Dear TROLL: Please don't throw yourself off a building. Here, let me lure you from the ledge with chocolates and the promise of a happy ending. Is that good enough? We don't want any Sophia-type casualties ;)
The enthusiasm about this story is incredible. Thank you all so much :)
Naomi shifted uncomfortably in the back seat of the cab. She couldn't stop fidgeting and she wasn't sure why. She tugged at the seat belt strap around her shoulder. "I've always hated these bloody things," She said as she reached her hands down to unbuckle.
A light laughter came from beside her and Naomi turned her eyes down as Emily wrapped her hands around her wrists. "You won't hate it if it saves your life," Emily said with a smile as she placed Naomi's hands back on her lap. "Sit still, we'll be there soon." Naomi huffed and pouted and folded her arms across her chest, the spitting image of a stroppy child. "Adorable," Emily chuckled as she turned her gaze out the window. Naomi glanced at her out of the corners of her eyes and her mouth twitched into a small smile.
They pulled to a stop in front of the terminal at Heathrow and Emily climbed out of the cab. Naomi lifted her bag from the floor by her feet and placed it on the seat, before getting out as well. The driver got out and opened the back. He pulled out Emily's huge suitcase and duffel and placed them on the curb. "Just one minute and I'll be right back," Naomi said to him with a smile. He nodded and got back in the car.
"Thanks," Emily said with an awkward gesture to the building behind her. "For coming with."
"Of course," Naomi nodded, forcing her mouth into a smile.
"You really should let me pay for the fare," Emily said, folding her arms nervously across her stomach.
Naomi shook her head. "Consider it my going away present. Free fare to the airport."
Emily smirked. "Pretty cheap gift, that."
Naomi scoffed. "Please, he's probably running the metre right now. It'll be an arm and a leg by the time I get back."
Emily's eyes drifted down to her luggage. "I guess I won't keep you then."
Naomi shifted her weight from foot to foot, watching Emily stare at nothing in particular. "Wait a minute." She hurried back to the car and opened the back door. She leaned in and started digging through her bag.
"I've got the metre running, you know," The driver said over his shoulder.
"I know, I know. Keep your vagina on," Naomi mumbled as her hands pulled out the item she was looking for. She balled it up in her fists as she stood up and then walked back to Emily. She watched as Emily's eyes drifted down to her hands and her brow furrowed in confusion. "I hope you have a good time. Really."
Emily's eyes darted up and met Naomi's for a moment before they settled around the space just above her shoulder. "Thanks."
"I, um," Naomi started awkwardly as she held the bundle out to Emily. "I want you to take this."
Emily's eyes snapped to the white fabric in Naomi's hands. "Naoms, I can't-"
"Please? I want you to have it." Naomi knew her eyes were pleading, but she didn't care.
Emily nodded and took the shirt from Naomi. She unbundled it and carefully folded it up until Mr. Gordo's face was staring up at both of them.
"Just don't shag any Grecian goddesses while you're wearing him."
Emily playfully rolled her eyes. "Always with the rules."
"He's-"
"An innocent pig, I know," Emily laughed. Naomi let the sound wash over her. She took it in and committed it to memory. She was all too aware of how long it would be until she heard it again. "I'll wear it every night."
Naomi scoffed. "Well then you wouldn't be shagging anyone while you're there."
Emily shrugged and Naomi's mouth went dry. "Small price to pay."
Suddenly the cab driver honked his horn and Naomi nearly jumped out of her skin. "Jesus, I'm coming!" She shouted over her shoulder, mumbling "tosser" at him before turning back to face Emily. An awkward moment passed, where Naomi wanted nothing more than to reach out and wrap the smaller girl up in her arms and never let her go. She settled instead for jerking her head towards Emily's luggage. "You'll be able to manage?"
"Yeah."
Silence.
"You'll write?"
"Yeah, I've got your new address."
Naomi nodded and they fell back into silence.
"So…" Emily said quietly as her fingertips traced across Mr. Gordo's face.
"So…" Naomi said, fidgeting nervously.
"I guess I'll see you when I get back?"
Naomi's heart shattered. "Yeah," She said, her cheeks hurting from forcing a smile. "Let me know when your flight gets in and I'll be right here waiting."
Emily nodded and slowly turned to her luggage. She put the shirt down on top of her suitcase and then threw her duffel over her shoulder. She straightened up as she picked the shirt back up and grabbed onto the handle of her suitcase. She looked at Naomi, frowned slightly, and turned toward the terminal doors.
