The Ugly Truth

Chapter 2

July 7th, 2015. 11.30am. 365 days since Mia was reported missing.

Lucy massaged her aching temple as she slipped deeper into her thoughts.

Sure, Mia and I got up to some crazy things. But it wasn't anything crazier than usual, right? What if - Suddenly, her phone beeped loudly, snapping her out of her reverie. Nathan had replied to her text.

Sure. I'll be @ yours @ midday.

Shocked, Lucy grabbed her phone and replied quickly. Her fingers were shaking, but she managed to compose a message.

Do you remember the way? She pressed send and waited, biting her lip. He responded within seconds.

Of course. See you soon.

Lucy smiled wryly and sighed. He was so forgiving. Too forgiving. She hadn't even contacted him after he'd been discharged from the hospital after his...incident. What would he think of her, texting him on such a sensitive day? How would he react to what she was about to show him? Her hand darted absentmindedly to the key dangling on a chain around her neck.

This is going to be interesting.

She got dressed and sauntered downstairs, hoping that her parents had already gone to work. She didn't want to face anyone. Not today. She didn't want to have to deal with their sympathetic eyes, their faces twisted into classic 'concerned' expressions and their voices full of understanding and compassion. That would bring her close to breaking point. She needed to be strong today. To her immense relief, she spotted a pink sticky note on the fridge.

Dad and I will be working at the shop until late. You can order pizza for tonight. –Mom.

Lucy hurriedly ate a bagel for breakfast and checked her watch. It was 11.56, and Lucy was starting to feel antsy again.

What if he changes his mind?

Lucy sighed. She hadn't entertained this thought for a while, but she...she kind of missed him. He'd been there for her through the entire ordeal. He'd stood up for her when the police had tried to pin the whole disappearance on her. She remembered the late-night calls, the warm safety of his embrace, and, on that fateful night, the –

Lucy's thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ringing of her doorbell. She gasped.

He's here.

Instinctively fixing her hair and adjusting her shirt, she rushed to the front door.

"Wh-who is it?" she called, hating the way her voice shook.

"It's me."

Lucy breathed in sharply. She hadn't heard Nathan's voice in months, and hearing it again was almost...too much. Hesitating initially, she mustered up all her willpower to open the door.

And there he was.

His normally long, chestnut hair had been cut short, accentuating his bright blue eyes and long eyelashes. Nothing else has changed about him. He was wearing a fitted t-shirt and jeans, as usual. His lips were set in a concerned line, looking as nervous as Lucy felt. He was a hot mess. He was...himself.

"It's you."

It was Nathan who spoke first, and it was at that moment that Lucy realised that she was holding her breath.

"H-hi."

That was all Lucy could come up with. Her mind was in a frenzy, thinking of things to say.

I only visited you once while you were in the hospital, suffering a mental breakdown, and I didn't contact you after you were discharged over eight months ago, but hey, no hard feelings, right?

That probably wasn't going to cut it.

Lucy just stood in the doorway, dumbstruck, thinking of something to say. She was about to try to open her mouth and speak again when she suddenly found herself enveloped in Nathan's warm embrace. She tensed up at first, but quickly melted into the hug. Nathan pulled away and held her shoulders, staring into her eyes.

"I've missed you."

Lucy felt her knees buckle. He's always had this effect on me.

"I-I've missed you too." She finally managed to reply. "You look so..."

"What?" Nathan playfully chimed, tilting his head. "Do you not like my new haircut or something?" His eyes glistened with humour.

"You look so...healthy." Emotions overwhelmed her. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she pulled away from Nathan's embrace to compose herself. "What are you waiting for? Come in!" She injected some playfulness in her voice to conceal her...her what?

Why was she feeling so emotional about seeing him again? And what emotion was she actually feeling?

Before she had time to rationalise her own thoughts, Nathan followed her in in, shutting the door behind him. "The house looks the same." There was something in his voice, but Lucy couldn't decipher what it was.

"Yeah it does." she replied.  She paced a few steps nervously, and then turned back to face him. "How have you been?"

It was Nathan's turn to avoid her gaze. "I've been better," he started, staring at the ground. "But I've been much worse." He looked up and made eye contact with Lucy, smiling wryly.

"How are you? Still trying to be an unwavering tower of strength?" There was humour in his voice, and Lucy smiled, but didn't reply. Instead, she shrugged and nervously played with a loose thread dangling from her t-shirt sleeve.

There was an awkward silence between them.

"I can't believe it's been a year since..." Lucy's voice trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Her heart thumped painfully against her ribcage.

"I know." Nathan closed the gap between them and placed his hands over hers. "Listen, Lucy. I know you still feel guilty about what happened that night, but-"

"Of course I do!" Lucy erupted, abruptly pulling her hands away from his. "I should have been there for her! I heard the phone ringing, and I, I..." She trailed off as she realised that her cheeks were wet. She scrubbed her cheeks dry, ashamed to have cried in Nathan's presence, and to have taken out her frustration on him.

"I'm so sorry, Nathan. I should have been there for you too."

"It's okay." His voice was soft, vulnerable.

Another awkward silence. Lucy steeled herself, taking a deep breath. Time to change the subject.

I can do this.

"Like I said in that text message," she started. "I really need to show you something."

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Sorry for how slowly the plot has been moving and the shortish chapters!

I thought it was really important that we had a chapter dedicated to meeting Nathan BEFORE sh*t gets real in the next one (get PUMPED)!

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to vote if you did!