Page 70 of Waiting Game

“You will be okay,” I insisted to myself, “you can be happy here again.”

After a few deep breaths, I got out of the car.

The backseat was full, with a few bags of groceries, and my luggage that had sat there overnight. When I left the hospital last night, I went straight to bed and then slept all night and through most of the day.

Really, I didn’t want to leave the house at all, but my kitchen was empty and I needed comfort food to tide me over for the rest of my days off. I loaded my arms up with the grocery bags, and dragged my luggage behind me, not wanting to make more than one trip.

I dropped the heavy load by my front door and fumbled for my keys. When I stepped inside, all I could do was look around. I hadn’t lived here long, but it never felt less like home than it did now.

I wandered towards my tiny bathroom and turned the shower on to a boiling temperature, then went to my bag and tipped the contents of it out onto my bed. I searched through the lumps of clothing, looking for my favourite pyjamas.

There were still a few days left of my holidays, and I was going to make it count.

I planned to curl up in my fluffy pyjamas, read anon-romancebook, and consume the entirety of the groceries I had just bought. I had enough to keep me amused and in my house until I had somewhere better to be.

Stepping into the shower, I sighed a contented sigh as the hot water dowsed me completely. I put my head against the shower wall and let the heavy stream belt onto my back. When the water began to go cold, I turned off the tap, stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel. I pulled on my pyjama shirt and some underwear, and wandered into the kitchen to start demolishing my ice-cream hoard.

Then I heard a knock at my door.

I took my towel with me, dabbing at my dripping hair as I opened the door.

“Hi Pete,” I smiled.

He pushed the door open and let himself in, storming inside, and I sighed but forced the smile to stay on my face. I had been happy with Pete before, and I could be again.

“You didn’t tell me that you were back,” he crossed his arms.

“I literally just got home.”

He looked towards the mess of clothes on my bed and shook his head, “and you’ve already made this much mess?”

I shrugged, and smiled.

He hated how messy I was, it was one of the hard parts we dealt with during the short time that we lived together. I knew that I would have to work on that.

“So,” he huffed, “how was your trip?”

I shrugged again, “it was fine. I managed to avoid Mum for the most part.”

I tried to keep the conversation light, and wandered back into the kitchen but I could feel him following me.

“Zarina missed me a lot, I couldn’t shut her up once she started,” I laughed. “The wedding was beautiful, it was in this huge greenhouse and-”

“Did you see him?” Pete cut me off.

“Ren?” I asked, trying to seem casual about it.

“Yes,him,” he said.

“Yeah, he was there,” I said, taking a drink of water as he came towards me, invading my personal bubble.

“Did you talk to him?”

“A little,” I nodded.

“Why?” he snapped.

I frowned, I couldn’t keep up the cheerful act any longer.

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