Emily had barely taken a step forward before Naomi practically threw herself on top of her. She wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and buried her face in her hair. "I'll miss you," Naomi murmured and Emily melted in her arms.
"I'll miss you, too," Emily responded quietly as she let go of her suitcase and wrapped an arm around Naomi's waist.
"Be careful."
"I will."
"Study hard, but not so hard you forget to write."
Emily chuckled. "Will do."
Naomi nodded as she pulled away and blinked back tears. "Have fun, Ems."
"So you moved in with Effy."
"Yep."
"And Emily went to Greece."
"That's right."
"For a year."
"Mmhmm."
"A whole year."
"Well, ten months."
"That's still long enough."
"Tell me about it," I mumble through a laugh.
We're sitting in the back of a cab headed for the aquarium. Maya has her notepad on her lap and she's quiet for a few minutes as she reads through what she has written down and I watch the city go by through the window. I'm staring at a sign for Heathrow in the distance when I realize Maya's talking and turn my head to her. "Sorry? Didn't catch that."
"What happened with Allison? When Emily told her she was going to Greece?"
I smirk and raise my eyebrows. "What do you think happened?"
Maya's eyes go wide as saucers and she squeals. I laugh loudly as she flaps her hands in excitement. "They broke up?"
I nod curtly. "They broke up."
"So Emily was single?"
"Emily was single."
"And?"
"And she left and was single in Greece?"
Maya visibly deflates. "Did you keep in touch?"
"Of course we did! Emily sent me postcards from all over Greece. We sent each other letters at least once every week. Sometimes more if we had a lot to say."
"Good," Maya says, nodding. "So what did you do while she was away?"
"School. Work. Nothing too exciting."
"You moved in with Uncle James and Effy and Panda?"
"I did."
"How was that?"
"Really exciting at first."
"At first?"
"Things seem to fall apart around me," I explain with a chuckle, but Maya just looks confused. "It's hard to explain…"
The muscles in Naomi's shoulders burned as she carried the large box into the storage room of the shelter. The entire stainless steel table shook as she dropped the box heavily on top of it. "Jesus," She mumbled to herself as she shook her arms out.
"Alright there, Naomi?" A cheerful voice asked from the doorway.
Naomi looked up and smiled as a young woman with auburn hair and dark blue eyes strolled into the kitchen. "Fine, Anna, and yourself?"
Anna grinned and leaned her hip against the table. "Always wonderful when my most dedicated volunteer is here. You need a hand with that?" She asked, inclining her head toward the box.
Naomi arched an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be off doing more important things? Organizer-y type things?"
Anna let out a rich, throaty laugh. "A good leader never assigns a task that they themselves wouldn't do."
Naomi's eyebrow stayed arched. "I think that might be an idealistic way of looking at leadership."
Anna held her arms out and grinned. "I am nothing if not an idealist. Look at where I work."
"You are nothing if not a nutter for working here," Naomi muttered with a smile.
"Exactly! A starry-eyed idealistic nutter!" Anna took a couple of steps back and popped the lids off a few large plastic bins. "So come on, then. Chuck us some pants!"
Naomi lifted up the folded flaps of the box and reached in. She pulled out a can and tossed it toward Anna, who caught it with a smile. "Ahh, aerosol deodorant. One of these days I'll get knicker duty," She said as she dropped it into one of the bins.
Naomi chuckled and threw another one at her. "You're far too excited about the idea of digging through a box of underwear."
"I always seem to miss the exciting donation days," Anna replied, placing the shampoo into one of the bins.
They worked like that for a bit, unloading the box. A few more boxes and bins were brought in by other volunteers and Anna thanked them, but said she and Naomi could handle the unload. Naomi chucked Anna the last package of anti perspirant from the first box and then started in on a dark green bin. As soon as she saw what was inside she smiled. "Hey, Anna."
"Hmm?"
"Come look at this."
Anna looked confused as she crossed to the table and peered over Naomi's shoulder into the bin. And then Naomi grinned as her face lit up. "Seems we have a clever donator on our hands." Anna smiled and walked over to a desk in the corner of the room. She took a black marker and quickly wrote something on a piece of paper. She capped the marker, grabbed some tape and traipsed back over to Naomi's side. She taped the paper, that read 'TAMPONS', onto the lid. "Shut it up, put it to the side. We'll bring it to the necessities cupboard later."
Naomi smiled and snapped the lid back on, placing it on the floor under the table for the time being. "So, Naomi," Anna said as they separated out some more donations, "the youth centre doesn't have anything that pays, unfortunately."
