Evermore - Cheradine

Chapter 30

I slept the entire journey to London, exhaustion pulling me under with my head against Cheryl's neck. When we arrived, her hand gently shook me awake.

"Babe," she whispered, kissing the top of my head. "We're here."

I blinked, groggy and sore. "I'm all stiff," I mumbled, stretching my arms.

Cheryl gave a small smile. "I can help you with that later," she said, her eyes still filled with concern as they searched my face, like she was looking for any hint that I wasn't okay.

I brushed a lock of hair from her face. "You don't have to look at me like that," I murmured. "I'm feeling better."

Her brow furrowed a little, doubt still written across her face. "You know you don't have to put on a brave face," she said softly. "Not with us."

"I'm not," I assured her, letting out a long breath. "It's just... it was the shock, really. How it all happened, more than anything."

"Yeah, it was awful," she said softly, her eyes dropping for a moment. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Don't be," I whispered, managing a small smile. "I just want to forget about it and move on."

"That makes sense," she nodded, her eyes still soft with concern. "But if moving on feels like too much, don't keep it all bottled up, alright? I'm here for you. Always." She reached for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

I nodded. "I won't."

We gathered our things and stepped off the bus. I said a few goodbyes to the girls at the hotel entrance, and Cheryl stayed close, guiding me to my room. When we reached the door, I paused and turned to face her.

"Do you mind if I have a bit of time to myself?" I asked, my fingers gripping the door handle. The last thing I wanted was to seem ungrateful. Cheryl had been amazing, and I honestly didn't know how I'd have coped without her.

"Of course, I get it," Cheryl said, her expression softening. "I'll be just down the hall if you need us." There was a bit of restlessness in her voice, a slight reluctance. "Remember what I said, yeah? Don't hesitate to reach out."

"I won't," I said with a faint smile, slipping inside and gently closing the door behind me.

I had a throbbing headache that pulsed with every heartbeat, so I took some painkillers and shut the curtains to block out the harsh daylight. The room fell into a comforting darkness, and I collapsed onto the bed, feeling exhaustion seep into my bones. The quiet was soothing, a refuge from the chaos of the previous day, and gradually, I felt my body start to relax. The fatigue overwhelmed me, pulling me into a restless sleep where time seemed to blur and fade away.

I didn't know how long I'd been out when a knock at the door pulled me from the fog of sleep. My first thought was Cheryl. She was probably worried since she hadn't heard from me.

But when I opened the door, it wasn't Cheryl standing there. It was Nicola, a sympathetic smile playing on her lips.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing," she said softly, her voice full of concern.

I felt a wave of gratitude that she'd come to check on me. "That's really kind of you," I replied, pushing the door open wider. "Come in."

Nicola stepped inside and settled into the chair by the bed. "Did you manage to get some rest?" she asked, watching me closely.

I sat back on the edge of the bed, rubbing my temples. "A bit. I was awake all night, so when I finally got here, I just crashed," I admitted.

Nicola's eyes softened even more. "Nadine, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine what's going through your mind right now."