six hours of complimentary parking. Colin found a parking space and looked at his watch, it was six o'clock exactly. "C'mon, we need to hurry." Colin said. They hustled out of the garage and over to the building next door. "The Twenty-One Club? You're taking me for dinner here?" Aileen asked with a glow in her eyes as she saw the building they were heading into. "Yep," Colin said with a big grin. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "We're far enough away from home, tonight we can be out in public and act like the couple we are." Aileen let out a squeal of excitement and hugged Colin. Aileen then sobered and a look of realization came over her face. "But Colin, you're only eighteen!" She said. "I won't tell them if you won't," Colin said still grinning. He didn't mention that on a recent trip to Atlantic City he acquired a fake I.D. in case the question of his age came up. "Aileen," Colin said and held out his hand for his mother to take. She nodded and took it with a loving smile. He would have to get used to calling her by her given name tonight, he didn't want to slip up and call her "mom" when they were supposed to be a couple. Hand in hand, they walked under a canopy and entered the building through double doors made of brass and glass. Once inside Colin wasn't even carded. They checked their coats and Aileen wrapped her arms around Colin's arm as they approached the hostess station. "Martin, party of two," Colin said to the hostess. She nodded and said their table was ready. The club was impressive with four stories of dining rooms, bars, and lounges and that wasn't even including the famous cellar room. As they were led to the main dining room Colin couldn't help but notice the stares his mother was receiving from other patrons in the restaurant – men and women – Aileen looked beautiful no matter what but in that dress she looked incredible. The hostess sat them at a table for two; Colin pulled out a chair for Aileen and made sure she was seated comfortably then he took his seat. Right away the wine steward came over and handed Colin a wine list while a bus boy filled glasses on their table with water. The wine list was as thick as a novel, Colin couldn't believe how many wines they had; it looked like they had bottles from every vineyard in the world. Then Colin noticed the prices and he had to control himself to keep his eyes from bugging out. He saw 1995 listed next to one of the bottles of Burgundy and thought that was the year the wine was made then when he realized that that was the price he thought a blood vessel was going to burst in his head. That wasn't the most expensive bottle either, they had a 1985 (that was the year this time, he checked) bottle of Burgundy called Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée Conti and it was going for eight thousand dollars. Nineteen eighty-five must have been a good year for Roman-whatever-you-call-it! He thought. Colin was prepared to spend some money this evening but he wasn't planning on taking out a loan to pay for dinner. Fortunately he saw that they did have some relatively reasonably priced wines and ended up ordering a forty-five dollar bottle of Zinfandel when the wine steward returned. Just like at the door, Colin wasn't even asked to show any identification. It must be Aileen, Colin thought, together as a couple they balanced each other out. Being with Aileen made Colin appear more mature and Colin being with Aileen made her appear to be younger. Colin looked at his mother; she was radiating a youthful exuberance. He loved it when she let that side of herself show, no one could ever believe she was thirty-seven; she looked like she was still in her twenties. "You are so incredibly beautiful," Colin said reaching out to hold her hand. Aileen blushed. "And I don't mean just tonight, you look gorgeous tonight, but you always look beautiful to me. I can't believe that you are mine; my heart feels so full of love for you it actually hurts. I'm the happiest man in the world because of you." "Colin you've made me happier than I've ever been in my life, I owe all my happiness, all the joy I've ever known, to you." Aileen said. "I want to spend the rest of my life together with you, like this. No matter what anyone says I know we are meant for each other there is no one I'd rather be with than you." Colin said. "You come first in my life, before everything, even myself. There is no one I love more than you and there never will be. As long as you want me, I'm yours." Aileen said, her eyes sparkling. Just then their waiter appeared and asked them if they would like to hear the selections they could have for dinner. Colin indicated in the affirmative. When Colin had made the reservations for tonight he had chosen what they called a "prix fixe" menu. Their meals were set at a fixed price and they would have limited yet first-rate selections from the menu. As much as Colin would have loved to spoil Aileen to the hilt, he was on a budget and being able to plan out the price of the meal ahead of time was a great benefit. He had chosen a meal that would cost him thirty-eight dollars per person, considering where they were eating, it was a good deal and also the recommended menu for the after dinner plans he had made. The waiter went on to describe the three choices they could have as an appetizer and then their three entrée choices. Colin went with the lobster bisque for his appetizer and Aileen decided on the Caesar salad. For their entrées, Colin went with the pork tenderloin with espresso barbecue sauce and poached kumquats, whatever the hell kumquats are, thought Colin, but if I'm serious about becoming a chef it's good I should know what these foods are. Aileen decided on the roasted guinea hen with wild rice. Colin and Aileen fell into intimate conversation which ranged from whimsical to amorous. Colin felt immeasurable pride being out in public with this gorgeous woman and have people see she was with him. It seemed to thrill Aileen as well, Colin swore she was glowing. Before they knew it the appetizers had arrived. Aileen said her Caesar salad was very good and Colin felt he could become addicted to the lobster bisque. More engaging conversation ensued between the courses and the bottle of zinfandel became more depleted. The entrées arrived and Colin took note of their presentation, very artistic he was almost ashamed to eat it. But eat it he did and found the dish quite good. The meat was succulent and he was surprised how good the espresso barbecue sauce tasted. Kumquats he came to find out were little citrus fruits and the taste blended well with the pork. "How does yours taste Aileen?" Colin asked. "Tastes like chicken," she replied and they both laughed at the old joke. "But very good chicken." She added. "How's yours?" "Pretty good," Colin said and then they both sampled each other's dishes. After the main course it was time for dessert. Colin had the crème brûlée and Aileen said she was going to indulge her sweet tooth and she had the semi-sweet double chocolate pecan turtle. She was only able to eat half her dessert saying it was delicious but too rich. Colin had no trouble finishing off her dessert and agreed with her, it was delicious. When their dessert plates had been taken away and they were left at the table with an empty bottle of zinfandel and sipping on cups of coffee, Aileen sighed and said, "Colin this has been the best Valentine's Day I ever had thank you so much." "It's been the best for me too because I'm with the woman I love," Colin said. "Any day I get to be with you is special to me, but when I get to lavish you with the luxuries you deserve it makes me all the more happy." "You're so good to me, I don't deserve you," Aileen said, her eyes getting misty. "Well, you're stuck with me so you might as well enjoy it!" Colin said and they both laughed. Colin's face turned sober and he said, "I want you forever Aileen, that's never going to change." "Then I'm yours forever," Aileen replied. "Prove it," Colin said. "What?" "Prove you will be mine forever." "I don't understand; how can I prove it in any other way that I haven't done? You have my love always, you know that." Aileen said. "Yes, I do know that, but I want something else," Colin said. "What do you want?" Colin put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled something out. It was a small velvet box. He slid it across the table to Aileen. "I want you to wear my ring," he said. Aileen opened the box and inside she saw the diamond engagement ring. Tears immediately started to form in her eyes. "Oh Colin," she said as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "It's beautiful!" she spent a minute or so just looking at the ring then said, "Oh honey, it would make me deliriously happy to wear this ring, but it's an engagement ring. How would we explain it?" Colin got out of his seat and kneeled in front of Aileen and took her hand. "In a few months we'll be living somewhere where we won't need to explain it, and who do we need to explain anything to tonight? Here we are just a regular couple to everyone. A couple that is madly in love with each other," Colin paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "Aileen, I feel married to you in my heart, I just wanted to give to you a token that shows how serious I mean that. Tonight you can wear this ring and we can show the world we belong to each other. All I'm asking for is tonight, this one night, wear my ring." "Oh Colin of course I'll wear your ring!" Aileen said with tear drops running down her cheeks. Colin slid the ring on her finger and she hugged him tight. There was applause from the people at surrounding tables believing they were a couple that just got engaged, which wasn't too far from the truth. "I feel we are married in our hearts too and whether I am wearing a ring or not that is how I will feel." She said as she hugged him even tighter in an almost desperate embrace. "I love you so much I know I would die without you!" Her hot breath whispered fiercely in his ear. "I love you too!" They parted and Aileen dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. She studied the ring on her finger as a dreamy smile appeared on her face. Then she asked, "How could you ever afford this Colin?" "That's my secret," Colin said with a smirk. He wasn't about to tell her that he had driven to Atlantic City and bought the ring in a pawn shop, but that was the only way he could afford it. That was the same trip where he acquired the fake I.D. as well. "You seem to be full of secrets and surprises tonight," Aileen said. "What can I say? I'm a man of mystery," Colin said. Aileen smiled and said, "Well I have a few surprises up my sleeve as well. I believe it is time I gave you your gift." "Here in public?" Colin said as he got back in his seat. "I didn't know you were an exhibitionist!" "You wish," Aileen said as she retrieved her purse and took out a white rectangular box with a red bow on it. The bow looked brand new but the box seemed slightly beat up in places and had a look as if it had been kept around for a while. "Before I give this to you I need to explain something. I've had this for a while, in fact, I've had this since before I divorced your father. I had saved and scrounged up money for months so I could get this. It was going to be his Valentine's Day gift from me. However, about a week before Valentine's Day we got into a fight and he hit me hard and gave me a black eye. I realized then that this gift wasn't meant for Fred, especially with what I had inscribed on it. I never gave it to him and that turned out to be our last Valentine's Day together. "I kept the gift all these years not really knowing what for, but I guess deep down I knew that someday I would have the right person to give it to. So please believe me when I tell you, it doesn't matter when I got this, it was always meant for you." Aileen handed over the box. Colin opened his gift and inside wrapped in tissue paper was a magnificent gold watch. He turned it over and on the back was inscribed: To my one true love, I am forever yours. – Aileen Colin was speechless for a moment. Finally when he found words to say he managed to croak out, "It's beautiful, I love it and I love you." "I love you too baby," Aileen said, her eyes sparkling. "So you believe me? That you're the only one I could give that watch to?" "Of course I believe you, and you don't know how much this means to me. I will treasure it always." "Just be careful where you wear it for now," Aileen said. "Don't let anyone see the engraving. Ugh! I hate that we have to be so secretive about our relationship!" "It won't be forever Aileen," Colin said and reached over to squeeze her hand, "and tonight we don't need to be worried at all." He took off his Timex to replace it with his new watch. He looked at the Timex to make sure the other watch had the correct time. When he saw what time it was his eyes widened. "Uh-oh it's past seven-thirty! We need to get going!" A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 10 "Get going where?" Aileen asked. "The night's far from over my love, you'll see where we're going when we get there, but we have to be there by eight!" Colin said. "Another surprise Colin?" Aileen asked. "Yes, but have I disappointed you so far?" "Not hardly," Aileen said. "Good! So let's go!" Colin said. He paid their check then they went to claim their coats and then they left the 21 Club. Colin flagged down a taxi and opened the door for Aileen; she got in and scooted over to make room for Colin. Colin got in the cab and said, "The Majestic Theater," to the driver. The cab driver nodded his head, started the meter, and they were on their way. "The theater?" Aileen said. Colin just smiled as he looked at his new watch and saw that they had ten minutes until eight. They should make it on time; the theater was only a few blocks away. Colin thought about the school dance. It was supposed to start at eight, he wondered if Sheryl was doing all right and was happy with the date he found for her. * * * Sheryl was in her room sitting at her vanity waiting to be picked up to go to the dance. She didn't know how she was keeping herself from crying. Two heartbreaks in one night; first she catches Seth with that slut and he reveals to her their whole relationship was a lie, then she goes to Colin and pours out her soul only to find he doesn't want her back beyond being friends. Now it was Valentine's Day! Sheryl sighed. She supposed she was getting what she deserved, she shouldn't have treated Colin the way she did and she should have seen through Seth's scheme. It just all seemed so romantic and he was so sincere. Colin had tried to warn her but she didn't listen. She apologized for not believing him which Colin immediately accepted, but he still wouldn't take her back. He said he was still her friend though and he wouldn't see her be alone today. His gesture of kindness after all she did to him only endeared Colin more to her heart and she felt certain that someday they would be together again. She knew now beyond a doubt that he was the only man for her. Colin told her to be ready to go to the dance and try to put Seth out of her mind. At first Sheryl thought Colin was going to take her to the dance and her heart leapt at the idea, but then he told her he had a prior commitment he couldn't get out of. When she asked him who was taking her to the dance he just told her he had someone in mind he was sure she wouldn't be disappointed with. A blind date on Valentine's Day; Sheryl knew she wasn't supermodel gorgeous, but wasn't these things supposed to happen to the real dogs of the world? Dogs and those who royally fuck up, Sheryl thought, and she definitely fell into one of those categories. She sighed again. There was a knock on the door. A minute later she heard her foster mom calling from downstairs, "Sheryl? Your date is here!" Sheryl steeled herself and got up from the vanity and made her way downstairs. When she made her way to the foyer and saw who it was standing there the first word that came out of her mouth was "You?" Brian Chaplin gave her a broad smile and said, "Yup, me!" Brian was handsome Sheryl supposed. He was tall with blond hair and hazel eyes and was well built; she just didn't know him that well. More than anything she was surprised but Brian must have interpreted the look on her face as one of disappointment. "Look, I know I'm not a first stringer like you're used to going out with," Brian said with a quirky grin, "but if you give me a chance I think we may have a good time." He handed her a heart-shaped box of chocolates and a single long stem red rose. "I believe these are in line with the traditional bestowals for this holiday," he said. "Th...Thank you," Sheryl said still bewildered at whom her date was, but she managed to smile. The quirky grin remained on Brian's face giving him a roguish quality that reminded her somewhat of Harrison Ford. She took his arm as he held it out for her. "You look very nice, by the way," Brian said "Thank you," Sheryl said again and smiled slightly. "It was nice to meet you Mrs. Buckner," Brian said to Sheryl's foster mother as he waved goodbye. "Same here Brian," Sheryl's foster mother said, "treat her good, she deserves it!" "Don't worry, I was told to treat her like a princess and that's what I'm going to do!" Brian said then he looked at Sheryl, "Hey, I'd treat her like one even if I wasn't told to!" Brian led Sheryl out of her house and towards his car. Once they were in the car and headed towards the school he said, "Listen, I'm here to escort you to the dance and get you home safely, aside from that, the night's all in your hands. If you don't want to dance a single dance with me that's fine, you dance with whoever you want, if you want to dance every dance with me then I'll be there for you. My suggestion is we go into that auditorium holding are heads high and ignore Seth and whoever he's with the entire night." "Why are you doing this?" Sheryl asked. "Because Colin asked me to," Brian said simply. "He's that good of a friend to you?" she asked. "Well, I figure I kind of owe him, but it's not like I'm doing this huge favor for him. When