Grey Skies, White Lies - Larina | [COMPLETE]

Chapter 31 | Reject Room.

"I need to go home, what if Marina was ill or something." I responded, flinching at the grip of his hand around my wrist.

"Not yet, don't you want to wait and find out what those scouts have got to say about you?" Steve pressed, raising his eyebrows. "Marina is a grown woman, she'll be just fine, she's sensible enough as well. A lot more sensible than you are, Lana." He justified, releasing his grip slightly.

"I'll stay for a while." I gave in, sighing as I followed him through to the back room where the scouts were to meet later on.

"Vodka and tonic?" He asked, gliding towards the minibar and turning two glasses over.

Marina's voice replayed in my mind, over and over again. "You did the right thing." I remained silent as I eyed Steve pouring his own beverage.

"Look, stop worrying about Marina, it's pretty selfish of her to go home anyway. She'll be fine, you'll see her later." He said, unscrewing the vodka cap as he spoke.

"But... She's not like that... She wouldn't... She wouldn't leave if it wasn't important." I challenged, defensively.

"Oh Lana, you've known her the whole of 5 minutes, you don't know what she's like, we all have our secrets. Please. Forget about it." He pleaded, slightly more bristle than before.

I shifted slightly, I hated it when Steve used such a harsh tone with me, it always felt like he had the right to punish me when he did so. He held the glass up and looked at me, nodding questionably at it.

"I can't." I replied, seemingly calm, though it truly was taking all my strength to reject it.

I glided towards the seating area, some white-leather chairs and sofas planted in front of a door with a crooked, insecure lock. "What's in here?" I pondered, alternatively eyeing the door and Steve.

"Oh...N-Nothing. Nothing." He replied, stuttering, returning to pouring his drink. "I'll be back in a minute." He added, seemingly alarmed by something sudden.

My curiosity only grew stronger as an answer with such vaguity didn't fulfil my needs.

I took my opportunity in his absence to try and open the door, it took quite a few hefty pulls until it budged open slightly, revealing another room, similar to the one I was stood in. It had another door on the far side of the wall, appearing to lead outside, the room was entirely empty other than a a sofa, a mirror and some boxes full of rejected stage-wear. And, a familiar leather jacket sprawled across the sofa.

I eyed it intently, squinting and frowning in attempt to work out where I'd seen the clothing-article before now. Then, it hit me. Marina.

I made my way into the room, heading towards the jacket laid rigidly across the sofa beneath it, though it was a miniature gesture, I knew from the moment I saw its position, Marina would not intentionally have left her jacket so scrunched up in a costume-reject changing room. I lifted it to my nose and was greeted by her cherry-blossom scent, it was definitely her's.

"Lana?" I heard Steve call through the agar door as he returned to the other room,

I appeared in the division between the rooms, clutching Marina's jacket as I frowned. "Marina wouldn't leave her jacket, where is she?" I asked, ensuring my fingers could weave their way through the folds in the jacket as I remained confused.

"Look, Lana, I'm gonna be honest. I let my power-drive get the better of me, I didn't want Marina stealing your limelight tonight, especially when I'd worked so hard on getting you there. I told her to go and wait in there." He explained, nodding towards the room behind me as I emerged from the division.

"Where is she now?" I pressed, feeling my heartbeat rise as my fingers rang along the outline of her mobile phone in her jacket pocket.

"She's probably gone to the toilet, it's no big deal, I didn't hold her hostage, she's free to do what she likes - maybe she's really gone home this time?" He reasoned, making sure we remained reasonably reciprocated eye-contact.

"She wouldn't leave without her jacket Steve, and especially not without her jacket and her phone." I replied, frowning.