After He Left

Chapter 3

A haze of grey light was peeling back the darkness as I walked out of the police station and into a brand new year. I'd never been in trouble with the police before and shame made me believe that every solitary figure meandering home stepped a little further away. I imagined them fearful and accusatory. "She hit a policeman." "She's a danger to society."

The duty solicitor had been efficient, the ordeal numbing and humiliating. I was to appear before magistrates, the date to be sent in the post. Lighting a cigarette, for comfort and something to cling to, I hurried down the street. I was miles away from home and needed to get my bearings. Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall. Any public display would only add to my sense of futility and degradation.

Tightening my scarf against the chill, I stared blankly at a road sign, lacking the sense to take out my phone and bring up a map.

A voice called out my name and I turned, horrified to have been caught coming out of a police station by anyone I knew. Only I didn't know the young man who ran towards me, waving his hand and begging me to wait.

"Megan!" Breathless he halted, smiled and looked into my eyes.

He was tall with short fashionably cropped black hair, his eyes rich like plain chocolate, and his leather jacket buttoned up against the cold. I completely failed to register ever having met him before.

"I'm Reno, the idiot who got you into this dreadful mess. If I'd have left you alone..." He frowned at my blank expression. "I'm the guy who dragged you along with us."

"Oh."

"I feel so responsible. I've spoken to your duty solicitor–" He put his arm across my shoulder, just like he had the night before, as if to remind me who he was. "Come on, let's get you a coffee, you're frozen."

Automatically I let myself be led.

"I'm not supposed to be talking to you," he said. "I'm going to be a witness in your defence."

"Have you waited outside all night for me?"

He opened the door to a kebab shop with a few tables set up by the window.

"Of course. I felt so bad about it all. That copper wouldn't let me go with you and it took ages to discover which cop shop they'd taken you to."

Dumbfounded, I gaped. Tears brimmed.

Without asking what I wanted he ordered two coffees and emptied loads of sugar into mine.

"You look like you're in shock," he said, and tried to meet my gaze.

"My life's fallen to pieces." I caught back a great gulp of despair.

"You'll be okay. The worst they can do is a fine and bind you over to keep the peace."

"My boyfriend's taking a relationship break." My voice came out so thin and weary, hardly my own at all.

"What the hell's one of those?"

I shrugged.

"In other word's he's dumped you. And there was me telling you to cheer up."

I sipped my coffee and tried to force a smile.

"What a bastard, dumping you on New Year's Eve."

"We run a business together, and he's dumped that too," I said. "I can't do his side of the work; everything I've built up is ruined."

"No wonder you thumped that copper." He chuckled and ran a hand around overnight stubble, half hiding his smile. "Glad it wasn't me you lashed out at."