Sorry, Miss Silver (GirlxGirl)

Chapter Eight | Flight Anxiety

When I opened my eyes I was inside I room I did not recognise, but oddly enough I wasn't scared. I was on a single bed with black sheets, the walls of this bedroom were bare apart from a mirror and some photographs dotted around. There was a tiny wardrobe in the corner and a beaten up vanity table. I inhaled softly, trying to recall something, then that familiar smell hit me and I realised, this was Anna's room. Sitting up in her bed I clutched the bedsheets around me. I was in my undies and an oversized white t-shirt while my work uniform was hung neatly over the vanity table chair. Anna must have changed me, where the hell was she?

I slipped out of the bed and took another brief look around, the room seemed empty, something about this place made my chest ache. The photographs were the only moments of joy in the room, I padded over quietly looking at each one. They were mostly ones of her and her father, a few of her childhood friends. Surprisingly there was also one of her mother but she was not a regular feature on her walls. She was so freaking cute as a child, my heart melted. Anna definitely shared a lot of resemblances with her father too, the eyes in particular. It was almost as if I was staring into hers.

"Lauren?" A quiet voice called from the doorway and I practically jumped out of my skin.

She stood by the door, her face looked troubled and sad. She too had dressed down into a pair of shorts and white t shirt, her arms were crossed over her chest as she stared at me. This was the most casual, dressed down and well... gay as I had ever seen her.

Instantly I felt terrible, like I was observing something without her permission. "Crap, Anna I'm sorry I couldn't help it." I apologised.

She nodded with a small smile. "It's ok, I just don't like those photos anymore."

My mouth spoke before my brain caught up. "Why didn't you take them down?"

Anna walked over to stand next to me, with a pained expression her eyes flickered over her childhood photographs. "They used to make me happy, but now they remind me of a time that I can never go back to. My father is sick now, I can never look at him the way I used to." Her eyes watered as she faced me. "H-he was my hero, Laur. Now he's dying and can't let myself forgive him."

I opened my arms so Anna could fall into them, she cried into my shoulder and I could feel the tears soaking through my shirt. As she sobbed I rubbed her back soothingly, I didn't want to ask her to stop crying, she had probably never done this before and I wanted her to let it out. After a minute her sobs quieted down and she spoke again. "Amy looks after him now, she was a result of one of his one night stands. Her parents had joint custody." She sniffed. "Her mum died last year so she spends most of her time with Dad now."

"Is that who she wanted you to see? And the money you tipped her was for her and your father?" I asked, piecing it together.

Anna nodded, pulling back to look at me again. Even crying she was utterly beautiful. "I felt bad that I left so suddenly last time, so I wanted to help with his medical bills." She explained, wiping her eyes with her fingertips.

"When was the last time you saw him?"

At this question Anna instantly paled, her gaze dropped to the floor. "The day you hid in my car." She mumbled.

It all clicked, that's what she was doing on Irongate Corner one of the roughest streets in the area. She was visiting her father and Amy. "Oh." I said, not sure what else I could say.

She smiled ruefully. "Meeting you makes me very glad that I went that day."

My cheeks burned and my heart constricted in that way it did whenever Anna said something incredibly sweet. "I'm very glad I hid in your car, Miss Silver." I returned, grinning.