Always on the Run

24. Here for a reason

Hi guys! Here's the latest chapter. Happy reading and enjoy!

***

I can hear Jamie calling my name even though the handset is on the floor. I'm too shocked to pick it up. All I can do is stare at the wall, breathing heavily as my brain refuses to function. What the hell am I going to do?

I'm vaguely aware of Toby bending down to pick up the phone. I know he's talking into it but I can't make out the conversation. At one point he stands and Anais sits next to me. She takes my hand and squeezes it, probably trying to get my attention but I barely feel it.

What am I going to do? Think, Teresa, think.

My brain feels like it's stuffed with cotton wool. My thoughts are running into each other, making it impossible to have any coherent thought at all. When I was talking to Nadeem, the solution came so easily. This time, I can't even go beyond the fact that Jamie's out of custody and I can't be with him.

It's the tear sliding down my cheek that slowly brings me back to reality. I become more aware of Toby talking and I can make out what he's saying but it makes no sense as I've missed out on most of the conversation.

"Teresa?" I hear Anais next to me. When I slowly turn to look at her, she's looking really worried.

I blink a couple of times then look from her to Toby who is running a hand through his hair in agitation. His face is etched with anxiety and I can tell the conversation is not going well. Well of course it wouldn't...I mean he's probably already told Jamie the news and I can't imagine him taking it well.

That thought makes me feel sick. The nausea comes on so suddenly I jump up from the bed and dash to the bathroom just in time as the chunks make their way up my throat. I collapse in front of the toilet just in time, vomiting up this morning's breakfast.

This whole day has turned into a nightmare.

"Teresa?" I hear Anais call. Seconds later she comes into the bathroom and sits beside me, rubbing my back. "You poor girl. That's your...boyfriend?" she asks hesitantly.

Flushing the toilet, I move away from it but stay on the floor and lean against the wall. I nod and wipe away the constant flow of tears.

"It is not the end of the world, no?" Anais asks in all her innocence. "I understand my mother-in-law gave you a choice. If you do not marry Nadeem, you are not welcome here. If that is the case you can just go home to your boyfriend. It is not a problem."

She looks at me in confusion, as though she can't believe I hadn't thought of it. Well the truth is, I hadn't and of course it's simple but it's also not. How would that make me look if I say yes to him then hours later say no? It not only makes him look bad but that aside, the point of me saying yes was to help him get out of it. I can't back out of it now. Can I?

"Rese?" Toby calls, indicating he's off the phone.

"Thanks, Anais," I say as I stand, "I'll think about it." After rinsing my mouth out, I walk out to the main room and find Toby sitting on the bed.

"Are you okay?" I ask, unsure if I want to know how Jamie reacted.

Toby looks up at me and smiles tightly. When he pats the bed, I join him. He sighs heavily and places his arm across my shoulders.

"Well?" I ask. "Do I even need to ask how Jamie reacted? No wait...before you answer that, do you know Jamie? If so how?"

"So many questions," Toby complains. "Yes I know Jamie. As you know I kept in contact with our Mum so she mentioned him quite a lot. We've never met in person but we somehow ended up talking on the phone." He shrugs. "I don't know, it just happened. I barely remember how we started talking, we just did."