ALANA'S MISTAKE ✔

Chapter 26

Alana raced out onto the street, clutching her handbag, heart pounding, hands shaking. She took in a gulp of evening air, thankful to be out of that place. It was crowded on the street, which she was grateful for and there were streetlights everywhere, cars, taxis and throngs of girls tottering about in short skirts and high heels.

She would usually catch a taxi home with Riley, both of them making sure the other one got home safely. Riley doesn't care about that anymore, not tonight. She'd rather flirt with her precious Silence than stick with me.

Alana could not believe her friend's behaviour tonight. What on earth was happening? Riley had always been flighty and selfish and carefree but not in a way that seemed to affect Alana. But tonight the selfishness had morphed into resentment, and she hated to think it, but jealousy even. Which made absolutely no sense after all these years of it being about what Alana didn't have - like time, or a social life. From what Riley had said tonight.... it seemed more like she didn't like what Alana did have - like a husband, a child, her studies.

She had never, ever thought of it that way, but she knew that Riley clearly had been holding on to those thoughts and feelings for a good while.

She shivered a little in the cool air and wrapped her cardigan around her shoulders as she searched for a taxi along the roads. People passed her on both sides, most of them holding drinks or clearly already drunk, on their way to the next club. She looked back at where she had just come from, the battered red doorway with nothing to show what's inside apart from a small sign.

She jumped a little when the door flung open, but it was just a couple, arm in arm, laughing wildly. She spun back around towards the road, urging a free taxi to pass by. There was nothing but a few full of people. Sometimes this happened, sometimes there was no taxi and they had to walk home. She wished she could call Noah and get him to pick her up but he needed to stay at home with Snow, he needed to keep her safe.

She suddenly felt uneasy at thought of Snow, all the way at home. She just wanted to be back with them, right this second. She stepped out into the road, her red heels grazing the tarmac. She leaned out, cars whizzing close by.

Then she saw it, a black taxi with the free sign on. She breathed a huge sigh of relief, then stepped out even further into the road so that the taxi driver couldn't miss her. A car screeched past and the driver honked their horn at her. She didn't look back though, she dashed across the road, flung open the door of the taxi and climbed in.

'Wood Edge Road, please,' she said.

She peered through the glass between her and the driver but could hardly see anything, it was too dark. For a moment she thought there was no one there, just an empty space. But as she leaned forward she could make out the outline of a figure with their hands on the wheel. The driver didn't say anything but the taxi began to move. She held onto the door handle.

'Did you hear me?' she said, raising her voice.

The figure nodded.

'Yeah, I did.'

His voice was deep and distant. Alana sat back, still holding on to the door handle and looked out of the window, silently praying that she would be home soon and telling herself that she would never be so stupid as to go out with Riley again, she would never trust her after this.

The taxi picked up speed, too much speed, as it swerved around corners and shot along streets. She wished they hadn't gone to a club so far from home. She just kept her eyes on the passing scenery and waited until finally, they arrived at her street.

The taxi stopped, quite away from where her actual house was but she was so keen to just get out of there she quickly paid the fare and jumped out. Almost as soon as her feet hit the pavement the taxi sped off.

She looked around, seeing that her street with its old houses and trees on either side was quiet. There were no cars, no people and everything seemed to be uncannily still, as if the road and the bushes and the parked up bicycles had all gone to sleep.

She shuddered again, clasping tightly onto her handbag and began to walk quickly down the street. But before she could get far, she became aware of a strange and dreaded feeling. She felt as though in that precise moment, she were being watched.