Left Behind

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They talked again, and decided that the next day they would go and look at the lake, Mary knew she was agreeing to be transported again, but she didn't think it was that bad.

When the borrower talked about a grasshopper with which she had fought over a thimble once, Chloe looked at the time. "I'm sure the grasshopper needed more than you," she said to tease her and Mary glared at her with a half pout.

"Which side are you on?" she asked rhetorically, and Chloe raised her hand innocently. "the side of poor abused animals," she said solemnly and Mary rolled her eyes.

"But I didn't do anything! I was the abused one, and in the end, it even took the thimble," she muttered crossing her arms over her chest. Chloe laughed at her childish reaction, and Mary smiled too.

"It's late... do you want to sleep here or ...?" she asked looking at her carefully. Mary hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and looked down.

"Can I sleep here with you?" she asked hopefully. Chloe was more and more surprised by those requests. The borrower now looked completely different than days before

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked and Mary kept looking away. "It's just that... sleeping in that house reminds me of my parents," she admitted in a small voice.

"But maybe it's better if I leave you your privacy, I've already invaded it enough," she chuckled with a bitterly ironic tone. "You're not invading my privacy, Mary," the tone used by the human, startled the borrower in surprise, who widened her eyes and looked at her as she sat up and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I like your company, we are ... friends, right?" she asked tilting her head to the side. Mary's eyes widened at that rhetorical question. "Really? I mean... I didn't think you wanted to be friends with .. me .." she stammered dumbfounded and Chloe snorted a laugh.

She slowly reached a hand to the borrower, preparing her for contact. Mary closed her eyes, expecting who knows what, but she just felt a slight brush on her head.

"Of course we are, and who else can say they are friends with a borrower? Nobody," she said proudly and Mary smiled. "Then I'll turn off the light," she said then and Mary nodded and laid down again. Chloe got up to turn off the light, then went to change in the bathroom.

Mary felt a bit uneasy to be in the dark alone, but the light coming from the bathroom and the soft humming of the human was enough to calm her down.

When Chloe returned, she laid down where she had been before, slipping under the covers. She looked at Mary, who was looking down shyly. It looked like the borrower wanted to say something, but she was too afraid to talk.

"Do you want to come closer or stay there?" Chloe asked, to be sure she was comfortable with her. Mary bit her lower lip and took a bit of courage to answer.

"Can I.. uhm.." she was trying to talk clearly for the human to understand her, but her voice failed her. Chloe noticed how much she was struggling to find her words, and tried to reassure her.

"You don't have to tell me, you can just place yourself wherever you want, alright? I am okay with you being there or getting closer to me," The brunette kept a sweet tone and her kind brown eyes met the hesitant blue ones.

Mary nodded in answer, glad she didn't have to voice her thoughts, and she started to try walking on the bed. She was slow, her movements were clumsy because of the surface she was on, plus she didn't have her crutch.

Chloe immediately placed her hand next to her, so that the borrower could place her hands on it and she could walk easily. She wasn't afraid of being close to the human, but she still felt a bit nervous.In the end, she got right in front of Chloe's chest and laid down.