Silver

Chapter 14 - then

Millie's mum answered the door.

'Is Millie home?' I asked, catching my breath.

'She's upstairs. Studying,' she said, reluctantly.

'I won't stay long.' I moved past her and made my way up the stairs.

Millie was surprised to see me. She pulled her silk dressing gown tighter around her, as if she was embarrassed that I'd caught her in her nightwear.

'What's wrong?' she asked, grabbing me by the hand and leading me over to the couch in her room. We both sat down.

'Mum just told me that I'm booked in to see an agency on Thursday,' my voice was unsteady and urgent.

'Which agency?'

I paused, 'I don't know which agency.'

'So what's the drama?'

'The drama is I don't want to get married.'

'You mean, you're not ready?'

'Yes, I'm not ready. But also I don't want to get married this way,'

'But I'm getting married this way,' she said. I could see in her eyes that I had lost my only ally.

'Millie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say...' But I didn't know what I should be saying anymore at all.

'I don't know what you were expecting – that you would just meet Prince Charming one day? It doesn't happen like that anymore. You're not better than everyone else.'

I was seeing red again. I raced down the stairs and let myself out the front door. The red wasn't as bright as before, it was more faint, more transparent, like the inside of a traffic light.