he asked me I said 'yes' without hesitation. I could think of a lot worse things to be doing than taking one of the prettiest girls in school to a dance." Sheryl blushed. Well, Seth had hurt her heart and she didn't have Colin back...yet, but maybe this Valentine's Day wouldn't be so bad after all. * * * The taxi arrived at the Majestic Theater. Colin got out of the cab and held his hand out to Aileen to help her out. When they were standing in front of the theater and Aileen saw what was playing there she beamed. "The Phantom of the Opera!" She exclaimed. "I've always wanted to see that!" "I know," Colin said, "that's why we're here." They went to the box office and Colin said, "You should have two tickets being held for Martin." The booking clerk checked in a drawer and nodded. He opened an envelope and handed the tickets to Colin. They entered the foyer and once again checked their coats. Colin and Aileen went to the ticket taker in front of the theater doors and Colin handed him their tickets. An usher led them inside the theater and to their seats. Once again Colin noticed the stares Aileen was getting and that sense of pride returned in full force. Colin also noticed that Aileen was walking with her left hand held in a way that most people would notice her ring as she passed by. The orchestra was warming up while they were seated. They were sitting in the orchestra section in row "F". Not bad seats, they were pretty close to the stage, about one third of the way back, and they had a clear view of the stage. When the lights dimmed and the orchestra started to play loudly, Aileen took hold of Colin's arm and squeezed it tightly. She whispered in his ear, "I'm so excited honey! Thank you so much for this!" "It's my pleasure, you know I would do anything for you," Colin said. "I know baby," Aileen said and kissed his cheek. "I love you." "I love you too." The curtain raised and the musical started. Colin really wasn't into musicals but, of course, he was here for his mother, but as the show progressed, he found he was getting into it. It was a haunting love story and maybe because he was so in love with his mother it was having more of an effect on his feelings. Especially when the famous song from the show, Music of the Night, was being sung, the lyrics and melody got to him. Colin felt connected to the story and music as he never thought he would. Since Christmas he felt like he was living his life in a song and these lyrics seemed to punctuate that; they touched him deep inside. He looked over at his mother's beautiful face and saw her emerald eyes sparkling; she was enthralled by the performance. Colin squeezed her hand and she looked over at him and smiled, he could tell the song was affecting her the same way it was him. He smiled back at her and then they returned their attention back to the musical. The musical was in two acts and in between there was a fifteen minute intermission. Colin and Aileen took advantage of that intermission, like many were, to use the restrooms. When the met up again in the foyer Aileen gave her son a huge hug. "You have know idea how much I am enjoying this!" she said. "I think I have an idea," Colin said enjoying the feeling of Aileen's luscious body pressed against him. In fact he was enjoying it too much as he felt it start to get tight in his trousers. Aileen must have felt his arousal because she whispered in his ear, "When we get home I'm going to show you my appreciation for tonight in ways you couldn't even imagine." Then she licked his ear sending a jolt down Colin's body and directly into his cock. Now he was hard as stone. "God woman! Are you trying to embarrass me?" Colin said quietly. "No, I'm trying to frustrate you, just like you've been frustrating me all day with your surprises!" Aileen said with a coy smile. "But didn't you enjoy my surprises?" Colin asked. "I definitely did, just like you are going to enjoy what I have in store for you. But you still had me frustrated and now it's time for a little retribution." Aileen said. When they had the curtain call for the second act Colin had Aileen walk directly in front of him on their way back to their seats. She thought it was hilarious, Colin was less amused. "Poor baby," Aileen said when they were safely in their seats, "I promise I'll make this up to you." "I'm looking forward to it," Colin said. "Me too," Aileen said her voice filled with lust. The lights dimmed, the orchestra struck up again, and the second act began. * * * When the musical was over Aileen seemed to be spellbound. As they exited the theater she couldn't stop talking about how wonderful and intense the show was. "I have to admit, I enjoyed it more that I thought I would," Colin said, "but of course the company was the best part of the experience for me." "The same goes for me," Aileen said, "I wouldn't have enjoyed it half as much if I didn't have you sitting next to me. Colin hailed a taxi and they headed back to the garage next to the 21 Club. Once they were back in their Civic and leaving Manhattan Aileen asked, "Colin? Are you going to be all right to drive home?" "Hell no!" Colin said. "After the dinner, the wine, and the show I'm bone weary." "I can drive half the way then," Aileen offered. "No, you won't need to do that," Colin said. "I've reserved a room for us at the Paramus Best Western. That's only eight miles away." Aileen swatted Colin in the arm. "Hey! What was that for?" "You skunk, another surprise?!!" Aileen said. "I figured I might be too tired to drive home tonight so I reserved the room. I made sure to get one with a king size bed." Colin wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "Ohhhh, so you just assumed I'd spend the night with you in a hotel did you?" Aileen said playfully. "Why not? You spend every night with me at home. Besides, I seem to recall you mentioning something about showing me your appreciation for tonight," Colin said. "I did say something along those lines didn't I?" Aileen said. "Yep. You promised." "Well I guess a promise is a promise," Aileen sighed dramatically. "Drive on!" While they were driving Aileen had placed her hand in Colin's lap, she unzipped his pants and started rubbing his cock through his underwear. "Don't worry fella," she said as she continued to rub, "it's soon going to be your turn to have some fun tonight; we're all going to have a lot of fun together!" NEXT CHAPTER: ETERNAL FLAME Author's Note: "Music of the Night" from the musical "Phantom of the Opera" with lyrics by Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 11 CHAPTER 11: ETERNAL FLAME It was good the hotel was only a few miles away because by the time they arrived there Colin's cock was so hard he could have driven nails with it. After he managed to get his pants zipped up, he had to walk behind Aileen again as they entered the hotel. "Do you want me to give you my purse to hold in front of that thing?" Aileen asked gleefully. Colin scowled. "That would be a great way to hide my embarrassment of an erection, walking around with a woman's purse in front of my crotch!" He said. Aileen broke out laughing, she was positively giddy. Colin succeeded in making it to the front desk and checking in. Once he had the keycard in his hand he guided a very buoyant Aileen to their room. She was giggling all the way. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were drunk, but it's been over three hours since we had any wine," Colin said. "I'm high on life baby," Aileen replied. "I've never felt so free, without a worry on my mind. I feel like I'm floating." When they made it inside the room, Aileen pushed Colin up against the back of the door and started covering his face with kisses. "Oh Colin, you've given me the most wonderful night of my entire life! I love you so much!" She said. Colin tried to respond saying he loved her too but his mouth and especially his tongue was engaged at the moment. He kissed Aileen deeply freeing the fire of passion he held for her, letting it consume him. They took their coats of and tossed them on a chair. Colin then wrapped his arms around Aileen's voluptuous form and continued kissing her moving her over to the bed. Colin's hands roamed all over her body and when they settled on her ass he gave it a squeeze which caused Aileen to moan longingly into his mouth. "I'm so hot for you baby!" she said as their lips separated. "My body is burning for your touch!" Aileen struggled with his tie; once she had the knot loosened she slipped it off his head. She then tugged on his jacket, Colin let his hands fall to his sides so she could slip it off and let it drop to the floor. Colin's hands went back to wandering over her body; he grasped hold of her gown and tugged upwards and Aileen raised her arms so he could pull it over her head. Colin draped the gown over another chair, when he turned back to look at Aileen it felt like his heart had stopped at the sight of her. No matter how many times he had seen her body now, it never failed to have this effect on him. She was wearing turquoise panties that matched her dress, and a strapless bra that her bosom was straining to burst out of. She had on white stockings and black high heels. Colin couldn't conceive of any woman being more beautiful than her. She had a smoldering look in her jade eyes but more than that she had a look that said she was for him and only him. That no other man would see that look seemed to define Colin's existence. She belonged to him and he belonged to her and that was all that mattered. Aileen sat on the bed and took her shoes off. Then she slowly and sexily rolled one stocking down her leg and did the same with the other. Colin kicked off his shoes then unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants letting them fall to the floor. His socks were next to join his piles of clothes on the floor followed by his shirt once he unbuttoned it. He was careful when he removed his watch. He took it off and gently laid it on a table. Dressed only in a white tee shirt and boxers he tackled his mother and they fell into the large bed. Aileen looked like a goddess with her alabaster skin and crimson hair spread out around her head as she lay flat on the bed. Colin's lips went to her neck and his hand went to her breasts. Her bra had a clasp in front which he undid and her boobs spilled out. Her nipples were all ready stiff and had to be sticking an inch out from her areolas. He massaged both tits for a time, kneading the soft round mounds; Aileen hummed with satisfaction as he touched her. He lightly stroked the sides of her tits then gave ample attention to her turgid nipples. His lips moved down to her right tit and he took the nipple into his mouth. His tongue circled around the areola for a few laps and then began to move in circles around the nipple making it move back and forth and side to side. Aileen's humming became louder. His hand was on her other tit, his fingers brushed over the nipple a few times then he began to manipulate it more forcefully. He rubbed and squeezed her nipple while sucking on the other one. "Yes! Ohhhhh Yes!" Aileen exclaimed. "Oh God, I'm on fire! Squeeze them! Squeeze them harder! Bite them!" Colin squeezed harder with his fingers and lightly bit down with his teeth and pulled slightly. "Oh God! Oh Colin! Yes!" Aileen cried out. Colin moved his mouth from one nipple to the other causing a string of saliva to stretch between her breasts. His hand moved down her body to rub her stomach, he moved his hand down further, past her bellybutton; he could feel the heat emanating from her pussy. His hand slipped under her panties and into the steamy heat. His felt the narrow strip of pubic hair that was all she had left after she had decided to start shaving. He loved the feeling of smoothness as his fingers ran over her cunt. She was soaking wet down there and her panties were saturated with her juices. Colin propped himself up to sitting position so he could take off her panties; Aileen let out a whine when he pulled his mouth away from her breast. He slid the fingers of both hands beneath the waistband of her panties and began to pull them down. Aileen lifted her hips so he could slide them off. His hands slid underneath his mother so he could squeeze her divine ass as he examined her nearly bald mound appreciating its features. Aileen spread her legs giving him the best view of her mouthwatering pussy. Her facial features exhibited excitement as he beheld the beauty and eroticism her body has to offer. Colin's cock was straining to be free from his boxers. Colin took his index finger and rubbed it up and down her slit. "You're magnificent," he said. "Mmmmmm," Aileen murmured. He slipped his finger inside her dripping hole then pulled it out; he stroked her pussy spreading around her juices. His finger slid back inside her then out again as he began finger fucking her. Aileen purred as she pushed her hips forward humping his finger. His middle finger joined the action inside her pussy and her fluids were outflowing. "Oh God! Oh yes my love! Please! More!" Aileen moaned humping his fingers harder. Her clit was fully emerged from its hood. Colin found the bit of wrinkled tissue on the roof of her pussy and stroked his fingers along it back and forth. "Oh God, I'm gonna cum! Oh Colin you're gonna make me cum!" Aileen shouted. His fingers continued to stroke the tissue and followed it out of her hole and circled around her urethra. He stuck his fingers back inside her pussy feeling its walls contracting around them while his mother spasmed. "OH GOD! I'M CUMMMMINGGGG!" Aileen cried as juices squirted out from her orgasming cunt. When her pussy unclenched Colin resumed moving his fingers in and out of her, when he felt her spasms die down he pulled his dripping wet fingers out and slid them up her pussy to her clitoris. As soon as he touched it Aileen squealed, "OH GOD! I'M CUMMING AGAIN!" Her body wriggled frenziedly on the bed and her pussy squirted out an even more forceful amount of juice. By this point Colin's cock was so hard and had so much pressure pulsing through it, it felt like his entire organ was going to blast off his body. He tore off his tee shirt and boxers and climbed on top of his incredibly soft and sensual mother. He mashed his lips to hers in an urgent kiss then said in an intense whisper, "I need to fuck you now!" "Then fuck me baby!" Aileen replied. "Put your cock in me! Come home to mommy my sweet love!" She grabbed his cock as it leaked precum and rubbed it over her pussy. Every sensation was magnified tenfold and the feeling of his engorged cock running over her slick and puffy pussy lips made Colin feel he might lose it right then, he strived to hold on. She lined his cock up with her hole and guided him in. "Now baby! Give it all to me!" He loved the feeling of her tight pussy walls around his cock. She was so slick with lubrication that, with one long thrust, Colin easily slid into her all the way. "Ohhhhhhh," Aileen moaned as their pubic bones came together. "Oh baby, you feel so good inside me! You make me feel so full!" "I'm not gonna last long," Colin panted. He'd been ready to pop since intermission at the musical. "I know sweetie, I know. I want to feel you cum in me! Cum hard for me honey, fill my pussy with your cream!" Aileen encouraged. Colin started pumping in and out. His breathing was all ready erratic, he knew he was only going to last a few strokes. He pulled nearly all the way out then thrust back in as deep as he could until he felt the tip of his cock make contact with her uterus. Colin lost it. His balls constricted and he felt cum surge through his cock. "UNGHHHHHHH!" Colin grunted as he exploded inside her. Hot jets of cum burst out of his cock one after another coating her womb for seemingly time on end. "Oh Colin, it feels sooooo good..." Aileen purred. "So good to be filled by my true love..." After his cock gave a final twitch and Aileen's grasping pussy could coax out no more cum, Colin slipped his mouth over hers and their tongues cavorted. He rolled her over so she was on top and hugged her as close to his body as he could. "I am so in love with you," he whispered into her ear. "You make me feel so wanted, so needed, all the good things in my life have come from having you," Aileen said softly into his shoulder. "I love you so much!" "I'll always need you, always," Colin said as he ran a hand lovingly through her hair. He kissed her again and began rubbing her back; he traced her spinal column with his fingers. Soon his hands found themselves on her ass. As he rubbed and massaged her soft flesh Aileen started moving her groin back and forth over his. Colin started to feel himself becoming aroused once more. He pulled Aileen up until she was straddling his chest. "Turn around," he told her. "Why?" Aileen asked. "It's your turn to cum. I want to taste your pussy," Colin said. "But baby, you just came in me," Aileen said. "So what? It's my cum, it's not like I haven't tasted it in your mouth a hundred times by now," Colin said. "We are part of each other, there's no experience I don't want to share with you. I want to eat your pussy out while it's wet and sloppy from our lovemaking." He felt a shiver run through her body. "Okay baby, anything you want," Aileen said in a husky voice as she ran a hand softly over his cheek. "But you're not the only one that's going to get to play." She turned herself around and Colin got an eyeful of her contoured feminine back and shapely ass. Aileen scooted back; her thighs were slick with their combined fluids running down from her pussy. Colin fondled her ass as her mound got closer to his face. When she reached his chin she lifted her ass up and placed her pussy over his mouth; drops of their love secretions dripped down on his face. She lowered her crotch onto his mouth; he licked her wet slit and could taste the sweetness of her honey mixed with the tanginess of his cum. He continued to lick her slit sliding his tongue around her labia, the smooth outer lips and the puffy inner lips. While Colin was lavishing oral attention to his lover's pussy, he felt Aileen lean over and grasp his cock with her hands. He jerked when he felt her hands moving up and down on his