Burned

Chapter 3

Alistair's POV

I don't know how long we stand there on the sidewalk, just the two of us. It feels like old times; it feels like the past six months have been erased, and all the hurt and pain with it. Thena feels perfect in my arms, lithe and oh so warm. Her head rests on my chest, and I feel every soft in take of breath, every tremor. I pull her closer and sway a little, in a way I know she's bound to find relaxing. Like clockwork, I feel the remaining tension drain from her frame as she sways along with me. It's hypnotic, this being with her; it's like I've found Nirvana, but I know I must leave it. I press my cheek into the cloud of hair that is her afro and inhale as best as I can with my damaged nose; it still smells like whipped shea butter and Ylang Ylang. God, I've missed this.

Her stomach growls, bringing me from my thoughts back to the present, and I'm reminded that we're in a strange town and the sky is quickly getting dark. I breathe in one last time and squeeze her tight, trying to tattoo this moment on my brain. But the moment she steps back, I know I've failed - it hasn't even been a second and my arms feel desolate and empty - her warmth is gone.
" Let's find a place to eat", I say.
"I want to go to the train station, please." Her words are soft, but firm, leaving no room for argument. I know when to push her, and this isn't it. So I acquiesce and pull out my phone to order a ride. The ride back is sombre, and I see the driver cast furtive glances at us, maybe trying to understand what is going on here. When we finally get to the station, Thena offers him a 'thank you' and a smile. He tips his hat at her, then gives me a cold stare, as if he can tell whatever has happened between us is my fault. I ignore it and exit the car, but before I can get Thena's door, she's out and walking determinedly towards the station entrance. I trail behind her to give her the space it's so obvious she needs.

The station is a charming Victorian building with a sign that labels it as "Lewes Station". Up until this point, I didn't even know where we were. I walk up the steps into the station and spot Thena at the ticket stall talking with the attendant. And from the way he shakes his head at her, I can tell whatever news is being delivered isn't great. I'm guessing she has requested a ticket back to London, or one to Seaford, which is where she keeps an apartment no one else knows of - well, except for me. While Thena is the consummate socialite in manners and graces, I know she finds social situations and people in general to be tasking, and so the secretive apartment is a necessity for her to be able to escape and decompress. She once told me I'm the only one around whom her social battery isn't constantly on 'E'. Knowing her, that was basically a declaration of love. Thena doesn't do flowery words or overtly romantic gestures - she likes practicality and common sense. And so, even though what she basically said was 'I tolerate you', I understood that to mean 'I cannot be without you'. And right now, judging by her agitated gestures,  her interaction with the ticket attendant isn't going too well, and she needs me to be there.

I walk over to the ticketing stall, and she stiffens the moment she feels me come up beside her. It stings, but I ignore it and focus my attention on the attendant looking at her with a mix of pity and annoyance.
"Hey, Tim", I say, noticing his name badge. "Is anything the matter?"
"I was just saying to your Mrs, that the last train for Seaford already left, and due to unexpected engineering works, all further trains to London have been cancelled. She won't take no for an answer, and I'm trying to let her know that I don't actually control the trains!"
"I'm sorry about that, Tim. She's had a hard day."
He nods at me and starts typing something on his keyboard, dismissing us and signalling the end of the interaction. At this, Thena spins around and walks out of the station without sparing me a backward glance.
"Good luck" Tim says "looks like your day is about to get harder".
I smile tightly in response, and go after Thena, who I find sitting morosely on a bench just by the station entrance.

"Thena, let's grab something to eat, and then I'll get us a taxi to Seaford." I say, settling on the same bench, but a safe distance away.
"I don't want you in Seaford with me", she says.
It feels like a sucker punch, but I get it. Seaford is her haven and safe place - and right now, I don't represent safety. To have me there would be to taint the place, to turn it from Heaven to Hell.
"I get that. But I can't put you in a taxi alone. I have no assurance you'll get there safely, and I can't call you to confirm."
"Of course you can call me", she says rolling her eyes.
I say nothing. Giving her time to remember that she's blocked me and changed her number.
"Oh" she says. "In any case, I can take care of myself".
"I know you can, that isn't a question. But this isn't safe, and you can't ask me to risk it. I won't." My words come out harder than I intended, but I can feel the nervous energy building in me. The world is dangerous, but we're often under the illusion that evil will affect everyone but us. I'm not an optimist; never have been, never will be. Especially when it's Thena's safety that hangs in the balance.
She looks into my eyes, staring hard for a moment. There must be something she sees, because she softens and says:
"Okay. We'll get a hotel".