Betrayed [h.s.]

Chapter Nine

The sun rises much too fast for my liking. I force myself out of bed and make a trip to the kitchen, realizing Harry might be there since he's not in the room. I frown sets upon my lips when I see that Harry isn't in the kitchen.

A paper sits on the counter and I walk over to it, unfolding it.

Dear Nicole,

Don't fret, I left to the farmers market to buy a couple of items. I made eggs, so if you're hungry I left your plate in the microwave. I won't be back till noon, so make yourself at home.

Your murderer-finder,

xx Harry xx

I laugh lightly and smile to myself as I reread the note at least ten times before I put it down and grab my plate from the microwave. I decide to eat my food here in the kitchen. Once I finish, I place it in the sink and head to the living, turning on the tv and flipping though channels as I sit on the sofa. I land on a rerun of 'Friends'.

The show finishes after about two or three hours later. I surf through some more channels. I sigh. "There's nothing to watch," I mumble to myself. I power the tv off and lift myself off the sofa.

Harry won't be back for a while, so I decide to eat out for lunch.

***

Wendy's is unusually packed and it makes me feel lonely because I have no company, which everyone's else seems to have. I sigh as I wait my order to arrive.

My eyes flick to a couple shamelessly making out in the corner. Then, to a family ordering their daughter a meal. Then to a group of teenagers who laugh considerably loud. I decide there is to much of what I don't have here and look out the window instead.

My order comes rather late and it's then when I notice that I'm actually the only person that has nobody.

Without actually thinking if she's at work, or if she's busy, I dial Ana's number.

"Hey," I say when she picks up.

"Nicole?" she says. "Hey." I hear her smile at the end of the line.

"I was wondering if you'd like to get some lunch?" I ask, picking at my food.

"Actually, I already ate."

"Oh." My shoulders slump.

"But I'd love to hang out," she says

"Great. I'm actually at Wendy's now, so if you'd like to meet me here.."

"Sounds great, I'll be there in a bit," she says and hangs up.

Even though she's not here (yet), I feel as if I'm not completely alone. As if I could look at the couple making out, or the father throwing her daughter in the air as she laughs, or even the chatting teenagers, and not feel alone and feel as if everything will be okay, and everything will fall into place.

Ana gets here fifteen minutes later and I smile, but this time I smile because she's here, because she cared enough to show up, because I know that have at least one friend, and because now I don't feel so alone.

The time is only limited, though, my mind reminds me.

"I see you already ordered without me," she says as she takes a seat and crosses her left leg over the right leg, smiling.

"Nice to see you, too, Ana," I say.

"Ditto," she says, before the waiter takes her order. "So how are you?" she asks.

"I'm good, I'm good." My mind involuntarily flashes back to last night when Harry told me everything would be okay and I was sobbing in his arms. "You?" I ask, letting the memory fade.