Escapism (CL 16)

12. Get out

When Mike eventually returned, well after midnight, his packed suitcase was already sitting by the door.

Laura and Anna, having consumed more than a few glasses of wine while they waited for him, were sat in the dim lighting and watched as he tripped over the suitcase trying to get through the door.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking back and forth between the case and the two of them in confusion.

"You're leaving, that's what's happening." Anna told him firmly. "I packed your stuff for you, you're not welcome here."

"Laura, come on..." he sighed.

"Don't." Anna warned, stepping between him and Laura as he approached. "She's not going to take you back this time. You can give all the crap apologies you want, it's not going to work."

"Laura... please." He tried again. "Nothing happened."

"You've got lipstick all up your face and I can smell her perfume on you. Your shirt is buttoned up wrong as well." Anna pointed out. "I never wanted you here in the first place, by the way, but Laura was so sure you'd changed and I thought we'd better give you one more chance, but you've just proven yet again why you don't deserve her."

"You know, Anna, all I'm hearing is how much you hate me. Laura hasn't said a word." Mike pointed out. "So how about you keep your nose out of our relationship, just for once in your life, and let us sort this out between us. It's nothing to do with you."

"I swear to god sometimes it's like you want me to slap you in the face." Anna growled, but as she took a step forward Laura caught her arm.

"He's not worth it." She said quietly, shaking her head. "You need to leave, Mike. I can't keep doing this, I have no idea why we've carried on doing this for so long. I suppose it's my fault for believing that maybe one day you'd change and love me back the way I thought I loved you... it doesn't matter now really I suppose, the point is I'm not going to do this any more."

"I do love you, Laura." He tried again, lowering his voice. "I'm sorry."

"If you loved me, you wouldn't keep doing this to me." She shook her head, trying to stop her voice from wavering as she blinked back tears. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how hard this was for her, even after everything he'd done.

"It won't happen again. Laura, please."

"You need to go, Mike." She told him.

"Where am I supposed to go? It's the middle of the night!" He cried.

"I don't care, go and sleep on a bench. Go to the airport and wait for a flight home. I honestly couldn't care less, but you won't be staying in my house, that's for sure." Anna said firmly. "Come on, out." She walked towards him, herding him towards the door as he reluctantly grabbed the handle on his suitcase.

"I can't believe you're doing this Laura." He stopped in the doorway, looking back at her. "You know you'll end up regretting it. You always do."

"Bye, Mike." Anna said, all but shoving him out the door. "I really, really hope to never see you again."

The second the door shut behind him, Anna clicking the lock into place in case he tried to come back, the tears Laura had been holding back so well had started streaming down her face.

"I can't believe he's actually gone." Laura choked out.

Anna paused in the kitchen for a moment on her way back, returning with another bottle of expensive looking wine in her hand. "We're going to drink this, you get all the crying over and done with tonight and then you never think about that waste of space again, got it?"

"Don't we have to get up to go back to the track in a few hours?" Laura pointed out, watching as her friend ridiculously over filled a wine glass before handing it to her.

"We'll worry about that later. We either keep drinking the whole day or Carlos said the coffee at Ferrari is insane. I think if we get enough of that into you then you'll be fine."

"I don't know if I want to go and face Charles again anyway." Laura sighed, gulping down a couple of big mouthfuls of the wine as she sat back on the sofa.

"I think Charles is exactly what you need right now... he can provide you with some more of those distractions he's so good at." Anna smirked.

Laura shook her head. "He's such a nice guy, that's not fair on him."

"Who said it's not what he wants? A bit of no strings attached fun... maybe it's what both of you need."

"Don't you dare try and set something up." Laura shook her head. "Just leave him alone to do his thing, I can't deal with any more right now. Please?"

"Alright." Anna agreed reluctantly, although Laura wasn't entirely sure she believed her friend was going to keep her nose out of it. Anna just loved meddling in everything too much.

"I mean it." Laura sighed.

"I know, I know." Anna sighed. "He's just so.... Perfect... the two of you are so cute together!"

"Wait what?" It took Laura a minute for the words to sink in.

"We hung around for a little bit when you were in the garage, I wasn't spying as such... one of the guys at Ferrari heard Josh complaining about missing out on the garage tour and offered to show us around... we were just leaving as you guys came in and the way he looks at you..." Anna was practically bouncing off the sofa with excitement.

"No." Laura shook her head. "Just stop it, I'm not even going there. Do you honestly think that someone like him would actually turn out to be any different to Mike? He's travelling around all over the place, probably with a different girl in every country. Just leave it be. It was one really good night and that's all it's ever going to be."

"If you say so..." Anna muttered.