Accidental Meeting (Accidental Hook-Up 3)

At least, I think he’s glowering at me, but then he drags his eyes away from the TV screen and he smiles at me. That was just my paranoia speaking out on my behalf. He actually looks pleased to see me too.

Maybe this will be okay, I tell myself through the thick fog of panic. Perhaps there isn’t anything to worry about. I just need to remain calm and hope that everything will be okay.

***

“See, I told you it would be fine, didn’t I?” Shane tells me with a smirk as we leave. “They love you.”

“They were really kind to me. It’s nice. You have a great family there.” I rub my arms, trying to shake off the feeling of discomfort. “I don’t know if it will be so great when you eventually meet my parents.”

“No? Why not? Actually, I don’t think I have ever heard you talk about them.”

“They aren’t happy about me being here. They don’t think this is the life for me.”

“Really?” Shane’s eyes furrow in confusion. “But you’ve found success here. It isn’t like you’re struggling and taking on dodgy jobs. You’re doing a really good thing.”

“I know, but I don’t think there is anything that will be good enough for them. They would have preferred I stick around in my home town to make a life there. They wanted me to remain near them.”

Shane pulls me closer to him and nestles me under his arm. A sense of warm calm comes over me as I rest by his side. “Shall we go for a drink? I feel like we need a drink after all of that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I agree, that sounds good. Are we going to go to the usual?”

“I think we should. That way we can always head back to your place afterwards.”

“Bit forward.” I pinch him in the side. “But yes, sounds really good.”

We head towards the bar which has held all of our memories and we step inside. I can’t help but wonder if we will ever be able to drink anywhere else. This just feels like ‘our place’ now. I like that.

But as we step inside, something about the atmosphere shakes me. It’s different, and I don’t know why. My senses all prick up on edge as if I can sense danger coming from somewhere. I dart my eyes everywhere, clinging to Shane closer, but nothing immediately comes to light.

It must be my paranoia yet again. I need to calm that shit down before it crushes me.

“Are you alright?” Shane whispers to me, confused. “You seem really stressed all of a sudden.”

“Hmmm, I’m okay.” I’m barely with him anymore, trying to figure it out. “Shall we get a drink?”

We head to the bar and settle down, but I don’t yet relax. The hairs on the back on my neck stand up and goose bumps pop up and down my arm. I’m very uncomfortable and I can’t work out why.

Shane hands a drink to me and I take it. I sip it but it doesn’t do anything to calm me down. I can feel eyes piercing right through me, someone is definitely looking at me and I don’t know who.

“I think I’m just going to pop to the bathroom.” I hand my drink back to him. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

I head into the bathroom and close myself in the stall. I suck in a couple of deep breaths trying to calm myself down, but even the voices outside of the stall are making me feel ill. I need to get out of here. This wasn’t a good idea. I shouldn’t be here while I’m feeling like this. I need to tell Shane that we have to go home.

I shove the door open with determination but am immediately stopped in my tracks. My heart balls up in my throat, my stomach drops out, I think I might throw up. Either my paranoia is justified this time around or I have tipped myself over the edge in to insanity and I am now imagining things.

“R… Rae?” I stammer as her eyes flash angrily at me. “What are you doing here?”

Despite the fact that she is the one who betrayed me, she’s the one glaring at me like I’m a piece of dirt on her shoe. I’m reminded of the intimidating hard faced woman that I first met on set all those months ago.

I should be angry, I should be yelling, there are so many things that I want to say, but since so much time has passed the emotions have subsided. Also, I’m really shocked to the core. I never expected this to happen.

“What the fuck are you doing back?” she sneers at me. “And why are you with him?”

“I… I… I…” I stammer like a school girl. Everything has vanished.

“He lied to you. He treated you like shit. He never committed to you. I was your friend.”