Not to be found

Chapter 14 - Home?

The house is warm, the atmosphere cosy and content. I carefully and quietly remove my boots and place them on the shoe rack by the front door, trying to be as quiet as possible. We walk into the living room where Noah's parents are curled up on the couch together; like lovers in the honeymoon phase of a relationship.
My parents would never be seen together in this way. It's kind of nice to see that his parents are still hopelessly in love with one another.

Julie lifts her head up from Mike's chest and she smiles, "hello you two," she grins her face a perfect picture, "I see you accepted our offer then Gracie?"

I play with my fingernails a little and rock on the balls of my feet awkwardly, "yeah, I guess so. But I wanted to let you know that I'm going to pay you for letting me stay here. I don't want to take your generous hospitality for granted."

She sits up, her legs crossed over one another and Mike follows suit; straightening his posture and grabbing the TV remote changing the channel to some comedian standing on a stage cracking poorly crafted jokes, he muffles a slight chuckle.

"Gracie, we don't want your money," Julie continues looking me directly in the eyes, "you're a lovely young lady and we would love it if you stayed with us, I mean Noah has told us that you've travelled all the way from the south coast for a break so I think you deserve a proper bed, don't you?"

I look around; the perfect chandelier centred  in the middle of the ceiling, the brown leather couches with their furry black blankets draped over the arms and the oak coffee table just a couple of steps away, this place is beautiful. Not to mention that stable
in the back garden....it's not even a back garden really. I don't have a name for what it could be.
"Well, I just don't want you to think I'm taking advantage. I mean you barley know me." I reply, my voice so small that not even those with the best hearing could make out as to what I'm saying.

"Ahh, my darling you couldn't be more wrong." She winks at me, sending a hot wave of panic down my back. What does she know?

Noah sits down on the couch behind us and I reluctantly do the same, sitting down carefully so that I don't make a mess of the perfect blanket arrangement. "Relax dear," Mike tells me, I smile weakly and sit back with my hands in my lap; my fingers intertwined with one another.

I direct my gaze to the TV on the other side of the room, the 10pm news is now on and a woman is sitting behind a desk dressed in a black dress with her hair carefully smoothed back and her hands in front of a keyboard. "The university student Lacey Grey has now been missing for ten days," she pauses a picture of my old face, now a distant memory appears on the plasma screen. My blood runs cold, "the 19 year old disappeared on her way to campus last Monday morning and hasn't been seen since. The last known sighting of Lacey was when she was spotted at a service station a few miles from her home. The police have said that if anyone thinks that they have seen Lacey or know anything about her disappearance to call 999 immediately."

"That's just terrible," Julie states, moving closer to her husband on the couch, "her parents must be worried out of their minds."

I shuffle in my seat, the palms of my hands going clammy but my face turning stone cold. They can't know that I'm Lacey Grey, at least for a while. I need to gain their trust, I need to see what they are like as people and how they are as a family unit. Are they loving towards one another? are they close as what they seem? are they as wealthy as my parents? well it appears that they are if not more so. What do his parents work as?

"Gracie?" I hear Noah calling me out of my racing thoughts, "Gracie?"

"Huh? Sorry," I blush looking at him.

"Its getting late," he states going to pick up my satchel and other bag of clothes, "shall I show you your room?"

"Umm...yeah sure," I mumble and he smiles, making me feel more comfortable in my new surroundings.

"Goodnight dear," Julie says as I walk out of the living room.

"Goodnight," I smile back at her and Mike who have now gone back to how they were originally sitting before me and Noah walked in. I guess they aren't fans of PDA.

I follow Noah up the large staircase of the country home and grab onto its wooden banisters for support, because the last thing I need tonight is a trip to the A&E department. "You can relax here you know?" Noah asks as we reach the top of the stairs.

"Yeah I know, I've just gotta get used to it I suppose," I say, offering him a smile as we walk down the bright hallway.

The doorway that we walk through is massive, "this is your room," he says as I take it in for all that it is; magnificent. It makes my room look like a dump.

The walls and floor brown, the ceiling a crisp white. A double bed placed up against the wall with three pictures hanging above it although I can't make out as to what they are. Bed side tables sit on either sides of the bed with slim line lamps with purple shades, a glass coffee table sits in front of the bed with a white orchid and two lit candles and a white leather stool with a brown blanket draped over the end. But my favourite part of the room is the white leather chair that is placed by the window, with its fluffy brown cushion and glass table with a light on top.

"Do you like it?" Noah asks, as he places my bags on the floor by the bed.

"Do I like it? do I like it?" I ask excitedly practically wanting to jump up and down, "Noah I absolutely love it!" and I wrap my arms around him so that we're in a tight hug.

"That makes me so happy," he says as he tightens his arms around my waist. I pull away and go to my bags that are on the floor, "anyways I'm going to bed myself now, my room is the first on the left okay? so if you need anything just knock. Goodnight." he says as he walks out the door.

"Goodnight Noah," I happily say.

After he's left I can't help it; I jump up and down on the spot and let out a small squeal of delight, I can't believe I'm here! I search through my bags  and pull out my bed shirt, its long enough and just covers my butt. I've never been a fan of long PJ's they're far too restricting.

I then literally jump into bed, pulling the heavy duvet over my body. It feels so good to be in a bed and not the backseat of my car.

I finally feel like this is going to work, I'm now in a house with a family that seem very lovely, warm and kind. Dare I call this place my new home?