The Veil

Chapter Two

When I woke up Tom wasn't there, but I hadn't expected him to be there, he'd probably left the second I'd fallen asleep. 

I couldn't explain my bad mood when I woke up though, but it was there, threatening to take over my day. 

I got dressed, nothing fancy, just plain black skinny jeans and a yellow t-shirt, threw my hair into a pony tail and went downstairs to find myself some breakfast. 

Sky followed, wanting her own.

I paused for a second when I saw Tom in the kitchen but then carried on to the cupboard that held the bowls and cereal, "Hey" he smiled at me. 

He looked so good this morning, the green of his eyes seemed brighter than usual, he was wearing black skinny jeans, his white vans and a white t-shirt the had a little alien printed in the centre.

I just nodded at him, pouring cereal into my bowl and grabbing the milk from the fridge as quickly as I could. 

I placed the bottle next to my bowl before I picked Sky's bowl up from near the backdoor. 

I rinsed it out quickly, grabbed her tin from under the sink and emptied it onto the shiny silver surface. 

I went back to my own bowl and poured the milk in, taking the milk back to the fridge, even though I was tempted to leave it out just to get out the room quicker. 

I didn't know why being around Tom was worsening my mood, but it was. 

I slammed the fridge door a little harder than necessary, glass clinked together inside. 

I walked out of the kitchen with my cereal, and Sky's bowl sitting down at the living room table instead of the kitchen table, avoiding conversation with Tom. 

I placed Sky's bowl at my feet and she immediately tucked in. Unlike myself, I wasn't really in the mood for my cereal, and I couldn't understand why.

 Tom saw that I wasn't in the mood for talking and left me alone at the table, rather than following me in. 

Just as I was about to try and talk to Tom, I got a text from Joe, telling me that him and Emma had decided to go for a hike today instead of working, so I wasn't needed. 

They did this often when Joe only had one or two clients coming in, he'd usually ring them and ask if they'd switch to another day, or even just arrange to tattoo them when he got back from his hike. The perks of knowing your clients personally. 

I'd normally be ecstatic about having an unexpected day off, but today it just made my mood worse, and I couldn't explain to myself why. 

I put my phone on the table and signed, looking down at Sky.

After Sky was finished I decided I needed to get out the house anyway. 

Normally if me and Tom had a day off together, we'd do something, watch films or go to the movies, go for a meal.

But I really wasn't in the mood today. 

"Sky." I clicked my fingers for her to follow and we were outside before I even grabbed anything more than my house key.

I let Sky lead me where she wanted to go, I had no destination in mind, I just wanted to not be in the house.

Unfortunately Sky didn't know I was trying to avoid people today and she'd lead me to the book shop, where she knows she's going to get treats for doing nothing from both Jade and her manager Laura. 

I sighed as she pushed her nose against the door and I opened it for her, she bounded in, letting out one small bark, announcing her presence. 

"Sky?" I heard Laura call from somewhere at the back of the bookstore. Sky heard as well, she looked back at me and I flicked my wrist forward, indicating that she was allowed to leave and find Laura.