Chapter two
Buzzzz buzzzzz buzzzzz buzzzzz buzzzzz
"Hello?", answers a dazzled and disgruntled Elly, looking back at her phone to see who it is. Mark
"Thought you were never going to answer. I've been calling you all morning Elly and been to the house twice. Was starting to think you'd died on me", Mark jokes but his worried tone is still detectable. He laughs at hearing Elly's groan in response. "So, are you going to let me in or shall I try again later?".
There's a pause from Elly. "I'll be there now, just hold on a second".
She rolls over whilst letting out a heavy breath to relive the tension in her head. Really not feeling in any mood to socialise so soon after an unwanted awakening, she stretches across the bed to reach for the floral gown hanging of the chair. Elly catches her reflection in the mirror, which is fixed to the white dresser opposite the foot of the bed. Fuck. Jumping of the mattress, to take a closer look, she stares at herself in disbelief at the mess looking back. Pulling out the chair to sit and examine her face, she gasps. Not a chance is Mark seeing me like this. She fumbles through the draws to the left, searching for her trustee makeup remover and wipes. Her eyes sore from the remnants of mascara mixed with tears clumped to her lashes like clay and smudged lipstick smeared across her right cheek looked like dried blood. A shocker of a purple lump bulged out at her left temple. "What the". Elly leans into the mirror to inspect the impact she has no memory on receiving. Brushing her middle finger over the tiny cut at the peak of the mysterious lump causes pain to shoot down her face. Ouch! Making a hasty attempt to fix her appearance before letting mark in, the bedroom door suddenly swings open making Elly jump and accidently stab herself in the eye with the wipe wrapped around the end of her finger.
"Jeezzz, you gave me a flipping heart attack Mark!". Startled, she yells and throws an item of folded laundry at him. "Get out!".
"What is wrong with you today? Susan let me in and seeing as you were taking- "
"Can't you just give me a minute? I have only just woken up", she interrupts marks with a pleading look in her eye but breaks the contact to cover her sudden rush of embarrassment at her uncharacteristic outburst and places her head in her hands. Ugh. "Please?", she begs. Not wanting to show her face to mark, who she wished would learn some boundaries. Elly is a very private woman.
"Fine, but we need to talk about last night at some point Elly?"
Last night, what's he on about.
"Yes, and we will. But not right now."
My heads to messy to get into whatever it is, so he will have to wait.
Hurt and angered by her rejection, he turns on his heel to grab the door handle. Then stops. "Should I just come back later, or?". Elly is hesitant in answering. She groans "I don't feel good Mark. My entire body aches and my head is really, really sore. Let me call you?"
"Right, ok." he pauses, a look of confusion spread across his face at her abnormal attitude. Why is she being so cold? Unable to understand or get anything out of her. He takes in a deep breath and gives in. His fiancé clearly wants to be left alone right now. "I guess, I will see you later then"
"I'll call you, like I said", she lifts her head and shows him a forced smile. Not wanting to give him too much hope in seeing her again that day as she wanted to suffer alone. Knowing how easily she snaps and is crap at company when she was when hungover or in ill health, made it more viable not to have him around.
"I love you". Her heart suddenly sinks as she gets a flash back of Chloe saying the exact same thing. It makes her stomach flip and guilt seeps through her body.
"love you", Elly replies, chocked on her own voice. Mark shuts the door quietly on the way out. His fiancé isn't hiding her mixed emotions well, despite her tries with a fake smile and its making Mark question what's really going on in the women's head. This isn't normal behaviour towards him.
Elly can hear muffled voices in the hallway. Marks bumped into Susan and they're discussing something. She has a feeling it's about her. He sounds concerned in his tone but she can't make out what they are saying even when trying.
Just go home Mark.
Picking up her phone, she scrolls through her contacts and clicks on Chloe's name.
Come on, pick up, pick up.
Beep Beep Beep
"Did she just-"
I can't believe she just rejected my call.
Elly tries one more time and the call gets diverted again. You best not be avoiding me. I have so much to talk to you about.
'Call me when you get this please, Elly x'
