Your Lying Eyes

Your Lying Eyes Chapter7

"Well then what are you going to do about him?" Chris asked her after she had told her the whole sorry story.  "You can't go on like this, that's for sure.  I know what I'd do but you're not the same as me are you?"  

She stood up and took hold of Anna's cup, taking it to the kitchen to make another drink for her.  Anna had been there for the past hour and most of it had been spent in tears as she told her what had happened.  During all of it Chris had listened silently, letting her get everything out.  She felt like thumping Howard.  She couldn't understand why he seemed to be intent on wrecking what could be a wonderful relationship.  Of course, Anna had been far too lenient with him.  If she had made a fuss earlier about the way he'd treated her, it wouldn't have come to this.

Chris had watched her friend get hurt numerous times over the last few years.  Anna wasn't as good as she thought she was at turning a blind eye to his one night stands and indiscretions.  She'd confided to her at one point that she thought she were going mad.  Whenever he came in after a night out with the guys, she would wait until he wasn't around and then examine his jacket for any stray hairs that were a different colour to hers.  Or she would find herself sniffing to detect any trace of an unfamiliar perfume.  His collars were thoroughly examined for any smears of lipstick or makeup.  Luckily she hadn't found anything to confirm her suspicions and after a while, she had forgotten about it as her trust in him returned.  Now it had been shattered to pieces.

"I always know when he's lying to me.  His eyes flicker, he can't help it.  So if they do, I know he's lying to me, like just before I came out.  There have been others besides this Sophie.  When or how many I don't know and to be honest, I don't want to know.  It's made things clear for me Chris.  I need to separate from him for a while at least.  Maybe for good."  She looked at her friend, waiting for her to say something.  

Chris stretched out her arms to her to take her in a big hug.

"I think that's the right thing to do hun," she told her as she cried on her shoulder.  "You could come and stay with me if you like.  Until you get yourself sorted that is," she offered.

Anna looked up and smiled at her weakly.  She looked around at the small flat.  It had one bedroom.  She and Maisi would make the place seem even smaller if they took up her offer.  And there was also Chloe.  To say nothing of the fact that Chris worked from her flat.  She couldn't accept her friend's offer.

"Thanks Chris.  But I think we'd drive each other mad, me with a baby and you trying to work from here at the same time.  I think I need to look around and find somewhere with at least two bedrooms."

"How would you support yourself?  I mean you'd have to get yourself a job wouldn't you?" Chris asked her.

"Yeah and it would have to be a decently paid one too.  I'd need childcare for Maisie so there would be the cost of that as well.  I'm going to have to think about this aren't I?" she said thoughtfully.

The rest of the afternoon they spent looking on the internet at flats for rent and jobs that were advertised.  By the end of her visit, Anna knew that things were going to be difficult for her.  She needed a top job and a spacious flat.  As soon as possible!  It seemed more like mission impossible for her at the moment.

After they had had something to eat, it was time for her to make her way back to the hotel again. Chris made her promise to ring her the next day to give a progress report of jobs and flats.  She told her that she'd go with her to look around them if she needed a second opinion.

The taxi dropped them off at the hotel and as Anna made her way to the lifts, she heard someone call her name.  She turned around to find Gary and Jason coming to meet her.