Chapter 1

Leaning against the kitchen worktop, Sophie flicked down the kettle switch as she reached over and picked her phone up off the counter top where it had been charging since she went to bed a few hours earlier. She sighed out heavily to herself at the time blinking brightly from it. 3.45am. This had become the usual pattern for the young brunette, going to bed exhausted, falling into an uneasy, often broken sleep, then waking up at some ungodly hour, unable to make herself succumb once more to some much needed slumber. She hated this time of the day it was too quiet, too hushed. She hated the stillness of the dead of night it just didn't feel right, she was much happier watching the sun rise and a new day begin; she loved the hustle and bustle daylight inevitably brought.

Life hadn't been easy for the young woman her business that she had started 4 years previously, was struggling. The small bookshop she'd opened on a road near the University in Salford initially went well. Student's poured in looking for that elusive hardback text book for their course, or picking out a classic that Sophie specialised in tracking down.

She loved book's, always had, she could escape into a good book, a book could take her to places no film ever could. She was passionate about them, reading any new book that came onto the market with a recommendation ardently, with enthusiasm and an open mind, only to give her own recommendations to her clientele when asked for her opinion, which was always heeded.

But along with the cutbacks and increased tuition fee's came the consequences and now the recession was biting hard, she'd barely been able to take a wage the last 9 months and was barely surviving. She knew she'd have to make a decision about her future and the future of her business and she'd have to make one soon. She'd invested so much into that little shop, literately blood, sweat and tears, as well as her parents £20,000 and it was all disappearing right in front of her eyes. This in all likelihood she surmised was the reason for her disturbed semi sleepless nights, that along with the nightmares that had persistently haunted her for the past 3 years. Laying her head on top of her forearms that were folded in front of her on top of the table, she closed her eyes letting out a long exhausted sigh.

'Just 5 minutes' she thought 'I'll just close my eyes for 5 minutes'

'Hey come on, Webbers, you've done it again babes'

Fingers being jabbed in her ribs and the loudness of the words shouted out by her flatmate made the brunette literally jump out of her skin.

Mike was as good a friend as anyone could have; they'd met at University and just seem to gravitate to one another, initially of course it had been pure animal attraction on Mike's part, oh yeah he fancied Sophie along with 95% of the uni males under 30's, and in part they had 'dabbled' although very quickly realising that being friends was a much better option, although at the time Mike didn't fully realise the real reason why.

Mike had been there for Sophie through thick and thin, good and bad, through confusion and then eventually clarity as finally at the age of 19 Sophie embraced the feelings she'd been denying to herself and everyone else around her, her whole life, she was gay, she liked girls and she just couldn't deny it any longer. And Mike was there to see her through the difficulties that, that clarification brought. The initial shock then finally acceptance from her family and friends, her first love and along with it her first broken heart. And he'd been there for her after the accident, after that one split second that changed the young woman's life forever, he'd been there when she cried out in pain and screamed in anger, pushing everyone away, blaming God and the world and anything else she could think of for devastating her life in the way it had. Yeah he'd been there through all of it with her, the happy, the sad, the rebellion and the calm, he'd see it all, and he loved her all the more for it.

And now since things had got difficult financially for the young brunette and she couldn't afford the upkeep and rent on her flat on her own he'd moved in with her. It had made perfect sense, Mike at the tender age of 26 was one of the leading members at the universities Biochemical research department, specialising in the detection and treatment of parasitic diseases, and as Sophie's flat was just a 10 minute walk away from the University him moving in made perfect sense, and they revelled in their new domestic arrangement.

Mike was the kind of bloke everybody adored he was charming, handsome, intelligent and shrewd. He was a lady's man and at the same time a bloke's bloke. His army of friends kept him more than occupied during any free time he had, between his football practice twice a week, a weekly pool tournament, Wednesday evening squash and every Saturday afternoon spent in the pub watching either the rugby or whatever football match was being shown on TV that day. And he had no problem attracting the female of the species either, he liked female company and they seemed to like him, yep he was popular alright, very popular, often turning up on a Saturday or Sunday morning all wild hair and creased clothes, making Sophie giggle and more than often blush as he imparted in a completely ungentlemanly way what he and his latest conquest had got up to the night before. But recently all that had changed, Mike had met some-one, he'd got himself a girlfriend and he was smitten, this woman had completely bowled him over, knocked him for six, and it intrigued Sophie, who could be this femme fatal that had calmed the wild ways of 'The Mike'.

'Tonight my dearest friend, me and you are hitting the town' Mike announced filling the kettle at the sink.

'Huh' Sophie replied raising her weary head off the tabletop and opening one eye at the statement.

'Can't I'm broke' she announced before letting her head drop dramatically once more onto her crossed over arms.

'Yep, but I'm not' Mike replied with a grin 'payday' he sang as he took 2 mugs placing them on the counter top.

Sophie groaned at her friend's excitement, sighing she straightened up raking her fingers through her wayward messy bed hair with one hand as she rubbed her tired eyes with the other.

'I'm not really up to it mate' she answered with a yawn.

And in truth she wasn't, it had only been a few weeks since her break up with Emma, the split hadn't completely been unexpected, nobody could say that it had taken them completely by surprise the relationship between them had been strained for months. The truth being that Sophie's heart was never really in it, she cared for Emma of course she did, but her heart never belonged to her, no that particular part of her anatomy had long been claimed by some-one other, some-one who she loved and who had loved her back... Vicky.

They'd met at a friend's party, it was love at first sight for Sophie, Vicky was different from anyone else she'd ever met, she was funny and intelligent, and she was beautiful, breathtaking in fact, she had long blonde hair that changed colour slightly every time the light caught it in a different way, her eyes were the colour of melted chocolate that dilated into blackness during the throes of passion, her lips were a luscious pink and her skin tanned, the attraction between them was palpable and immediate, after the initial introduction they'd spent the rest of the night tucked away in some corner, talking, laughing and flirting outrageously until the early hours of the morning.

