Missing [ST]

Twenty Six

Fourteenth of March:

Waking up to a different layout of dark wooden beams on the ceiling and somewhere that was warm and comfortable, meant that Leah was not in her usual spot.

She groaned, lazily moving a hand to massage her forehead. The headache, which she was now aware of, absolutely sucked, and she wished she had never woken up.

"Hey, you're up." Brad bounced to his feet, and it was so relieving that she didn't have to move to find someone. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Please, anything. I'll literally eat anything," Leah answered dramatically, fingers laced together so her knuckles pressed over her heavy eyelids. "But maybe corn flakes and toast though, if I had to choose."

A subdued chuckle, she heard his footsteps fade out, but when she had forgotten to ask for tablets and it was too much effort to move, she had relaxed a moment too soon.

"Brad!" Leah yelled, grimacing at the strain it put in her voice.

She attempted to sit up so she could work out if he had heard, and so far, luck was on her side.

"Yeah?"

Leah was already making a pleading face. "Could you get me some ibuprofen and paracetamol as well?"

Brad seemed relieved that it was nothing more sinister. His smile, little as it was, was the perfect reassurance.

"Yeah, 'course."

"Thank you," she sighed, and flopped down on her back.

Alone, and with a headache in full swing, Leah ended up thinking about a certain individual that did not ease the congested throb one bit.

From outside to lying on the sofa, presumably meaning she was out the entire night, she didn't know if Steven was the one responsible for bringing her in. He wasn't here now; maybe he had kept an eye on her, maybe he hadn't, but it didn't change the fact she was angry with him.

He was a liar, careless with his actions, and yet his honesty had shone when it shouldn't have been remotely possible.

When Steven talked about September, Leah remembered it like she was reliving the moment with him. She listened so intensely, that she was lost in everything he was saying until she came to her senses and replayed the insanity of what she had heard. And when he tried to stop her from leaving by throwing more reasons her way, she found herself more and more undecided and stuck in the mess of his desperation.

It was all too complicated, right down to the authenticity she saw when Steven was pleading with a sternness in his eyes as he mentioned his friends' lack of knowledge of their encounter.

Despite her splitting vision at the time, Leah had seen the unresolved confusion between them because she had seen it before, earlier that day. There were secrets that had been left untold, and there didn't seem to be a murmur of trust between the three and the one.

It was astounding they were all still together because in her experience, friendship couldn't survive without trust. Then again, maybe they weren't. Because Leah was sure Joe wasn't around anymore, and there were a lot of unanswered questions there.

"Cornflakes, water, tablets, and I've put bread in the toaster," Brad listed off, looking over each item in his full hands.

Leah rolled her head on the pillow, offering a small smile of appreciation because he didn't deserve her frustration. She knew that now.

"You're a legend. Thank you," she said gratefully, the presence of food giving her enough strength to sit up properly.

Brad handed her a few things and then dragged the coffee table closer.