V & V (wlw)

Chapter 2 - The one where there is an attempt

Late morning light filtered through her curtains as Veronika woke up. She lay there for a moment, watching sunbeams dance on her sheets. It was such a nice day.

She raised her head and felt the inside of it throb. Groaning into the empty room, she swung her feet out of bed and felt a wave of vertigo hit her as she stood.

Regretting that she didn't at least make an effort to throw up last night, Ron splashed her face and took a long drink of water.

It was almost midday, which meant her time allotted for cleaning was already gone. Even so, she harried around dusting things and opening windows to make it a little more comfortable.

Her apartment wasn't great, but she was proud of how she kept it. Even if it had marks from previous tenants, or that her landlord painted over what suspiciously looked like cracks in the walls.

She stopped for a moment to take it all in, like she often did, and wondered exactly how she got here.

After university, her degree didn't help much. In fact, she worked in a completely different field. The pay was pittance, but it was enough to keep her alive. Besides, it let her pursue her real passion.

Veronika put on the pajama bottoms she ignored last night and sat down at her writing desk, which was also her kitchen table. She shoved the other chair – the one with the jacket on it, a reminder of last night – out of sight and opened her laptop.

In the past few years, when her life had calmed down enough and she wasn't worried about finding a place to sleep, she began working on a novel. It had been slow-going, but she finally had a manuscript ready.

She'd written before, when she contributed a piece in an urban fantasy anthology. It had seen mild success and she got to put published author in her resume, but this was the first time the work was hers alone.

The next few hours were spent drafting up her query letter; Veronika erased and rewrote that sales pitch until the words blurred together on the screen. She slapped the computer shut and leaned back in her chair.

There was a crick in her neck and she had run out of coffee the day before. She debated going to a café for it and ultimately decided it wasn't worth it. Instead, she shed her clothes and hopped into the shower.

As Veronika stood under that weak trickle of lukewarm water, she suddenly missed the feeling of being able to soak in a bath like she used to at her parents' house. She didn't have a tub here; she barely had hot water.

She spent a long while in that stream, letting the shower wash away her thoughts. Emerging from the bathroom, she checked her phone as she fluffed at her hair with a towel.

Texts from her friends asking if she'd made it home safe, to which she replied in the affirmative. No texts from Rose, who left her little hey from earlier this late morning on read.

Two texts from an unknown number.

unknown: Good afternoon. It's Victoria

unknown: I'd really like to see you again

Veronika tossed her phone on her bed and put her hands over her face. What was up with that? Why did Vic say it like that? What could she possibly want with her?

She huffed a breath and scooped her phone up again, changed the contact name and replied.

ron: lmao? hi?

ron: i still have your jacket

That had to be it. There was no other reason Victoria would hit her up. Ron was overthinking this.