Naomi nodded. "I figured. Thank you for checking though."
"But!" Anna said loudly with an overly dramatic catch that involved cradling a shampoo bottle like a rugby ball, "Emma's up the duff!"
"Well congratulations Emma," Naomi said slowly with a small smirk.
Anna sighed and started tossing the bottle back and forth between her hands. "Good for her, bad for me. She's quitting so she can dedicate the next several years of her life to rearing what I'm sure will be a devastatingly adorable child."
"What will you do?"
Anna smiled and folded her arms across her chest. "You really don't get it, do you?" When Naomi just stared at her blankly Anna laughed. "Do you want to take over her duties, Naomi? It pays less than dirt, but you'll be hands on with almost all of the outreach and education responsibilities."
"Emma's job is a bit more than I was bargaining for, to be honest."
Anna crossed over to Naomi and spun on her heels, leaning back as she set the shampoo down on the table. "You want to fight for social justice, right? You want to change policy and educate people about important matters? God knows why, but you want to be involved in politics and legislation, yeah? You'd be able to do a lot more than unpack donations and set up cots. Not to mention," Anna added as she gently bumped Naomi's shoulder with her own, "you'd have the chance to meet and rub shoulders with some important leaders in the community."
Naomi held her hands up. "You are trying very hard to make this sound as appealing as possible to me," She said through a laugh.
Anna chuckled and shrugged. "Well it should be. You could help shape reform. You could help spread awareness. You could help," She finished simply.
Naomi took a deep breath through her nose and slowly exhaled. "Can I have a few days to think it over? Sort out if I'll be able to manage it with my studies?"
Anna scoffed and pushed herself off the table. "Take as much time as you need. As long as you've got your decision made before the baby comes down the chute, we're sorted."
"So you'd be doing, like, outreach and education?" Effy asked, twirling her straw lazily in her glass as her eyes roamed across the shelves of liquor.
Naomi took a sip of beer and nodded as she placed her pint back down on the bar top. "Pretty much. I'd help with speeches and research and things. Compiling figures and statistics that they'll use for fundraising and press."
Effy turned her eyes on Naomi. "You'd be that desperate girl at parties who starts spewing facts about woman abuse and how destructive it is for communities and society at large that makes everyone else feel like shit because they aren't doing anything to help."
Naomi held her gaze for a moment. "You always make things sound so… so depressing."
Effy smirked. "I think you should do it."
"Really?" Naomi let her eyes drift with her thoughts until they settled on the beads of condensation on her glass. "It would be a lot of work. I don't know if I could handle it."
There was a minute of silence where Naomi could feel Effy scrutinizing her. "You've never heard yourself talk, have you?"
"What?" Naomi turned her head to look at Effy.
She leaned back casually in her seat, her eyes boring into Naomi's. "When you talk about it, the shelter and everyone there, it makes me want to rip your clothes off." Naomi's eyebrows shot up and a concerned look spread across her features. Effy smirked. "Passion, you tit. You get so passionate about it. You should do it."
Naomi held Effy's gaze, and a smile played on the corner of her mouth. "How can you call me a tit and have it sound like such a term of endearment?"
Effy's smirk became more pronounced. "It's a gift."
Naomi took the job. She shadowed Emma every day after classes, learning exactly what the older blonde woman did. Naomi learned about spreadsheets and statistics and her stomach turned at some of the figures. She learned legislation and victim's rights, or lack thereof, and the stigma still attached to a lot of abuse. She learned that Emma's work was constantly flowing between reports about domestic and sexual violence. Every woman who stepped into their shelter was there because she was being abused, or feared abuse, and there were more than a handful of teenage girls who couldn't step foot in their own homes without hands being placed all over their bodies. The more she read and heard, the more Naomi's resolve settled into her veins like lead.
Her days were spent learning how the British political system worked, how legislation was made, and her afternoons and evenings were spent seeing how those laws directly affected people's lives. Her nights were spent in bed with Effy.
After two weeks, Naomi got her first pay from the organization. Anna took her out to celebrate. Naomi had tried to refuse, but Anna insisted. "You're officially part of the social revolution!" She shouted, hooking her arm through Naomi's and dragging her down the street.
"I didn't realize we were a revolution," Naomi chuckled, allowing herself to be led down the street.
"All revolutions have to start somewhere. And the best way to change the system is to become a part of it. Fight from the inside!"
