Free The Bringer by Samantha Towle Page B

not easy, are they?” He laughs, but it sounds different, uncomfortable, almost forced.
    I sit down and there’s silence between us. That’s when I notice the charge in the air, almost as if something’s changed whilst I’ve been gone.
    James blows on his coffee, takes a sip and puts it down. He’s staring at the coffee with a thoughtful look on his face and begins drumming his fingers on the side of the cup. I can tell there’s something he wants to say, and at that thought he clears his throat and says, “So you managed to get home okay last night?”
    Didn’t he ask me this already? “Yes. I got home fine, thanks.”
    He runs his fingertip around the rim of the cup. “Whereabouts is it you live, Lucyna?”
    I look down at my hands and start examining my new human nails. Come on, you decided this earlier on, you were just going to stick with the same story you told the police and tell him you’re homeless if he asks. Just say it, it’s not difficult. “I’m –” I start but for some reason I can’t seem to bring myself to finish the sentence and, before I know it, I hear myself saying, “You probably wouldn’t know it.” I can feel his stare but I can’t bring myself to look at him. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, why can’t I just tell him?
    “ Right.” He pauses but I can tell he’s not finished. “But it’s in Surrey?”
    “ What is?” I lift my eyes, meeting his inquisitive stare.
    “ Where you live?”
    “ Oh, yes.”
    “ Right . . . well I know Surrey really well so I’m sure I’ll know it.” The persistence is clearly there in his voice, telling me he’s not going to let it go, and I struggle to contain the panic rising up inside me as James’ expectant eyes wait for an answer.
     
     

Chapter 6
     
    Home Sweet Home
     
    I stare past him, my body riddled with discomfort.
    Do I know any places in Surrey? I must do. Think, Lucyna, think. But for some reason my brain won’t work properly. “Its – it’s just this little place in –” Stop this stupidity Lucyna. What’s wrong with you? Just tell him the truth. Well, the partial truth, anyway. So I meet his dark curious eyes and shake my head as I say, “I don’t have a home. I did. But I don’t any more.”
    And he doesn’t react. He doesn’t say anything, almost as if he was expecting it. He just continues to stare at me with those big deep brown eyes, and I feel like I have to bridge the gap.
    “ It’s fine, though,” I say brightly. I try to add a light-hearted laugh at the end but it comes out sounding cringe-worthy, bouncing off all four walls and straight back at me.
    His eyes focus in on me with determination and, for a moment, he looks exactly like Max did when he was trying to talk me into caring for James. “No, it’s not okay,” he says resolutely. “How could it be? Someone like you shouldn’t be homeless. Well, no one should be homeless – but not you – no.” He shakes his head. “I did wonder when you came back this morning wearing the same clothes you had on last night and when you said you’d been out walking at such a late hour when I had my crash. I did think – well it doesn’t matter what I thought – where did you sleep last night, after you left here?”
    I press my lips together and shuffle uncomfortably in my seat.
    “ You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
    “ Here.” I twist my lips nervously. “Well, I didn’t actually sleep, I just spent a bit of time in the park in the grounds, and then I stayed in the canteen as it was a bit cold outside. I wanted to be close by so I could come back to see you.”
    He sort of grunts an angry sound. “Bloody hell,” he mutters, shaking his head. “It’s dangerous out there, Lucyna. All sorts of freaks about. If I’d of known, I’d have done something last night. I’d have sorted you out a place to stay, a hotel or something.” He sounds angry and I’m not sure if it’s with me or himself.
    “ I’m not