Fingerprints ( #1 BOOK IN THE SERIES )

April (Part Two)

"Why did you decide to come all this way, other than to see Cory?" I ask Lotte once she has sat down, squeezing herself between Adam and Maddie.

"Well as you know it is half term so I thought I'd come visit an old friend. I've seen Cory's family a few times since they moved back and they also thought it would be a nice idea if I came and visited. So here I am." She says to us as if we are expecting that.

"How long are you here for? And where are you staying?" I question.

"Until the end of the week. For that last part, I don't have that totally figured out. I was thinking of staying at a hotel, the cheapest one I can find."

"Well I'm sure if you can't find anywhere you'll be able to stay at Kristen's. We'll be able to find the space." Cory says to here.

"I'm not too sure we will." I say back. "The space is very limited and there isn't too much of it left you know with everything going on." I say directly to Cory, glaring at him.

"I'm sure we'll make it work." He says back. I just shake my head at him. I don't really want some stranger living in my house, even if Cory does know her.

I try to focus on my work, ignoring the possibility of having a practical stranger living in my house. All the words blur into one on the page, not making any sense. I just can't get my head around the work with too many thoughts swarming around in it. There is no point staying here for much longer.

"I'm going to go now. I forgot I had something to do." I tell everyone while packing my bag.

"Oh." I hear come from Lotte's mouth as I stand up and then I realise that she probably doesn't know that I'm pregnant. I think back to the night I met her, which was the night I decided I was going to keep the baby and I know I definitely was not showing then. I'm definitely showing now.

"I'll leave it to him to fill you in. Though I bet you can guess what happened." I say to Lotte while pointing at Cory.

I don't give either of them time to reply before I walk out. The slight heat from the sun hits my face as I walk out and the frustration hits me. For a moment it seemed like everything was going in the right direction, I was talking to my mum again, my grades are where I want them to be so it gives me hope for my exams and the baby stuff was getting easier to handle. Then Lotte comes along and throws everything off track. I don't even know why I'm so frustrated; all she is doing is visiting a friend, a friend that she hasn't seen for a long time.

If I were talking to Laura or Maddie right now, they would tell me I'm feeling jealous but that's ridiculous because I don't experience jealousy. I've always made sure I've kept my distance in relationships, to never get close enough so someone could hurt me but now I'm starting to wonder if I've failed with doing that this time. I do feel closer with Cory compared to my previous relationships and let's face it; I have never had a baby or lived with any of my ex-boyfriends. Even with all that in mind, I thought I hadn't grown that close to him but if he were to leave me now I know it would hurt me.

I think about this whilst I'm walking home, trying to ignore the looks I get from the strangers I walk past. I've never felt jealous when Cory has been alone with either Laura or Maddie because first of all I know that neither one of them would make a move. Laura is happy with Adam and Maddie has her sights set on someone though she refuses to tell me who. The three of us have all known each other too long to ever do something like that anyway. Lotte, on the other hand, is new. I don't know her and all I do know is that she was friends with Cory before he moved. In my head she is a threat because she is from a part of his life that never included me and I don't know how they used to act around each other.