My Only Wish This Year // Flee

Four

Finally it was Monday, which meant Courtney was back at school again. As usual I dropped her at the gate and walked home. The school was only a 5 minute walk from the house so I didn't bother wasting petrol. As the wind picked up, I grabbed my jacket closer to me in an attempt to keep me warm. It was actually Lee's jacket that he gave me yesterday, that I had forgotten to give back. As I reached the front door, I heard a car pull up and turned around. Sure enough, just as he promised, it was Lee. He got out of his car and walked over to me.

"Where are you going?" He asked me
"Oh nowhere" I replied "I just got back from dropping Courtney at school"
"I see" Lee nodded "what do you want to do today?"
"Hmm. Maybe watch some movies and order food?" I suggested
"Sounds like a plan" he agreed
I was about to turn around and open the door but then I remembered
"Oh, did you want your jacket back?"
"Nah, keep it" he replied "it looks better on you anyway"

Turning around to hide my blush ridden cheeks, I unlocked the door and let him in. I locked the door behind us and went and sat down on the couch.

"What movie do you want to watch? We have everything - my parents used to love the holidays, especially the movies" I announced nonchalantly before realising what I'd said
"What do you mean, used to?" Lee asked, having picked up on my accidental use of the past tense
"Um... You know... Just because they're really busy... And everything" I mumbled
"Faye?" He probed
"Okay, so maybe I haven't been completely honest with you but... Hear me out okay... I don't want you to leave" I started
He simply sat down next to me as if to say 'go on'.
"So, I didn't lie to you, Courtney is my sister and my parents were lawyers on the other side of the city, they just aren't anymore"
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to" he comforted me, rubbing my back gently
"No, it's okay, I have to be honest with you"
He nodded and allowed me to continue
"3 years ago, when I was 19, on their way home from work on Christmas Eve they... They were involved in a car accident. The other guy was really... Really drunk and... And-" I couldn't hold my tears back anymore so I let them fall, but Lee was there. He pulled me close and stroked my hair, and told me it was okay.

"My mom died on impact and... And my dad was taken to the hospital... Pronounced dead at... 12:27am... Christmas Morning" I whispered into his chest between the tears, just loud enough for him to hear.

Neither of us said anything for what felt like an eternity, until finally my tears stopped and I looked up at him. I noticed that my makeup had gone all over his white t-shirt and immediately felt bad.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry I-" I began
"Shhh it's okay don't worry, I have other shirts" he reassured me, before continuing "I had no idea, I'm so sorry. About everything. Your parents, how you've had to raise your sister. I mean I could never imagine it"
"I've just learnt how to cope" I told him
"If I had known-"
"It's okay, you would never have realised" I smiled sadly

He wiped my tears and my ruined makeup away quickly before hugging me again. We stayed there in silence for what felt like hours; my head resting on his shoulder and him tracing circles on my back. It was only when Courtney came back that we realised how long we had been there.

"Thanks for picking me up" she said sarcastically with her arms crossed
"I'm sorry" I said sleepily "I lost track of time, I was tired"
"Sure" she raised her eyebrows at me and Lee but said nothing more and went to her room.

"I think you should go to bed" Lee suggested
"Mhmm" I replied

The next thing I knew, Lee picked me up bridal style and carried me up the stairs to my bedroom. He pushed the door open with his foot and placed me carefully onto my bed. He went to go back to the door when I said
"Don't go"

He shut the door carefully and came back to my side, sitting on the chair next to the bed.

"I'm not going anywhere, ever" he reassured me, placing a kiss on my forehead as my eyelids drooped shut.