Caught.

Chapter 33

Once Terri had no more tears left to give and her heaving chest had slowed, I stood up from the sofa with her slowly, making sure not to let go of her hand. I wasn't entirely sure if that was for my benefit or hers though.

Watching her face as she had retold the story of the events after my parents deaths, I had noticed the black deep bags hanging under her eyes. It looked to me as if she hadn't slept well in weeks, which I was pretty sure was the case. With me going missing and then my parents deaths, a lot had been weighing on her shoulders and I couldn't help but feel guilty that she had been left alone to deal with it all.

I pulled Terri along beside me as I made my way to the main stair case, that led up to the top floor. She didn't question me as we started to climb them of which I was glad, because I didn't have the strength to fight with her nor did I want to. I knew I hadn't spoken a word since Terri had began her story, and I really didn't feel like doing so now.

My first priority was making sure Terri caught up on some sleep, everything else would have to wait.

Stopping at one of the nondescript doors that stood on the other side of mine, I pushed it open hoping it would be at least some sort of bedroom. I reached along the wall trying to locate the light switch, as it was still dark outside the windows didn't offer me much help. Once the room was illuminated in a warm glow I saw that it was in fact a bedroom a sense of relief flooded me, I didn't really want to be dragging Terri around trying to find her a room.

I did note however that the room was nowhere near as fancy as mine it was very plain, but it had a small bed with an adjoining bathroom so it was still up there on the scale. A smell of fresh cotton filled my nose, letting me know that the room had also been recently cleaned.  As I stepped in dragging Terri who was still hiccuping quietly behind me, I headed directly for the bed.

Once Terri realised what I had planned for her though she stopped dead in her tracks, causing my arm to be yanked back behind me not wanting to drag her along I turned to face her.

"I don't want to sleep in this place Em, I was hoping we'd go back to your place or even to mine" she said a traitorous yawn escaping her lips as she stared at her feet.

"Look Terri, we've both had very long days, and you've given me a lot of information to process. It's late and I don't want to be heading back into town right now. I promise you we will go back tomorrow, but for now you will be safe here. My room is only across the hall I'll be right here." I tried to put all my energy into calming Terri.

I was desperate for her see things my way. But to be honest if anyone should be calming anyone right now it most certainly shouldn't of been me.

Calm was nowhere to be found on the list of emotions I felt right now. A dangerous storm was raging inside of me, tearing through my body and replacing my pleasant numbness with agony accompanied with a feeling of  searing hot heartbreak. I did not want my best friend, or anyone else to be around when everything inevitably came flooding out of me.

I didn't know if it was because Terri could tell I was only holding my shit together by a single thread, or if it was just the tired state she was in catching up with her. But I let out a low sigh of relief when her head nodded slowly. She let go of my hand and walked past me climbing up onto the bed, crawling under the covers after removing her shoes. I pulled the thick covers up to cover her tiny frame, stroking her wild curls back and out of her face as he eyes slowly drifted closed.

I could tell the second she actually fell asleep though, because I could hear her heart beat as it slowed and her breathing even out. I stepped away from the bed slowly trying my best not to wake her up, I tip toed out of the room closing the heavy wooden door as softly as I could behind me.