Running with Scissors

Chapter 2

The journey to Bilverstone took her twice as long by bus, with a change at Stanborough to get the village shuttle.  When she eventually arrived she saw the house was in darkness and dug in her pocket for her keys.

Her bag dropped from her shoulder as she struggled to find the keyhole in the deep shadows around the doorway.  Just as she was beginning to think that someone must have stolen the lock the front of the house was lit by the headlights of a passing car.  The key slotted home and the door opened.  Nicky hurried inside, anxious to be out of the cold, damp night.

In the kitchen she found a note from Robert.  She flicked the switch on the kettle and reached for her cup as she started to read.  He was working late and then going to friends to get ready for a night out.  He reminded her to lock up and asked her to text to let him know she had arrived safely.

It wasn’t unusual for Robert to be late home.  He worked on various building sites and sometimes had to travel further afield for work, sometimes he would even stay away during the week.  The note and the fact that there was fresh milk in the fridge suggested that wasn’t the case this week.

Two years ago Aunty Catherine had decided to settle down.  The only problem with this was that she had decided to settle in Spain.  She had said that she wanted Robert to go with her.  Robert hadn’t believed her.  There had been a nasty argument during which Aunty Catherine had screamed “After everything I’ve done for you? You ungrateful brat!”  Robert had responded by quietly and seriously asking her exactly what she had done for him.

The end result had been that she had decided to go to Spain without him.  She would let him stay in the house so long as he could afford the utility bills and food. He had taken the job with the building company the following day.

Having made coffee and checked on the milk situation Nicky rummaged in her bag for her mobile phone.  She composed a text to her cousin with one hand while carefully sipping at her hot drink.

She leaned against the counter top waiting.  In record time Robert returned her text.  He would be back tonight so could she leave the hallway light on? 

Singing quietly to herself Nicky made something to eat and then busied herself sorting out her clothes for work the following morning.  That done she settled down to watch TV for a while before having a fairly early night.

The weekend ended far too quickly and as usual Nicky dragged out the process of leaving for as long as she could get away with it.  Eventually Robert had carried her bag down stairs and thrown it unceremoniously into the back of his car.  “Come on Bug.  Gotta go.”

She climbed into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind her.  “Don’t call me bug,” she told him in a sulky voice.

“Don’t slam the door,” he told her calmly as he pulled out of the driveway.  “And put your seat belt on.”

She pulled the seatbelt around and clicked it into place before slouching down in her seat with a frown.  After a moment she pulled out her mobile phone and wedged her feet up against the dashboard as she began to write a text.

“Nic, don’t sit like that, you’ll scratch the dash.”  She kicked off her shoes and put her feet back.

“Better?” she snapped.  Robert sighed.

“You want to argue about anything in particular or just start screaming at each other and see where it takes us?” he asked her in a reasonable tone.  She stared at him in silence, her mouth set in a tight line and her eyes hard.  “Fair enough.  Would you like to start or shall I?”

After a moment her eyes began to soften and the frown lines smooth out. “Childish?” she asked him at last.

“Yep.”  He looked at her from the corner of his eye, gauging that the mood had genuinely passed before adding, “But then, you are a child after all.” 

She stuck her tongue out at him.

Nicky resumed her texting and they made the rest of the journey with little conversation but both comfortable with the silence.

As usual the drive home seemed to be much quicker than it should be.  Bringing the vehicle to a stop Robert cut the engine.  They both got out and as Nicky walked around to the drivers’ side Robert reached for her bag.  Taking it from him and dropping it at her feet, Nicky hugged her cousin.  “You picking me up Friday?”

“Prob’ly. I’ll call you before then anyway.” He told her, hugging her back. Picking up her bag she walked towards the covered alley that led between the terraced houses and towards her back door.  She turned and waved as she heard Robert pull away from the curb.