The Test of Time

21 ~ June

The loud ring of my phone shocks me awake and I shoot upright in the bed, looking around frantically before reaching over and grabbing my phone from the white bedside table, raising it to my ear.

"Hello?" My voice is husky and I swallow quickly, trying to clear my throat. "Hello?"

"Savannah?" The small, familiar voice comes from the other end.

"Elle." I answer, startled.

"Oh Anna I'm so sorry!" She rambles, her voice loud and croaky, an obvious sign that she has been crying, "I don't know what I was thinking! Are you okay? Where are you?" Good question. I look around quickly at the pristine, expensive guest room and realize that I am alone, Brett nowhere to be seen.

"I'm... I'm at a friends." I answer, flipping the thick, white covers off of me and swinging my bare legs over the side of the bed.

"Please come home!" She replies, her voice breaking in the middle as I pick up my jeans from the floor.

"I'll be there soon." I advise her, before lowering my phone and hanging up. Pulling my jeans on and grabbing my bag, I take a quick look into the mirror and run my hands through my hair to smooth it down. I look like a mess, the huge bags under my eyes wildly unattractive, definitely not how I want to look when I see Brett.

I have to get back to Elle, I knew she would come to her senses and realize what she's done. Well... I hoped she would anyway. We've only been able to get through the past four years by helping each other.

I need to find Brett and tell him that I'm leaving as soon as possible. Unless he isn't here, maybe he's gone out, met up with some friends? Or maybe he's gone to the gym or for a run, whatever this boy likes to do for fun. As the possibilities flow through my mind I shake my head in disbelief, gazing around the room to check that I haven't left anything behind. Surely he wouldn't go out and leave me on my own? Not... not after last night...

As I leave I take a quick peek into his room, finding it empty.  I can't help but stare longer than necessary as I take it in, the king size bed taking up a quarter of the room, the dark sheets contrasting against the white of the room. His clothes are strewn across the floor, no doubt because Ettie isn't here to clean up after him and I can't help but smile, the sight of a typical teenage bedroom comforting me. Forcing myself to turn away, I walk back over to the stairs and quickly descend them, relief flooding through me as I hear his voice from the kitchen. He's still here, he didn't leave me after all.

I carefully tiptoe towards the doorway, curious over who he is talking to, stopping once I see that he is facing away, his phone pressed against his ear. I let my gaze roam over his bare tanned, muscular back unable to contain the sharp intake of breath at the sight as I lean against the door frame and wait for him to turn around.

"Ash, calm down. I'll be there later." He soothes, "I promise babe."

Ash.

Ashley. Of course.

My chest instantly starts to tighten as I shake my head, angry more at myself than I am at him. You know what he's like Savannah, you know what he does and you fell for it anyway. Idiot.

I take a couple of steps backward, out of view of the kitchen, before turning and starting towards the front door, adamant that I'm not facing him today, knowing that I'll cry if he says even one word to me. He's probably forgotten that I'm supposed to be asleep upstairs, wrapped up in the bed sheets that we were fooling around in only eight hours earlier. I grab hold of the front door, pulling it open as slowly as possible, desperate to escape quietly as my eyes begin to fill with tears. I squeeze out of the smallest hole, not willing to test the large heavy door's silence by opening it any further, praying that I can shut it just as silently.