His Venomous Lips

It took all I had within me to keep my eyes open as Policeman Fields fired question after question at me, each one getting harder to answer. His stern gaze switched between demanding to sympathetic and it wasn't long before his relentlessness left me both emotionally and physically drained.

“Look, I can't answer any more questions! I've told you all I know. I'm not even going to hazard a guess to why it happened, I'm not going into any more detail about the employees and I'm not going to sit here any longer answering your questions! Quite frankly I've had a stressful enough day without you adding to it!” I growled meekly, my attempt at sounding angry falling flat on it's face.

“Okay then. Thank you Miss Bird, we'll be in touch.” Fields said, rising and shaking my hand.

Following him out the room I found that Sean and the woman officer had already finished their interview. Her scowl followed me out of the room before running up and down the length of my body, her hands balling into fists at her side before relaxing. As soon as she caught my eye she plastered a fake smile on her face and reached out her hand, gripping mine tighter than expected.

“Miss Bird. Thank you for your time.” She said from behind gritted teeth before storming off, muttering to her partner: “She's not someone to be trusted.” I wasn't sure if I was meant to hear that or not.

Confusion was my initial reaction, I just couldn't understand how someone could dislike me as much as she did on a first meeting. I'm sure I didn't display any suspicious traits or say anything wrong, not that their was anything to show or say, I was completely innocent, just a bystander dragged into something that shouldn't have involved me in the first place.

As they left the room I turned to Sean and asked him if he knew her.

“No, why?” He asked, brows furrowed.

“She didn't seem to like me. Don't say you didn't notice, it was obvious you did.”

“Police are always suspicious of the wrong people, don't take it to heart.” Was his only reply until he guided me over to the waiting room.

It had been an hour and a half since Bobby had been wheeled away and I knew it wouldn't be much longer until he was out. I couldn't help but feel slightly sick at the thought of him lay on that table, a bullet in the middle of his leg. It could have been me. Or worse, we could both be lay in the morgue. Dead. If Sean hadn't turned up on time then we would have never have made it out of there alive, but at the same time it begs the question, how did Sean know where we were and that we needed help? Things weren't adding up and I didn't like it.

I didn't want to ask Sean why he was there or how, I didn't want to seem ungrateful when he undoubtedly save our lives, so I didn't. However, I knew that one day soon, when all this was over I was going to have to ask questions, either that or cut the man from my life completely. My first attempt at that proves just how successful I would be however. I wondered about moving across the country, would that keep him and his dark aura away from me? It would never work though, I'd miss Jasmine and Jason too much. My parents would approve, well, as long as I moved country altogether and join them in Canada.

It was a shock when I first heard they were moving. Born and raised in England, in a long line of those who have never even left the country, I was expecting my mom and dad to follow the trend. But no. They said they'd had enough of the unpredictable weather, the grey skies and the rainy summers. They said that they wanted they wanted their summers to start when they said they would and not a couple of months down the line. I didn't know what the weather was like in Canada so I didn't know if they got what they wished for, I never had the money for the flight over and our phone calls were short enough without asking about the weather.

I couldn't help but wished they were with me at the hospital, holding my hand and soothing me, telling me everything was going to be okay while I experienced one of the worst moments of my life. I'd have to tell them what happened of course, they'd be worried sick after. If they offered to come down then I knew I wouldn't want to stop them, I would anyway. Unfortunately I didn't know if it was safe, for all I knew, even I could still be in danger. Not a welcome thought. Sighing heavily, I glanced at the clock and realised that two hours had crawled by.

Just as I was preparing to ask someone about how Bobby was doing, he was wheeled down the corridor and into the room at the end. Both Sean and I leapt to our feet and started to speed walk down towards where the had taken him, a doctor greeting us as we reached the door.

“He's doing well at the moment. He's awake but slightly disorientated from the anaesthetic. As much as I would like for you to have your visit, I'm afraid we can't let you into the room until the police have had their chance to speak to him. They've requested that you are kept from the room until then.”

Although I knew it was just protocol, that it would happen to anyone that had been in our position, I couldn't stop the fury that rose up in me. We had waited for two hours. Two hours of worrying none stop for any news about someone I had met not long before that. Both of us had been dragged to hell and back through the incident and now I wasn't even allowed to talk to him! I would have argued my point if I knew it would get me somewhere other than escorted from the grounds. Instead I took a deep breath and allowed myself to feel relief. He was okay. He was going to live. We could get through this, hopefully, together.

“Do you want to go home?” Sean asked, his voice unexpectedly sympathetic.

“I need to thank Bobby.” I replied while wanting nothing more than to sink into the familiar comfort of my own home.

“He'll still be here tomorrow. He's not going anywhere. I'll even pick you up and bring you back.” As unappealing as the offer sounded it was one that I, unfortunately, could not decline. My mind flickered back to my car still sitting in the garage and wondered if it would make it out alive or if it would be riddled with bullet holes. Either way it wouldn't matter, for the time being it's going to be stuck in the garage as part of the crime scene. Reluctantly I agreed.

“Okay. I'll see you tomorrow.” I sighed, turning towards the door and digging in my pockets for my phone and purse. Only, they weren't in my pocket. At that moment my mind flashed back to the exact moment I placed them on the desk as I prepared to sign the sheet to get my car back. For a second I contemplated walking home, knowing that really it wasn't an option. Not only was it unsafe until I heard back from the police, but also it was almost ten miles away from the hospital. Not a distance I was willing to walk when I felt dead on my feet anyway.

“Sean?” I mumbled. “Would you be able to give me a lift home.”

Silently he moved forwards, his hands pocketed in his jeans as he lead the way towards his car. When we reached outside his hair blew around his head while his eyes flickered back and forth. Alert. Weary. If it wasn't for the fact that I was terrified of the man and the dark air he had about him, I would be undeniably attracted to him. Even I couldn't deny just how beautiful he looked. But I was scared of him, and if I weren't desperately in need of a lift home I would have gotten as far away as possible from him. Even though it would seem a bit rude.

As I slid into the passenger seat I refused to look behind me. I didn't want to see if there was any trace left of the earlier incident. My emotional status was hanging on a thin thread, I had been through so much that I felt as though I would snap and that once I did there would be no going back. I'd gone into shock once and I would do everything in my power to refrain from doing it again.

“Are you going to be okay on your own?” Concern sparked through Sean's voice before I furrowed my brow in thought.

I wasn't sure. Mentally? Physically? What if they knew who I was! Slamming those thoughts to the back of my mind I promised myself I would pack a bag as soon as I got home and arrange to stay with someone else. Maybe Jasmine, although it might take a lot of convincing. Her concern for my well-being might be overpowered by her own, if she thought I was being chased by enraged gang members then she'd turn me away at the door. Jason would let me stay, much to Jasmine's dismay. She'd ignore me for a while before apologising about how selfish she was being.

Sean's eyes burning into me were the reminder I needed that I still hadn't answered his question.

“I'm planning on staying with some friends for a while. Just until all this has been sorted and I can feel safe again.” I explained, staring out the window the whole time.

I couldn't help but notice that my view on the world had changed in just a day. I used to look out the window and see the world as something spectacular, filled with gorgeous scenery and normal people. But after the incident all I could see were dark shadows, hiding places and potential enemies. Was I really in danger or has my mind conjured up the trouble that I could be in?

I didn't really have much time to think about it since the car pulled to a stop and I was leaving with Sean's mobile number tucked safely into my pocket.