shaft. He had returned to semi-erectness before, now he was completely hard again as she administered stroke after stroke on his slippery cock. Colin returned his attention to his mother's sodden pussy. He licked around her urethra and then his tongue found her hole; it was awash with pussy juice and cum. Colin felt Aileen take his cock in her mouth, he gasped and consequentially drew in a copious amount of cum and juice which he had to quickly swallow to avoid choking. The feeling of being in his mother's sultry mouth was sensational, especially when he pictured her rose red lips sliding along his shaft. She had taken the head and a good part of the shaft into her mouth and was switching from twirling her tongue around the head to sucking on it like she was a Hoover. Her hand was grasped around the remaining part of his shaft and she was sliding it up and down sometimes moving down to fondle his balls. Colin repeatedly licked from her cunt hole all the way up her slit. There was a good amount of saliva now mixed in with the other fluids. Aileen licked his cock up and down on all sides and each time she made it to the tip she would take the head into her mouth and give it a little suck. On one trip down his shaft she kept going and started licking his balls and eventually taking them into her mouth and sucking on them. He was in ecstasy. The hotel room was filled with the sounds of lips smacking, slurping, grunting, and moaning as the two lovers sixty-nined. Colin sucked on her pussy lips and then her hole. He sucked out gobs of his own cum mixed with Aileen's nectar. He swallowed everything he got, he didn't care, he knew his mother was turned on by the amount of her own juices she was drenching his face with and how enthusiastically she was licking and sucking his balls and cock. Colin propelled his tongue deep into his mother's cunt. He could feel she was getting close to an orgasm. He let his tongue roll around inside her catching plentiful amounts of their fluids. He made sure to give a little extra attention to that special spot on her cunt wall. He brought his hand up to her pussy and made sure to get his fingers good and wet. Her clit was standing out proudly. He slid his index finger over it and Aileen bucked as she orgasmed and a deluge of juice cascaded from her pussy, he slurped it up. "MMMMMMM!" she moaned with her mouth full of cock. He circled his finger around her clit and over it once more and she spasmed wildly into another orgasm. Aileen had to release Colin's cock from her mouth as she orgasmed. "Oh God! OH GOD!!!" She screamed. Colin removed his hand from her clit and replaced it with his tongue. He swirled his tongue around the nubbin and sucked on it gently, as he was doing this his hand worked its way between her ass cheeks and his fingers played with the rosebud opening. He slipped a slick finger slightly into the tight opening. "OH MY GOD!!! OH COLIN!!!! OHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Aileen howled. She was writhing out of control and her wet, sloppy pussy was sliding all over his face. It was all Colin could do to keep his tongue on her clit as another outpour of her juices showered down on his face and chest. "Oh God Colin, no more! No more! I'm gonna pass out." Aileen said wearily. Colin laid his head back on the pillow and let his mother have a chance to come down from her intense orgasms. Her body went limp on top of him except for an occasional shiver. She was breathing heavy; Colin felt her warm breath on his still rock solid cock that was right by her head. He caressed her butt cheeks as she regained some of her strength. After a few minutes passed, Aileen turned herself around so she was face to face with Colin. "Oh baby! You are the most magnificent lover in the world," she said as she began to kiss him. She kissed him deeply sucking his tongue into her mouth. Colin put his arms around her to hold her. She kissed him all over his face and even began licking him, slurping up their combined cum that was on his face. "You get me so turned on!" "You do the same for me!" Colin said. Aileen smiled and began rubbing her body against Colin's. Their sweat and other lubrication between them made them slippery and almost frictionless. Her breasts rubbed back and forth over his torso. He could feel her distended nipples brush over his chest, her stomach moving down over his cock than back up again. "Does that feel good baby?" Aileen asked lasciviously. "Yesssssss," Colin hissed. Aileen moved down Colin's body until his cock was amidst her pillowy breasts. She pushed her tits together squeezing his cock and moved up and down, his erection slid between her mounds of flesh. "How about this? Do you like this?" She asked. "Oh fuck yes!" Colin said. Aileen then took one of her hard nipples and started swirling it around the head of his cock. "And this?" She asked. "Ohhhhhhhh!" Was all Colin could get out. Aileen moved back up Colin's body and straddled his hips. She grasped his cock and rubbed it all over her pussy, and then she put it at the entrance. He felt the head push past the ring of her opening. Slowly Aileen lowered herself down on his pole, enveloping him inside her. "And this?" She said in a voice breathy with arousal. "Mmmmmm! You like this don't you?" "Oh God yes!" Colin exclaimed. He was home again, the only place he wanted to be; inside the hot wet pussy of his beautiful mother. The feeling of her tight pussy wrapped around his cock transported him. Joined together with his true love his heart sang at being complete. "Hmmmmm, I like this too," Aileen purred as she moved herself up sliding her pussy almost to the tip of his cock then gently lowered herself back down taking him all the way back inside her again. "I love this. I love the feeling of you inside me Colin; my baby's big cock filling me up. I feel you so deep in me. I love you so much honey and I love riding your wonderful cock!" As she was talking her hips began moving up and down; his shaft sliding in and out of her. "I love you too," Colin said. "I love being with you." "I want to fuck you," Aileen said. "I want to fuck my baby, ride his cock, and feel him pulsate inside me. I want to feel you cum inside me again. I want to feel my baby cum!" "Yes!" Colin exclaimed, his blood boiling. "Fuck me! Please fuck me!" "I love you so much, you make me feel so good," Aileen said and then she began to moan as she rode his cock in an ever increasing rhythm. Colin reached up and took hold of her jiggling breasts and caressed them as his mother's pussy slipped up and down on his cock. "Tell me it will be like this forever; tell me it will always feel this way!" Aileen said. "It will be like this forever! I will love you forever I promise! It will always be this way with us!" Colin said between moans of pleasure. "Our bond is eternal! We are husband and wife in our hearts!" "Ohhhhhhh Colin!" Aileen moaned as her hips flowed over his cock. "I believe you baby! You make me believe. I never knew I could feel this much love! My son, my husband, I am your woman. You have all of me for eternity." Colin sat up with Aileen in his lap, their genitals still connected, and took hold of her in a tight hug. "You have all of me, you've always had," he said into her ear. Aileen grabbed onto Colin just as fiercely wrapping her arms around him. Sitting together in bed connected and as close to each other as possible, the couple continued their lovemaking. Aileen moved her hips and Colin thrust his forward to meet her forward movements. Their pubic bones continually slammed into and rubbed against each other; Aileen's turgid clit was getting constant stimulation from the contact. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" Aileen droned as Colin's cock glided in and out of her. His pelvis grinded against hers again and Aileen went off into orgasm. "OHHHHHHHHHH!" she crowed and her pussy contracted around Colin's penis. Colin held onto her as she spasmed out then resumed thrusting deep inside her. Aileen was over stimulated and before long she was ready to explode again. "Oh God! Oh baby! You're making me cum againnnnnnn! OHHHHHHHHHH!" she exclaimed as she writhed in Colin's arms. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 11 Colin was in a frenetic state, his mind given over to the impulses of his body, and he continued to pump his cock in and out of his mother. Aileen's nails dug into his shoulders as she struggled to hold on, Colin wouldn't have let her go though; his hold on her was too tight. Before her last orgasm had a chance to subside Colin felt her tensing as another one came over her. "Oh God!" she cried out. "OH GOD! OH GODDDDDDDDD!!!" She wasn't having one orgasm; she was going into a series. Her whole body was shaking and her pussy was clenching tightly then releasing then clenching tightly again on Colin's cock so furiously that it triggered an imminent orgasm in Colin. Colin felt his balls tighten and his loaded cock was suffused with cum ready to burst out of him. He couldn't hold back any longer. "ERAHGGGGGGGGG!!!" He grunted as his cock massively erupted inside his mother's pussy. Hot streams of ejaculate shot through Aileen's cunt and her succession of cums climaxed with one major orgasm. Aileen's body stiffened and her pussy clamped down hard on Colin's cock. She bit down on Colin's shoulder which muffled her scream somewhat. Colin didn't even feel her teeth sink into his skin he was so lost in rapture and the complete feeling of oneness with his lover. Through that bond of oneness Colin felt his mother shaking and crying before his senses came around enough for him to be aware of anything else. Slowly his conscious emerged from the depths of their united passion. He was still holding on tightly to Aileen and she to him, his softening cock still planted in her pussy. Her head was buried in his shoulder as her whole body shuddered. "Hey babe," Colin said softly as he ran his hand through her hair. "Are you okay?" "Yes," Aileen said though her voice was choked up and Colin could feel the wetness on his shoulder. "It's just that I have never...I have never experienced anything as powerful as that before. My emotions are out of control. I...I feel so safe, so loved with you...so passionate," Aileen swallowed and looked up at Colin; tears were running down her cheeks. "It's still so new though; having someone I trust so completely that I can let myself go. When we make love I give every part of myself to you, body and soul, and I know I'm safe in your arms. I feel we reached a higher plateau than ever this time and it...it's just overwhelming." Aileen started shaking more intensely and crying harder. "Shhhh, babe. It's okay I understand," Colin said giving his mother a squeeze. "I understand perfectly everything you just said and I feel it too. Just remember we're together in all things and we always will be. I will always be here to comfort you when you are feeling overwhelmed." "Don't let go of me baby, hold me please," Aileen said. "I'm never letting go of you, ever," Colin replied holding her as tight as he could. "I love you so much Colin!" "I love you too." They began to kiss and fell back on the bed holding each other and locked at the lips. Colin's flaccid cock slipped out of her pussy but she caught it between her thighs and refused to release it. Colin was happy to keep it there. Colin pulled the covers over them and they drifted off into an exhausted but blissful sleep. * * * Colin woke up in the middle of the night and found that at some point Aileen had rolled over so her backside was pressing up against his front, her plump ass pressed to his groin. He had an arm draped over her with his hand on one of her luscious breasts. His cock was still firmly secured between his mother's thighs however and the only way that could have happened was if she put it back there. Colin was in no position to complain; he loved the feeling of his cock so close to the moist heat of her pussy. In fact, he was starting to become aroused again. He began to caress the tit he held in his hand; kneading the soft flesh and circling his finger around the areola. As his penis hardened he slowly began to slide it back and forth between his mother's legs. "Mmmmmmmm," he heard his mother murmur in her sleep. Colin's cock slid along the lips of her pussy, still slick and puffy from their earlier lovemaking. His cock found the entrance to her cunt and gently slid in. "Ohhhhhhh honey!" Aileen said. "You awake?" Colin whispered. "I am now," Aileen said "I'm sorry." "Don't be. This is the most wonderful way to wake up I can imagine," Aileen said. Colin moved his hips backing himself out of her a bit then plunging back in. "I love you Mom," he said. "Then make love to me," Aileen answered. Colin smiled as he slid completely out of his mother so she could turn onto her back. When he saw her face he could see she had a broad smile as well. Aileen spread her legs open as Colin maneuvered himself on top of her. Propping himself up on the bed with his arms, he held himself above her and just took in the site below him. Her red hair was disheveled about her, but it added to her sexy allure; her sparkling green eyes with long eyelashes, her sensuous red lips, and her creamy soft skin made her so desirable. Even as she lay on her back her breasts rose sumptuously from her chest, her turgid nipples sticking straight out from large areolas. Her stomach had become taut in the past month and a half, the slight paunch she had was no longer there. Her curvaceous feminine hips led to her shapely legs. "You are so beautiful," Colin said reverently. Aileen continued to smile at him with a look of love and wanting in her eyes. Colin's hard cock was caught in between their stomachs. He took one hand to grasp his cock and move it over Aileen's pussy. He rubbed the head over her wet vagina circling over her raised clit a couple times eliciting sharp gasps and moans from his mother. Then he found her entrance and slid himself in all the way. "Ooooooooooh," Aileen intoned. Colin kept still for a few moments enjoying the feeling of being inside his mother. After a while he began to slowly move his hips up and down, sliding his shaft in and out of her pussy. He bent his head down to her tits and took a nipple into his mouth gently sucking on it and using his tongue to play with the supple nub. After all ready cumming more than once earlier that night, Colin felt he had the stamina to last quite a while so he fell into a natural rhythm of tender lovemaking. He continued to suck on her nipples making sure to keep switching back and forth so each breast got equal attention. Colin didn't know how long they were making love, but it felt like hours. Aileen had all ready cum a few times; small sensuous orgasms that seemed quite pleasing to her but nothing like the volcanic orgasms they shared a few hours ago. While the sex wasn't as frenzied as before, it was just as good in another way; they got to share a moving experience. They were joined together and could bask in that connectedness and explore the purity of the love they had for each other. Finally Colin felt the urge to cum building up inside him. "Mom, I'm gonna cum," he said. "I want you to cum with me." "I'm almost there baby, I'm almost there!" Aileen said. Colin continued to pump in and out of Aileen's pussy until he felt it clamp down on his cock and his mother started to spasm. "OHHHHHHHHH!" Aileen cried. The feeling of his mother's cunt tightening around his cock pushed Colin over the edge. "OH GOD! OHHHHHHHHHHH!" He shouted as his sperm shot out of his cock. Colin's slow building orgasm had a powerful culmination. Colin collapsed on top of his mother as they felt the remnants of each other's orgasms through the small shudders and shivers of each body. Aileen put her hand on the back of Colin's head and ran her fingers through his hair. "Oh Colin, you don't know how good you are. You give me everything I could possibly want, every way I could possibly want it," she said. "I love you so much!" "I love you with all my heart Mom," Colin said. "Stay on top of me for a while longer," Aileen asked. "Let me hold my darling man." "Anything you want," Colin said. "You can always have anything you want." "I love you, my husband," Aileen whispered into Colin's ear. Colin shivered and a thrill went through him to hear her use those words. "I love you too...my wife," Colin whispered back. He felt Aileen's grip on him tighten for a moment, then the two lovers fell back asleep. * * * "Oh my God!" Colin was startled awake by his mother's exclamation. "What? What?" Colin said still half asleep as he sat up in bed turning his head left and right looking to see if something was amiss in the room. "Did I do that to you?!!" Aileen said as she gently touched the red and purple welt surrounded by teeth marks on Colin's shoulder. Morning had come and daylight flooded through the windows making the evidence of the previous night's lust quite easy to see. Colin looked at the mark on his shoulder then said, "Heh, I guess you did," and began chuckling. "Oh baby! I'm so sorry!" "Don't be. It's a love bite. I'll wear it with honor." Colin said with a smile. "I never meant to hurt you my darling," Aileen said "I didn't even feel it I was so lost in being with you. Please believe me; it's okay," Colin said as he took Aileen in his arms. She was about to say something else but Colin cut her off by kissing her ardently. It only took a couple of seconds before Aileen was kissing back just as strongly. When they finally separated Aileen said, "As much as I'd like to continue this, we don't have that much time before checkout and I need a shower." "A shower huh? That's a good idea, I'm pretty sticky. Want some company?" Colin asked. "I always want your company baby," Aileen said. Colin rubbed her shoulder suggestively. "Then we can continue this in the shower," he said. "We can't take too much time..." Aileen said but Colin continued to rub her shoulder then let his fingertips flow gently up and down her arm. "But..." she continued as a smile spread on her face, "I suppose we do have a little time." Once they were in the shower they began to wash each other. When Aileen was washing