Falling Down Under (I) #Wattys2016

Part 20

Hannah was going to work the next day and therefore left soon. I turned on the radio and got my beloved friend iPad out. No, I wasn't going to stalk Tom. I decided to start looking for properties in the area. I put on my black shorts and a wide yellow shirt for a late night on the couch. Then I remembered the Milka chocolate bar in the fridge I'd bought on the weekend. Whenever, on a rare occasion, I found one of my favourite chocolate bars with the purple cow on it, I'd buy one. It was always a treat finding German chocolate at the shops, and even though there were other nice brands, nothing quite beat Milka for me. Since I'd skipped dessert, I decided to contemplate for it by munching the entire bar. No, I was not going to feel guilty. After all, I hadn't had any chocolate in ages. Happy hormones, come to me!

My thoughts kept on drifting away, but I forced myself to keep attention to the properties on the screen in front of me. I'd enjoyed looking for a new home when we moved into the current house, but this time was different. Moving house wasn't by choice. I just couldn't afford it on my own, especially without a job. Maybe, with the good price I'd achieved, I could afford to stay home for a few months? Or maybe we could go to Germany next school holidays?

A knock on the door brought me back out of my thoughts. I winced! Is that Michael? I remained stock-still. I had been wondering all day what happened to him. I should have reported the incident to the police. I had relied on a stranger. What would he do to me now? Slowly, I took hold of my phone, clenched it like it was my lifeline. The big, empty room made me feel exposed.

It knocked again. My breath caught, my pulse quickened. I could feel my heart beat thumping in my ears like drums. The blinds on the French doors were shut, but I knew that the light would shine through from the inside, giving away that I was home. With shaking hands, I opened the cover of my phone and started dialling 000, holding my thumb on top of the dial button, ready to call emergency.

If Michael was going to hurt me, would he knock on the door, or would he force his way in? Maybe Scott had come back? Or Hannah forgot something?

As quietly as possible I crept into the kitchen and got the sharpest knife I could find. With a racing heart, my phone in one hand, pressing down the ring volume to silent, knife in the other hand, I crawled to the front door, pushing my ear against it.

All I could hear was some rustling, then another knock.

"Please, open up," it was a quiet begging, full of pain. It was Tom's voice. I was certain. Or was that just my imagination?

With my back to the door, relieved, confused, I slid down, sitting on the floorboards. The weight of my body made the door shake and give a hollow noise.

"Lisa?" it echoed from outside. His voice was so close, like a whisper in my ear, yet so far away. My head started spinning. I felt the blood drain from my veins, my hands, wet from sweat and unable to move. As in trance I got off the floor, placed the kitchen knife on the shoe drawer behind me and slowly opened the door. Through the closed fly screen the bluest eyes looked at me. My heart jumped. My feet were too weak to carry the weight of my body, my hands shaking, unable to open the door any further. I wanted to talk, say something, but I was blank, numb, my mouth dry like sandpaper. I didn't get a single sound past the lump in my throat.

He's here. He's really here.

For what seemed like an eternity, we just looked at each other, soaking each other in, unable to move or talk. When I finally found my balance I whispered, trembling, "What are you doing here?" It wasn't meant to sound accusingly, but I wasn't master of my body any longer.

Tom looked shattered, yet so unbelievably gorgeous. It took him a while to answer. Not leaving his eyes off me, he nervously fumbled through his hair.