Cold as Ice: The Heart of Stone

Chapter 42 - I Did This

Leah's POV

Laying curled up on my bed felt pretty much like the only thing I could do in order to gain some comfort. Today of all days, the night before the Euro's final...my body decided to give me the most gut renching period known to man. Of course it was today, it just had to be.

I can't remember the last time I had a period like this without anything working to take the edge off, but it does happen and will continue to happen. God, I just didn't want it to fucking be today.

And I called Rori, oh god I called Rori. Just started having ago at her for no reason and making unrealistic demands with some pretty embarrassing confesses when she was nothing but lovely, as always, even when I have been actively ignoring her for a good while. What the fuck is wrong with me? I know there is immense pressure and I have other things going on in my private life that I can't find it within me to tell anyone but Jesus, she didn't deserve that.

Groaning, I roll over on the bed sheets as there is a heavy knock on my door. I know all the girls have been in the chill lounge for most of the evening, somewhere I should have been but I just can't. I'd be no fun anyway.

My legs drag across the floor like a sloth before I reach the handle with a wince. Finally I open the door.

"Hey mate, I was just—wow. What's up with you?"

Weakly smiling, I scan over Georgia with a bag in hand and move to the side letting her in. "Yeah, thanks for that one." What are best friends for if they don't point out the obvious?

"Just saying, what's up? You look...kinda awful."

"Again, cheers." I manage to squeak out a small laugh, "It's nothing. I'm just tired and stressed." I walk over to my bed and sit on the edge as another wave of pain creeps in.

Georgia looks at me with an unsure expression before it clicks for her, "Period?"

"Mhm." I mumble before curling down. At this point, I don't care.

She clicks her fingers, "Now it makes sense!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Here." She smiles sympathetically while opening the bag up in front of me. "Rori, well...she kinda uh—she dropped these off for you."

She did what?

I peer into the bag, quicker than I should and a feeling I can't put my finger on spreads across me as my eyes set on the contents. It's the warmth in my chest and the pounding of my heart that momentarily makes me forget about the pain. I'm not sure if it's happiness, guilt, dread or a pure state of overwhelmed.

It took everything in me to not ask how she looked, how she seemed, how she just was. I wanted to know but at the same time I didn't because I have seen the media and how they claim she's thriving being spotted out and about after being off the scene for reasons they still don't know.

Maybe I'm jealous? Jealous if it all. She's thriving, I'm taking a nose dive.

For the first time ever, I don't know what to do.

I look back up at Georgia, "She seemed pretty worried to be honest...about you and insisted on me dropping these off now. I didn't understand it at first, but now I do. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Nothing works, so didn't see the point, G."

I gingerly pull the smoothies out the bag and see a note at the bottom, slightly soggy from the coolness formed on the bottles. There are 3 smoothies; one orange, one a purple-green ish and one red.