Colin's back she saw the scratches her fingernails caused on his back and said, "Oh Colin, I can't believe how rough I was with you last night. I'm so sorry!" She sounded near tears. Colin turned around and enfolded her in his embrace, "Mom, please don't feel bad about anything that happened last night. It was amazing! You were amazing!" Colin proclaimed. "I swear to you I didn't feel any pain then and now I'm just a little sore but it's a good soreness. It's a reminder of the fun we had last night." Aileen still looked unsure but she said, "Okay, but I still think you deserve something from me to make it up." The look on her face turned lascivious as she knelt down in front of Colin. When her face was in front of his groin she took his cock in her hand. It was all ready semi erect but after a few strokes he was fully hard. Aileen placed the head of his cock in her mouth and began to swirl her tongue around. Colin rolled his eyes back in pleasure. She took more and more of his cock into her mouth until he felt the head hit the back of her throat. Then she began to suck while her hand stroked the remaining portion of his shaft that couldn't fit in her mouth. She went back and forth between sucking and twirling her tongue. Her hand slid down his shaft and fondled his balls. Colin was so completely enrapt by the feeling that he couldn't move. She began to suck harder and then her hand reached past his balls and went up between his ass cheeks. When he felt her finger penetrate his asshole Colin knew he was ready to lose it. "UHHHHHH! I'm gonna cum!" He said. Aileen sucked even harder. His balls constricted and Colin's cock released a mighty blast of cum into his mother's mouth and then another and another. Colin felt week in the knees as he unloaded his seed. Aileen hungrily swallowed it all. Aileen took his last load into her mouth but she didn't swallow. She looked up at Colin with a pleased-with-herself grin on her face and opened her mouth. She showed him his white cream dancing on her tongue then made a big production of swallowing that last bit, her smile even wider. Aileen stood up and Colin took her into his arms kissing her deeply. He had tasted his own cum so many times by now it didn't even faze him even after seeing it in her mouth, her whole routine had so turned him on that Colin hadn't lost his erection and was fully stiff again. Aileen grabbed his cock in her hand again and stroked it, then put it at the entrance to her pussy. Colin took her in the shower making energetic love to her while hot water sprayed down on them both. * * * "You know you thought of just about everything yesterday, but you forgot one thing," Aileen said. "What's that?" Colin asked. "You should have packed an overnight bag for us, now we have to go home in the same clothes we had on yesterday!" Aileen answered. They had finished their shower and were wrapped in towels in the bathroom. "Oops," Colin said looking sheepish. "I guess I should have done that. Darn! I thought I had thought of everything!" Aileen laughed and put her arms around Colin. "Don't worry about it sweetie, you gave me the best night of my life last night. If I didn't all ready love you with all my heart I would have fallen hopelessly in love with you then. You did everything perfect!" "Almost perfect," Colin said with a scowl. "Completely perfect," Aileen corrected him. "So what if I have to wear this dress home? Nobody knows us here and when we get back to the apartment building we probably won't see anybody as we go from the garage to our apartment and if we do it won't be that big a deal." "I suppose you're right," Colin said as he left the bathroom. Colin got dressed in the suit he wore the previous day. It was wrinkled but at least he had something to wear. He ran a hand through his short damp hair in lieu of a brush. Aileen donned her evening gown and fortunately for her she carried a brush and makeup in her purse so she could fix herself up a bit. When she emerged from the bathroom Colin was amazed. She looked just as stunning as she did last night. "Close your mouth before you catch flies," Aileen said with a giggle. "It's just you are so beautiful," Colin said. "Flatterer," Aileen said. "Maybe, but a completely honest one," Colin countered and Aileen smiled. "So are we ready to check out?" Aileen asked. "Almost," Colin said. "Almost? What do you need to do?" "I need to give you my final gift," Colin said. "Colin! No! You've all ready done too much!" Aileen said adamantly. "I could never do too much for you," Colin said. "Yes you can! I know last night must have cost you a fortune, I can't accept anything more!" The previous night had cost Colin a lot, he had used almost all the money he had been saving up for the past couple years, but it was worth it to him. You only get one first Valentine's Day with the love of your life. He could always save up more money. "Let me just show you what it is before you refuse it. It isn't anything extravagant, just something I think you can use." Colin said. "Oh...all right," Aileen said in resignation. Colin went to his coat and pulled an oblong velvet covered box out of the pocket. He brought it over to Aileen and handed it to her. She opened it and saw that inside was a simple gold chain. Colin took Aileen's left hand and removed the ring from it. She hadn't taken it off since he had put it on her. "When I got you this ring," Colin began, "I decided that if you agreed to wear it, I wanted you to be able to wear it all the time." Colin took the gold chain out of its box. He placed the ring on the chain. "I figured if you wore it around your neck hidden beneath your clothes you would be able to wear it without being questioned about it." He put the chain with the ring on it around her neck. "I love you Aileen and I want you to always wear my ring. Until we move somewhere no one knows us, you can wear it like this." Aileen was in tears. "Colin, I don't know what to say...I was dreading having to take this off when we got home, I felt so proud wearing it last night. Colin this is wonderful! Oh baby I love you so much! I will wear your ring always from now on! Even if I can't show it off I will always have it on me and it will be close to my heart." "I love you Aileen," Colin said. "You are the wife of my heart." "I love you too Colin, husband of my heart." Aileen crashed into Colin's arms kissing him passionately. Colin had felt bonded to Aileen since Christmas, but now he felt that bond had been cemented and he knew Aileen felt that too. He was going to spend his life with this wonderful woman and this was only the beginning. NEXT CHAPTER: RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 12 CHAPTER 12: RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS On Monday there was a new addition to the lunch table. Sheryl had joined the group and sat next to Colin, Brian grabbed the seat on her other side. "So how did the dance go?" Colin asked Sheryl. "Did I find a suitable escort?" "You found a terrific escort," Sheryl said with a smile giving Brian's arm a hug. "He was a perfect gentleman." Brian actually blushed a bit. "Are you guys an item now or what?" Colin asked. "No, we're just friends," Sheryl said quickly. "I think I need to be not involved with anyone for a while, but in the future...who knows? I do want to thank you for bringing us together for the night; I had a really nice time. You've always taken good care of me," she said softly making eye contact with Colin. "Well...it was my pleasure; I'm glad things worked out. I hope Seth didn't give you guys a hard time," Colin said. Sheryl sniffed in derision and said, "He acted like we didn't even exist just like he's doing now," she motioned over to Seth's table. "Actually, sometimes it looked like he genuinely didn't notice us there. Seth has been acting really preoccupied lately, even before we broke up." "Let's forget about Seth, he's not worth it," Brian said. "What I want to know is why you weren't at the dance? You've been acting pretty mysterious lately yourself Col. Who were you with on Saturday night?" "Uh...I don't think it would be right to talk about that in front of my ex girlfriend," Colin said thinking up an excuse on the spot. "Oh no, I would love to learn who the mystery girl is in your life now!" Sheryl said playfully. Colin could have strangled Brian for steering the conversation this way. "Who says I have mystery woman in my life?" He said. "It's written all over your face dude," Brian said, "and now we know it's not a girl but a woman. You getting some college tail? No wonder you didn't want to take her to a high school dance." Oh shit! Colin thought. I fucked up! "Again I point out there is a female present and you are being uncouth," he said hoping to deflect this interrogation. "And again I point out I'm fine with this and interested in your answer...and you are being evasive," Sheryl said with an impish smile. Brian and Sheryl were both looking at Colin waiting for him to reveal who was his new love. "I'm sorry, but it's not something I wish to talk about," he said. "Fine, be that way," Sheryl said in a huff. "I don't get it," Brian said, "what's so special about this woman that you have to keep it secret?" "I have my reasons so can we drop it?" Colin said. "Fine, I give up," Brian said. Both he and Sheryl looked disgusted with Colin for his tightlippedness. "Look, as a friend, I'm asking you to understand. If I could tell you I would but there are reasons I can't." Colin said. "Okay, I won't bug you about it anymore," Brian said and after a moment of hesitation, Sheryl nodded in agreement. "Thanks guys," Colin said. They continued talking over lunch but Colin had a queasy feeling that he had still said too much. Only three months until graduation, Colin reminded himself. He and Aileen could make it. * * * It was Monday again and the first day of March; the month was definitely coming in like a lion. When Colin left for school that morning he was met by a deluge of rain as he left the apartment complex. The wind howled and blew the cold rain sideways so his umbrella wasn't much help. This didn't help with his current dark disposition. He wished he could have stayed in bed today. The past couple weeks had been inordinately stressful and he just wanted some time to recoup. Sheryl's assertion that she was not looking to be involved with anyone for a time seemed more and more every day as her way of telling Colin she was waiting for him to take her back, at times she even appeared to think they were back together. Despite having agreed not to press the issue of who Colin was seeing, Sheryl was doing just that. She sat with him at lunch every day and at least once a day she would steer conversation in a roundabout way towards his love life. She even showed up frequently at the diner when he was working. She would come in, sit at the counter, and order a Diet Coke or cup of coffee and stay there for hours while he worked. He knew she was still hurting from her breakup with Seth, but it was disconcerting for Colin seeing her all the time and feel she was looking to get back together with him. He didn't want to believe she was stalking him, but what else could he call what she was doing? It didn't help that he was continually being harassed by Ricky Woods and Dan Blade, another one of Seth's group. They verbally assaulted him and any friends he was hanging out with at the time. Especially when Sheryl was with him he would hear remarks like "seems like Colin don't mind sloppy seconds" or "nice catch Martin, I hear she's only had one previous owner that's driven her". Since Colin wasn't going out with Sheryl these taunts didn't bother him personally, but it bothered him to see that they upset Sheryl. They were baiting him and he knew it but Sheryl was in a fragile state of mind all ready and didn't need this. Colin often found himself in a position of having to defend her honor to the point of threatening Ricky, Dan, or whoever else was causing a problem and sometimes he'd end up in detention for his effort. This wasn't helping in breaking Sheryl out of her delusional state regarding their relationship. There were also the physical threats. Sometimes Seth's goons would catch him in the halls and "accidentally" bump into him, one time Ricky and Dan ganged up on him in the bathroom and Colin knew he would have had the snot beat out of him if it hadn't been for William and Kendis walking in on them. Ricky was pissed at Colin for breaking his nose and wanted revenge, but Colin could see Seth's hand behind all of this. It was what he always did; send someone else to do the dirty work while he could claim innocence in any incidents that might happen. Colin felt it was only a matter of time before he found himself in a dire situation and would have no back up. He knew Seth was just testing him trying to get him to let his guard down with these half hearted attempts to get at him. Sooner or later the real attack would come; Colin just had to be wary and be ready for it when it did. The word had gotten around the school that Colin was on Seth's shit list and people were avoiding him. Even Tedd Silvers, who Colin had stood up for against Ricky, distanced himself. It seemed his circle of friends dwindled down to Moe, William, Kendis, Sheryl and Brian. They were the only ones who would allow themselves to be seen associating with Colin, but at least he still had some friends that were willing to stand by him. However, Brian was becoming another problem all of his own. The reason why he had been free to take Sheryl to the Valentine's Day dance on such short notice was that he recently broke up with his girlfriend, Karen Georgina. Karen and Brian went out for close to a year but in January called it quits. It had been a pretty mutual break up, both of them decided their relationship had run its course, but still, Brian hadn't planned on going to the dance because he didn't feel up to asking someone new out just yet. Brian took out Sheryl as a favor to Colin but it seemed that after the dance he began to develop feelings for her. Colin was all for the two of them getting together, he thought they would make a nice couple. He had known Brian all throughout high school, but Brian hadn't been part of Seth's inner circle, thus he never got to know him very well. That was until January when Colin rejoined the basketball team and they became closer friends. Colin's estimation of Brian was that he was a good guy and would be good for Sheryl; the only problem was Sheryl was focused on Colin. Everyday she seemed more entrenched in a fantasy that they were back together. It also didn't help matters that he and Sheryl were being teased by Seth's associates as if they were a couple. Colin could tell this situation was beginning to annoy Brian; it had gone beyond annoying to Colin. Brian was starting to become more distant and while he still sat at the same table during lunch he was usually a few seats down from Colin and Sheryl now. Another friend Colin was losing due to this insane situation. Colin met up with Moe and Matt as he usually did on the way to school. Matt ignored Colin and walked on ahead of them as he'd been doing since the entire athletics scandal. Moe stayed behind with Colin. "Pretty fucked up weather today, ain't it?" Moe said. Colin said nothing, but as usual Moe couldn't take a hint and started running off at the mouth. "I finally got around to seeing that movie The Butterfly Effect last weekend. Fuckin' Ashton Kutcher; ruined a perfectly good sci-fi flick. Why the fuck they keep putting him in movies? I'll tell you why. Teenybopper thirteen-year-olds think he's so dreamy, fucking ruining things for the rest of us. At least they could have kept him to chick flick romantic comedies, but do they do that? No...they had to put him in a dramatic role. Fuck! I couldn't concentrate on the fuckin' movie cause I kept seeing Kelso playing the role and it didn't match up. Made me laugh my ass off and the fuckin' movie wasn't supposed to be funny! Motherfuckers. You know who they should have cast in that part?" "Moe, please give it a rest, just for today," Colin said. Moe was quiet for a brief moment then said, "This fuckin' weather getting you down? I know how you feel. Days like this I don't wanna be out, I just want to stay in bed with my porno mags and jack..." "Moe! Just shut the fuck up for once! Please!" Colin exclaimed. Moe shut up but only for another brief moment. "Dude, you are in a particularly rotten mood this morning. What's the matter? Not getting any?" Colin's eyes shot daggers at Moe and when he saw the look in Colin's face he finally shut up for good. Colin stewed as they continued to walk to school. Moe had hit a little too close to home with his last statement. Colin thought back to Valentine's Day and how wonderful it was. He felt closer than ever to Aileen after that night. But the following Monday they had to return to their everyday lives and the problems that were still there waiting for them. Seth was still waiting for his chance to get back at Colin. Aileen understood that just as well as Colin. She didn't fight him on his stance regarding Seth but he could tell she was worried. He did everything he could to reassure her he would be all right but the one thing he couldn't do, the one thing he refused to do was be Seth's lapdog. He wouldn't run from any direct confrontations and he had no fear of those anymore, what concerned him was the indirect ways that Seth preferred to strike. Waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop was causing a certain tension between Aileen and Colin and putting a strain on their lives. Even when I refuse to let him have an influence on my life he still finds a way to impact it! Colin thought miserably. Usually Colin could find solace in the private world he shared with Aileen. They both drew strength from that world, from each other, but living in the constant shadow Seth cast on them from the outside was making things difficult. This morning things seemed even worse; he missed what had become a morning ritual with his mother. They showered together in the mornings among more intimate things before leaving for school and work, something that Colin