Valerie

26 - Thomas

Over the next week, Valerie and I fell back into our easy friendship, our friendship that always bordered on something more but we never crossed that threshold.

"Do you want me to hold that for you?" I asked Valerie as we walked out of class.

"Huh- what?" She said, dragging her eyes to my face.

"Your bag." I clarified.

I took a closer look at her face. She had dark circles under her eyes, her face was pale and she seemed groggy, not quite in the moment.

Then I realised. Today was the day that her dad and brother would be coming. I took another look at her. That isn't how someone would usually react to seeing their family for the first time in seven months.

"I'm fine." She grumbled, being stubborn.

I sighed and pulled her bag off of her shoulders and onto mine.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"Today is the day that your dad and brother visit, right?" I said casually.

She gave me a surprised look, like she was shocked that I remembered. She nodded.

"And how do you feel about it?"

"I feel fine." She was picking at her fingers. "I'm excited to see my brother." The ghost of a smile crossed her face. 

"And your dad?" I asked. The weak smile vanished. 

Her mouth opened to reply but before she could, a voice shouted, "Val!"

We both turned our heads in the direction of the voice to see a tall, blonde man striding towards us.

"Will!" She practically screamed before flinging herself into his arms, not caring about the people stopping and staring. "I didn't know you'd be at my Uni!"

"I wanted to surprise you." He said, grinning.

Then his eyes shifted to me. Valerie pulled back from his arms before following Will's gaze. "This is my friend, Thomas."

"Your friend?" Will said.

"Yes." I replied. I wanted to reiterate the fact that I was her friend but then decided against it as it soon wouldn't be true.

"Your friend that is carrying your bag."

"Yes?" Valerie said, looking uncertain.

He looked like he was about to say something else but before he could, I interrupted with, "I'm Thomas, Thomas Verner."

"I think I've read about you." Will said, looking between me and his sister. "You own Verner hotels, don't you?"

"Something like that." I replied vaguely. 

"Where is he?" Valerie asked her brother. As soon as the words left her mouth, she looked so vulnerable I couldn't bear it. I wasn't entirely certain that if I saw her father I wouldn't punch him square in the jaw.

"He's ah- he's gone to a bar." Will said. At least he had the decency to look sympathetic.

"A bar?" Valerie almost whispered.

"You know how he gets, Val. It isn't his fault."

"He doesn't want to see me or make amends does he?" She said quietly.

I vaguely felt like I shouldn't be there but I also couldn't leave Valerie alone so I stayed in place.

"No Val, he really does. It's just he needed a drink."

"Needed or wanted?" I chimed in and instantly regretted when I did. This wasn't my family. This wasn't my business.

I was prepared to take my words back and apologise to Valerie when she surprised me by looking at me with a ghost of a smile on her face.