Naomi laughed and nudged Anna with her elbow. "Watch out, soon you'll be talking about 'taking down the man'," Naomi said, dragging out the 'a' in man in an attempt at an American accent.
"Oh god," Anna groaned. "Don't ever do that again. Your accent is atrocious, man."
Naomi threw her head back and laughed. "Good think I'm not in Hollywood then, isn't it?"
"A blessing, that," Anna sighed dramatically with a smile as they headed off to the pub.
Anna lifted her shot of vodka with a grin. Naomi followed suit. They stood for a minute, neither saying anything and Naomi tilted her head. "What are we toasting to?"
Anna's face fell and her eyes shifted left and then right. "We… are toasting to… "
"To my excellent work? To Emma's part in a study that could effectively open the eyes of legislatures across the world? To the social revolution?" Naomi said with a smirk.
Anna's eyes narrowed as she grinned. "To the start of what I'm sure will be a very long and influential career fighting for an equality that we shouldn't even have to fight for in the first place."
Naomi's smirk settled into a satisfied smile. "Bit of an exaggeration, but I'll cheers to that."
"Too right. Nostrovia!" Anna shouted as they clinked their glasses together.
"What the fuck is nostrovia?"
"I don't' know, it's Russian I think, just drink!" Anna said with a dismissing wave of her hand as she downed her shot.
"Nostrovia it is, then," Naomi muttered with a smile as she threw back her own.
One shot turned into several, and before Naomi knew it, she was delightfully tipsy and feeling good.
"So," Anna said as she tossed back yet another shot, Naomi following a split second later, "has it ruined your life yet?"
"Hmm?"
"The shelter. The women. Their stories. Has it taken over and ruined your relationship yet?"
Naomi shook her head. "Eff and I don't talk enough for anything to ruin our relationship."
Anna frowned. "Don't you two live together?" Naomi nodded. "But you don't talk?" Naomi shook her head. "So… what do you do?" Naomi arched an eyebrow and gave Anna a knowing look. "Ahh," She said with a grin, catching on, "to be nineteen again."
Naomi laughed. "You're only twenty-five; don't make it sound like you're some old maid who goes to the store in her slippers and housecoat to buy food for her thirty cats."
"What makes you think I don't do that already?" Anna winked.
Naomi gave her a playfully shove. "Oh, piss off. Just because you think you're too good to be with anyone…" She trailed off with a grin.
Anna shook her head. "It's not me."
"Oh, it's everyone else, is it? Everyone else has the problem and you're just the innocent victim of their cruelness?"
Anna pretended to think, her eyes narrowed as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "Yeah, yeah that sounds about right." She grinned as Naomi laughed. "Look Nai, the shelter is my life. The work we do there is all I do. A lot of people can't understand that and they run off in a strop," She finished with a shrug.
"Hmm, so when should we start?" Naomi asked seriously as she leaned her forearms on the bar.
Anna looked confused. "Start what?"
"Adopting your dozens of cats."
Naomi opened the door a crack and slipped through into the dark room before gently closing it behind her. She bent down and slipped her shoes and socks off before straightening up to pull her shirt off. She slid her skirt down her legs and left it on a heap in the floor as she stepped out of it. She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra before sliding the straps over her shoulders and down her arms. She dropped it to the floor and slid out of her knickers. She walked over to the bed and pulled the covers back, letting them drop down as she climbed in.
Effy was on her stomach, her arms folded under the pillow her head was resting on. Naomi brushed her hair away and leaned down to place a soft kiss on the back of her neck, just above the fabric of her shirt. Effy hummed and shifted slightly in her sleep. Naomi grinned and reached her hand down. She pinched the bottom of Effy's shirt between her thumb and forefinger and slowly lifted it up, letting her other fingers trail across Effy's skin in the fabric's wake.
"You smell like a pub. A shit pub," Effy murmured.
"That's fitting, since I was at the pub." She placed a lingering kiss on the side of Effy's neck as she slipped her whole hand under her shirt, letting her fingers ghost across the brunette's ribs.
"You went with Anna?"
Effy's hips rose up from the mattress and Naomi took advantage, sliding her hand around Effy's stomach. "I did," She said, settling her right knee between Effy's thighs.
"Had a good time, did you?"
Naomi smiled into the kiss she placed on Effy's neck, hearing the smirk in her voice. "I did." She trailed her hand down past Effy's waist, her fingertips tracing along the elastic band of her knickers.
"Remind me to thank her, if we ever meet."
"What for?" Naomi's fingers abandoned the band and continued south, so very slowly.