relished. This morning Aileen begged off their normal habit complaining that she didn't feel well and wished the bathroom for herself. As Moe had succinctly put it, he didn't get any. But it wasn't the sex he wanted as much as just that last moment of loving closeness they would share before having to separate for some hours. . Colin arrived at school cold, wet, and in an utterly bleak mood. When he saw Sheryl there standing beneath the shelter of the covered front entrance, he silently cursed. He knew she was waiting for him. "Hi Colin!" Sheryl said with a smile as he approached her. "Dude, I think you got a crazy psycho bitch on your hands," Moe said sotto voce. "First she likes you but she dumps you, then she wants to be friends, then she hates you, now she's back to liking you again. There's some bad mojo going on with that girl." "Let me handle my life Moe," Colin said. "Hey your life is like your asshole, it's nice to be warned before someone tries to fuck with it," Moe said as he walked ahead of Colin and into the school. Sheryl met Colin as he walked up to the entrance and wrapped her arms around one of his. "Good morning!" She said in a bubbly manner. "How are you today?" Colin looked around and saw Brian standing in a corner glaring at him and Sheryl. With a look of disgust he walked inside. "Things could be better," Colin mumbled. "Awww, what's the matter sweetie?" Sheryl asked. Colin ran a hand through his damp hair and said, "Sheryl we really need to have a talk," just then the warning bell for classes rang. "We'll have to talk at lunch, see you then honey," Sheryl said and she kissed him on the cheek then hurried inside the building. Colin's fists were clenching and he felt a vein pulsing in his head as he entered the school. * * * Colin was on his way to lunch when he saw Ricky and Dan running straight towards him. Both had a look of urgency in their eyes. Oh shit! thought Colin, This is it! He braced himself to fight both of them. The halls still had students making their way to lunch. Are they really that stupid to try beating me up in front of witnesses or am I really that stupid to believe someone will come forward afterwards to identify them? Ricky stopped right in front of Colin while Dan ran right past him. Ricky's expression didn't bespeak malice, but rather fear and concern, Colin wondered what was up. "Colin! You gotta help us!" Ricky said. "What's going on?" Colin said. "It's Seth, he's gone whacko! He's gonna kill her!" Who?" Colin asked in alarm. "Sheryl!" "What?!! Why?!!" "He's been pissed at her ever since she broke up with him and got back together with you. He's finally had enough." "Where are they?" Colin asked. Things were too urgent to waste breath correcting him that he and Sheryl were not back together. "Out by the football field, under the bleachers!" Ricky responded. "Go get help!" Colin told Ricky as he took off for the football field. Ricky ran along side him. "That's what Dan is doing," Ricky informed him. It was still pouring down rain when Colin went outside. He arrived at the football field and ran right under the bleachers. There was no one there and no sign anyone had been there. Just at the moment he realized Ricky had successfully gotten him into an isolated area he felt a severe pain in his back and collapsed to the muddy ground. He got on his hands and knees and tried to stand up when another pain hit him in the back and his face was back in the mud. The pain was so intense he was seeing stars. Colin stayed on the ground this time but lifted his head up enough to see a pair of sneakers walk in front of him. He stared up and saw a person dressed in black sweatpants and sweatshirt, he was also wearing a black ski mask and holding an aluminum baseball bat in his black gloved hands. He heard a sucking and squishing sound from the mud and turned his head to see another individual with a bat and dressed exactly like the first person walk up to his right side. "Roll over," the second person said in a rough male voice. Colin was still trying to sort out what was happening and his mind didn't process what he just said. The man kicked him in the side hard enough to make Colin expel all his breath. "I said roll over!" The man ordered. Colin heard him this time and began to obey but not soon enough for another hard kick to his side. He rolled onto his back taking slow breaths and trying not to throw up from the pain. The first attacker grabbed Colin under the arms and pulled him to his feet lifting him effortlessly. Colin's arms were kept pinned behind his back, he tried struggling but the assailant's grip was unbreakable. Pain exploded in his shoulder blades as pressure was put on his arms. "Stop squirming or I'll break your arms!" His captor said. Colin stopped struggling. The second attacker stepped in front of him and dropped the bat on the ground. "So this is the troublemaker we've heard so much about," he said. "Let's see if he still likes to squeal after we get through with him!" Colin didn't even see the punch coming. All he knew was that one second he was staring at the man and the next his head was reeling. Intense pain throbbed in his left eye and the side of his face. Before he could even refocus his sight on the man another punch came at him...and another...and another. With the last punch he heard a sickening crunching sound coming from his nose and he knew it was broken. Colin felt the blood and tears running down his face and tasted the metallic flavor of blood in his mouth. "How's it feel to have your nose broken asshole?" Ricky said gleefully. "Fuck you Ricky!" Colin managed to get out. "No, I think you're the one that's fucked! I hope you've appreciated the use of your legs, you ain't gonna have them much longer." Ricky said laughing menacingly. "Move out of the way Woods!" said the assailant who had been standing in front of Colin. He had picked up the baseball bat again and looked ready to take a swing at Colin. "Wait! Please!" Colin begged but he was ignored. He closed his eyes in preparation for the pain to come. "Hold it!" said a new voice. It took Colin a moment to sort through the haze he was in before he recognized the voice belonged to Seth. "What's going on Seth?" asked the thug holding the bat. "He's had enough," Seth said. "What do you mean he's had enough? Jimmy says we're supposed to break his kneecaps. You know that." "I can't let you do that." "What's going on Seth?" "He's my cousin is what's going on. As much as I want to see him punished, I can't let you go that far." "What about Jimmy?" "You let me worry about Jimmy. I'll take any heat for this," Seth said. "You know you could get in big trouble for this, you could get all of us in trouble! Why are you sticking your neck out for this dipshit loser?" "I told you, he's my cousin; we're blood. And he's not a loser he's just got a naïve sense of right and wrong. I won't let you get in trouble; I'll take all the blame. You owe me and I'm collecting on that debt now." "Yeah, all right but this clears the slate between you and me," the thug said as he moved away from Colin. "Seth, don't do this man! Let him get what's coming to him!" Ricky whined. "He's had what's coming to him and that's it. Get out of my way Ricky before your nose gets broken again." Seth said and Ricky backed off. "Tommy, let's get out of here before anybody sees us," the thug said to his companion. Tommy let go of Colin giving him a shove and he slumped to the ground then retrieved his bat from the ground. Colin's two attackers walked off and slinked into the shadows. Colin lay on the ground with his face pressed to the cool mud. His nose and left eye were throbbing and he was trying to find relief from the pain any way he could. "C'mon Colin, let's get you to the nurse," Seth said as he moved to help him up. He placed one of Colin's arms around his shoulders and tried to pull him to his feet. Even though Seth was being gentle Colin still felt sharp pain in his back and side as he was helped up. He grunted in pain as he got to his feet. "Just lean on me Colin, we'll be there in a minute," Seth said. Colin did as he was told and found he could walk with support from his cousin. They walked out from under the bleachers to be pelted by cold fat rain drops. Both of them were thoroughly soaked but the drenching helped wash much of the mud from Colin. A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 12 "Why?" Colin managed to croak out. "Huh?" Seth grunted. "Why...help?" Colin said. "Heh," Seth chuckled. "Even you don't believe me when I say I couldn't let my cousin get hurt like that?" "No." "Well...okay, I was going to let them bust your kneecaps, I was even the one who set it up, but as I watched them getting ready to do it, I realized I couldn't let that happen. You may have deserved it, but you're still family. Maybe you've forgotten, but I haven't, that we used to be close as brothers." "Why did I...deserve it?" Colin asked. "You need to ask? Do you know how much trouble you got me into when you blabbed about the fixed games? Nothing may have come from the investigation, but the people I associate with don't like it when a spotlight is directed on their activities," Seth said. "You shouldn't have been associating with them," Colin said. "What gives you the right to tell me how to live my life?" "You did it with me." Seth sighed then spoke. "Don't you get it yet? I was only trying to look out for you. I saw the way your mother coddled you and I knew I had to get you away from her control or you'd end up a mama's boy for the rest of your life. It wasn't right man!" "I suppose you were only looking out for me when you took Sheryl away from me as well?" Colin said. "Well in a way, yes. First it was your mom dominating your life then it was your girlfriend. You needed to break the habit of letting bitches run your life." "Neither of them are bitches!" "Whatever. I won't deny that I came to have feelings for Sheryl, maybe that's why I fucked things up in the end, I was afraid I was becoming too much like...well...you. It doesn't matter now, she's back with you." "She's not back with me," Colin stated. "You could have fooled me," Seth replied. "The worst part of the whole thing is that you never showed me any respect, maybe that's why I was so hard on you." "Respect needs to be earned," Colin said. "I don't need this crap from you Colin! Do you want me to drop you right here so you can get to the nurse on your own?" Seth asked. "That's fine, I would hate to think I owed you anything for helping me get away from an attack that you set up!" Colin answered. "I give up! When we get to the nurse's office you can tell her I was the one behind the whole thing and you'll get your revenge. I don't give a shit anymore!" "Don't tempt me Seth," Colin shot back. After that, both were quiet for the rest of the way to the nurse. They made it back inside the building and Seth helped Colin through the empty halls of the school leaving puddles of rainwater behind in their wake. Both were soaked to the bone and half frozen, Colin's eye and nose were swollen, and the front of his shirt was stained red from blood. They would have made quite the sight to gawk at but luckily most students were still at lunch. They finally came to the front offices and found a door with a big red cross on it. "Oh my goodness!" Nurse Gorman said in alarm when she saw Colin walking in supported by Seth. Nurse Gorman was a matronly figure, a heavyset woman in her fifties with black hair significantly streaked with gray. "Quickly dear, lay down," she said as she led Colin to a room that had a couple black padded beds with exam table paper stripped across them. "What happened?" Nurse Gorman asked as she sat Colin down on a bed. "He was attacked by a couple of guys with baseball bats," Seth said. "Oh! You poor thing," the nurse said as she gave Colin a cursory examination. "It looks like your nose is broken dear. I think we're going to have to send you to the emergency room to have that checked out." "I was afraid of that," Colin said then he grunted as Nurse Gorman touched a tender spot on his abdomen. "Hmm, you at least bruised a couple ribs too. I don't think they're broken but it will be good to let a doctor check and make sure," she said and Colin groaned. "Don't worry sweetheart, you're going to be just fine once a doctor takes care of you. I'll go get some ice for your face, I'll be right back." He nodded as she left the room. Colin and Seth stared at each other in silence while they waited for Nurse Gorman to return. Colin's mind was trying to come to terms with the situation. Here, finally, was his chance to nail Seth! Why was he hesitant to do so? Should he be grateful that Seth saved him? Fuck no! It was Seth's fault he was hurt in the first place! He could now show the world that Seth truly is evil incarnate, he should be dancing a jig for being able to do that! (If he felt up to it, that is.) But one sentence kept resonating in his mind: 'Maybe you've forgotten, but I haven't, that we used to be close as brothers.' Nurse Gorman returned with Principal Grant in tow. "Colin, honey, we've called emergency and they are sending an ambulance for you," the nurse said as she placed an icepack in his hand then raised it up to his face. "Just keep that in place." "I...I don't think I need an ambulance," Colin said feeling embarrassed at the attention he would receive. "You need to get examined hon, and you need to go to the emergency room to do that." "I can get there on my own, take the bus..." "Nonsense Mr. Martin, while in school you are our responsibility and you are going in the ambulance," the principal said and with her, there was no brooking disagreement. She was a small woman in stature, maybe an inch shy of five feet and probably weighed less than one hundred pounds, but she had an imposing presence. Colin wondered if the Coach had taught her his stare or she taught him. "Yes ma'am," Colin said. "Nurse Gorman tells me you've broken your nose." "It appears that way ma'am." "You do realize that you are the third student within the last month to have broken their nose on school grounds?" The principal asked. "It hadn't occurred to me." "Well, it has to me. It's a regular epidemic and I find that very distressing. I also find it coincidental that you have been in the immediate vicinity during each instance." "The first two were accidents though," Seth put in. "Yes, of course they were," Principal Grant said in a doubtful tone. "But according to Nurse Gorman, this instance was certainly no accident." "No," Colin said. "It wasn't." "Would you mind telling me what happened?" "Two guys with bats jumped me beneath the bleachers." "Who were they?" "I don't know, they were wearing masks." "You have no idea who they were? No idea why they were waiting there to hurt you?" Colin avoided looking directly at Seth but he could see him out of the corner of his eye. He stood very calm and composed, like he really didn't give a damn if Colin told on him or not. This is my chance! Colin sighed. "No, I have no idea," he said pressing the icepack more firmly against his throbbing nose. "Mr. Martin, if you know more than you are letting on..." "Ellen, let the boy be for now, he's in pain!" Nurse Gorman said. "Dr. Grant, the ambulance is here," said a new voice, a secretary from the front office stood in the doorway. "Thank you Tischa, could you please show them back here?" The paramedics came in and worked over Colin taking his vitals and asking him questions about what happened to him, where he was hurt, and the degree of pain he felt on a scale of 1 – 10. Colin informed them it was about a 7 but inwardly he thought that if he was asked to gauge his embarrassment it would be around 15. He didn't like being fussed over this way. Sure he was hurt, but he could still move under his own power, it wasn't like he had been shot or something. They made him get in a wheelchair to roll him out to the ambulance waiting outside. As icy rain pelted him he could just imagine the attention he was drawing as people watched him through the school windows. He tried to shrink down as far as he could in the wheelchair. He was taken to Saint Christopher's hospital and delivered to the emergency room. His vitals were taken again and he told the story of how he was injured for what seemed the hundredth time that day and he was asked again to rate his pain. He admitted it was now an 8, his face and side hurting very badly and now his body was shaking uncontrollably and he was extremely nauseous. When Colin assured them he wasn't allergic to any medication they gave him a pill for pain and one for nausea. They then parked him on a gurney behind a curtain and told him would have to wait to be examined by a doctor. Colin leaned back and bided the time until the medicine began to work. He actually started feeling quite a bit better. The queasiness passed, the shaking subsided, and the pain went down to about a 2. He closed his eyes and tried to encourage the tranquil state the medication was offering his body. "Colin! Oh my God!" Colin knew who the voice belonged to before he opened his eyes, but he supposed he had to open them anyway. "Sheryl? What are you doing here?" Colin asked his former girlfriend. "Oh God Colin are you hurt bad? Have you seen a doctor yet? What did they do to you?" Sheryl said, her voice cracking and tears in her eyes. "I've only been seen by a P.A. and nurse so far but they gave me some medicine and I'm feeling okay. What are you doing here Sheryl?" "Oh God, your face!" Sheryl put a hand up to lightly stroke his cheek. Colin took her hand and said, "Please answer my question." "I'm here for you baby, why else would I be here?" "How'd you know I was here?" "It's all over school that you were attacked. When I heard I just dropped everything and left. Luckily Agnes let me use her car today because of the rain. This is the closest hospital to the school, so I assumed this is where they took you." "Sheryl, you didn't have to come..." "Of course I did! I love you and you need me!" "Sheryl..." "Shhhhh...let me take care of you honey." Sheryl wrapped her arms delicately around Colin and placed her head on his chest. She gave him a gentle squeeze and