They made plans to meet up again after that night, little knowing that a day wouldn't go by when they didn't see each other after that first meeting. Then 2 years of bliss was abruptly ended, brutally halted by the careless actions of a drunken driver. Vicky had finished her shift at the pub she had a part time job at, she'd texted Sophie saying she was on her way over, but she never arrived. The crash was so horrific it was all over the news, her car had been rammed into the path of an oncoming lorry, sending it spinning out of control and rolling it 3 times before it came to a stop upside down on its roof, she'd been killed instantly. The tragedy sent Sophie into a spiral of deep depression punctuated by drunken rages, distancing herself from her worried family and close friends, losing herself for days in alcoholic stupors. That was until Mike intervened, he let her vent, let her take out her frustrations and pain on him. He hugged her when she needed it, left her to cry when she had to and slowly brought her back from the edge of the darkness that had engulfed her. It had taken her 2 years to even think about another relationship, and when Mike introduced her to a 'family friend' Emma, Sophie thought she was finally at a place where she could love again, but she was wrong, the guilt was just stifling for the brunette, yes Vicky was dead but she was still as much in love with her memory as she'd ever been with her, and she just couldn't shake that feeling, no matter how much she tried.

She knew Emma was perfect girlfriend material, she was pretty, funny, attentive, and loving, and she'd undoubtedly fallen in love with Sophie the first time she met her, but she knew Sophie never felt the same, and when they finally sat down and said the words that had been praying on both women's minds for so long, it had been painful. Lots of tears were shed and 'You know I'll always care about you' said between them before a final embrace.

In truth Sophie was relieved, but that didn't mean she didn't miss Emma, miss the odd night they spent watching some cheesy 80's horror film eating popcorn on the sofa, it didn't mean she didn't miss the cheeky bum slaps she got every time she passed her ex-girlfriend in the hallway, it didn't mean she didn't miss the unexpected lunchtime visit's when Emma would turn up with the latest weird sandwich combination she'd just discovered at 'Subway' for Sophie to try, and it didn't mean she didn't miss her, just miss the company, the conversation, the companionship, the intimacy.

'Well to be honest Soph, I do have an ulterior motive for wanting to ply you with drink' Mike said turning as he switched the kettle on.

'No' Sophie replied as she stood

'You don't know what I'm gonna ask yet' Mike replied following the brunette through the flat.

'No you're not moving your girlfriend in' Sophie replied slamming the bathroom door behind her stopping the tall blonde man's advance.

'Hell no' Mike shouted through the wooden obstacle between them 'why the hell would I want to do that, I've only been seeing her 6 weeks'.

Slowly Sophie opened the door to be met by the pouting features of her flat mate.

'What then' she asked leaning against the doorframe, folding her arms across her chest.

'It's my sister' he sighed out, slumping back against the wall opposite.

'She's got herself into a bit of bother, and she need's somewhere to stay for a while' he continued as he stared intently at the by now concerned features of his flatmate.

'What's happened' Sophie questioned reaching out to her best friend and rubbing his arm comfortingly.

Sighing Mike shook his head as he let his gaze lower to the floor,

'She's got herself pregnant',

'Shit' came the reply as Sophie slumped back against the wall.

'You know what my Dad's like Soph, he went ape shit on the lad's arse, and now the little scum bag's took off leaving her on her own'.

Sophie smiled sympathetically and nodded for her friend to continue.

'Dad's really not happy about it, putting pressure on her to get rid of the baby, but she's having none of it' he hesitated tilting his head downwards he closed his eyes 'he's thrown her out Soph'.

'No' Sophie replied in shock, 'What's your Mum said about it' she continued ducking her head trying to catch his eye.

'She doesn't care, does she' Mike replied angrily throwing his head back, 'She's too busy swanning around with her latest conquest to care about her 20 year old pregnant, homeless daughter'.

Sophie shook her head in disbelief puffing out a disgusted huff. Yeah she knew Mike's family, knew them too damn well, his violent, obnoxious Father, and his uncaring, unloving, hard-hearted Mother who just up and left them one day when Mike was 11 and his sister just 5.

'Look Mike, of course she can stay here until she get's herself sorted' Sophie said rubbing his arm reassuringly.

'We've got a spare room it's no hassle'. She continued offering as much support to her friend as she could.

'It'll only be for a couple of month's Soph' he replied smiling 'she'll be out of here before the baby's born' he continued, relief evident on his rugged features, 'and I'll pay her way, don't worry about that, you won't be out of pocket I promise'

Sophie smiled 'It's fine Mike, honest tell her she can come over any time... okay'.

Mike grinned and nodded as he pushed himself away from the wall.

'She's sleeping on a friend's couch at the moment in Bury; I'll give her a call later and tell her the good news'. Sophie smiled and nodded.

'How about that cup of tea eh' he said rubbing his hands together as he brushed past the brunette and made his way back towards the kitchen.

'20 eh' Sophie piped up following her flatmate into the kitchen 'can't believe she's 20 Mike, the last time I saw he she was just a gawky kid at your 21st birthday party I think'.

'Yeah' Mike laughed pouring the steaming water into the teapot, 'She was so sulky wasn't she, she had those horrendous braces on her teeth and those NHS glasses do you remember'.

Sophie laughed as she thought back to that night, but in all honesty she was much too drunk to remember much about it at all.

All she knew was that her friend, her friend who'd stood by her, dried her tears and comforted her in her darkest hours, her friend who'd been there through thick and thin, her best friend in the world needed her help and she wasn't about to let him down.