Pretty Birdie

Chapter 11 - Girl talk

Later on that day Anna comes over to visit me at Wes's flat.
I was sitting on the sofa, trying not to move too much, to stop my side from hurting and Wes was sitting just a couple of feet from me when there was a quiet, hesitant tap on the front door.
Wes climbs up from the sofa and marched toward the door, opening it to a tearful Anna.

We lock eyes over the back of the sofa, and she comes running in, passed Wes, before pulling me into a tight embrace.

'Ah' I shout as a sharp pain runs down my body.

Anna immediately lets go of me, plops down on the edge of the sofa and cries.
Between sobs she tries to talk to me, but I only get snippets here and there.

'I so sorry Birdie'
'it's all my fault'
'I should have just stayed with you'
'none of this would never of happened'

Her emotions trigger me and tears start to escape.

'I'm just gunna go in the other room' Wes says, backing up into the bedroom.

It kind of makes me chuckle a little bit and Anna gives me a strange look.

'Why are you here, mv

'Wes saved me from Xander last night, I just feel a lot safer around him. Especially since no one knows where he's gone.' I try to defend

'Why don't we go back to your flat? I'll stay with you?' She offers

'I just don't feel safe there Anna. There has been weird stuff happening there. I'm sure I've been seeing someone outside my window at night and then the other day I thought I had a dream there was someone at the door. What if it wasn't a dream?' I utter, trying not to let a torrent of tears breakout.

'Oh Birdie' Anna replies, clasping her hand over her mouth.
'What is his problem?' She continues.
'He seemed so normal, but turns out he's an absolute nutter. Can the police not go to see his family or something? They have to know where he is surely?' She asks

'He doesn't have any family' I reply.
'The police told us last night. They were in a horrible accident quite a few years ago and Xander has been in and out of foster care.'

'Oh' was all she said

Anna stays for a few hours after that. Wes comes out of his room and spends some time with the two of us. Him and Anna seem to be getting on well and there's something that kind of pings in my chest whenever he laughs at anything she says. Weird....

'Well, I should probably go. I've got work tomorrow' Anna says, standing from the sofa and grabbing her phone off the coffee table.
'Are you sure you'll be OK here, Birdie?' She asks with a sad expression on her face.

'Yes, Anna. I'll be fine. Please don't worry. I'll text you if I need you.' I reply with a small smile on my face trying to reassure her.

'OK. Good. You better' she says before she turns and walks to the door.

Wes gets up after her and follows her to the door, opening it for her.

'You better look after my girl' Anna tells him

'I will' Wes states with a serious expression across his face.

And just as Anna walks through the doorway she turns back to him. 'Thank you. You know. For what you did' and then she's gone.

I didn't realise how late it was until Anna left and I saw the eerily dark sky behind her. The dark took me back to last night and I pull the blanket that's on my lap a little higher up my body, feeling like a scared child.

Wes comes back over from the door and sits down on the sofa, putting a hand on my ankle. I flinch. A completely involuntary move. I know Wes isn't going to hurt me, but being touched when I was feeling last night creeping up on me. I just couldn't handle it.

'Sorry' Wes says quietly

'No, it's not you. It's just...'

'I know.'

'I think I'm going to go to bed' I respond, feeling so drained.

'OK' Wes replies with a weak smile on his lips.

That night Wes slept on the sofa.