Stained

Chapter 106

Rosie's head pokes out of the room. Oh than—

"Come on, Rosie, I've got to get your dad his medication," comes my mums voice.

Oh my gosh!

I snap around, whip open the door, push Damien out and then lean back against it and sort out my hair. Why am I sorting out my hair?

My mum comes out and pauses along with Rosie when she sees me. Rosie most likely stopped because I'm standing next to the door leading outside.

"You're leaving already?" She asks at the same time as I say, "I couldn't find the money."

I wasn't supposed to say that, it just came out. Every time I ask her for money, I feel horrible. Regardless of what she says, I'm an adult. Like every other teenager, I have to try to manage work and college and my mental health. The little money I receive from benefits isn't enough. I need to stop being more of a burden.

She laughs. "What?"

Okay great, she didn't hear me over herself.

I pick up Rosie when she rubs herself against my leg. "I don't need the money, I found a spare ten pound note. "

My mum sees straight through my lie — she purses her lips and angles her head to the side, the same way I do. I didn't get any of her looks but i got her habits. It could be worse, it could have been the other way around; her looks and his personality. I only wish I got both.

"Hazel," she clips.

"I'm fine, mum really," I press. "I'm not even craving food from there, Hannah is."

She ignores what I said and moves over to the coat rack beside the shoe stand. "Ten pounds enough?"

I casually move in-front of the glass on the front door. The outside image comes out disoriented but you can see if someone is outside, and Hannah is shorter than me, and Damien is over six ft and even in her heels she's not that tall. He's probably hiding to the side of the building but I won't take the risk and if I look behind me it'll look suspicious.

Not that my mum is very attentive. It's part a curse and a blessing, I suppose. Blessing because she never notices me quickly covering my arm. And curse because she didn't see how I completely lost myself after having to stay in that school and endure that teacher until it was too late. Life is a weird thing.

"Hazel?" My mum calls.

"What?" I startle. I must have zoned out on her.

She holds out a ten pound note to me. "Here."

See not attentive.

'Or maybe she doesn't care about you and sees you as an unnecessary burden she should have thrown away ages ago.'

Exhaling a shuddering breath, I pet Rosie's soft fur. It's scientifically proven that stroking cats reduces stress.

"Thank you." I hold out a hand from under Rosie's body and grab the note.

It will upset her if I don't accept it. And I speak from experience.

"Don't be out too late." She takes Rosie off me.

"We won't be that long." I force a smile and wait for her to be behind the kitchen door before getting out.

"Damien," I whisper yell closing the door. His head pops out from the bend in the wall and a real smile curves my lips, my heart going from pumping in overdrive to a normal rhythm.

"That was a close one," I sigh as he grabs my hand. He does it without so much as a hesitation, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

"I know. I was about to start writing down vows," he smirks down at me in that mischievous manner that reveals only one dimple.

I laugh and swat his shoulder. "I hate you."

Chuckling, he wraps an arm around my shoulders and kisses my head. I relax into him, feeling calm and content and free in his arms.

I'm surprised to find myself grateful for the scare. It's gotten rid of the dark cloud over our heads.

"Do you want to go anywhere in particular or should we continue to walk around?" He asks after a minute of silent walking.

Tilting my head up, I place my chin on his arm and pout up at him.  "I'm tired. Can we sit down for a bit?" Embarrassingly, this is the most I've walked in ages. Sadly, that is not the reason why I don't want to keep going.

He narrows his eyes. "We've been walking for less than a minute."

"My legs are tired." It's not a lie, they are.