The Watcher's House - FVK

12

"Kier?" I uttered. His brown eyes were weary, aged and confused. He stopped drying the pint glass that he was holding and set it down on the bar, looking me coldly in the eyes before turning around.
"Kier, please" I begged, leaning heavier on the worn bar. He threw down the towel and placed his two hands onto his tired face.
"I'm sorry" The other people in the pub were looking at us now. Kier opened his mouth to speak but nothing came of it. He was angry, for sure. Turning back to face me, a disgusted look etched into his face, he set his eyes on mine again.
"I get if you don't want to see me again, I do -" Before I'd properly finished, he beckoned me to come behind the bar with him.

Once in the back room, he paced with his hands on his hips as I stood awkwardly, playing with my fingers. Kier opened his mouth after a few agonisingly long minutes.
"What the fuck, Laurence. What the actual fuck." He span and looked at me.
"Why are you here? Why did you come back?" He pointed at me, his voice getting angrier. "I was over you! It took me... God knows how long..." He calmed down again, dropping his arm and I made eye contact with him once again.
"I didn't think you were coming back. Some warning would have been nice" Kier turned and walked away from me. "Are you gonna say anything?" He snapped at me. I couldn't. I wasn't expecting him to be glad to see me, no. It's just, I thought he would have be a bit happier. I mean I had left with no warning and returned without one too.
"Do your parents know? They were a state when you left, just so you know. Your dad didn't sleep for weeks, your mum was on meds - people fucking cared about you Laurence, people fucking cared and you left with no warning, nothing." He was getting louder again. "You don't know what you put us through. Me, Shane, Drew, Luke, Rachael, Abby, your parents. For Christ's sakes Laurence." He stepped forward to swing at me but stopped himself before he carried through with it.
"Look, Kier," He looked up at me, his eyes a little wet. "I'm so sorry I left. It was a thing of the moment. I didn't think about what I was doing"
"Were you drunk?"
"No, why?" he shook his head and looked down again. "I took a detour past your house that night... You were at your computer"
"And you didn't come and get me?" He moved his fringe from his eyes.
"I couldn't...."
"You could have done... Rachael broke up with you that night didn't she?" He asked bluntly. My heart stopped. I didn't like thinking about her. "I love you Laurence Beveridge" It brought back all the stuff I'd tried hard for twenty years to forget.
"Laur?" "I'm moving out of town... It'd be best if we broke up..."
"Laurence?"