Chapter Two
"What are you looking at?" Becca asked wearily as she sat on the bed next to Justin, stroking his arm absentmindedly.
"Jobs page, the quicker we get jobs the quicker we can get out of here" Justin replied, giving her a quick reassuring smile before casting his eyes back to the page. It was true, they couldn't stay here forever, a rundown, noisy B&B was fine for a few days but not for long. This place was the type of place that could suck the happiness from your soul, body and mind in just a few days. On the face of it, looking around their surroundings, it seemed absurd that she would have even thought about giving up every she had ever worked for, let alone have actually gone and done it.
"Hey, have you checked your mobile yet? Your family might have rung" Becca said suddenly, almost of if she had forgotten they had both just left their families behind without as much as a word. It was subjects that this – families – that were the cause of so much of their guilt these past few months. Not just lying to Jake but Nancy and Justin's family as well. Becca shuddered at the thought of what Liz would say if she found out about her and Justin. Running away with her teenage son was hardly going to endure Liz to her, she thought, but maybe in time when she had got used to it, they could make contact again and explain everything.
"Not yet. I wasn't sure what to do really. I mean right now my Mum probably thinks I'm at a mate's house or something and Jake probably thinks you're with Mandy somewhere. How long is it going to be before they put two and two together, and what if Nicole or Mandy say something? Maybe we should ring them and tell them that we are together and why, not where we are but just tell them before they work it out?"
"Justin, I don't know." It was cowardly but she just couldn't bear the thought of telling them. How could she ever explain it? Yet at the same time she knew that her guilt would overwhelm her if she didn't tell them and she was sure the same would be true for Justin.
"Maybe we should leave an answer phone message. That way we could tell them without them being able to ask lots of questions" Becca continued, after a few moments thought. Okay, she rationalised, they were still cowards but what good would it do her hearing Jake shouting and pillaring her with questions about the why's and how's. This way she could explain properly without interruptions. People would condemn them when they found out but they weren't bad people, neither of them set out to hurt anyone, they just ended up falling for the wrong person. She knew she had agonised for months about her feelings, fighting a fight that deep down she knew at the time that she was never going to win. When your feelings are that strong, fighting against them is pointless, you just end up feeling more and more desperate and alone.
"I think Jake will be at work all day and Nancy at school so I'll phone in a little while as they would have put the answer phone on before they left this morning"
"I love you" Justin whispered, tenderly kissing her on the cheek, before pushing her down on the bed.
"I love you too"