When We're Together (Damon Albarn)

Chapter Twenty-One

Sunday 17th December 2006

"Lyla darling, the kids are fine please just come to bed" Damon pleaded, I hummed at his words, not really listening to what he was saying but agreeing nonetheless.

Damon had taken hold of my hand, trying to pull me back into bed, but I'd managed to remove my hand from his grip. I'm almost certain that I'd just heard a noise outside and I had to go and check that they were all okay. Even if this was my fourth check since Damon and I came to bed an hour ago.

I quietly walked into each of their bedrooms, breathing a sigh of relief as I saw them all sound asleep, the exact same as how they were when I'd last checked fifteen minutes ago.

"They okay?" Damon asked as I walked back into our bedroom. I knew it wasn't a question and more of a statement, but I nodded my head regardless.

"Yeah they're fine" I sighed as I climbed back into bed "Sorry Dames, I'm just so sure I heard something outside"

He sighed slightly, rolling me over in bed so that we were facing each other. He gently reached a hand up to stroke my cheek, his eyes scanning across my face to try and read what I was thinking.

"There's no one here darling, the kids are safe, you're safe and we're all okay, nobody's going to come and get us" He whispered gently, I nodded my head in agreement but couldn't help chewing on my bottom lip. I couldn't disagree more with what he was saying.

"Someone's out to get you and fucking marry me" I hissed, I could recite that letter word for word now, the messy writing seemed to be etched in my brain, it was all I could think about.

"I'm sure it's meaningless love, just someone trying to have a joke" He laughed lightly, but it was horribly forced and didn't reach his eyes. I knew that he was just as worried about this letter as I was.

"Well it's not very fucking funny" I grumbled, taking a deep breath as I pouted "We need to make a plan of action"

"Not now darling, come on, let's go to sleep" He spoke softly, closing his eyes to prove his point.

"No Damon, I need us to work out what we're going to do, I won't be able to sleep otherwise" I paused to take a deep breath, subconsciously chewing on my bottom lip as I thought about my next words "We need to cancel our anniversary party"

He sat up in bed, swallowing hard as he tried to work out if i was joking. I'd spent months and an awful lot of money organising a huge party to celebrate our ten year anniversary.

"Really Lyla?" I sighed as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well our marriage is hardly in a position to celebrate ten years of it, a fucking divorce was on the cards a few weeks ago" I declared, shaking my head as I spoke "I don't want loads of people around us whilst there's a fucking psychopath on the loose"

"I mean, I'd say he's more of a sociopath" He smirked, his awful attempt to be funny almost pulling a smile out of me, instead he just got a roll of my eyes "We've sorted out security, if someone's not invited then they're not coming in"

"I know Dames, but I just don't want to risk it. I won't be able to enjoy the evening and I think it would be very hypocritical of us to celebrate our anniversary so publicly" He hummed quietly, I could tell he really didn't agree with me, but I just didn't feel comfortable with the idea "We'll just postpone it to the summer, people don't need to know why"

"Okay, if that's what you wanna do" He spoke gently, his eyes closing. I knew that he was tired but I still had too much on my mind for him to go to sleep yet.

"It is, I also want to pull the kids out of school until it's sorted" I spoke quickly as I knew he really wasn't going to like this one.

"No way" he responded sharply, I rose my eyebrows at him "The kids are staying in school Eliza"