That was the end of it, I was sure.
Stephen and I hadn't talked, let alone seen each other in days now. My realization just cementing more so in my mind. The next day I had called asking him if we could talk, he said that he was busy with work and would catch up with me later. Personally, I thought it was a cop out. I knew he was avoiding me and whatever we had was probably over. I had overstepped and he probably got scared at the amount of time we had been spending and decided to opt out. I couldn't shake the feeling though that something else was wrong. If he was spending this much time at work, it couldn't be good.
I had the entire day to myself to do whatever I wanted to. I was closing shift tonight so I didn't need to be anywhere until half past six. I needed to think, I needed to mull over everything that had happened in the recent months of my life. I should visit my grandfather, but honestly I couldn't handle it right now. I felt bad about not seeing my grandfather. I tried to make it a habit to at least stop by once a week.
But the emotional rollercoaster that was Stephen Hart was wearing me down in my own doubt.
Early in the morning I decided to head over to Millwall. Just to walk around the river Thames and maybe have lunch on the Millwall inner dock. It was something my grandfather and I often did on the weekends when I was a child. It was always so comforting to me having him there by my side as we ate ice cream. There were a few little restaurants in the area that were pretty decent. I still loved going there to clear my mind it was my secret home away from home.
The cabby dropped me off near the docks, I tipped him well as I got out. I could faintly smell the familiarity of the muddied water in the air as I walked over to a newer sandwich place. The smell of fresh bread hit my nose as I walked into the restaurant. I looked over the menu and ordered a turkey club. I walked out of the place and began eating my sandwich along the docks.
I was content being by myself, that's why I hadn't dated in over a year. I could easily go back to that way of living. Flirting with the occasional nice looking man but never committing to a date. But were Stephen and I really over? I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt that he truly was stuck at work. But not knowing what he did was part of the problem too. I couldn't visit him for lunch or bringing him a sandwich, because I didn't even know if the place I picked him up weeks ago was his actual place of business. I let out a long frustrated sigh.
How would I make this work? How would anyone? Why was I even fretting so much about this? Because you said you loved him after you realized it yourself.
I continued to argue with myself in my head enjoying the empty docks. I bit into my sandwich again gazing around noticing there was really no other people around, at least on land. In the water below the docks there were three boats with people looking for something in the water.
Probably another soul fell in and drowned. I thought taking another bite. I watched the search team converse from afar, one of the men catching my eye. He looked just like Stephen. I stepped closer to the edge of the dock, trying to see if it would give me a better view.
You've really gone off the deep end now. Thinking that a total stranger looked like Stephen. Especially from this distance, you could barely make out their faces anyway.
Nevertheless I stared at the man in the middle of the water, trying to see if I had gone completely insane or not. The boat that Stephen's doppelganger was on rode up close to another boat, one with a noticeably blonde man. I could faintly hear the blonde man yell in a Scottish accent, I did a double take as I realized it was Nick Cutter.
What in the bloody hell was Stephen and Cutter doing in the middle of the water in the inner docks of Millwall? Should I shout to them? No. Stay quiet, this would make it look like you're stalking him.
I went to turn around, my curiosity peaked, when my foot slipped on the edge of the dock. I dropped my sandwich as an attempt to catch myself on the edge of the dock but missed. I fell for only seconds before cold water enveloped me. I kicked up gasping for air, I turned around to see if the people in the boats about 12 meters away had noticed me. Everyone on the boats were staring in my direction.
"Way to go Skyla, you clumsy idiot." I muttered to myself. One of the boats began coming towards me, the one with Cutter on it.
This was not going to be a fun conversation to have with either of the two men. Cutter's face was becoming more clear to me as he neared where I was. Both of us able to to clearly tell who the other was. I felt like I was being scorned by an angry parent as he neared. I was suddenly thankful to be in the water so I couldn't look like a kicked puppy. I continued to kick my legs keeping me afloat and in place. When I kicked my leg forward, nothing happened, there seemed to have a resistance. I felt a slight tug on my pant leg, making my head dip a little into the water. Fear and adrenaline began to coarse through my veins. I looked down uselessly in the muddied waters. I felt it again, harder this time pulling my head under the water for a split second. I looked up at the boat, still too far away. I opened my mouth to call out to Cutter when I was tugged again pulling me completely under the water. I struggled under the muddied depths trying to get free from whatever had me. It let go as I raced towards the surface for air. When I took a deep breath as I exhaled I took in another inhale ready to shout.
"Cutter! Stephen!" I screamed before I was dragged under again. I struggled trying to get out of the grasp of whatever had me, but no avail. It pulled me further and further into the water at a decently fast speed. My lungs began to burn yearning for oxygen as the last of the air I had run out sending bubbles to the surface. I stared at the wavy muddled sun above me before I lost consciousness.