Running Through Rivers

Epilogue

Epilogue - Cassidy's POV

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~ Two weeks later ~

I smoothed the skirt of my dress down, sighing as I looked at the reflection in the mirror. Black dress, black tights, black shoes, black mood. Even the sky was wearing black; in the form of a long dark rain cloud that threatened to fall at any moment.

Taking one last look at my depressing outfit, I walked out of the bathroom and across the hallway, knocking once on the door. Alfie appeared from behind it, wearing a similarly depressing outfit consisting of a black suit and dark grey shirt. He gave me a small smile.

"You ready?"

I took a deep breath and nodded, linking his fingers through mine. "Let's go."

We walked out of Alfie's apartment, waiting in silence as the lift arrived and proceeded to carry us down. I was staying with him for the week, seeing as Crescent Bay had insisted I take time off to 'grieve'. If they actually thought a week would be long enough for me to move on, they had been horribly mistaken. Alfie had managed to get the week off too, so that I wasn't completely alone, and we had spent the last three days eating takeaways and starring blankly into oblivion, questioning life.

Or maybe that was just me.

The lift dinged, the doors sliding open to reveal the dark concrete walls of the car park. I shivered slightly, but refused to let Alfie go back and get me a jacket. I liked the cold; it made the pain and despair in my stomach less noticeable and the thumping headache soften, even if it was only momentarily.

We climbed into the car and Alfie revved the engine, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as the metal grate slowly peeled open. A muffled buzz from his pocket announced a new text message, and he slid out his phone, quickly glancing at the screen. Not bothering to reply, he put his phone back and swerved out of the car park.

I frowned, slightly confused as we drove in the opposite direction from our destination.

"Where-"

Alfie cut me off. "To pick up Austin."

"Oh. How do you kn-"

"He just texted me the address."

"Oh." I leant my head back against the head rest. I'd wondered where Austin had been staying since the incident with Alex. A.k.a since I'd punched him in his stupid drugged-up face and done the future generation a favour by diminishing the chance of him ever having children. It looked like I was finally about to find out where Austin had been all these weeks.

Alfie slowed down as we turned onto a long street of practically identical houses, stopping outside a house with a mint-green exterior. The door flung open, revealing Austin in dark clothing and another figure I didn't recognise. Austin turned to the other person in the doorway, before jogging toward the car and sliding in the back seat.

I turned to face him as Alfie restarted the car and pulled away from the curb.

"Who was that?"

"Who?" Austin widened his eyes in an attempt to appear innocent.

I gave him a look. "You know who. The person by the door. The person who I assume owns the house?"

A blush appeared on Austin's cheeks and I raised my eyebrows. "Austin! Tell me."

"Fine. His name is Nick. He was in my English class and heard about what happened with....everything, and said I could stay at his place."

"And?" I urged.