Never Again

Chapter 17: Leaving

Abby stayed silent for a while and focused on a fly on the window. 'You know what they mean Keir,' she said with her voice full of emotion.

'I'm sorry, you're right.'

'What are you going to do now, where are you going to live?' Abby suddenly snapped back her head and pierced her eyes into Keira's.

'I have to find a new place to live, but I don't think that'll be easy. So until then I have to stay at home...' he voice trailed off when she realised what she had just said. She had to go back home and live there again. She shivered, she didn't want to go back home ever again. The place now only held bad memories and it had stopped feeling like home a long time ago.

Abby drew herself up and planted her arms on her hips. 'No way, you're not going back there! I'll take you home with me if I must,' she said with a raised voice. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes flashed with rage.

Keira was taken aback by her friend's reaction. 'OK chill, do you have another option?' she said while feeling her head starting to throb again. The pillow was soft, but it still felt like resting her head on a brick.

After a few moments of silence it was Abby who spoke again. 'Why don't you go back to Belfast for a while?'

Keira sniggered while cursing herself for doing that because it hurt. 'Yeah, I think my parents will be happy to see me like this. I think they'll instantly die from a heart attack or something,' she said. She would never let her parents see her like this, they would never recover and would blame themselves. No, she had to go somewhere else. The bandage on her face was itching and she felt uncomfortable laying in this hard bed.

'I guess you're right,' Abby admitted. She was playing with her hair and tapping her feet against the chair. Her clothes were wrinkled and the scent of alcohol was still there, she also looked very tired after a night of very little sleep.

'I'll just sleep in a box beneath the largest bridge I can find then.'

'Still safer,' Abby looked serious, but a weak smile was just visible on her lips.

'Probably true,' muttered Keira.

Suddenly Abby made a squeaking noise. 'I know the perfect solution,' she yelled, 'just go back to Switzerland!'

Keira's eyes widened, she didn't understand. 'Why?' she said confused while looking at her excited friend.

'Why not? You have a home there, you know it here, you like it there. Best of all, it's far away from David!'

Actually, it wasn't that bad of a suggestion she thought. She could look for a place to live in London without having to stay at David's and she could heal up without people she knew noticing. It seemed like the perfect temporary solution that was on offer right now.

'So what do you think?' Abby shot Keira an expecting gaze.

'Maybe you're right,' she began, 'if my parents will let me stay there though.'

'Don't worry about them. Just tell them that you love the place and you want to find a job there. I don't think they'll stop you.'

'OK, I'll give them a call tomorrow. But Abbs,' she said doubtfully, 'if I really am going to live there for a while, how do I get all my stuff there?'

'I'll help you pack and I'm sure Tom will too and then we'll just sent it over, no problem at all,' she explained, 'but I'm not letting you alone in that house anymore!' she added.

'How am I going to explain this to David?' Keira said while staring at her hands. She had been going over this in her head, but not one scenario seemed to end well.