said, "I'm so sorry you were hurt. I heard about those fucking assholes tricking you! All this because you thought I was in trouble! I love you so much baby!" Sheryl sobbed into his chest. Colin sighed in exasperation then looked up...into a pair of shiny green eyes. Aileen stood at the opening of the curtain. The look of hurt he saw in her expression felt like a brick dropping into his stomach. She turned and walked away. Some days it didn't pay to get out of bed. NEXT CHAPTER: IT'S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 13 CHAPTER 13: IT'S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW It seemed dreadfully quiet all of a sudden, so quiet Colin swore he could hear the rain pouring and wind howling outside. Then it was like snapping out of a hypnotic spell and Colin yelled, "Sheryl, get off me! GET OFF!" "What's wrong honey?" "What's wrong is I'm not your honey or baby or Sweet Baboo or whatever! I tried to be your friend but apparently that wasn't good enough. From now on will you please just leave me alone?" "But...but I love you!" "First you loved me, then Seth, now me again? What happens tomorrow when all of a sudden you decide you love Brian, or William, or...or Moe?" "That won't happen, I swear it won't! I do love you, only you! I do!" Sheryl said in tears. "I don't think you know what love is! I mean it Sheryl! I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore!" "Colin, I'm sorry. I'm begging you please forgive me. I do know what love is, I do! Especially now! I was messed up before! More messed up than even you know, messed up more than I was willing to admit to myself. There are things I never told you, I...I just wasn't ready to...but I am now. If you will only give me a chance!" there was pleading in Sheryl's voice like he never heard before she seemed on the verge of hysteria. Colin had more important things on his mind though. Foremost his true love that was walking down the hallway with a look of soul piercing pain that he never thought he'd get out of head. All he wanted now was to get to her and explain what happened. "Sheryl please just get off of me. I need to get up!" "No! We need to talk!" Sheryl said defiantly. "Bah!" Colin grunted in disgust as he shoved Sheryl aside. He felt a twinge of guilt for treating her that way but it had to be done. She slid off the gurney then put her right hand on her left arm and bit her quivering bottom lip. Colin slid off the bed next and went in search of his mother. He found her not too far down the hall by herself behind a curtain and leaning against another gurney, this one empty. "Mom? Are you okay?" Colin asked. She looked up at him her eyes moist and a little red. "Mom, I'm sorry you had to see that, it wasn't what it looked like!" Colin said. "Sheryl just showed up here and caught me by surprise, she's been acting loopy ever since she broke up with Seth I was going to have a talk with her..." "Hush Colin, I know. I know you and I know you wouldn't hide anything from me, just seeing you and her together like that...it was a shock and I'm ashamed to say a lot like a scene from one of my worst nightmares." "She's become a nightmare of my own at this point," Colin muttered as he put his own hand on the bed to steady himself. A gust of wind whooshed by so powerful it felt like the building moved a bit. "Oh my baby! Your poor face!" Aileen said as she put a hand up to his swollen eyes and nose, not touching him but close enough he could feel the heat from her palm. You need to get back there and lie down! You want me to shoo the little strumpet away?" "No, she's my responsibility let me take care of it, just give me a minute," Colin said. "Okay honey." "I love you," "I love you very much!" Aileen replied. Colin walked back to where Sheryl was still standing at his gurney. Before Colin could say anything Sheryl burst out with "Colin, please if you could only give me a chance..." But Colin shook his head and interrupted her before she could say anything more. "It's not about another chance, it's over between us. I've moved on. We tried the friends thing but you either go towards hating me or loving me with apparently no middle ground." "I never hated you, that's what I'm trying to tell you if you could just let it sink into your thick skull and let me explain!" "Well that's a good way to make it clear you don't hate me," Colin said wryly placing a hand on his gurney to find balance. Before she could start again Colin continued. "You don't hate me, okay, and even if it's true and even if it's true you love me it doesn't change the fact that I don't love you, not anymore. I don't know how I can make it any clearer." "I know I hurt you..." "We're history, Sheryl, I have someone else." "You say that but where is she? I've never seen her. Why isn't she here? All I see is me and your mom!" She pointed down the hall where Aileen was and despite everything it caused Colin to inwardly smirk. "Go home Sheryl," Colin said. "Not until you hear me out!" "What's going on here!" a nurse interjected as she came over. "Why aren't you in bed!" she said to Colin then she looked at Sheryl. "If you're going to bother this young man I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Sheryl looked to Colin but he only raised his hand and waved his fingers in a 'toodle-oo' gesture. He knew it was mean but maybe if nothing else it would finally drive the point home. "This isn't over," Sheryl said in a low voice then walked away. "The doctor will be over here in a moment," the nurse said as she helped him back into bed. "Thank you," Colin said. By the time he was back in bed Aileen had arrived by her son's side. The nurse looked at Aileen and then back to Colin with a question in her eyes. Colin grinned, "Don't worry, she's on my side," Colin said indicating his mother. "I think the problem is they're both on your side," the nurse said dryly. Colin was about to correct her but technically she was right. Still, maybe he should say something for appearances sake. The arrival of the doctor saved him from making the decision. "Hello there, I'm Doctor Lowery," the doctor said as he glanced at his chart, "and you are Colin?" "Yes," Colin said. "And you are?" Doctor Lowery asked looking toward Aileen. "Hi mother," she said. "Well I can't believe that, are you sure you're not his sister?" Colin would have rolled his eyes if they weren't so sore. "Could you tell me how badly my son is hurt?" Aileen said no-nonsense, now Colin wanted to just sweep her in his arms and kiss her. "Ahem, yes well," Doctor Lowery looked at Colin's chart again then placed it down on the gurney next to Colin. "I doubt there is any permanent damage." He checked Colin's ribs going along with the consensus that he thought they were bruised, not broken but ordered x-rays just to be sure. He checked Colin's eyes then reset his nose which hurt like hell. There was no sign of concussion. He then informed Colin he'd be sent home with a prescription for Percocet and orders to come back if he started having dizzy spells or blurred vision. The doctor then said an orderly would be by in a few minutes to take him to x-ray and with that doctor Lowery was on to his next patient or wherever else he had to go. Now being alone Aileen sidled closer and put her hand on his. "I'm going to murder that boy," She said. "Who?" Colin asked. 'Who do you think? Your cousin!" "How do you know it was Seth?" Colin asked. For the matter, he thought, how did Sheryl know it was Seth, and how did she know it was concern for her that lured him into the ambush? He never told the principal or the nurse or anyone it was Seth. Only he, his cousin and the idiot twins Ricky and Dan knew the whole scheme, unless you counted his two masked attackers and Jimmy Biggs Jr., but Colin was pretty sure they were staying tight lipped. "Who else could it be?" Aileen said demonstrating it wasn't a quantum leap in logic to come to the conclusion, but that still didn't explain Sheryl knowing it was the thought of her being in danger that made Colin go out to the bleachers. "I've treated him with the patience of Job until now, but he's gone too far this time!" Aileen continued, her face flushed with anger. "I'm going to knock some sense into that boy and maybe his father too!" "No, you're not," Colin said. "Oh, yes I am," Aileen responded. "No, you're not and I mean it. I'll take care of it." "Colin, I'm supposed to protect you!" "I don't want you to - not this way!" Colin said raising his voice. "Why not?" Aileen asked looking hurt. "Because," Colin answered, his voice softening, "in this I don't need my mother right now to protect me - I need my woman who will stand by me." Aileen's posture had become rigid. Colin felt he knew her in body and mind more than he knew himself and he could tell right now that two sides of her, the woman with unshakable determination and the one utterly devoted to him, which usually fell hand in hand with each other were now at war within her. He loved both sides immensely as he did everything else about her, but it was true in this matter with Seth he had to be the one to settle it, he knew it deep in his bones, if he let his mother try and fight this battle for him instead of alongside him he would never be the man he knew he had to be, he would never be able to respect himself. He gazed at her and tried to put all he was feeling into his expression all his need. He saw her begin to soften, he knew worry still ran deep within her but otherwise she melted toward him. She grasped his hand, leaned in and said quietly, "All right," then even quieter in a whisper barely perceptible but no less fierce for its softness she said, "I am your woman, always, no matter what." She kissed him gently on the lips, a kiss that held a promise of more to come. * * * It was close to 10pm when Aileen and Colin arrived home at their apartment that night. Colin was cold and sore and above all else tired. His clothes were covered in dried mud and there was still some caked in his hair and smeared in various places over his body. At least his ribs weren't broken, the x-rays confirmed that. He was battered and bruised but still intact. "Ok mister," Aileen said as they walked in the door of their apartment. "Strip! I don't want you tracking mud everywhere." "If you want to see me naked, you don't need an excuse, just ask," Colin teased with a tired smile then flinched at the pain as he began to peel off his clothes. Aileen went to the dinette to drop off on the table the quart of wonton soup they had picked up at a local Chinese restaurant. "Uh-huh, and most of the time I don't even need to ask, you are happy to parade around here bare-assed often enough," she said. "What can I say? I'm a giver," Colin replied. "Okay Mr. Giver, why don't you give me a break?" Aileen said as she returned to Colin by the front door. He had managed to get his jacket, shoes, socks and pants off; he was working on his shirt taking it easy as he tried to remove it. Aileen helped him lift it over his head and then she slid her hand down his bare chest. Then she placed her hands within the waistband of his underwear and pulled those down until Colin could step out of them. As she stood up she let her hands run up the sides of Colin's legs and then his muscled thighs. "Ok honey," Aileen said softly as she gathered his clothes, "off to the shower with you. I'll get these in the laundry." Colin nodded his thanks and shuffled off to the bathroom. He made it to the master bath, turned on the water in the shower and leaned on the counter while he waited for it to get hot. He glanced at himself in the mirror and was greeted by the image of a wretched looking soul. His eyes were already starting to turn black and blue, his cheeks were puffy and because it hurt to breathe out of his nose his mouth stayed open giving him a slack-jawed yokel look. He would deal with Seth, learn what his goal was behind this latest gambit in this game he never seemed to tire of playing. But that was for later, now he just wanted to put this day behind him. Seeing that the glass shower door had fogged up and feeling the humid heat coming from there he opened the door and stepped into the shower. He stood under the shower head and let the hot water beat down on him. He cleared his mind and didn't let himself think of anything except how good it felt as his muscles began to loosen up and the stress of the day began to dissipate. He must have been standing under the water for five minutes when he heard the bathroom door open and close. Then the shower door opened and a naked Aileen stepped in. "Want some company?" she asked. "Always," Colin said. Aileen pressed her body up against his. He could feel her soft breasts punctuated by hard nipples rub up against his back. He also felt the cold metal of the gold chain and ring that hung around her neck. She had never taken it off since he placed it on her. Her arms slipped under his and her hands came around to be placed on his chest. She pulled herself close and rested her head against him with her cheek pressed into his shoulder. "I love you," she said holding him tight. He brought his arm up to hold over her hands and replied, "I love you too." They stood still in this pose for a span of minutes, Colin mused if he could freeze this moment in time he'd be content to spend forever like this. However, time cannot be reckoned with, whether one tries to beg, bargain or threaten it is oblivious to the pleas of man and always marches relentlessly forward. "We better get you cleaned up before the hot water runs out," Aileen said providing veracity to Colin's train of thought. She reached over for the loofah and the body soap. She soaped up the sponge and started gently lathering his back. She moved the sponge over his shoulders and down his back and then she moved it up the center of his back all the way up his neck to meet his hairline. She glided the loofah down his back and onto his ass, then as she brought it back up again she switched it to her other hand and slid it around front to wash over his chest. As she circled the sponge around his chest her other hand slid back over his butt cheeks and then inside his crack. She rubbed her soapy fingers over his anus and when Colin spread his legs a bit farther and she slipped her middle finger in his hole, he grunted in a way that let her know it felt good. She bent her knees and continued downward, she guided the sponge down his abdomen, around his outer thigh and then moved to his inner thigh. She moved past his aroused cock and took the soapy loofa to his balls rubbing it over them back and forth a few times. At last she moved it up to his now very aroused cock evoking an even more enthusiastic grunt from him as she captured his member between his stomach and the sponge. She rubbed the loofah up and down over his cock a bit but then to Colin's disappointment she didn't stay there but instead continued on to wash his inner thighs and down his legs as she lowered into a squat. When she tapped him on his leg he turned around and then she started rubbing the loofah up the front of each of his legs. Again there was a little disappointment when she bypassed his pelvis and went back to his chest as she stood up. Soap suds grew over his torso as she swished the sponge all over it and around his shoulders and down his arms. She set the sponge down and ran her bare hands over his chest, abs and then his belly button. She proceeded downward until she held his cock within her hand. She squeezed it lovingly and ran her slippery hand back and forth over it. "Oh baby," she said in an apologetic voice, "I meant to only come in here and help you massage out some of the soreness and pain. I didn't mean to get you so hard, I just can't help myself when it comes to you." Colin placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "I can't help myself with you either, you know that. You could have been strictly business - which I don't see possible you being such a sensual creature - but even so having a naked goddess of desire so near me I could never not respond." "I love you!" Aileen said releasing his cock putting her arms around him. "I know I say that too much!" "Please don't ever stop saying it - I love you so incredibly much!" Colin said. He drew her into a passionate kiss, his tongue dove into her mouth searching for and finding her tongue which was eager to rub against his. He twirled his tongue around hers, its point going beneath and feeling the even softer and smoother underside of her tongue, exploring the thin ridge of her frenulum then coming back to rub along her bottom teeth. Hot water from the shower continued to pour over them, on their heads and down their faces. Water ran into their mouths mixing with saliva making for an extremely wet and steamy kiss. Colin sucked on Aileen's upper lip before finally breaking the kiss. They gazed into each other's eyes. The way she looked up at him, she was his goddess but it was in her eyes he saw devotion and maybe even worship. The profound sense of wonder at his fortune washed over him as much as the water did. The way she looked - her hair wet and plastered against her scalp, large green eyes looking upwards so full of love and trust, face clean of make-up but flushed from the heat of the shower and their bodies - it all combined to project an image of a woman who looked barely out of her teens. It didn't matter to Colin if she was sixteen, thirty-six, or sixty-six, she was his soul mate but looking at her like this just added to how right being with her felt. He brought up his hand to her face and cupped her cheek. His thumb ran over her cheekbone then down to her lips, her chin lifted and her mouth opened conveying her eagerness to have him place his thumb there. He did so and immediately felt enthusiastic sucking and the tender caress of her tongue as her eyes showed wanton lust. She gave tiny coos of hungry pleasure that melted his heart and sent jolts to his cock at the same time. His hand left her face and brushed across her neck and then down her back, his fingers dancing with the beads of water and soap suds as they moved down the small of her back. His hand found her ass as shapely and soft as ever. He kneaded the flesh