Pretty Birdie

Chapter 39 - Understand

**Wes POV**

It's been over two weeks since B left and I haven't been able to think straight. I can't eat and I can't sleep. I feel like a zombie just wasting the days away, wondering what happened. Why she left me. I text and call everyday, hoping she'll let me in. Let me know what's happening. To help me understand.

Every time I close my eyes I see her in that taxi, the look in her eyes, something I won't be able to unsee. The look of fear when she saw me. When I tried to reach for the door handle of the car to stop her from leaving. I never wanted her to feel scared of me. I never wanted her to look at me that same way she would look at Xander. It broke my heart.

That morning I slip my trainers on in a sluggish motion as I drag myself downstairs to the shop. I grab a share bag of crisps off the shelf, knowing I'll only open them and just leave them, not actually feeling hungry. As I walk up to the till I see Anna is standing there, just scowling at me.

'What?' I say in a harsh tone, not wanting to deal with her crap.

'You really are a piece of shit, you know that right?' she replies

After everything I have done for B before and after her abduction and then her just leaving without so much as a bye, Anger bursts out of me with Anna taking the brunt of it.

'What the fuck? What the actual fuck?' I say in a loud voice, as people start looking over in our direction.

'It's you're fault she's not here. It's you're fault my best friend is miles away, hiding in that cottage all alone' She yells.

'How is any of this my fault?' I shout back.

'Don't you pretend you have no idea what you did. Birdie saw you that day. Coming out of your flat with that girl. As if she hasn't already been through enough you had to go and sleep with some random slut'

I pause, having no idea what she's talking about.

'I haven't slept with anyone. What are you going on about?'

'The day you told Birdie you were going for that meeting' She says air quoting the word meeting. 'She saw you coming out of your flat with a girl who wrapped her slut arms around you and who you kissed. She saw it. How selfish can yo...'

'Shut up' I interrupt her mid sentence as I pause and think back to that day, realising what she saw. I turn back to Anna.

'She's got it all wrong. You have to tell me where she is.'

'I'm not telling you shit' She says with a tone of anger still in her voice.

'It wasn't what it looked like. I can explain to her. Please Anna... Tell me where she is' I beg, hoping for her to change her mind.

**Birdie POV**

Today is the day that Adam is meeting me. We're going for a coffee in a quiet café in the village later in the evening and I'm actually looking forward to it in one way. It's been two weeks since I left home and I'm starting to get a little cabin fever being by myself for this long. It'll be nice to have some human interaction that doesn't involve people just staring at me knowing what happened and feeling sorry for me. We've been sharing texts for the last couple of days, just checking in with each other about the updates on the police investigation and how we're doing.

The body the police found the other day wasn't Adams sister, Cassie. To be honest I think he was kind of hoping it was, just to get some closure. I think that his family has accepted that she's not alive and now they're just holding onto tenterhooks, waiting to hear if they've found her so they can finally put an end to their suffering.

As I sit at the dressing table, applying make up for the first time in what feels like forever, I examine my face. I think it's the first time since escaping Xander I've actually cared about my appearance. As I apply some foundation and mascara I start to look a little less ill and more like my ordinary self. I feel... Good.

My phone pings and I pick it up, seeing a text from Wes. I open it and read the paragraph he's sent.

'Please B, I know why you left now. I'm sorry for what you saw. I can explain. Its not what you think it is. Please stop shutting me out. Let me in.'

I think about replying, but I don't want to give him a chance to lie to me. What's the point? Then a message comes through from Adam.

'Hi, I've managed to get away a little earlier if you're free to meet maybe a couple hours earlier then planned? I can pick you up on the way through?' he offers

I look back up to the mirror. I am almost ready and I would only be sitting around waiting. Plus I don't really want to ride my bike all the way to the village and ruin my face.

I send him a reply.

'Hiya. Yeah, that sounds great. I'm not busy today. Let me know when you're getting close :)'

After a few hours of watching TV I get a text from Adam.

'I'm outside'

I smile down at my phone and then shoot towards the front door, grabbing my boots and sliding them on. As I walk towards the car he looks up and smiles at me. He's a lot more attractive than his profile picture. His picture shows a young, doe eyed boy, barely 20. The man in the car has dark, brooding eyes and stubble covering his strong jaw, making him look a lot older.

I lift my hand and give him a small awkward wave, thankful I put a little effort into my makeup today.

As I reach the passenger side door, I pull it open, slipping into the seat next to him.

'Hey' he says

'Hi, Thanks for picking me up.' I say giving him a smile.

'That's alright, we're both going to the same place, right?' he jokes

'I did not fancy riding my bike in this weather' looking at the sky through the windscreen, watching a dark grey cloud working its way towards the cottage.

'Looks like a bad one' he adds

It's not long before we  pull up to the front of the café, with rain coming down hard all around us.

'You ready to run?' Adam says

'As ready as I'll ever  be' I reply, grabbing hold of the handle before pushing the door open and sprinting for shelter.

As I run towards the café door I reach my hand out, grabbing hold of the door just as  Adams hand lands on top of mine. I feel a jolt run through me as I look up to the man looking down to me.