As she walked briskly down unfamiliar streets she cursed her own cowardliness. Why had she taken off like that? Why didn't she stand up to the blonde? Maddie had faced far worse. It had been pure instinct that had led her to flee. Now she was lost in a city that she'd never been and all she wanted was Sophie.
In her mind she churned around what Sian had said. She had called her girlfriend a lying cheating cow. Was it out of spite? Bitterness? Despite an undercurrent of attitude, the blonde had seemed like an alright lass. Beautiful for sure-that was a given. But she'd also seemed vulnerable and surprisingly genuine.
Sophie must have really loved her. Maddie sighed. None of it made any sense.
Her phone rang again. It was the ring that had started her running in the first place. This time she answered.
"Hey" she answered weakly.
"Are you alright? I rung earlier but you didn't answer" Sophie squeaked into the phone. Maddie smiled. It was cute how her girlfriend's voice got all high pitched when she was worked up into a state.
"Sorry it was just so loud in the pub. I must've missed it" she apologized.
"Oh" Sophie paused "Well I just thought that you might be bored out there, but I guess…"
"Trust me, bored out of my flaming skull here babe. So. Much. Football" she smiled. Then she forced a yawn. "But I was about to go to sleep. I'm knackered and we have to leave early tomorrow" Maddie lied.
"Okay, Okay. I get it" the brunette laughed down the line. "Just get back here quick, I can't stand not having you lying here with me" she said softly.
They said their goodbyes.
Maddie slammed her phone into her pocket. She felt a pressure on her chest. Her breathing labored as the guilt poured over her. Should she tell Sophie? Would it just upset her? She didn't know.
There was one thing she knew for sure: Sian Powers was wrong about Sophie. Maddie was sure of it.
Maddie was able to finally find the hotel that they'd been put up in for the night. She had had to call Kirk for the name. Of course he had barely noticed that she was gone. Don' misunderstand, she loved Kirk, but he was such a simple bloke sometimes. She entered into the lobby briskly, hoping to be able to just get into bed and forget the whole thing.
Of course nothing is ever that simple.
Sitting in the lobby flipping thru a magazine was the one blonde she desperately wanted to forget. She sighed and tried just walking straight past her with her head down.
"Oi!" the blonde stood and followed her to her room. "Hey!" she grasped Maddie's elbow. Without thinking she yanked it away from her grasp. All she wanted to do was get a door between the two of them.
"You sure can run but this is happening. You can't avoid me and I'll throw a right fit, just try meh" Sian hissed as they reached her room door. Maddie turned around on her heels.
"Look! You can keep your voice down you right mare. Come'on" Maddie hissed right back.
She opened up her hotel door and walked in leaving it open for the blonde who walked in. Inside Maddie was quaking with fear but she steadied herself. If the blonde wanted a fight then she'd get one. No one pushed Maddie Heath around. And certainly not her girlfriend's ex. She turned to face the blonde who had shut the door behind her.
"So! Out with it!" Maddie fumed.
"Hey, you were the one who lied to me...Maddie" she said slyly.
"Okay so I lied about my name. Sorry, whatever" Maddie shrugged.
"Is this a set up? Did you come to find me?" Sian asked seriously.
"No! Really it's just an awful coincidence. Must be god's punishing sense of humor" Maddie replied.
"But you do know who I am. You wouldn't have done a runner if you didn't" Sian continued her interrogation.
"Yes I do! Okay but to be fair I didn't relish the idea of a slap thank you" Maddie defended herself.
All the nervous energy seemed to drain out of Sian. She slumped onto the single bed placing her hand to her forehead. Maddie again saw that vulnerability rise to the surface as her fight diminished. Sian looked up with eyes that threatened to spill tears rather than throw daggers.
Maddie pulled of her jacket and threw it onto a chair.
"What are you? 17?" Sian asked. Maddie nodded.
"When I was 17, Sophie Webster had me wrapped around her little finger. She made me feel as if I was the greatest thing on this earth. That she would cherish me until both our lives ended. She was my moon and stars" Sian sighed heavily into her lap where she had laid her small hands.
She looked right into Maddie's eyes.
"What I didn't know, was that it was all a cosmic joke" Sian's voice turned bitter. "All the while she was having it on with the neighbor girl behind my back. Lying to me while gladly throwing everything we had away" she continued.
"You might think that Sophie Webster is a saint. But she's not. She's A Webster. And she'll get bored with you. Get out now. Save yourself the humiliation" she finished up.
Maddie turned over what the blonde had said. She clenched her fists at her side as a red heat flashed thru her. She turn and faced the blonde head on.
"That's a nice little speech there. But I know Sophie's not a saint. Nobody is. However a lying cheating cow she isn't" Maddie said defensively. "What it sounds like to me is that you think that no one can change. You don't even know what she's been thru the last few years since you two ended. Because you ran" Maddie sat down beside Sian on the bed.
"And if there's something I understand it's running. But we all can't be held accountable for what we do when we're 17 years old. And for her I stopped running. Because for me..." Maddie took a pause to compose herself. She looked Sian Powers right in the eye.
"Sophie Webster is Home" Maddie finished up.
Sian jumped up as if shocked. She turned away from Maddie as if she were a frightened animal.
Neither girl spoke for a moment. Breaking the silence Sian finally turned around.
"Are you going to tell her about this?" Sian asked quietly.
"Dunno" Maddie answered honestly "I haven't decided."
"Well whatever you decide, I'll be gone in a week. Somewhere far away" she headed toward the door. She turned toward Maddie nearly shaking. "I shouldn't have come here" she said as she left thru the door.
Maddie fell back on the bed exhausted. She lifted her phone and opened it up to a picture of them together laughing. They had found a photobooth in Trafford Centre and sprung for some photos. Looking at the silly photos she remembered how much better her world had become with Sophie Webster in it.
And she didn't want any ghosts from the past to change that.
A/N: Reviews are always welcome. Should I go on? Let me know.