of her ass cheeks and then his hand slipped inside between them. Now it was his turn for a little ass play. Using just the one hand he spread her cheeks further apart to allow more water to run between them. His middle finger ran up and down the slick crevice then perched at her anus. He slowly slid it in to the first knuckle he felt the tight hole clamp down on his finger and as it did so she pressed herself into his body with a shudder of pleasure. His cock was now held between their stomachs, her knees bent and she started to slide down him, as she did so his finger came loose from the hole it had found. After only going to a half stoop she slid back up his body then she slid down again. Up and down she went while his cock was caught between their wet slippery bodies. It felt amazing! Especially when her belly passed over his cock and the head would pop just a bit of the way in and then out of her belly button. And her breasts! So big, so soft, with hard nipples, they rode up and down on his chest, the nipples playing over the muscles of his abdomen. It was driving him crazy! Colin grabbed her ass to pull her up and as close against him as possible, but the way he moved caused his bruised ribs to protest in pain. He hissed in air as a wave of pain washed over him. "Okay baby, we need to get you to bed," Aileen said. She leaned him under the shower spray for a quick and final rinse and then turned off the water. Opening the shower door she grabbed a towel for each of them off the rack. She wrapped a hunter green towel around her so it covered her body from her chest to her thighs then wrapped one around Colin's waist. "I should be easing your pain, not causing you to have more of it," she said as she led Colin to their bed. "It's worth it to be with you," Colin said. "I love you baby but it's not worth it to me if you're hurting," Aileen said as she pulled down the heavy quilt and the blankets on their bed. "Climb in honey, I'll get you your pain pills." A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 13 Colin was in bed by the time Aileen returned with the bottle of pills and a glass of water. He took one Percocet then settled into his pillows. Aileen removed her towel, folded it over a clothes rack and then climbed into bed next to Colin. His arm was stretched out over her pillows and as she sidled up close to him, her naked body against his, she nestled her head on his shoulder and placed her arm gently over his chest. He brought his arm around her waist and his hand fell on her stomach which he began lightly stroking. Aileen let out a sigh of relishing comfort. She absentmindedly began playing with one of his nipples. She circled a finger around his areola causing it to pucker and crinkle up. As his nipple became hard she started to lightly manipulate it between her thumb and forefinger causing Colin to get that familiar feeling that seemed unique to nipple play of being thirsty and horny at the same time. His forefinger found her bellybutton and he lazily circled the rim a dozen times or so and then delved deeper inside until he found bottom. He wiggled his finger in there which he knew excited Aileen, she cooed and squirmed a bit. "I hope the medicine gives you some relief from the pain, baby," Aileen said "The only thing that I notice hurting me now is an erection that's been wanting relief since the shower," Coin said. "Oh baby, I want to so much, but I don't want to aggravate your injuries." Colin brought his hand up to find hers then guided it down his body until they reached his cock. Her hand went around his cock almost with a will of its own and his hand stayed on top of hers as she slowly moved up and down on his shaft. "Believe me, this is what I need more than anything right now," he said. Aileen gazed into his eyes while continuing to rub her hand on his cock, "Well," she said with a lusty smile, "since I helped cause this, the least I can do is help take it away so you can have a good sleep. You do need your rest." "Absolutely, it's the best thing to do to take care of me," Colin said grinning. Still running her hand up and down the shaft Aileen said, "You need me to take care of you baby?" "Yessssss," he hissed. She moved her hand all the way up the shaft of his cock and to the head, she ran her forefinger over it circling the rim and then up the tip. Her finger played with his pee hole, rubbing over it causing it to open and close as clear precum leaked out. "I need you too baby, I need you inside me," Aileen said. "Oh I want that so much," Colin replied. "You're ready for me, aren't you?" "So ready!" "I need to be gentle baby," she said. "I know," Colin said breathing heavy. "Lie still like that, let me do all the work tonight for my man," "Yessssss," Colin moaned again. Aileen crawled up on top of Colin and straddled his torso. His cock rested on his stomach and fit long ways along the slit of her pussy. She was just as excited as he was, juices were leaking liberally from her pussy as she slid her slit back and forth along his cock. She lifted herself up into a hovering position. She regained a hold on his cock and rubbed the head slick with pussy juice and precum over the entrance to her pussy. He felt the tip of his cock make contact with her clit which was as aroused as it had ever been. She rubbed the tip very lightly in a circle over her clit. He swore a jolt of electricity generated there and went out in two directions to pass through each of them simultaneously. He grunted and she moaned. She positioned his cock at the entrance to her hot and wet pussy. The tip of his cock was inside and with gentle urging from her hand the rest of the head slipped in. His cock was a steel rod as she slowly lowered herself down on it. There was hardly any friction just a smooth slow slide into heaven. "You're in me baby," Aileen said huskily. "Mmmmmmm," Colin said. "This is where you belong, my baby's cock inside me." "Yes, always!" he said. "Forever baby, forever and always you and me!" she said. "Forever and always! I love you so much!" "I love you too!" She lifted herself up, his cock sliding out of her until only the head remained inside only to once again sink back down that long slide until their pelvises touched. She repeated the motion again and again, slow and steady. When their pelvises came into contact she would grind herself against him several times before lifting off again. As she continued in this careful deliberate rhythm Colin's hands kneaded the flesh of her ass for a while, then slowly he moved his hands up both sides of her as he felt her ribs until his hands were at the sides of her boobs. He moved them around to the front of her chest so he could hold and caress these silky generous handfuls of flesh. His moved the tips of his fingers over the tips of her nipples which were standing out proud and strong. Ever so lightly with the tip of a finger he maneuvered each of her nipples up and down, left and right. He cupped each of her breasts in his hands and massaged them. When his eyes fell upon the gold chain and ring that hung between her breasts he felt a swelling in his own chest. He curved his hands around her tits in the form of mirror image "C's", and rubbed. After a while he pulled his hands back allowing the soft mammary glands to slide through his hands. When he reached her nipples his thumb, forefinger, and middle finger on each hand latched onto a nipple like a claw and lightly pulled stretching each nipple out until they too slipped out of his grasp and returned to regular form. "Oh baby, you feel so good inside me!" she said. "Feels so good Mom!" Colin said and once again latched onto her boobs with his hands. Aileen brought her hands up and placed them on top of Colin's. She squeezed hard causing his hands to squeeze her breasts harder. She took a break from sliding her pussy up and down on his cock and planted herself on top with him deep inside her. She began a consistent grinding now moving forward and back along his pelvis. Her hands still on top of his she brought one of his hands down to her tummy. She guided his hand in circles over her stomach. Her other hand still on the hand he had on her breast both of them squeezing it together. She began a new rhythm on their lovemaking. She grinded back and forth then up on his cock just a little bit and back down, still being gentle but with pressure, then she grinded back and forth again. She repeated these motions in an increasingly intense fashion and Colin knew she was close to cumming, as for himself he was precariously close! The hand of his she held circling her stomach continued on that motion. Her nails dug into the back of his hand and her eyes gazed directly into his...into him. "Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby," she repeated continuously. "Oh mom, oh mom, oh mom," he answered. "I'm gonna cum baby! I'm gonna cum!" "Me too!" "Hold on baby, hold on for Mommy! Just a little bit longer, a little bit longer!" Juices were pouring out of her pussy as she closed in on the final moments before climaxing. Then her whole body went stiff and her pussy clamped down on his cock. "Oh god, yessssss! I'm cumming!!!!" she declared as she threw her head back and arched her back. That did it for Colin and the agitated erection he'd had since just about the moment they got home finally found release. He felt his cum spurting out of him, spouts and spouts of warm fluid shooting out of his cock filling his mother's pussy. His and his mother's combined juices ran down the shaft of his cock, out her pussy and down to tickle his balls. The fluid felt almost beyond warm to hot. Aileen's pussy contracted on his cock, clenching and unclenching as his cock spasmed, as both their bodies spasmed. "Oh, you're so good," she said breathlessly. "You're so good." Eventually the spasms subsided and the two lovers reached the afterglow of their orgasms. Taking care to be gentle she lay down on top of him, their bodies hot and sweaty from their lovemaking now staying close not only to bask in their love but to preserve the heat before the chill of the air got to them. Colin placed his arms around her and she lay her head on his chest, her ear directly over his heart he knew she could hear and feel it beating. "I love you so much, baby," she said. "I love you too," he said and gave her a gentle hug. Finally, after all the rigors he'd been through that day the combination of the pain pill and sexual release had him in a state of pure relaxation and he was ready to fall asleep. Before he drifted off though he could tell something was not quite right. There was warm moisture on his chest from Aileen's face but he was so in tune with her he knew it was from tears and not sweat. "Mom, are you okay?" he asked. Aileen took a deep breath then said, "Baby, I need you to promise me something." "What's that my love?" Colin said. "I need you to promise me to be careful." "Careful...?" Aileen hesitated then said, "I need you to promise to be careful with Seth and anything or anyone else that you think could be dangerous. You asked me not to fight this battle for you but with you, okay...but when I saw you in the hospital today it took me straight back to when you were a little boy and your father had beaten you up..." "He'd beaten us both up," Colin soberly interjected. "Yes honey, I know. But when I saw you there with your face bruised, it took me right back to that day when you were little. I promised I would do everything in my power to protect you from being hurt again and to do what is best for you. "Seth has descended to a place where he is now willing to do the most horrible things to achieve what he wants. You see that now, don't you honey?" Colin took in a deep breath of his own then let it out. "Yes," he said, "I see it." "Now the promise I made seems to be conflicting in a way I never thought it would," Aileen said. "Every fiber of my being is screaming danger and that I need to protect my baby, but what you said today about you not needing your mother right now to protect you but your woman who will stand by you, my heart is also telling me this is true and it is what is best for you to let you handle it this way. "I will be...I am...I so am your woman in any way you want me; wife, mistress, mother, whore, whatever you want me to be baby. I am so happy...no...I am so thrilled you want me and I want to be everything to you. There is just one thing I need you to be for me and that is to be careful. "I'm fighting every instinct I have not to go to Patrick or Sarah or even the police. But if I'm not, then you have to be prepared to, you have to go to whoever you need to for back up and have them ready to call upon when you need them. You can do this your way, but you can't do it alone. "Don't confront him on his terms honey, ever! Confront him on yours! Don't ever take him at face value, I don't know how or why he's ended up this way but he's a twisted conniving little shit!" Tears were streaming from her eyes now. "When I got called at work today and told you were in the hospital I felt like my world was crashing down. Honey, the thought of losing you, it scares me to the very bottom of my soul. Please remember, whatever you do, you are depended on, your presence in my life is the thing that matters most!" "I could never forget that!" Colin said. "Okay baby, just please make this promise to be careful for me, whether it's to do with Seth or anything." "I promise, of course I promise!" Colin said hugging her to him tight as she buried her head in his chest. That was the last thing he remembered before a heavy sleep claimed him. * * * Colin woke up the next morning with a hollow feeling and quickly realized it was because he was alone in bed. He looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw it was past nine in the morning. Aileen must have gotten up, got ready for work and left all without him waking due to being knocked out from the pain pill and...exhausting activities. The sky was still overcast but the rain had stopped, the wind however was howling as wildly as ever. With his mother beside him it would have been cozy to stay in bed listening to the wind outside the window. Without her he felt cold in an empty bed. Apparently he wasn't expected to have to go to school today which was a good thing as when he moved he was greeted by aches and pains from his sore body. He reached over to the nightstand for the bottle of Percocet. He read the label which said he could take one pill every eight hours while he was in pain. It had been more than eight hours since the last pill he took so he opened the bottle and took another and finished off the glass of water from the previous night as well. Next thing he needed to attend to was his bladder which was probably what had awoken him in the first place. He had just emerged from the bathroom when the intercom buzzed in the foyer. Colin swore. He wasn't in a mood to be bothered by anyone. He grabbed a pair of boxer shorts and his robe and headed out to the living room. "Yes?" he said as he pressed the "speak' button on the intercom. "Colin, it's me," it was Sheryl's voice along with some static over the intercom. "Sheryl? What are you doing here?" Colin said. "Colin, please, I need to talk to you!" Colin sighed. He knew he was going to have to talk to her sooner or later, he was kind of hoping it would be just a little bit later. But this had to stop. "Come on up," he said tersely and buzzed her in. Just as Colin completed putting on his boxer shorts and then his robe cinching the belt tightly there was a knock on the door. Colin opened it and there stood Sheryl. She gazed up at his face with sympathetic eyes. She began to raise her hand towards his face but Colin intercepted it. "Why are you here Sheryl, why aren't you at school?" Colin asked. "Because I had to see you, we have to work this out sweetie!" "You have to understand there's nothing to work out," Colin said, once again trying to convince her they were over. "Please Colin, you have to let me tell you everything, I won't leave here until you do!" Colin sighed and then stood back from the doorway. He gestured for her to come inside. Sheryl came in and placed her purse and keys on the coffee table, "If there is nothing to work out why did you try to save me yesterday when you thought I was in trouble?" Sheryl asked as she sat on the couch. "Just because I don't love you anymore doesn't mean I don't care if you're in danger," Colin said. "And how did you know that was how I got lured out there? How did you know Seth was behind it all?" "Seth told me, of course," Sheryl said. "Sheryl, he's playing with you," Colin said. "Of course he is, that's all he ever does!" Sheryl spat. "He plays his silly games with people! It was all over school yesterday that you were attacked, but Seth took me aside to tell me he personally arranged it all to prove that you still loved me. He said he did it as a way of making up for what he did to me," she rolled her eyes at the last part. "But sometimes part of the game he plays is telling the flat out truth." "That doesn't mean we play with him like mice running in mazes he designed!" Colin said. "I don't give a damn about what Seth's motives are, I just care about us!" Sheryl said. "There is no us!" Colin said, "And Seth has to be dealt with!" "Yes there is, and yes he does," Sheryl says. "I'm glad you finally see that. You used to think beating him a few times in basketball was all that was needed to keep him in line, you totally ignored all the shit he pulled on other people." "I did not ignore it," Colin said, "I always confronted him when I thought he was up to no good! He just kept me more and more out of the loop with the activities he knew I wouldn't go along with and back then I just didn't go out of my way to learn about the things he did and the reasons he did them." "But now you think differently?" Sheryl asked. "I think it will be detrimental if I didn't," Colin said indicating his face and torso. "You're right, you need to stop him," Sheryl said. "That seems to be the consensus opinion," Colin replied and flourished his hand. Sheryl laughed. "I've missed your Mr. Dictionary way of speaking," she said. "It comes from having a mom