Page 2 of Rescued By the Beast
"By the stars, who's waking me up now?" I mutter, groping desperately under the pillow until I find the device.
My eyes, still heavy with sleep, struggle to open, but it's the name on the screen that finally wakes me up.
Lucy!
A video call.
I get up at once, my heart racing. I grab my phone and look around — the tiny flat, with walls stained by water damage, the old mattress on the floor taking up almost all the space, and my clothes piled on the only chair that was meant to be for sitting, but has become a makeshift wardrobe.
I go to the window and sit on the windowsill, blocking the view of the rest of the flat. Lucy can't see the deplorable state of the place where I'm living. I don't want to worry her when she already has enough to worry about.
I run my fingers through my tangled black hair, trying to tidy it up a little before finally answering. When I slide my finger across the screen and the connection is made, my smile is already rehearsed and ready.
"Babes!" I answer, and the moment I see her, my smile becomes genuine.
"Hey, babes! Sorry I didn't return your call yesterday, I was assisting with an emergency surgery, then I got home so tired that I passed out." She pouts in disappointment with herself, her big brown eyes full of regret.
"It's okay, I figured something like that had happened."
"But yesterday was eight years since I moved to Boston..." Her voice sounds guilty, and I quickly let out a light laugh to break the tension. "I broke my promise to always see each other on this day. If I could..."
"You would have teleported here, right?" I joke, winking at her, while keeping my smile as carefree as possible. "Relax, babes. We're talking now, aren't we?"
Lucy nods, but the small crease on her forehead betrays her concern. She brings her phone closer, studying me as if she could see beyond the screen.
"Are you okay, Sandra?"
"Of course, I'm great!" My answer comes out quick and full of enthusiasm, as always.
She narrows her eyes, suspicious.
"You look pale, hun. Are you sure everything's okay?"
"Yes, I just didn't sleep well." I give a nervous chuckle and wave my hand in the air. "But since you woke me up, I'll start my day."
"Oh, my God, I'm sorry!" She puts her hand to her mouth, mortified. "I didn't know you were still asleep."
"Relax. It's already one in the afternoon. It was about time."
Lucy sighs, throwing her head back.
“I hate these night shifts. Staying awake all night is insane. I don't know how you manage to do it every day.”
"My body's used to it." I shrug. "Unlike you, who's always changing shifts. I sleep in the morning and wake up in the afternoon every single day, so my body's gotten into a rhythm."
"Yeah, you're right..." she mutters, but her sentence is interrupted.
"Lucy!" a male voice shouts from another room. "Can you get me a beer?"
She rolls her eyes and sighs.
"Just a second, Sandra," she says, already getting up to fulfil the request.
I watch as she walks to the kitchen with her mobile phone still in her hand, opens the fridge and returns with a can, handing it to Brian in the living room, who doesn't thank her. When Lucy returns to the room and closes the door behind her, I can barely contain my irritation.
"What is your fiancé doing that he can't walk to the kitchen and get his own beer?" I snap.
Lucy hesitates before answering:
