Sing Me Your Song

Chapter 11

Neal was getting another cup of coffee before he went back to stare out the window down unto the bustling streets of London without actually seeing them. He had stopped his pacing only a few moments ago to watch the sunrise.

He had dozed off somewhere around 2am but never actually slept. He did not feel tired though, his veins still on fire from anger at what he had witnessed and learned last night. He was sure that there was even more to the story and she had only told him the most basic facts and he was also sure that she would never have told him any of it if he had not seen it with his own eyes.

And while he could not help but admire her courage and how she so silently bore all of that pain on her own, he was also mad. Why did she not think that he could have helped her?

Yes, the fact that this asshole that had hurt her was a police officer definitely did complicate things, but there was always a way, somehow.

And he was sure that he would have been able to do something, anything. If only to make her feel like she was not alone in all this. She had been carrying that burden for four years, all alone and it made his heart clench.

She still had a brother who she had often said she loved and trusted above all else, but it seemed that even he did not know what had been going on with his little sister.

And Neal was sure that it was due to the same reasons that she had never told any of her friends back then, or him now. Because she wanted to protect them. But Neal could not and would not accept that. He would not just stand by and watch her keep running.

No matter what he did, he would make sure that she never felt alone again. That was just not fair. She had been so kind to him, always tried to be happy and friendly, and she did not deserve any of what had happened to her.

And he would be damned if he did not do anything about it. Neal could not stop seeing the fear in her eyes as she looked at him coming to her door. At least, he now knew that she did care about him, that she did not despise him, that she might be feeling the same about him as he did about her but had just not wanted to jeopardise his safety.

And that did give him some hope. Even if it was only as friends, they would somehow find a way out of this. Together. Because Neal had a feeling that a friend was what she most needed right now. And for her, he would do almost anything, especially after realising what danger she already took upon herself simply by staying in London when she had probably planned on leaving way sooner.

He suddenly heard a small patter of bare feet upon his hard-wood floor and turned around to see her slowly approaching him. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was not even 8 a.m. She looked utterly exhausted, and he just wanted to wrap her in his arms and make her feel safe.

“Hey.” She said softly, her voice sounding a bit raw. He was almost sure that she had been crying.

“Hey.” He responded and shot her a small smile, which she returned. She seemed to avoid his gaze as she was probably feeling somewhat embarrassed by the way Neal had found out her secret. He knew that he would have to tread carefully now, not to scare her or to pressure her into l about things she was not ready for.

“Coffee?” He asked her, and she smiled before she nodded. Glad that he could do something useful, Neal immediately set to work.

“How are you feeling?” She asked him as he motioned for her to sit on the couch as he brought her cup of steaming black coffee, just as she liked it, strong and without any added sugars or milk.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” He responded but immediately regretted it as he saw her face fall.

“Sorry.” He quickly added and handed her the coffee. She finally returned his gaze, and it was soft, yet he could see the underlying sadness in her eyes that almost made him tear up.