Abandoning Ally

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

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To anyone walking past me, they must have thought that I was a total and utter nutcase.

I stood in the middle of the footpath in front of Wilson's, turning my head side to side, my eyes gazing over my surroundings, trying to figure out which way led to Martha's house. The more I looked around the more I realised how much of an idiot I was. I had no idea in the world where Martha actually lived, and when I left Mrs Webber's house this morning, the thought of asking for directions or clarifying where she lived never crossed my mind.

I looked down at the watch on my left wrist and frowned at the time that I saw. I had been standing here in the same spot for nearly fifteen minutes. I bit my lip and turned my head to look back at Wilson's, mentally challenging myself to go and ask Oliver for directions, or even to ask for a cell phone to ring Martha, because believe it or not, Marie and I acted like we didn't live in the twenty-first century. We didn't own phones. 

As if Oliver had read my mind, the door to Wilson's opened and Oliver stepped out, he stalled in the doorway when he saw me standing in the middle of the path. He tilted his head and lifted an eyebrow, silently asking what I was still doing there.

I walked towards him, "You don't happen to have a cell phone I could use, do you?" I asked, smiling softly as I reached the bottom of the steps that lead up to the cafe.

His hand reached down into his pant pocket and he drew out a silver Samsung. "I do. This isn't to do with why you are standing in the middle of the street looking like a cute lost puppy, does it?"

"Maybe..." I giggled. "I need to call Martha, do you have her number by any chance?" I asked. I bit my lip as I waited for him to finish locking the door. With the keys on a keyring swinging around one finger and a cell phone in his other, he made his way down the steps, stopping a couple of feet in front of me. He extended his hand and held out the cell phone for me to take.

"Martha's number?" He clarified, frowning in confusion at the name, "Not Marie's?"

I nodded and our fingers brushed ever so slightly as I took the phone from his hand. "Yeah, Marthas. I was supposed to be there like twenty minutes ago. Marie and I were invited over for dinner. I was meeting Marie there but the inner blonde in me forgot to grab Martha's address when I left for work this morning."

He laughed, "Well, I don't have Martha's number and I know that Marie doesn't own a cell phone. I could drop you off at Martha's if you would like. I drive past it on my way home, or I can walk you to her house. It will take about fifteen minutes or so to walk there, though, It's in the opposite direction you normally come to work."

I looked up at him in surprise. I didn't think he would offer to help me, I thought he would just give me an address and leave. "Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly, "I don't want to be an inconvenience to you."

He shook his head. "You aren't an inconvenience, and plus I offered." He added with a smile that reached his eyes, "So, what will it be?"

"If you are sure you are okay with it, could I please get you to drop me off on your way home? I don't want you to have to walk me there and have to walk all the way back. It would be a waste of your time" I answered softly and held out his phone for him to take back. I placed it in his outstretched hand and smiled.

"Okay then. My car is just down there," He said as he pointed down the road, a small black Mazda Familia sat on the side of the road all by itself.

We walked down the street and towards his car side by side and as we got closer to the car, he gave me a hesitant smile, "I apologise in advance, it's probably going to be very messy." He said with a crooked grin and then winked before he unlocked all four doors with the key in his hand and slid into the driver's seat.