Broken

Anticipation

"When was the last deposit made?" The words barely a whisper on my lips.

"What's wrong?" The cashier and Rhys, who was now at my side, asked in unison. I wiped my wet face with my jacket sleeve and repeated my question.

"The date of the last deposit, what was it?" She looked questioningly at Rhys for a long moment, before she furiously resumed tapping on the keyboard. The silent sobs wracked through me causing  my whole body to shudder. Nervously fixing her already perfect chin length mid brown bob, her anxiousness increasing with each passing second. Her look of alarm eased at the same time I felt a firm hand on my arm.

"What seems to be the problem?" I vaguely recognised the man in the suit, who was gripping my arm.

"Oh it's you Anna, come with me, please." I did as instructed, too fraught with emotions to even consider arguing. Smiling with a mixture of sympathy and awkwardness he ushered me and Rhys, whose hand I had clung to for support as soon as he'd come to stand next to me, towards his office.

"So what brings you here today?" He asked in forced pleasant conversation, as he held out his hand motioning towards the two chairs closest to the door, before walking round the mahogany desk dominating the room and settling himself in the plush recliner.  

My chest was heaving as I tried to speak, I opened my mouth several times, but each time I tried to explain the tears welled in my eyes and words failed me. Watching my every move until finally squeezing my hand Rhys answered for me.

"She asked the cashier when the last deposit was made to her account." He rubbed his thumb in circles on the back of my hand calmingly.

"Okay, well I can tell you that," he said half smiling at the two of us. "Just give me a minutes." Then he too started pressing the keys swiftly. "Arr right...just a second...nearly there." He said trying to fill the uncomfortable silence in the room.

"Right I've got it, the last deposit was made..." Turning the screen round so I could see it, he put this finger on the screen pointing to the exact entry on the spreadsheet. "On the sixth of June." As he said the words I felt my bottom lip quiver and my audible sobs filled the tiny room.

"Is there a problem?" The alarm clear in his tone. "Is there money missing?" I quickly shook my head, instantly calming him.

Talking through my crying I finally managed to ask him for a statement showing this transaction. He printed it out for me and sat awkwardly waiting for me to leave his office.

Stepping into the bright September day I felt the breeze whip round my face and allowed it to wash over me for a second. My legs had felt like jelly as soon as I'd stood to leave the bank managers office so Rhys had wrapped his arm round my waist, pulled me into him and protecting me from prying eyes as much as possible helped me out of the bank. Holding me a little tighter he moved me towards his car, out the corner of my eye I could see the look of concern on his face.

"I'm so sorry" I apologised as he secured his seatbelt, "I'm so embarrassed." And I was, public displays of emotion were not my thing. During this entire ordeal of my father's death I hadn't even been able to cry in front of my mum, and yet here I was blubbering in full sight of half the town, I felt weak and pathetic, and slumped dejected into the passenger seat.

"It's okay, no need to apologise, are you alright?" As he finished he placed his hand on my leg and squeezed it supportively. I looked at his hand, still resting on my knee. When after a couple of minutes he still hadn't moved it I transferred my eyes to looking at him. When my eyes met his I was caught in his stare, his hazel eyes drawing me in, holding me captive. 

Turning in his seat so he was facing me, me kept one had firmly on my leg and leaned round so his other could lightly touch my face. He did all this without breaking eye contact, then holding my face in his hand he moved impossibly close to me. I could smell the combination of minty toothpaste and clean vanilla soap on his skin, his mouth was no more than an inch away from mine. He was still looking at me, still searching my eyes, looking deeper and deeper into them. I held my breathe as I waited for him to kiss me, and as he opened his mouth I broke our stare and closed my eyes.