"For getting you so drunk that your first thought when you got home was to do this."
Naomi moaned as Effy spread her legs wider and she slipped her hand between them, her eyelids fluttering when she felt how wet Effy's knickers were. "News flash: it's my first thought all the time. It's pretty much my only thought," She said as she pressed against Effy with two fingers. Effy's hips involuntarily rocked down against her hand. Naomi tilted her head down, her lips resting against Effy's ear, and commanded, "Now be quiet and let me have my way with you."
Life continued in that fashion for almost two months. Naomi fell into a bit of a routine. School. Work. Maybe drinks with Anna. Always sex with Effy.
Until one night in early December when Effy brushed Naomi's hand away. "I'm tired," She said, rolling to her side so her back was facing Naomi.
Naomi pouted. "Not even just my-"
"Not even your anything," Effy said.
Naomi sighed dramatically. "Fine, I guess. Leave me here. All hot and bothered."
"And whose fault is that?"
"Yours," Naomi said with a grin.
"I'm sure. I have a paper due in the morning that I haven't finished yet."
Naomi rolled her eyes and settled down into the bed, knowing that Effy wouldn't budge. "Good night."
"Night," Came the mumbled reply.
That happened the next few nights. Effy was tired. Effy had a headache. Effy didn't feel well. On the fifth night, Naomi said good night and got out of bed, grabbed her clothes and crossed the hall to her own bedroom. It was the beginning of the end.
Naomi spent more time working. She stayed late, compiling reports and reading through studies. Effy grew more distant and eventually Naomi stopped going into her room at night at all. Instead she would sit on her own bed, textbooks and notes sprawled out around her, and she would stay up late into the night studying and doing coursework. When she took breaks, which was rare, she would work on things for the shelter. University and the shelter soon took up all of her time.
And Anna took notice.
Anna rocked back in her chair in the office, which was really just a large room with several desks and a few computers. Her eyes drifted over to Naomi, who was bent over her own desk, and she sighed. "How late will you stay tonight?"
Naomi turned her head slightly, acknowledging that she had heard, but didn't look away from the papers in front of her. "Don't know. That newspaper wants to run the article by the end of the week and I haven't even come close to compiling everything they asked for."
Anna frowned, pulled her key ring out of her jeans pocket and leaned down. She unlocked and opened the bottom drawer in her desk and pulled out the bottle inside. "Nai." -nothing- "Naaaiiii." –still nothing- "Naomi!"
"What?" Naomi yelled, spinning around in her chair.
Anna held up the bottle of whiskey and gave it a little shake. "Come on. Talk to me."
Naomi rolled her eyes and turned back around. "I really need to get this done."
"As much as I love to see people so dedicated to the cause, you're falling apart. You're no good to anyone if you fall apart. So come, sit, have a drink and pour your heart out."
"I don't have anything to pour about," Naomi snapped.
"That's shit and you know it."
Naomi slammed her hand down on her desk and spun around, glaring at Anna. Anna just raised her eyebrows coolly. They engaged in a silent showdown. Neither saying a word, just holding the other's gaze. Anna gave the bottle another shake and Naomi broke. "Oh, fuck it."
Anna grinned as Naomi stomped across the room and grabbed the bottle from her hand. She kicked her feet up on her desk and crossed her ankles. "So go on, then. Spill."
"What do you want me to say?" Naomi screwed the cap off and tossed it onto the desk as she took a pull. She swallowed and threw her hand out. "Do you want me to say that you were right? That this job isn't just a job and it's basically taken over my life? That my relationship, if it even still is one, is so fucked that I'm sleeping alone every night? Not that I even really sleep because I have nightmares about the stories I hear every day. I couldn't even escape my house for Christmas because my Mum is pissing off with her boyfriend again. Although I doubt I'd have gone even if she was there, because every minute I'm away from this bloody building, all I do is think about what I could be doing here to help." Naomi raised the bottle to her lips again and angrily threw it back, letting the liquid flow freely down her throat. She brought the bottle away from her mouth with a gasp.
Anna folded her arms behind her head and leaned back in her chair. "Do you know I was hoping you wouldn't take the job?"
Naomi rolled her eyes. "Lovely. That's exactly what I need to hear right now."
"No, listen," Anna said as she dropped her feet off the table and sat up straight. "When you started volunteering here, you had this passion and dedication. And it was great, because it was balanced. It's like you left them at the front door when you went home each night and didn't worry about them until you came back. And then something changed. These past few weeks, certainly, but even before that. It's like something changed in your life and suddenly the passion you have for this work was with you all the time."
