Better Than Before

Chapter Nine

The house looked different in daylight. The foreboding exterior that put pressure that weighed down on Kelsey's stomach the night before appeared quaint in the mid morning glow. Fledglings flew out of the hedges and behind the house to the tress beyond, the sun glinted off the spotless window panes and the red door felt more welcoming than murderous. Closing the car door carefully, Kelsey waited for Sean to lead. Her hands fidgeting in her pocket, a loose cotton thread twirled around her index fingers.

"You really didn't have to pay for my stay Sean." She said. The guilt and annoyance had crept up on her during their drive over. He had spoken about life in the city and they shared common places of interest, made jokes and spoke on the general inhumane aspect of the underground in the summer. But the jokes had stopped with the cars engine and Kelsey had the sobering realisation the Sean had made the rather presumptuous decision to pay for three nights for her.

Sean turned back to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed at the confusion of her sudden low toned comment. He smiled delicately at her.
"What do you mean? I was happy to."

"Yeah but you didn't ask, Sean. You just did it like it was nothing to you." Kelsey answered, the thread winding tighter and tighter around her finger. Sean hesitated before the door, his eyes scanning Kelsey's face and posture.

"I didn't mean to offend, Kels. I just wanted to help out." He replied. "I'm sorry I didn't ask first."
Kelsey loosened her grip on the thread, the tip of her finger regaining some feeling as the blood rushed back into it.

"Us big city boys just love to make things dramatic, eh?" Sean joked "Isn't that what you said earlier on our way here? Something about splashing our cash as a sign of over compensation." he winked to lighten the air, easing the tension that had built around them. Opening the door he held it open for Kelsey to step through into the warmth of the hallway.

"I accept your form of self deprecation as an apology." She laughed.

"Kind of shot myself in the foot with that one. Can assure you if I ever planned to splash cash for compensation it would not be on a two star travel lodge."
"You just keep digging that hole. You're already making me feel so much better."

Kelsey turned to Sean, a wide smile spread across her face as she watched him fumble over his own words.

"Thank you. But I will be sending you the money as soon as possible." She reached to where she usually keeps her phone in her back pocket to realise she was still just in the leggings and jumper that she threw on in a hurry. "Shit. That will have to be a bit later on as my phone is still in my room at the hotel."

The kitchen was probably messier than it had ever looked to Kelsey, which is not saying much as it just looked like a well loved kitchen in regular use to anyone who didn't know Martha Henderson and her cleaning habits. The plate and cutlery from the night before laid soaking in the sink, a couple of empty glasses of which that were still partly filled with water sat beside each other on the counter. Her empty bottle of wine was still in the middle of the island alongside an open but still rather full bottle of beer.

"Sorry, I didn't tidy before leaving this morning." Sean said from behind Kelsey. His eyes scanned the slight mess before them and pointed down at the foot of one of the kitchen stools that they were sat at last night. "That's where I found your ring. Let's hope your purse is just as easy to find."

Kelsey skimmed over the counter top; wine bottle lid and crumpled receipts, the odd piece of change and a pack of chewing gum. All things she recognised that usually resided in the bottom of her bag. But no purse.

"It'd help if i knew what it looked like? You seem a bit lost." Sean asked as he flicked the switch of the coffee machine to turn it on. "Also, coffee?"
"It's a dark green and has blue flowers embroidered on it." Kelsey answered "And oh my god yes please, my brain needs a good kickstart."