Missing Martha

75

"Is he alright?" Asked Zoë, flirtatiously closing the bathroom door as she entered his bedroom.
Martin knew the sort of mood that she was in and decided on not telling her about what Ryan had said to him about his cancer.
"Yeah, fine, good." He managed to just about say, leaning back against the bedhead and stretching his arms and placing his hands behind his head, looking up with anticipation at the blonde twenty-nine year old, pregnant woman, and feeling half-giddy, and half terrified.
Martin mustered a smile as he moved over in the bed and patted it, allowing Zoe to hop in on top of the duvet and rest her head onto Martin's pulsing chest. He loved having her around, even just her presence made him feel a sense of life, made him feel like he had a purpose. She was his purpose.
He affectionately rubbed his neck closer to her head and rested his chin on her flower-smelling hair, kissing it softly with his eyes unfocused and one arm wrapped lovingly around her shoulders while another rested protectively over her chest.
The couple remained still and silent for at least ten minutes as they pondered deeply about the last few days.
"It's been two weeks since she killed herself." Announced Martin, at last.
Zoe echoed 'two weeks..' in a reflective sigh.
"I can't tell if I'm getting better or worse." Said he, recalling that life-changing phone call that he received from the police in school; Zoe remembered the phone slipping straight out of his shaking hands and his eyes.. everything about him was broken, crippled, shattered.. gone.
"You're getting better." She promised him, gazing up into his eyes, she knew he wasn't really better, she could see clearly his broken heart through his sad eyes, but his false smile tried to hide it. He could pretend he was fine, but she knew he wasn't.
Zoe gazed at his reflection through the window, the sky was dark and the lights of the city were dim.
"I take it you never got the money thing sorted out." She guessed,
"Still broke." He replied, before laughing a little, "ironic though."
She gleamed up at him as he looked out at the beautiful sleeping city, "I've never been so poor yet I've never felt so rich."
Martin then looked down at Zoe, his nose parallel to hers as he hovered slightly above her, before gently kissing her lower lip and pulling the duvet over both of their bodies, burying his head into her neck as Zoe reached over to switch off the lights at the wall before slowly falling asleep in a warm and safe embrace.

For Jemma and Ollie, morning came early at 7am, their stomachs burning with anxiety for the upcoming day.
They had shared a bed, though only by default- nobody particularly wanted to share a bed with either of them, and since they were the only present couple, the other three shared the other bedroom which had three beds.
"Morning.." Jemma moaned quietly as she saw Ollie's eyes open slightly.
He replied with a smile as he stretched his arm around her shoulders.
"I am so terrified for today." She told him, looking up at the ceiling.
"Don't be." He replied, focusing her vision on him as he brushed through her hair with his fingers, "you're amazing."
"Stop." She said, making direct eye contact with him.
"Okay I'm shitting myself just as much as you are." He laughed nervously, making her smile as she rolled onto her back.
"What happened with Ryan and Lucy?" Asked Jemma,
"They split up- ish."
"They obviously still like each other." Jemma replied,
"You think?" Asked Ollie,
"Ryan adores her, and is obviously beating himself up about what he did. Lucy is holding back because she doesn't trust him.. but I think she wants to..." said Jemma before sighing and changing the subject, "anyway.."
"Do you know how Cloda's been keeping?" Asked Ollie, genuinely interested.
"Well, after you kissed her in Nice she's certainly been rather phased." Jemma told him, biting her lip. Ollie tilted his head like that of a confused dog,
"Jem?" He questioned, leaning towards her with narrowed eyes,
"Sorry.." She finalised, standing up out of the bed and walking into the bathroom, turning on the shower, leaving Ollie shocked and confused on the bed.

Cloda was the first to wake in the other bedroom; she glanced around at Ryan and Lucy, who were both definitely asleep, before she walked out of bed and into the kitchen. She was surprised to find Ollie sitting on the sofa already.
"Morning." She greeted, trying not to blush as she walked towards the kitchen.
"Morning." He responded, standing up with instinct before awkwardly sitting back down.
"Sleep well?" She asked him, filling herself a glass of water before walking back to the sofa beside him.
"Y-yeah, nervous, that's all." He admitted,
"Same." She responded, sitting down on the sofa and putting her drink down on the coffee table before gazing into his eyes.
"Okay.. I don't want to talk about what happened in Nice." Ollie told her, knowing what she was thinking.
"If you don't wanna talk about it, why did you do it?" Asked Cloda, folding her arms.
"What?!" Complained Ollie,
"Jemma is my best friend! You snogged me right in front of her eyes-"
"It was mutual!"
"No it w-"
Cloda and Ollie were cut off by Lucy and Ryan's entrance.
"You guys alright?" Asked Ryan, wearing a t-shirt and a long pair of grey trousers.
"Yeah." Cloda replied promptly, standing up and walking to the window, gazing out at the morning view.
Ollie mustered a fake smile before taking out his phone, trying to hide himself, knowing that he had been wrong... knowing that things for him could only get worse.