"Would you rather I wasn't passionate? I'm sure I can check my baggage at the door and just breeze through my days here," Naomi said with a huff.
Anna choked out a sad chuckle. "No, you can't. I can't either. The passion is a good thing, Nai, but it's dangerous. It's a fire. And if you leave it unchecked it does what all fire does. It consumes everything until it's all that's left. Until that one passion is all you have. Trust me. I was consumed a long time ago." Anna leaned forward and slid the bottle from Naomi's hand. "We're a lot alike, you and I. It's why I was hoping you would say no to my offer. I didn't want what happened to me to happen to you. Do you understand? I love how dedicated you are, I just don't want you to lose yourself because of it."
"Jesus, you're infuriating," Naomi muttered as she grabbed the bottle back.
Anna laughed as Naomi took another swig. "I get that a lot. So sit," She said as she gestured to her desk, "and tell me why you're sleeping alone these days."
Naomi sighed as she turned and leaned back against the desk. "I don't even know, to be honest." Anna plucked the bottle from her hand and took a swig. "We've just… drifted apart, I guess."
"You guess? Have you talked to her about it?"
"I told you we don't talk."
"Well you're not doing much of anything else, apparently, so maybe it's worth a shot."
"Yeah, I can imagine how that conversation would go," Naomi said with a humourless laugh. "'Hey, Eff, fancy a chat about us even though we didn't even talk about it when we got together?' That'll end about as well as petrol on a campfire," She said with a roll of her eyes.
"If you love her you should try."
Naomi sighed and took the bottle back. "I don't even know if I do anymore. We never see each other. I haven't even spoken to her since before Christmas. She came back from her parents' house and locked herself in her room for a day and a half. Didn't even leave to piss," Naomi mumbled as she took another drink.
"Were you peeking through the crack in your door? Looking for any signs of life or movement?" Anna asked with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"No," Naomi answered, shifting slightly.
"Oh my god, you were!" Anna squealed with laughter. "Oh, I can just see it. You standing in your room, staring across the hall at her door, willing her to leave with your mind, pining over her with a little pout."
"Piss off," Naomi mumbled, trying to fight back a smile.
"I bet you're an adorable piner."
"Piss off!" Naomi chuckled as she set the bottle down on the desk. "I don't pine. I'm much too mature to pine."
"Oh, I'm sure," Anna laughed. "You wanna get out of here?" Naomi nodded and Anna reached across the desk and grabbed the cap to the whiskey. She screwed it back on and slipped the bottle back into her drawer. "By the way," Anna said as she stood up, "you won't be paid for any of this." She smirked and Naomi grinned.
Her heart felt lighter than it had in weeks. It seemed like ages since she had last truly smiled. She wasn't sure why she did what she did next. Maybe it was the whiskey. Maybe it was just the fact that she was grateful Anna had gotten her to open up a bit. She wasn't sure. But Naomi's hands tightened on the edge of the desk as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Anna's.
And Anna kissed her back.
And then Naomi slowly pulled away, surprised by what she had just done.
Anna licked her lips and arched an eyebrow. "You definitely won't be getting paid for that."
"You kissed her?"
"Yep," I nod slowly as we leave the ticket desk and Maya unfolds the building map on top of her notepad.
"Why?"
"I was lonely. And confused. About what was happening between Effy and I. I didn't know if what I felt for Anna was just friendship or something more. I missed my Mum and I missed Emily. My head was a bit of a mess at the time," I finish as she glances up at me.
"You were right," She says as she lets go of the map with her right hand and slides it into my left. "This is complicated. So what did you do after you kissed Anna?"
"I panicked and ran off."
"You didn't talk to her?" I shake my head. "Did you talk to Effy? Did you tell her?" I shake my head again and Maya sighs. "I don't understand it."
I chuckle lightly. "Believe me, Maya, I didn't understand it either."
"Up. Up. Get up." Cook pulled harder on Naomi's arm.
She jerked her hand free from his grasp and rolled over in bed. "Leave me alone, Cook."
There was silence and Naomi thought he had left, but a minute later her covers were thrown back and Cook scooped her up in his arms. She screamed and thrashed in his arms, but he just gripped her closer to his chest and carried her out of her room. He kicked open the bathroom door and Naomi panicked. No. No. She squirmed harder, hitting his shoulders, trying to get him to put her down. He dipped his head out of the way of her flailing fists and dumped her bodily into the shower. Before she could get to her feet, he had turned the faucet on and freezing cold water streamed down onto her body. "Cook! You fucking bastard!"
