It was six AM by the time I woke up and the only reason I woke up by six AM is because I was scheduled to go back to Warren for the day.
How great.
I had to catch the 7:30 train and that meant I had to be quick.
After taking a shower and dressing in casual clothes I climbed downstairs, wanting breakfast. Nobody was up which felt foreign to me - the house was dead silent. I quietly made myself a turkey sandwich and ate silently on the dining table. My loud personality had been stepped on during the past week and so I was eager to go back home, wanting it back.
I grabbed the bag I packed yesterday and headed out the door only to meet Anthony.
"Oh, hi." He said.
"Hey. What are you doing up so early?" I asked, curious. It was a Saturday after all.
"I was just going to ask you the same question." Anthony replied, his expression turning serious.
I hadn't told Anthony my plans for today - I didn't feel obliged to. Should I have?
"I'm um, actually going back to Warren."
"For good?"
"No, it's just for the day. I've got a train to catch so, I'll see you tonight Anthony." I murmured, pushing past him.
"I can drive you!" Anthony called out.
I squeezed my eyes shut like they do when something you don't want to happen, happens. Great.
"You don't have to, really."
"No, it's fine. The train station isn't that far, anyway."
He walked past me and climbed up in his truck - the one I had to see everday for the rest of the three months. Yay. I hesitantly got into the truck as well and watched in despair as Jeanine's house faded away.
- o -
I was in Warren by 10 AM.
And I was scared.
There were police officers in the train station so before I stepped off the train, I grabbed my hoodie from my bag and slipped on some eye glasses I had. I lifted my hoodie above my face, and tried to be as discreet as possible.
There were hundreds of other people, they wouldn't notice me, right?
Of course they wouldn't, I assured myself.
I just needed to act normal - blend in, I suppose. I walked at a normal pace and stared down at my train ticket multiple times to come off as "busy". Along with the hundreds of other people, I walked out of the train station to meet the cold weather of Warren. I was home. And yet, it felt nothing like it.
I was in Warren simply because I needed to meet up with a few of James's old secretaries. I needed progress and so I had to do something about it. I wasn't here to visit anyone or drop a surprise at home and stay the night. No. There was no time to waste and I understood that very clearly.
I whistled a taxi over and got in whilst dialling James's first secretary, Delilah Jones.
"Hello?" A petite voice said on the other end.
"Hey, Delilah. My name is Haley Reed and I'd like to speak to you about James Green."
"Uh, why?"
Of course they'd ask why.
"Because he's looking for a new secretary and I need all the help I can get if I want to land that job." I lied.
"Okay then, sure. Are you free today?"
