August 2004 – Lessons in Love
The Tangled Web is a story spanning several years and is based on the complicated lives of Sara and Sam, lovers who are brother and sister, and those they live with. Set in the English Midlands, the tale is told through a series of interlocking short stories. Although designed to be read in sequence, I have tried to make each chapter stand as a complete and satisfying story in itself.
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The summer holidays are drawing to a close. David, now physically fully recovered from the accident, is preparing himself for two important events in his life.
The first is his return to work as a teacher in the local High School. Not having worked since the accident, his confidence has taken a battering and he is nervously spending the last week of the long summer holiday planning lessons and working on his physical fitness.
The second, much more difficult thing to bear is Sophie's imminent departure for University in the coming September. David and Sophie have become emotionally and physically close to a degree David has never before encountered. He looks forward to seeing her every day, to hearing her voice on the phone, to talking with her, walking with her – in short he is a man in love.
Sophie, of course, has been in love with David since she was fourteen years old, and now their relationship has become real and physical as well as cerebral, she is happier than she ever thought possible. She too has been dreading her departure for University.
David's memory of the day of the accident has still not recovered. He does not remember his discovery of Sara and Sam making love on their lounge floor. He does not remember taking Sophie's virginity almost by force in her own bed.
Neither Sara nor Sophie is likely to tell him these things.
He has, however, been plagued by bad dreams. In some of them he sees the truck approaching him in slow motion, getting closer and closer while he tried to escape from its path. But his legs are heavy as lead and he cannot move fast enough. The truck gets closer and closer until….he wakes up in a cold sweat.
In the other dreams he is climbing a staircase in the flat he shared with Sara. He can hear noises. He crossed the landing to a half open door, he pushed the door open. The noises – sounds of passionate sex – grow louder, the door swings open, he peers round the door ..and wakes up.
His psychiatrist assures David that these dreams will eventually pass, but also warns that his memory might never recover. David is trying hard to establish himself in a new life.
He visits Sara and the twins every week. He is trying hard to play the part of the, albeit absent, father but still feels unaccountably cold towards both the children and towards Sara. He is pleased that Sara appears to harbour no grudges about the break up of their relationship but David still dislikes having to visit them at Sam's house. He can still feel Sam's antagonism towards him, even when he's not actually there.
As September approaches, David and Sophie are spending more and more time together. We join then on a Wednesday afternoon in Sophie's parent house. They are in her bed.
Sophie's threw her head back wildly, her eyes wide open in astonishment, her mouth open in a silent scream as David's huge erection slammed repeatedly into her soft, pale flesh. She felt wild, alive, her whole being tingling as his cock reached deep within, her searching almost for her soul. Her tight young vagina was stretched wire-tight around his throbbing shaft and sweat dripped from his face and neck onto the hot skin of her chest.
No matter how many times he touched her, no matter how many times he made love to her, each time felt to Sophie like the first. He had been her first, her best, her only lover and right now she couldn't imagine ever needing anything more. She loved his strong, masculine body, which seemed to be even more rugged with the scars from the accident clearly visible on his face and chest. The mere thought of his hands on her flesh could bring her half way to climax, but David was, with her, never anything but gentle, caring and sensitive. They had made love only a handful of times since Sophie had unexpectedly brought David out of his coma, but each occasion had been earth moving for Sophie and, unknown to her, for David too.
His face, above hers, was contorted as he neared his own climax. Sophie gasped once again as his pace quickened and he thrust even deeper into her until his pubic hair ground against hers. Sophie felt the head of his cock swelling within her vagina, its ridge dragging deliciously along her insides and instinctively she tilted her pelvis upwards.
The change in pressure was all it took to take David over the edge and into a long, noisy, wet orgasm. He grunted and choked as he felt the hard hot burning between his thighs and his huge erection began to pump thick sticky semen into Sophie's soft young body. Her vagina, in uncontrollable spasm, pulsed around his shaft as if trying to milk every last drop of the precious fluid from him. They came together as if they were one ecstatic body.
David lowered himself onto Sophie, who rejoiced in the pressure of his weight on her slender frame as he softened within her. She panted as her own climax subsided and, smiling, lifted her arms around his shoulders. David kissed her full on the lips, his mouth salty and hot. They held each other tightly for a minute, before David reluctantly pulled himself gently out of Sophie, holding the feather light condom in place as he withdrew.
"Close your eyes!" He whispered and, after Sophie had done so, he crossed to the bathroom and subtly disposed of the condom and its contents. He quickly washed his hands and returned to the bed where Sophie was lying on her back, the clean white sheet draped casually but artistically over her body. She was still shy, he thought, despite all they had done together.
He lay alongside her, his fingers finding hers and squeezing them. He closed his eyes and dozed happily.
When he awoke half an hour later, Sophie was lying on her side, watching him, with a slightly concerned look on her face.
"David?" She asked, tentatively.
"What, darling?" He replied, reaching over to run his fingers through her long blonde hair.
"Was I …..well……was I ok? You know……at it?"
"Sophie you were – are – amazing. I'm crazy about you!" There was no doubting the sincerity in his voice. She blushed.
"It's just that I've never…..you know…..been with anyone else and I don't know…..well……if I'm doing it right!"
David laughed and kissed her cheek.
"That's part of what makes you special, Sophie. You're so sweet and innocent and……and I think I'm in love with you."
A sudden shudder went down David's spine. Had he really just said that? Again? And meant it? God! He realised, the answer was yes on all three counts.
Sophie was looking down at the skirting board.