"I don't wanna hear it, Blondie. I don't know what happened between you and Eff, but this shit stops tonight. You've been lyin' in that bed for three days now." He held up three fingers for emphasis. "Three. Days. I'm sick of hearin' your phone ring when that bird you work with calls and you don't answer and I'm sick of not bein' able to sleep at night 'cause you're in your room cryin' your eyes out. Panda took Effy out. Now you're gettin' squeaky clean and we're goin' out." Naomi clambered to her feet and went to step out of the tub, but Cook placed his hands on her shoulders and held her under the water. "No. You an' I are havin' a talk. We're goin' out, gettin' some nice food in your belly, an' we're gonna have a chat." He reached across her and grabbed the shampoo bottle from the small shelf and shoved it into her chest. "Wash. I'll bring you a change of clothes." He pulled the shower door closed with a finality and Naomi heard him walk out.
Naomi clutched the shampoo bottle to her chest as the water slowly started to warm up. She placed the bottle back on the shelf and carefully pulled her shirt off. She slid the door open slightly and dropped it on the tiled floor. Then she did the same thing with her underwear. And then she cried.
In the time it took the water to change from hot to luke warm, Naomi had stopped crying. She had managed to wash her hair with no more tears falling. She turned the faucet off and slid the door open. There was a change of clothes folded neatly on the small counter by the sink and Naomi smiled when she saw Cook had quickly drawn a rude picture in the steam on the mirror.
"Lookin' good, babe," Cook said with a grin as Naomi walked down the stairs. He pulled her into a one-armed hug. "To the pub?"
"Sure," She said as she let him lead her outside.
They were on their second pint when Cook finally spoke up. "I've been waitin' for you to say something, but that's not gonna happen, is it?"
Naomi shrugged and averted her eyes. "I don't have anything to say."
"Fuck off, you've been way too quiet. You're fit to burst you've got so much to say." Naomi just sipped her beer in silence as Cook leaned back in his seat. "Fine. I'll start. Why are you bein' such a cunt when Effy needs you?"
Naomi gasped, choked on her beer, and then spluttered as she put her pint back down. "Excuse me? I'm being a cunt?"
"Yeah, ya are," Cook said with a grin. If it took pissing Naomi off to get her to talk, then that's exactly what he'd do. "You're thick as shit if you don't see that. Eff needs you to be her rock right now, and you're off like a leaf blowin' in the wind. Cuntish."
Naomi fumed. "Effy's made it pretty clear that she doesn't need or want me."
Cook barked out a laugh and folded his arms across his chest. "Thick as shit, I told you. You know how Eff gets. Shuts down, shuts off. With everythin' goin' on, you really think she doesn't need you?"
"What are you even talking about, Cook?" Naomi asked with an exasperated sigh.
"What do you think I'm talkin' about, Blondie."
"I don't have a clue," Naomi said with the hint of a shrug. She picked up her pint and took a sip as Cook stared at her.
"You don't know? About her parents?" Cook asked as Naomi lifted her shoulders slightly and shook her head. "Fuck, man. Her mum was shaggin' one of her dad's work mates. They had a proper fuckin' fight back in November and told her they were gettin' divorced over Christmas." Naomi's eyes grew wide. "Her brother's turned into a right prick, the way she tells it, and she's halfway round the bend over the whole thing."
"Fuck," Naomi muttered. "Jesus fucking Christ."
"She didn't tell you any of that?"
"No! I had no idea." Naomi ran her fingers through her hair, her eyes roaming across the tabletop, but never focusing on anything. "Jesus, I'm such a cunt."
"What happened?"
Naomi sighed and lifted her gaze to Cook. "I kissed Anna."
Cook narrowed his eyes. "Your boss?" Naomi nodded. "Is that why you've been hidin' out?" Naomi nodded again. "Alright, chillax, drink up," Cook said as he reached across the table to push her glass towards her. "Don't start losin' your shit over it."
Naomi grabbed her pint and skulled what was left. "Fuck, Cook. Fuck!" She slammed her glass down on the table.
"Easy, Blondie," Cook said calmly as he pulled the glass away. "Neither of you's been talkin' like ya should." He pushed his own pint toward her. She picked it up and immediately downed it. "I'm gonna get us another round, then," Cook said with the hint of a laugh. "You just take a deep breath. It ain't the end of the world, babe. We'll talk this out."
