CHAPTER 1 – Begin again
Toby could barely believe she had allowed him to sit besides her, but he suppossed that being the older brother of one of her friends did help.
Spencer pulled from the sleeves of her sweaer, covering her blue-tinged fingers.
- Do I order another coffee for you? You seem cold.
She was going to answer when he came up with a better idea, he got up and came back with a blanket from another sofa, a burgundy cover, that made her chocolate curls stand out.
- Thanks, Toby – She blushed slightly covering herself with it from toe to below the chest, she took another sip from her dark coffe – Do... Do you want to cover youself? - She asked, turning completly red, rising the blanket.
- I'm fine. The uniform is quite bundeld up. It's an oven at summer but that's another story.
The girl bursted out laughing that made his stomach shrink, it was one of the most beautiful sounds he had heard in a while, a sound he did not expect to hear from such a broken soul.
- How did you choose to become a policeman? - She had turned to him, sipping again from her coffe, and the papers seemed to have taken a second place.
He observed the jeans she was wearing, the marks from the sequins in butterfly shape that she must have taken off were still visible, so it was a kid's size. The sweather was really baggy on her, almost two of her would have fit into it, and the watch that decorated her wrist threatened to fall through space at any moment. She had a lamentable look, but she was smiling, and he wished they could keep it like that.
- I wanted to protect the people I care aboult – He answered, trying to keep the marks that used to cover Caleb's, body away from his mind – What about you? - He asked trying to change the focus of atention – Why did you study law?
- Family tradition – She answered with a sigh – But, between us – She leaned towards him, noticing his scent of perfume mix with shaving cream – I've ended liking it!
This time it was Toby who laughed, making some warmess spread over Spencer's body. She realised he was one of the few people who knew the thruth behind her biggest lies, but there was something about him that made her believe he wouldn't let them come to the surface, and that was good.
An alarm went off on his phone, a sound that ordered her to go back home, come back with her fiance. But she didn't want to do it, she did not wanted to face the cold from outside, or arriving and having to lie about had had a lot to eat for supper, and argue when he called the manager of the Brew to ask about her intake.
She turned it of quickly but he pointed out not to worry if she had to go eslwhere – No, no, it's fine – She answered rapidly.
- What are you working on now? If you can tell of course – Toby believed that work was one of the safest themes when speaking, usually he did not get on well with people, he got embarrased when talking with new people and he normally found himself with nothing left to talk about.
She smiled – A divorce. Their killing each other over the custody of the children.
He hissed - Sounds harsh.
- I try to get them to agree.
She was the one about to ask whe he interrupted her – Do you still work as a volunteer?
Spencer nodded slighlty – At an orphanage, I read books and play with them, and I tend to (procesar) their adoptions if they are lucky enough to make it. I'd like to go more but I have tons of work and I don't find volunteers.
The penny dropped in her caffenaited mind – Do you want to spend a few hours a week there, don't you?
Toby thought about it seriously, from the past two years his life could be sumarised in work and ocasionally taking care of his nephew; Jenna's child. The last time he had gone to a party had been the girls and it had been a while since he had had a couple. Maybe not Spencer, everyone knew she was engaged with a surgical resident, but he could meet someone – It'll be great.
She scribbled the timetables and the adress fast over one of the pages of her crammed calendar, it smelled like roses, just like her.
Suddenly reality knocked her up, she should be at home, Wren was waiting for her and she didn't like the feelings Toby was awakening in her boned cage, they frightened her – I have to go now – She picked up her papers – We should repeat having a coffee.
She was putting on a coat when her vision became blurry. Taking into acount that she had only had three cups of coffee that day it didn't come as a surprise, but the weakness of her body made her fall to the ground.
- Did you hurt yourself? - He helped her get back onto her feet grabbing her from the wrists, reinforcing his thoughts about her extreme thinness; he could have grabbed both with one single hand. She shook her head but Toby noticed her tiny body trembling.
- I walk you to your car – And his tone made it clear he wasn't taking no as an answer.
- I've come by feet – She whispered, still unstable on her feet, her voice seemed trapped in her lungs.
- I'll give you a ride then. He took her scarf and wrapped it around her neck before leaving the cafeteria getting hold of her minute waist.
They've been in the car for ten minutes, with the heating really high when Toby dared to speak – I know it's none of my business, but you should let people help you with your food issues.
Her tone revealed rage when she opened her mouth – You are right, it's none of your business.
He turned slowly to observe her, just a (instante), her face showed anger but her eyes showed varied emotions: fear, sadness, exhaustion. The golden girl had broken down at some point.
- Jenna used to say how worry she was – She was already angry so, what else could he do – She said you were becoming seethough. I used to tease her, saying such thing was imposible. Untill I saw you at hospital, you looked like a ghost.
- I do not need anyone's help – She whispered, opening the car door – Thanks for bringing me home, Toby.
He awaited untill he saw her entering the victorian styled house, he could do nothing more. For the first time in months he went to a bar, two shoots later he had scored with a blond hottie and only half an hour later he was back at his apartment.
- Take it all off – He whispered in her ear, starting to remove the blue uniform and wishing it would silence his thoughts chock-full of chocolate locks.
