You Can Run To Me

Thirty-Four

"Sorry, Mum," said Nat abruptly. "Can you just excuse me for a second?"

Her Dad gave her a wholly admonishing look. "I shouldn't even have to tell you that phones and family events do not go together. You just ruined a beautiful moment."

"Oh, go easy on her, love. She's not ruining anything. I'm sure she wouldn't ask unless it was something important." Her Mum smiled at her oh-so-sweetly.

"Yeah," Natalie lied more or less easily. "I've actually got my phone set so only really important messages get through." Her parents weren't all that good with technology, so they lapped it up. She shouldn't have needed to lie at all, though – she had genuinely thought her phone was on silent. They would have understood that, so why had she lied instead? Maybe she was starting to get so used to lying it was becoming automatic. The guilt and hesitation only lasted a few seconds before her wave of anxious curiosity for Pen's message washed them away.

She went right up to her room in an effort to get some privacy. There was no way of knowing what this was about. It could be nothing more than an over-reaction. It could Sylvia breaking up with her Canadian boyfriend – when did long-distance ever work, especially when they'd only been face to face for a few hours total. It could be something on the news – maybe Keith Brett had spontaneously upped and died (Keith being their favorite actor of all time – so hot). Maybe the college was set alight by arsonists. Or it could be something else entirely; with Penryn you never knew.

Her phone was still buzzing with new messages, but none of them were any more revealing. All of them were insistent orders to call her. Natalie had to put in her passcode three times before she finally managed to get it right, her fingers were shaking so much. Why was she so nervous? It was probably nothing much to do with her. There was no reason for her fingers to twitch and tremble.

None.

Pen picked up halfway through the first ring. "Gah! I wasted half my credit on you. Why didn't you freaking pick up the first time!?!"

It took a moment for her to find her voice. "S-Sorry, Pen. It's my Mom's birthday, you know. We were just opening presents."

"That," replied Penryn with a deliberate pause. "Is a terrible excuse."

"This had better be good, Pen. My Dad even gave me his disappointed look for this. You owe me big time." Suddenly her voice was so normal, but her surprise barely registered these days.

"I don't owe you anything. I already said, I used up a ton of credit getting hold of you, so we're even."

Nat sighed, for want of a better response. Penryn naturally took that as her cue.

"Now I'm not sure you'll think this was worth it. I mean, it's hardly surprising, given... Nah, I'll let you get back to your little family thing."

"My God, Penryn! You are such a tease. You know you have to tell me now."

Penryn was silent for a full minute, drawing Natalie along as best she could.

"Don't you have better things to be doing? Like spending quality time with your family. And Stan."

Pen finally broke. "Alright, alright. You know I was just messing with you. Of course I'm going to tell you." She paused again.

"Pen!"

"Sorry, just making sure you're fully suspensed over there."

Nat made a sound that was half a sigh and half a laugh. She was so cold, she was shaking, and the waiting was beginning to physically hurt so much she thought she might throw up. Piper was sleeping on her pillow, and by some miracle instinct she suddenly opened her eyes and prowled over to Natalie, running the length of her body right against Nat's hand that wasn't holding her phone to her ear.