The Easy Route [GirlxGirl]

Chapter Five

*＊✿❀ Chapter Five ❀✿＊*

Marcia's head rested against one of the sofa cushions in the caravan. The last couple of weeks had been draining - both mentally and physically - and shopping had been enough to make her eyes want to flutter shut.

Still partially awake, she listened to Freya's call in the background. The unknown number had called back again and Freya had put it on loud speaker so Marcia could hear too just in case it was anything to fear.

But it wasn't. Their worry had been for nothing.

"Where are you? I kept trying to call you but it was like you had no signal."

It was just Freya's boss, Jack.

"Jack, you gave me a fright. It said no caller ID."

"I'm calling from the office. Why did I give you a fright? What is wrong, Freya? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine," Freya lied, fighting through the stinging tears in her eyes. It was so nice to hear his voice but it made her more scared. She just wanted to see him and ask him to hug her tight. "I just have this yucky virus still."

"I can tell. You don't sound so good." Maybe her voice cracking up wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"No, I feel terrible. Thanks for checking up on me though. I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah, you better. You've got a ton of work to catch up on. And...I miss you."

"Miss you too, boss. Bye."

"Bye."

It probably wasn't normal to call the man she was sleeping with 'boss' but well, he was her boss after all.

Freya's head hit back against the caravan wall with a bit too much strength. She took a deep breath and wiped her tears with the sleeve of her jumper. She wasn't usually a jumper kind of person, but they'd been on sale. The brunette hadn't needed anything like jumpers back in Melbourne.

Marcia widened her sleepy eyes to look across at the woman.

"Are you okay?" she murmured in a dazed tone.

Freya nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel really bad." Her words were spoken rapidly. She had a habit of doing that, particularly when she was upset. "His sister was killed. I've been there for him ever since and now I've gone and disappeared. He needs me."

Freya had coincidentally turned up at her new house a day or two after Alana's murder. She and her cousins hadn't expected Trecco Bay to be quite so unpredictable or dangerous.

"Jack has other friends who can help him." Marcia didn't have a close connection with the man herself, but the Lovelace and Reyes families went way back. "You're busy helping me. You know that you cannot possibly help everybody at once." Marcia paused and pulled a pale yellow blanket over herself. It came with the caravan and had been a helpful comfort to her since they'd arrived there. "I'm so grateful that I'm not alone anymore. Just to be in the company of another sane human is a relief."

"Well I wouldn't call myself sane," joked Freya.

"But you don't kidnap people, and that is a very good start." The two laughed together for seconds before the tears and sadness returned. Silence filled the room for minutes before Marcia said, "Let's go home tomorrow." Her blue eyes slowly gazed across to Freya awaiting a reaction. She watched as fear escaped the Australian's eyes and was replaced seconds later by relief.