Good Luck Anna

Dread

I yawn stretching out then jump up when realising that I'm in a bed. My eyes instantly find Alex who is staring somewhere near my head, face blank of emotion. He must have worked hard to get everything locked back away while I slept.

"How did I get here?" still groggy even although that was the best nights sleep, I have had in weeks.

"Since you refuse to sleep at the hotel with Edward, you will sleep in a bed here." His words give a swell of emotion in my chest, he almost sounds like the old Alex, if only his face didn't look like that then I could pretend that everything was back to normal and mum would bustle through the door any moment fussing over "her babies." That is just a dream and we live in a nightmare.

"Thank you, but I do quite like sleeping in the chair now. Don't think I will ever go back to a bed again." my attempt at a joke falls flat.

We sit in awkward silence until he slowly says "yeah, your snoring for three hours solid this morning was a dead giveaway that the chair is better." His bantering back with me almost makes me cry. The sleep deprivation must be slowing down his brain, but I will take whatever I can get from him right now.

I gasp exaggeratedly hand landing on my chest in mock offence. "A lady doesn't snore." For the briefest moment I think maybe I could get a smile from Alex. You don't notice how much you love something till it's gone, and my brother used to have a smile like a lantern in a black out his entire being would shine, easily drawing others to his light.

"Sorry, I did not intend to insult the lady, but you snore like a wood chipper." I begin giggling as Alex's lip slightly twitches at the corner, I guess that is the closest to a smile we will get today.

I'm still giggling when Edward walks through the door in a black suit carrying a dress bag. "Oh no, Edward we aren't going today." Not a chance in hell am I leaving Alex today after everything that went down yesterday.

"Why wouldn't you go? You did promise that guy would be there, bit rude to bail now Anna."

The temptation to scream, 'I don't want to go because you had a fucking meltdown yesterday and I'm terrified that you throw yourself off the roof if we are not here to keep an eye one you.'

Instead I calm my rage and say "I would just rather be here today."

Alex sighs seeing right through me instantly, "Well all I will be doing today is sleeping so you are in for a boring day." He picks up the pill that is permanently neglected rolling it between his fingers.

"Just go. I will be fine, promise." Knowing that he is going to be taking a sleeping pill just makes me want to stay here more, if Alex screams himself awake again and he is all alone what will happen then?

"Please just go, nothing will happen if you leave for a couple hours." Alex sounds so sincere I just groan, getting out of bed and grabbing my dress from Edward.

Twenty minutes later I'm dressed in a simple black shift dress with my long brown tangled hair in a ponytail. Can't wait to get home, and smother my hair in layers of my thick rose conditioner again.

When I finally step out of the bathroom Alex and Edward are quietly murmuring to one and other, they fall silent as soon as I make myself known. "You look adorable Anna." A glimmer of light fills Alex's eyes making me finally feel some hope that the old Alex may return to us one day.

I curtsy quickly "Thank you." Edward nods once then hands my phone to me. "Are you sure that you are happy for us to leave today?"

"Swear to fuck Anna if you ask me that again I will have you barred from this room" with a response like that you would expect some emotion behind his voice but it's just empty.