Grey Skies, White Lies - Larina | [COMPLETE]

Chapter 46 | The Simple Life.

- Lizzy's POV -

"Okay, Miss Grant, you're free to go. For now." The man said, towering above me as he stood up, walked towards the door and held it open for me.

"Thank you." I whispered, I'd never felt so timid in my entire life.

I walked out into the front of the station, greeted by Marina's beaming eyes looking up at me. "Out already?" She asked, pulling me into a safe, familiar embrace.

"Yeah, for now." I replied, sighing as we walked out of the station. "How could I have been so stupid? I should've known Steve would never in a million years let me live this down. Apparently he had a 'tip off' about my whereabouts. I wouldn't mind betting it was Emily." I explained, shaking my head slowly as we walked down the road, I recalled from my car journey earlier that the hotel wasn't far. "I'm so sorry." I pleaded.

"Babe, no. It's fine. I've sorted it." She said, looking at me.

I froze.

"What did he make you do?" I asked, alarmed.

"Nothing. No, nothing like that... not yet, anyway. No, I called my sister. He wanted the money back. £10,000." She explained, the words made my head spin.

"Marina, you can't seriously think ten grand is all he's going to want from me? You're not that naive, surely?" I exclaimed, shaking my head slowly as I ran my fingers through the front of my cotted hair.

"Well, it's a start isn't it? What else did you want me to do? Just let you rot in a cell knowing there was something I could've done? He came to the hotel himself, he told me what he wanted face-to-face. There was no way I was going to decline!" She explained desperately, seemingly panicked by my disapproval.

I took a deep breath. "So, has he got the money?" I asked as we stopped before the oncoming traffic, waiting for a place to cross.

"Yeah, Lafina did it." She answered, timid as she spoke. I looked towards her, she looked so small stood there besides me, her nose red and eyes gleaming. She was the epitome of purity in this very moment. I couldn't want anything more. I reached for her hand and let our fingers intertwine.

"Thank you." I said, softly. She looked up and flashed her chocolate eyes at me, smiling.

When we got back to the hotel, it was oddly peaceful considering it was the night before Christmas Eve. There was no buzzing, no children running around screaming after visiting their Grandparents who fed them far too much sugar. It was almost idilic, well — as idilic as a Travel Lodge could be.

We made our way to our bedroom and got inside. It was around 10pm by now, both of us weary eyed, tired souls to match. Everything felt like an uphill battle, I couldn't help but wonder when things were supposed to get better.

We got ready for bed and slipped between the cream sheets in synchrony. 

"Don't you ever just long for the basics and the simple life?" I asked, the lights out, revealing the deepest, darkest secrets hidden beyond my skin and surface.

"Yeah, sometimes." Marina replied, seemingly as if she had just confessed something she didn't want to.

"Dreams that glitter and all that... I don't know about that anymore." I said, sullen with lost hope.

I felt her brush up against me, fastening her arms around my own, her mere touch gave me a taste of the normality I so very craved. I'd always been so set on being an artist, but surely no glittering dream was worth all the heartache, and as time passed by, the lows seemed to come in abundance whilst the highs remained scarce.

"We could have it all, you know." I whispered.

"I know." She replied.

"Just me and you, we could have it all. The white picket fence, the dinner on the table for 6, the vanilla ice cream for desert, the 9-5 job and the godforsaken dinner parties that we can't wait to leave." I began to ponder, continuing to detail a mellow life, but a life so very pure and unapologetically ours.

"We move into our apartment tomorrow." Marina replied, interrupting my daydream. She had a habit for that.

I turned to face her, pressing my lips against hers, softly, tasting my future on her lips.

"I love you." I whispered, running my hand along the soft skin covering her torso, her beating heart noticeable in the silence of the night.

"I love you too, Lizzy Grant. That life you described before, that's not what you want. You want Lana Del Rey and you want it up in lights. You'll still be Lizzy to me. You'll always be able to come home to me and draw the lights when it all gets a bit too real." She said, caressing me with her soft, sweet touch. Her fingertips felt like home, her voice felt like everything I'd ever wanted.

"I always want to come home to you." I replied, leaning in for another kiss, deepening it as she continued to run her fingertips against my cheeks.

"Whatever happens with Steve, I'll be by your side. It'll all work out in the end, you'll see." She assured.

I nodded before pulling her closer, I needed to feel her sleeping besides me tonight.