Stars In Her Eyes

Six

After a fifteen minute drive we finally pull over. We're once again in the woods but it's a different location as the one we were at earlier. The car is parked at the edge of the woods. Sabrina takes me along deeper into it. What are we doing here?

"Whenever I don't wanna be found this where I hide",

she explains.

"In a tree? What are you? Batman?",

I giggle

"No silly it's about what's behind the trees",

Sabrina's hand once again grabs mine and pulls me forward.

As we get deeper into the woods a small house reveals itself. It's entirely build with bricks that have turned a grayish shade over time. The walls are partly covered in vines which makes it look kind of fairy like. There's a window in the middle of the front wall. Moving to the side there's a wooden door. It's tucked away in a cove. The door has it's own little roof and more vines have grown around the poles holding it up.

"Not a tree, more like a treehouse, a big one that's not actually in a tree",

Sabrina unlocks the door.

Is this place hers?

We go inside and directly enter the living room. It's small and cozy. There's a fireplace with a fuzzy rug in front of it and a couch with a dozen pillows and blankets on it. Sabrina lets herself fall onto it. Ever since we've arrived she seems so much happier.

There's this radiance coming off of her, she feels safe here. I like seeing her like this. The wall seems to have disappeared and she's finally relaxed.

I can't help but wonder; how many other people have been here?

Has that Trent guy been here?

Has he seen her, like this?

Have they made love on that rug in front of the fireplace like couples always do in the movies?

That last thought makes me shiver.

No! I decide. It wouldn't make sense for her to bring other people here, especially him. She said this is her hiding spot for when she doesn't wanna be found. So surely she must've kept it a secret, until now.

Why did she bring me here though?

"You hide here a lot?",

I seat down on the couch too.

It's so soft that I sink into it deeper then expected. Sabrina giggles as she notices my clumsiness. Her cheeks turn red, is she blushing?!

"Only when I don't wanna be found",

she continues our conversation.

"Does that happen a lot?",

a silence falls.

Something shifts in Sabrina's eyes, like she's trying to find the right answer that won't reveal too much yet say it all.

"I hibernate from time to time, yeah... life just gets... overwhelming",

a big sigh releases between her lips.

"Is that why you're on those meds?",

it pops out without thinking.

Shit! Shit! She doesn't know I know! Now I have to come clean about going through her stuff.

Something in her face changes. Like the wall she was letting down is now fully back up. As if I'm coming too close and she needs to protect herself from it.