The Wall Between Us

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Autumn was my favourite season of the year, and as the autumn leaves fell from the trees, I took in the small town just outside of London that I now lived in. It was full of brown bricked houses, trees, grass, flowers and the slight hustle and bustle of city life without having to actually be in the city.

It was the first time in my life that I actually felt safe. Safe, relaxed and happy. Those words were not usually a part of my vocabulary. Growing up with parents who struggled with pretty much every addiction you could think of, life always felt as if it had no end, and not in the best way. The days felt like years when all you did all day was try to protect yourself. It was even harder when you felt as if the world was full of love but not one person could spread it your way. Not even your parents, the people who brought you in to the world.

I took my key out of my mini black shoulder bag as I rounded the corner to my flat, one of which I shared with my best friend Rue and her four year old son, Reese. They were my family. The only people I had in the world and they made up for it in every way. I had been with Rue ever since I met her, joint at the hip, two peas in a pod if you will. When I left home and had no one else to take care of me, Rue was there to do just that.

I opened the door, walked up the stairs to the second floor and opened the last door that led to our flat. Rue was already inside, seated comfortably next to a sleeping Reese in her arms and watching a TV series on the wall opposite.

"Avery." She grabbed my attention by calling my name as soon as I appeared in the doorway. "I've made lasagna, it won't be ready for another thirty minutes though." It was a good thing that Rue could cook too. That was part of the deal really. When I left home the lack of a healthy meal didn't really faze me as I never got that at home anyway. No coked up mother or father was going to spend half hour at the stove.

A fifteen year old Rue, on the other hand, well, she took me in -against her mothers wishes- and gave me everything I ever missed, healthy meals included. I had always wondered why she was so kind and caring to me at such a young age herself, it was a lot to take on. I was a lot to take on but had never wanted to dwell on it for too long, at risk of over thinking it all and ruining the only happiness I had ever had in my life.

"You're the best." I sighed as I plonked beside her, careful not to wake Reese during the motion.

Reese came in to our lives when I was twenty one and Rue twenty two. He was a result of a one night stand between Rue and some Irish man on a stag do. I had never met him. I was out with her that night clubbing, but she had told me she was leaving with some man. I told her to text me when she got there and ring me if she needed me or if she felt unsafe. Things were fine, too fine in fact, as she found out she was pregnant five weeks after.

"Is Sonny coming over tonight, too?" She asked nonchalantly. She didn't ask many questions when it came to Sonny Lock, my boyfriend, probably worried that our relationship wasn't going to last longer than two minutes as I was never able to hold down a relationship any longer than that.

Rue was right though, if that was the case. Relationships were tough for me, really tough. I struggled to trust, struggled to connect with others and I was never the best company. I found relationships difficult and I was like a door nailed shut with about a thousand locked padlocks stopping me from opening up.

However, I wanted this relationship to be different. Sonny and I had met in the pub I worked at. He looked at me with his big blue eyes, ruffled his curly brown hair and gave me a smile that blew me away. Along with that, he was kind, caring and I felt a sense of security when I was with him. That was all I needed, wasn't it? A sense of security was something I needed, craved for.