that loves to play Scrabble," Colin said. "I know, you've told me that, just not as much as gin rummy though," Sheryl said. Colin felt his cheeks heating up, gin rummy had a lot to do with how he and his mother became lovers. "I know this is difficult for you Colin," Sheryl said. "I've known brothers who didn't care for their siblings as much as you care about Seth." "He just pushes and pushes and it's time I pushed back," Colin said and then amended to himself, but carefully. "I'm so sorry for what happened between me and him," Sheryl said. "I know I hurt you in the worst possible way..." "It's over, done with," Colin said. "We both need to move on." "No we can't, we need to save our relationship," Sheryl said. "You can't honestly still believe there can be any relationship to save?" "I can honestly believe it," Sheryl said. "That's why I'm here." "You should leave, there's nothing you can say to change things," Colin said. "No, I have to try and that, means I have to tell you everything," Sheryl said. "What do you mean?" "I always planned on telling you the entire story," Sheryl began. "The entire story?" Colin asked. "Yes. You were the only one I ever planned to tell everything. I had already told you more than anyone else that wasn't a social worker or doctor or counselor of some kind. "I told you I was physically and emotionally abused by my father and uncle which was why I had been put in the foster care system, then I was abused by some of my foster parents. That's all true. What I never told you was that for years my father and eventually my uncle too sexually molested me." Colin was dumbfounded. He sat down on the chair next to the couch. "I...I'm sorry..." he began but he was really at a loss for what else to say, luckily Sheryl wasn't. "Please, let me get this all out now that's I'm actually doing it," she said. "I finally broke down in school and told a teacher everything that my father and uncle were doing to me and then I was taken away," Sheryl said continuing her story. "Then I was in the foster care system bouncing around, never really having a place I thought of as a permanent home. I told you this part too, how it was like for a time I just existed, life was just what happened to me on a day to day basis, I was just like...blah." "Yes, I remember," Colin said. "I was treated ok and even kindly by some of them," Sheryl said, "but just as much of the time I was also treated like garbage, but still that was ok, they could give me shit work to do as long as they let me be for most of the time. "Then there was the last home I was placed in before I was given to the Buckners. There was a father, mother, and son. They were like the most normal family I'd ever seen. The man and his son, who was older than me, both treated me like a princess at first. But then it all happened again!" Sheryl's hands were between her knees shaking and her voice was beginning to catch, Colin could tell she was holding back tears. "Sheryl, you don't have to tell me this..." Colin tried to say but was cut off. "Yes I do! You have to know it all now if we're going to move forward," Sheryl said. "What the man and his son did to me...I won't say their names, I never want to even think those names ever again! It's like the people they put you to live with can tell you're broken inside and that makes you easier prey for them...and the mom, I...I don't know what was worse, not having had a mother in my real family or the mother in this foster family knowing what was going on and doing nothing! A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 13 "After I had been living with them for a few months a girl named Melissa, who had been previously placed with them and had had the same thing happen to her there, came forward with charges. "I was taken away from that family and placed with the Buckners. When they asked me if anything had happened to me, at first I didn't want to say anything but then Melissa, she came to see me and talked to me. "She said she needed my help and then she told me what had happened to her. Hearing her say the things they did to her, knowing that they did the same things to me, and more than anything else knowing they would do it to someone again after I was gone, maybe next time it would be someone completely innocent, not having had any prior experience with the kind of evil these people do...that made me decide I wanted to tell the doctors and psychologists and lawyers - anyone looking to bring these fucking bastards down - the entire truth! "Good for you!" Colin said "They're all rotting in jail now, you know? And I'm glad of it! I hope my real dad and uncle are there too!" Sheryl couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Colin handed her a box of tissues, she accepted them and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "After it was all over with I was just numb inside," she said, picking up the story again. "I was with Vinton and Agnes now, the Buckners have done lots of fostering over the years but were retired now both from work and raising kids, but they were asked specifically to take care of me because of their good record and they agreed. They're nice people too, probably the closest thing I'll ever have to grandparents in my life but back then, after all that had happened, none of that seemed to matter anymore I just didn't care what happened to me one way or another. I...I was thinking of killing myself." Colin nodded, this much she had admitted to him before. "So I got enrolled at Liberty High and that's when I met you," Sheryl said. "No one wanted to be my friend when I first came there which was what I thought I wanted. I didn't want any kind of relationship with anybody. I didn't care that all the guys thought I was a cold bitch and all the girls thought I was stuck up - I just wanted to be left alone. "That's why I hated it so much whenever a teacher made us work in groups or worst of all with a single partner. That's why I was so mean to you when Mrs. Motsey first made you my partner in home ec." Colin let out a gentle laugh, "I remember," he said. "But no matter how cold I was to you or even downright mean, you always took it in stride," Sheryl said. "You never tried to get back at me for a nasty remark or mean gesture, it was like you sensed I needed to be treated with patience and that's all you ever did. You were my friend, my first real friend in I don't know how long. I think maybe unconsciously that's when I first started to fall in love with you." Sheryl smiled at Colin. "Not only that, but because of you I ended up with my first "A" in a class since starting at Liberty." "Those gourmet pizzas sure came out great, didn't they?" Colin said. "Yeah!" Sheryl laughed but then turned sober. "I don't know how I would have ever gotten through that time if it wasn't you! I wouldn't have, I'd be dead now...I know it!" "No you wouldn't have!" Colin protested. "Yes I would've, I know it!" Sheryl insisted. "I remember sitting all by myself at lunch in school. The first time you tried to sit with me and I told you I wanted to be alone - you let it go at that and left me to myself. "But after a while when I really didn't want to be alone anymore but was too set in my routine and insecurities to do anything about it, you seemed to sense that too. You just came over and sat with me, you didn't try to make me talk or anything, you just kept me company. Then the next day you sat with me again and we talked a little and each day I opened up more to you." The tears had returned in force on Sheryl's face and she dabbed more at her eyes with tissues. "Then you asked me to come sit with you and your cousin and friends," Sheryl said. "I was terrified but I trusted you and you did make sure most of them accepted me. I was able to make friends again because of you. Then when something happened like Dan asking me out and me telling him 'no', and then him getting pissed off - when he started telling everyone I was a 'lesbo' I know it was you who cornered him and told him to back off, to stop trying to shame me in public and that I was not a lesbian but even if I was there would be nothing wrong with it. You told him I was your friend and you wouldn't put up with anyone going around talking in a mean spirited way about any of your friends." "Who told you I did that?" Colin had to ask. "Moe," Sheryl answered. "Oh," Colin said. He remembered now, he was walking to school and Moe kept questioning him because he heard someone had put Dan in his place, and since Dan was one of the guys that had duct taped him, he wanted to know all about it. "Little blabbermouth," Colin said. "I'm glad he told me," Sheryl said. "First you made me feel secure in having a friend again and then when you defended me you returned to me a feeling of self-worth, a feeling that I was someone who was worth having friends and they were friends that would stick up for me. "I was finally able to tell you some of the things that happened to me - the physical abuse, the emotional abuse. Back before I was abused by my foster father and brother but after it happened with my real father and uncle, I was still able to make friends, even though most of the time I thought I wanted to be alone. There had also been a few boys I felt close to but if I barely scratched the surface of telling them some of what happened to me it turned them away. I mean I know they were young, thirteen, fourteen, but so was I and it was such a blow to me at that young of an age to understand what it meant to be considered 'damaged goods' and knowing people would want nothing to do with someone who had my problems. "I told you about wanting to kill myself. You never told anyone else did you?" Sheryl asked. "I thought about it, I almost did more than once, but I could see what you really needed was just someone you could trust. I just tried to keep you as busy as I could and decided that only if it looked like you were going downhill fast would I tell someone," Colin said. "Well you did keep my busy," Sheryl said and smiled. "You took me to places like the zoo, Hershey Park, the beach and I just felt so...so safe with you, and we just clicked in so many ways that were normal too! After the life I had lead up to that point knowing I could still experience "normal" was another gift you gave me. We talked about movies and TV shows, music and books and we liked so much of the same stuff. "Then you told me about your father," she said quietly, "about the way he treated your mom, that he beat her, and then the time he put you in a hospital. You told me how your mom divorced your father right after that. Your mom became a hero to me for that. I started imagining if I'd known my mother I'd want her to be not like her, but her! "She was there for you when your dad abused you - she took you away from him. I wished she had been there for me! All of this just seemed to weave together into this giant tapestry that connected you to me and me to you and even to your mother. I felt so safe with you I couldn't believe it!" "That's when you asked if I ever thought we could be more than friends," Colin said. "Yes, I never thought I'd ever want to have anything to do with a man again for the rest of my life, a life I thought would also be very short and miserable. You kept changing my perspective on everything. By then I consciously knew I loved you." Sheryl hesitated then said, "I told you I was a virgin back then and I didn't lie. It didn't matter what those monsters did to me, it doesn't count...it just doesn't count. But I would have told you everything though before we did it, all of this. I was sure that was the way it was going to be too. I knew you loved me and I felt safe with your love - so safe! I wasn't ready to push things - I just wanted to spend time like we were because I had never felt so good in my life!" There were more tears streaming down Sheryl's face as she went on, "But then I started to feel guilty though because both of us weren't even sixteen yet when we started out as friends and you spent so much time with me right from the beginning. Then we became a couple but I asked you to be patient for anything beyond kissing and some touching..." "I was fine with that! I told you..." Colin said. "I know! But I still felt bad because we were going so slowly and I knew all our other friends were losing or had lost their virginity, or they were like Dan and Ricky who probably haven't but still brag that they have. I felt like you were being so good to me if you had another girlfriend you would already have..." "That doesn't matter, I was fine with us because I loved you! I didn't plan to fall in love with you, but you were right, we did click and it happened. I loved you and I would have been willing to wait as long as you needed to!" Colin said and then realizing what he said was surprised at the emotion. Where did that come from? he thought. "That's just the thing though," Sheryl said, "I was getting paranoid. How could you be this good? Were you playing me? Were you someone who just found some sick joy in tricking me? How long would it be until you had me cornered alone in a room or trapped in your mom's car?" Colin opened his mouth to respond but Sheryl cut him off. "No, it's ok I don't believe any of that but that's just where my head was back then. "Every day I fell more deeply in love with you and every day I became more scared of you betraying me. I never loved anyone as much as I love you and if you turned on me, if you turned out to be just someone wearing a mask of kindness and when you took it off you were just like my father or foster father, or...or...any of them...I would break inside. Do you understand me? I would have come apart and shattered into a million pieces of broken glass!" Colin didn't know what to say. "The idea of you being someone who might betray me, no different at heart than the others - that was an idea scarier to me than facing down a hundred monsters like my father. So I betrayed you first," Sheryl admitted. "I let myself get fooled by Seth, because deep down I knew my emotions were safer with him because I really didn't love him. I let myself believe I loved him. That he was really the gallant white knight of my life and all you were, all you had ever been was his sidekick. In a twisted way it made me feel safe because I didn't rely on him like I relied on you. If Seth betrayed me it would not be as bad like it would of if it had been you. "Then he did betray me and it was like ice water being dumped on me. All at once all these defensive walls I had built up were washed away and at first it confused me and scared me, it made me sick to my soul but then I made it through to the other side and I could see clearly for the first time in my life. I saw all the lies I had told myself, the false images I created of both you and Seth in my mind, the sheer stupidity of what I had done, all to run away from the possibility that you weren't really you. "You would never betray me, I see that now and I'm so sorry sweetie, so sorry for everything I've done! I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you and I promise it won't ever happen again! I promise!" "I, uh," Colin stammered, "I think..." What do I think? "I think all this had to happen. Sweetie, I would do anything and I would give anything to go back and change it as long as I could still know what I know now. All the pain, the hurt, the suffering in my life was all backed up inside of me. It took the final traumatic events of losing you and knowing it was all my fault on top of everything else to finally get me to understand. "That ice water washed away all the cloudy misconceptions and denials I was in. I see clearly now, like I never have before. Also, you have to realize something, before when I was all jumbled up inside emotionally - your love still got through to me. Now that I've had this breakthrough the love I feel for you is a power that dwarfs anything I've felt before, good or bad! "Take me back sweetie, I promise what happened will never happen again. I promise with all my heart!" "I believe you Sheryl, I do but..." "But there's someone else?" "Yes!" "Bullshit!" Sheryl exclaimed. "Show her to me, prove to me she exists and prove to me you really love her as much as you say you do otherwise I'm not giving up!" "I can't!" Colin said. "You can't because she's not real! You're doing this just because you are holding a grudge!" Sheryl said with a sniff. "If you say you are seeing clearly now, if you say you can see me for who I really am, tell me this -- would I keep up this pretense of another woman in my life just to hold a grudge?" Colin saw it, a flash of uncertainty in her raw eyes. Then it was gone and just as quick replaced with a look of determination. Before he knew what had happened Sheryl grabbed onto his robe and pulled herself up to him. Her mouth was against his in a kiss of passion, hope, and desperation. Colin was surprised at first then gradually the taste of her flickered more memories of their past happiness together and all of it really started coming back to him. Her tongue twirled over his and her mouth sucked in his air and saliva. Colin's arms were at his sides but then he slowly moved them up and placed his hands on Sheryl's waist. He began to pull her in closer but then he stopped and pushed her away. Their kiss broke. "Sheryl...leave," Colin said as he took in air. "Colin..." Sheryl tried to protest. "LEAVE!" Colin repeated shouting this time. Sheryl flinched at the loudness of his command. She then gathered her purse and keys, the wounded look in her eyes was heartbreaking but Colin stood his ground. She opened the front door and left. Colin sat down on the couch and placed his head in his hands. He knew his love for Aileen was all encompassing, that there was no room in his heart for him to love anyone else like that, he was positive no one else could ever find a place in there in the same way. The thing is, Sheryl had already been there before he consummated his love with Aileen and while that love had overridden everything else, it had not been able to push her out. She was still in his heart. Colin still loved Sheryl. NEXT CHAPTER: YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT