Saviour

Four months and a phone call Part 14

I held my hand up to stop her "Sam I don't want to hear anything please"

"But Maggie"

"Don't Maggie me I'm not listening to anything she has to say" I stood grabbing my bag and throwing it over my shoulder. "She's your sister for Christ sake Maggie!" Sam roared at me before the door shut behind me my chest felt tight I barely knew what direction I wanted to walk in never mind what I was going to do there was only one person I could think of that I wanted to see to feel better. I cycled away from the shop as fast as I could.

I pulled up outside Sals house taking a few minutes to calm myself before knocking he answered immediately and looked very surprised to see me "I didn't even know if you were home" I gasped between breaths.

He could see I wasn't myself "Yeah I just got home about thirty ago, what's the matter?"

"I uhh just came to see you feel like ages since we hung out" he clearly knew this was bullshit but let me in anyway not before I had taken off my shoes though the apartment was immaculate

"oh honey you cleaned" I sang as I walked upstairs to the seating area Sal gave me a punch on the arm before sitting down on the sofa "so what's up" I asked sitting cross legged on the opposite sofa.

Sal raised his eyebrow to me he had become far too good at reading when something wasn't okay "I know you didn't come here to talk gossip Maggie what's going on, have you and Q fallen out? He seemed kind of edgy at work today"

I shook my head "No no this isn't about Brian, wait what? What happened at work?"

Sal shrugged at me raising both arms in the air "Beats me he just seemed distracted that's all, so what is it?"

I took a deep breath "My sister called my work earlier"

Sals eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped "you've a sister?!" he exclaimed

I nodded looking down at my fidgeting hands "whoa, well what did she say?" he pushed for an answer after this new found information

"I don't know" I mumbled "I told Sam I didn't want to know"

"Why?"

"I just couldn't talk to her it's been so long" my eyes started to well up and I pulled furiously at a loose string on my work trousers. Sal stood up and kneeled on front of me making me look him in the eye "look Maggie I'm not going to ask anymore but I don't know maybe you should give her a call back it might be helpful, in the meantime you look like you could use a glass of wine"

"Y'know I would really love one" I chuckled relaxing a little more.

By the time we had got halfway through our second bottle I was lying on the floor struggling to breathe listening to Sal tell a story about life on the tour bus "it really was the greatest thing I'd ever seen" he sighed wiping a tear from his eye still giggling like crazy.

"Aw I have missed this" I exhaled finishing my glass "you don't come around as much anymore Buddy I miss you."

He raised his head and a smile came to his face "you do?"

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?"

Sal shrugged and frowned slightly "you're just always so busy with Q, Murr has Lynda and Joe is a married man now I just feel kinda left out like you guys don't want me there."

"Oh my god Sal don't even say that" I crawled over to him pulling him into a hug he felt warm and nice "I will always want you there" I whispered to him his arm tightened around my waist he didn't want to let go "Thanks Maggie" he sincerely meant it I pulled away and sat back down "why not try dating?"

His face grew a little red with the subject "It's not me Maggie, I don't think I'm ready?"

I crocked my head sideways "What's there to be ready for?"

Sal didn't respond for a while he rubbed his head in his hands before looking up at me "Let's just say I also have things I'd rather not talk about Maggie." His voice was a low mumble as his eyes strayed to the floor I swore I could see tears.

I didn't pursue it any more though I couldn't handle any drama. I lay on the ground looking up at the white painted celling and tried to take a sip of my empty glass "ohhhh Salvatoreee my glass is empty do be a darling" Sal rolled his eyes taking the glass from my hand "I think you're drunk Maggie"

"I hope so" I shouted "otherwise the room is spinning on its own you should get that checked out"

Before we knew it the sun was rising the wine had run out hours ago but we continued to sit and chat even sobering up slightly but not much "I think I'd better be getting home" my phone died a while back and I shuddered to think of the amount of missed calls from Murr, Brian and even Sam I felt a pang of guilt when I thought about how harshly I walked out on Sam "I'll call you a cab" Sal yawned sleepily getting to his feet.

The cab arrived and I gave Sal a hug as he walked me to the door "This was great, Love ya buddy"

"Love you too sweetie" he yawned again "Now get the hell outta my house"

"Rude!" I retorted flipping the finger at him. I smiled to myself the whole way home having to stagger in oh to quietly so I didn't wake James. There were a few letters left by the door but I was far too sleepy to read them they could wait till morning I plugged my phone into charge and regretted it immediately as a wave of texts and call alerts came flooding in, they too could wait till morning.