And they did. Cook asked questions about what had, or hadn't, been happening between Naomi and Effy. She answered as honestly as she could. He asked about Anna and what was going on there. Naomi answered with uncertainty, because she honestly wasn't sure. He reassured her that the best thing to do was to try and talk to Effy. Try to sort through their shit and figure out where they stood. Where they fit in each other's lives. And when he asked if Naomi even still wanted to be with Effy, her eyes glistened with tears and Cook stood up, walked around the table, wrapped his arms around Naomi's shoulders and pulled her into his chest. "No more tears, yeah?"
"Yeah," Naomi agreed, squeezing her arms tight around his waist.
"You'll talk to her an' get it sorted, one way or the other."
Naomi was smiling as she climbed the stairs. She was feeling better about everything. She understood now, thanks to Cook, that Effy had been pulling away out of fear. She was hurt by her parents, and it was obvious to Naomi that she was scared that she would be hurt in that same way. She would talk to her. She would make Effy sit and talk. They would work this out. They would work through this. Naomi believed that. But just as she was about to knock on Effy's door, it opened.
And Allison, in nothing but her bra and knickers, was grinning at her.
"Naomi. It's been a while," She said as she stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind her. Naomi just stared at her, lost for words. "Are you next?" Allison asked with a jerk of her head towards the door. "I hadn't realized there'd be a queue."
Naomi exhaled sharply as her hands balled into fists. "What are you doing here?"
Allison folded her arms across her chest and smirked. "What do you think I've been doing?" Naomi's eyes darted to the door and then quickly back to Allison. She couldn't have been… No, Effy wouldn't… There's no way… A look of understanding flashed across Allison's face and she laughed cruelly. "Oh, well that's priceless, innit?" She shook her head slowly, grinning maliciously. "Looks like I've had two things that belonged to you, now."
"Get out," Naomi said quietly, trying to contain the flood of emotion that was building inside of her.
"You don't have the right to-"
"Get out!" Naomi barked, her rage flaring.
"I don't even have my clothes," Allison started to protest.
"I don't give a toss about your clothes!" Naomi shouted, slamming her hands into Allison's shoulders, causing the girl to fall back into the wall. "Get the fuck out of my house! I'll send your bloody clothes to the corner you whore yourself out on, just get! The fuck! Out of my house!" Allison's eyes were wide as she stumbled backwards down the hall and then raced down the stairs.
Naomi was fuming. Her eyes stung with tears and she swiped her knuckles across them, willing herself not to cry. No more tears, she said to herself. She glared at Effy's door, wanting nothing more than to burst in and make the brunette pay. Make her hurt as badly as Naomi was.
"Who was…?" Cook froze at the top of the stairs, understanding immediately. He rushed forward and wrapped an arm around Naomi's shoulders. He guided her down the hall to his own room. "No more tears, remember? Effy's hurtin', Naomikins, an' she's lashin' out. Don't strike back, you're better than that." But Naomi didn't feel better than that. She felt betrayed and she felt broken. She felt like she wanted to draw blood, but instead she curled into Cook's side as they lied on his bed and she cried herself to sleep.
Maya brushes her fingertips across the tank as a brightly coloured fish swims past behind the glass. "You alright?" I ask, watching as her hand drops to her side. She shrugs and turns away, heading to a tank with a sand shark in it. I frown and follow her. "Maya?"
"What if I don't like who my Mummy is?" She whispers.
"What do you mean? You love her."
She sighs, much too heavily, as if the weight of the world has just settled onto her shoulders. "I know I love her now, but what if I hate her in the story?"
"Maya, listen," I say as I wrap a hand around her shoulder and turn her around to face me, "you love your Mummy. She's a good person. This is just a story. It's all in the past. One of the things about being a grown-up is learning to handle things as an adult. Everyone makes mistakes, right? But that doesn't mean that you hold those mistakes over their heads for the rest of their lives."
She rubs a balled up fist against her wet eyes. "I love my Mummy."
"You do."
"Even if she's made mistakes."
"Even if she's made mistakes. No one is perfect."
She sniffs. "So what did you do after that?"
I choke out a laugh. "The next few days I got really, really drunk and cried. A lot."
She lets out a small, sad laugh. "Of course you did."
"Of course I did," I say with a smile.
So, that is that. This was supposed to have a lot more in it, but then it would have been about ten thousand words (I apologize for the length of these chapters lol) and I figured I'd break it up a bit and just include that part in the next chapter, which might not be up for a few days. I have a project that needs my full attention, but hopefully I'll get it written and posted over the weekend at some point :)
