Runaway 2

Chapter 16

10:54AM. Come with me.

"What are you doing here?," I ask, as I pull Harry into my tiny office and he takes a seat.

"I... um... moved your things to our apartment," He says.

"What the... I didn't even give you permission to go through my things!," I try not to raise my voice at him.

"I'm sorry, sorry, I meant, I need to move your things to our new apartment, so I need your consent," He explains, his eyes try not to make any eye contact, as he looks around the office.

"Are you a good packer?"

"Pretty good?... I guess?," He bites his lip.

"Fine, you can start packing my closet but don't touch any boxes that are closed or any drawers on my beside table or the lower drawer on that chest of drawers under my wall TV," I give him the directions to pack. He nods. He gets up to leave and there is a knock on the door. It was Ben, he tries to not make eye contact with Harry.

"Audrey, I need to talk to you, it's important," Ben comes up to me, close to me, Harry stares at us. Harry stands at the door, not moving.

"Harry, I think you need to go," I tell him. Ben walks up to the door.

"Sorry mate," Ben apologizes, as he shuts the door and then locks it. He starts looking around my room, then looks at me. "Can I have that scarf?"

I hand it to him and he stuffs it near the gap under the door, so no sound escapes. Then he takes a seat on one of the chairs on the other side of my desk and me on my chair. He sighs loudly as he rests his elbows on the desk, looking down, he was hesitating to say something.

"What is it?..." I ask softly.

"I know... I know you know... yet you..."

"What is it Ben? Know what?," I start to get tense. I notice the palms of his hands, sweaty, as he rubs them together.

"I wish, I wish you told me earlier," He still continues to confuse me and leave me under stress.

"Told you what?!," I ask, in a hurry. Anticipating for him to answer. What does he know? Does he know about my past?

"That man, the man with the gun... we searched him down Audrey, he lives with you," Ben exhales loudly, once he lets the words out, that he was holding back.

"I can explain," I grab Ben's hands in mine and softly brush them with my thumbs.

"Well you better, because that's what I'm here for," He pulls them away, he was angry, mad, disappointed or just plain disgusted, I couldn't tell.

"He was the one person," I slowly sigh, shaking my head, trying to not get emotional, "who took me in, helped me with my depression. He's not some criminal, he has a little six year old daughter, he was out of money and he went for the worst possible choice of trying to get some for his daughter's birthday to take her to magic land"

"Criminals have kids too Audrey," Ben stares me down.

"He isn't a criminal, he's the nicest person I know, I promise you, I wouldn't lie to you, it was a silly mistake-"

"ITS NOT SILLY! HE WALKED IN WITH A GUN AND THREATENED SHOOT!," Ben yells. I gulp, but tears stroll down my face. "Also not forgetting the fact that he stole a purse from an OLD WOMAN"