Lifeline (Daniel Ricciardo)

Chapter 28: Notion

Firstly, you'll have to excuse my French, if you do happen to spot mistakes then please do tell me!

"Right, that's all sorted for you." Evan put my house phone down as I continued to stare out of the window at the rain pouring. "Want me to come with you?"

"Are you trying to get out of work?" I asked, turning my head towards the blonde. I was aching all over.

"Maybe, but that's irrelevant. It's Friday at four, it was all they had left. Everyone has gone down with that swine flu or something."

I gave Evan a look, wondering if he even knew what he was on about. Without saying anything more he came and stood next to me by the panel of glass.

"Anything interesting out there?" he asked, tapping on the surface. My garden needed tidying up- usually after a while of my nagging Will would have mowed the lawn but, now May and no one being around to do it, the grass had grown a substantial amount.

"Not really, no." I sighed, walking away from there and back over to the other side of the kitchen. "Do you want me to drop you off at yours before I go to Daniel's?"

"Sure...you still staying there?"

I nodded my head and he flinched slightly, looking down at the tiled floor.

"I don't think you should stay at his tonight." he whispered, which was incredibly unusual for Evan to do. "Why don't you come to mine?"

"Why not? I feel better now..." I protested, flicking the switch of the kettle on. "It happened this morning so it won't happen again for a day or so. Besides, I don't want to crash on your couch and piss off Jake."

Unfortunately, Evan wasn't even listening to what I was saying, "Karin, trust me on this one. He won't mind and neither will I...you don't have to sleep on the couch either."

---

Later that evening I felt ten times better. I had showered and got changed back into my team uniform and I was going to tell Daniel I'd been at the factory all day. I didn't want him to worry. Not when everything was now going to be sorted by the doctor, who'd tell me to get my arse into gear.

Pulling up outside Evan's house his car was on the driveway after Jacob had most probably driven it back from work. The pair always shared lifts. I kept the engine running whilst Evan undid his seatbelt, ensuring he had his rucksack.

"Don't get out!" he chirped, undoing the door. "Just ring me when you're on your way back to mine. Okay, Karin?" I nodded and opened my mouth to say something, Ev cut me off- giving me a salute. "Drive safely!" he added, turning away and walking up the path to his front door.

Pulling away again I turned the radio on, trying not to feel too embarrassed about the fuss I had caused. Not only had I only done half a day's work, messing the schedules up of half of my colleagues, but I had disrupted Evan on his first day back. I definitely hadn't been planning on doing that.

Dan's house wasn't too far away from Evan's thankfully; both of their houses were about fifteen minutes from mine- work was too.

It wasn't long before Simon's number came up on the screen and after a few rings I clicked the accept button.

"Stroud!"

"Si..." I responded, being a lot more spaciously aware than what I had been that morning.

"How are you?" he asked, genuinely sounding concerned.

"Better, thank you. I don't know what came over me..." I tried to laugh as I could hear Sam talking in the background.