Fresh Start

Chapter 4

Re-cap

We just looked at each other for a while and he raised his eyebrows as if expecting something, and then I remembered that I was the one that said we should meet up and realised that I should probably say something else.

"I am going to tell you what happened."

Lauren's POV

I looked Daniel in the eyes. Whatever I say now could change everything. I looked up to the trees above us and took a deep breath, slowly my eyes wondered back to Daniel's curious ones.

"Four months ago, I was out for a meal with my mum and sister. Something must have happened in the kitchen because the smoke alarm went off and we were told to leave the building immediately... I had to find my sister though, she had gone to the bathroom more than five minutes ago and I had to go get her, because something might have gone wrong. The kitchen was right next to the bathroom and..." I took in a deep, shaky breath. "And when I got there I heard someone shouting and banging their fists against the cubicle door... It was my sister. The lock must have jammed or something. I told her to climb out over the top and she managed to, but her asthma was getting really bad, by that point smoke was billowing into the bathroom and she was gasping for air, it wasn't nearly as bad for me. By the time I managed to haul her out of the bathroom and outside with everyone else, she was unconscious. She never made it. As soon as the ambulance got to us... she was dead. She was only 12."

Daniel looked at me. And I bit my lip as I tried to hold back the inevitable tears. Slowly, he inched towards me on the bench, and wrapped his arms round me, pulling me into a much needed hug.

"I'm so sorry." He talked into my hair. Pulling back from the embrace, he took each side of my face in his hands and looked me in the eyes and said, "I am so, so sorry Lauren, I should have known. I feel awful." And then he pulled me back into a hug. It was a relief, finally being able to tell someone about my sister.

Daniel's POV

Once I got home, the reality sunk in.

I can't believe that I never noticed. How could I have been so stupid and oblivious? For four months I didn't even notice that her sister was gone, I didn't notice that all the joy and all emotion had left her eyes. And I was the one who should've have noticed immediately.

I just wished she had had the courage to trust me and to tell me earlier...

But as much as I have feelings for her... and love her... I can't let her know. She needs to move on past that old stage in her life, and that includes me. I'm in the past, now she wants to start her future. God... why did I end things between us? Why did I have to be so selfish?

I'm such a mess.

:-:-: Well, would you look at that! I know, it's a short chapter, but I didn't want to keep on writing without a point, you know? I would have just started rambling and then none of it would make sense... etc. But, did you notice?! I said I would update thursday/friday and today is wednesday!! I just love throwing in the odd surprise! ;)

Jules xoxo :-:-: