The Devil Next Door

Chapter 15// Tired Eyes and Whispered Words

"Ok. Well as long as your ok."

I nod my head. "So are we just going to hang here for the rest of the day or do you want to go home?"

"I think I need a bit more sleep. Wake me up in about half an hour and we'll head home ok?" she says sleepily.

"Sure thing." I smile softly as I leave the room, quietly shutting the door behind me.

As I enter the living room, Isaac and Bailey are coming in the front door.

"Hey," I greet them. "Em is just sleeping for a bit longer."

"Ok cool. How is she?" Bailey asks, unrolling a rubbish bag and beginning to pick up some cans. I start to help pick up rubbish as well as I talk.

"Yeah she took the painkillers. She thought she had been drinking."

"So you didn't tell her what really happened?" Isaac asked.

"No. I couldn't do that to her. She seems happy and I will just wreck everything." I play with an orange streamer in my hand.

"Seb. Thats sweet. But don't you think she deserves to know?" Bailey questions.

I sigh and rub my eyes.

"No. Not now. Ill tell her when the time is right."

"Don't you think she will figure it out before then?"

"I don't know. I just.......I don't know what to do anymore." I say quietly as I sit down on the couch, resting my face in my hands.

"Seb?" bailey starts. She sits beside me and I look at her to finish her sentence. "Are you happy? With Claire I mean?"

I look down again.

Am I? Am I happy with her? I mean she is amazing. I like her a lot. But.....

"No. I don't think so." I reply. I'm on the verge of tears but there is no way I'm gonna cry right now. I'm just tired.

Isaac comes over to join us from the kitchen.

"Dude, you need to tell her. She will understand." He adds.

"I know. I will, soon. Just let me deal with Emily today. She needs a friend more right now." I say standing up and going back to tiding.

Bailey sighs and gets up as well.

*****

Half an hour later and I have woken Emily up ready to leave. She saunters in her vampire costume out of the bedroom in front of me into the living room.

"Well, I guess we'll see you two later." She says to bailey and Isaac.

"Yeah I hope you feel better hun." Bailey says to Emily.

We say our goodbyes before me and Emily leave the old house and head home. Her eyes are tired and her head hangs low. Her vampire makeup has smudged around her eyes and her hair is a mess. She just quite frankly looks awful. But who can blame her, after what happened last night.

"Seb?" she asks me softly. "I know you are keeping something from me."

I realize I have been thinking so hard my facial expression has turned serious with thought.

"Uh no I'm not. Nothing you need to know. Not now anyway" I say scratching my neck awkwardly.

"Ok. But you will tell me?"

"Of course." I say, more confident than I'm feeling.

We reach home and get ready to face the parents. Only Molly and George are up though, sitting at the kitchen bench eating cereal. The adults must be having a sleep in.