THE WARD

Silence ensues, it's heavy, charged with emotion so thick that I can feel it pressing down on me. Laira is still pointing at the open hatch, and I decide that I should give them some privacy.

" I should go," I push myself off the counter. I'm still wearing my pyjamas, but who cares? I need to make some calls, anyway. Might as well get that done while they sort out their love affair.

" Thanks, Lily," David looks at me over his shoulder, dejected. I feel you buddy, but you kind of stuck your foot in your mouth. I want to say, but I don't think he needs the running commentary.

" No, stay," Laira says stiffly, " I'll leave. This is your room," She argues while she looks around the room for her things, but she didn't bring anything with her.

" No. It's okay. I need to make some phone calls anyway. So you two stay," I make my way to the hatch and drop through it before it turns into another pointless argument.

When I reach the main building, I wait for Frankie to finish up with the student in front of me, before I have to suck up to her to let me use the phone and make some appointments.

" Good morning, " I say brightly the moment I catch her eyes.

Frankie leans back in her chair, gives me a good once over and sighs," What do you want?" Everyone is in a mood. Monday's are notorious in that aspect.

Shrugging, " I was wondering if I could use the phone to make some calls?" I lean over her desk, " I want to buy a house," I whisper as if it's some big secret. It's not.

Frankie's eyes widen at the news, " Of course. I thought you gonna make me do your dirty work again," She gripes begrudgingly while handing me over the phone.

" No. Not this time, but I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities in the future, " I say casually with a wink and she sighs as if she'd seen it coming.

With the list in front of me, I begin making calls left and right and set up appointments for viewings. I'm still waiting for the panel to deliberate on their decision. In the meantime, this should keep me busy. If Micah has survived the attack and wants me so badly then he can come and get me himself.

Knowing what I know now, has helped me make several contingency plans. Even if it's only theoretical, I'll sort out the kinks as I go.

After successfully arranging three viewings out of five, I hand over the phone back to Frankie and say my thanks to her. Despite our unusual interactions, she seems like a nice person.

With a wave and a goodbye, I make my way back to the loft to fine-tune the last details of my business plan. It's nothing spectacular, but it's mine. It will give me the independence I've been looking for. I make the decisions. I reap the fruits of my labour. I will be the one to suffer the consequences should it fail. Unlikely but yet a possibility.

Curiously, when I reach the top level of the building I notice that the ladder is still down, the hatch is still open. Something crashing against the wall with a loud thud startles me out of my shoes.

Good god, she is mad.

All I can say is that David has his work cut out for him. In light of the new revelations, I know she won't let go of this easily. David has some grovelling to do if he wants something more with Laira

" You disgust me," Laira cries, and I hear David heave a heartfelt sigh. I'm guessing he has gone down this road once before.

" Laira, can we just have a conversation where every other word is not an insult to my person," Sure that will get you out of trouble.

Appealing to reason when a woman is breathing fire will get you nowhere. In fact has the opposite effect, more similar to dousing the fire with gasoline.

" You're a piece of trash. I can't believe I'm in love with you," You and me sister. We are practically swimming in the same waters.

Unsure what to do, I lean against the wall and wait for the storm to pass. Eventually, she will wear herself out, and crash. Hangover plus emotional duress equals physical and mental exhaustion. Simple math really.

What I don't understand is why David is still trying to convince Laira otherwise.

" I need you to forgive me," He says pleadingly. Oh boy, he is in a world of trouble.

" You need?" She asks in disbelief, " Is this what it is about? Is this why you keep bringing this up when I told you that we are done? Because you need me to forgive you?" Her pitch hikes higher and higher, emphasising the irony of his request.

" This...between us is killing me," He counters.

" Fine." She huffs" You're forgiven. Now please leave," I imagine she is pointing at the hatch in the floor, but also I don't hear either of them moving.

" You don't mean that," David says so quietly that I can barely hear him. Take it and go before she breaks more of my stuff. I want to yell from where I am leaning against the wall. But no, the fool stays.

" No, I didn't mean that. What you did is unforgivable. You knew, and you did it anyway. Now please leave," She stomps her foot, and I hear a creak in the floorboards. Not sure if it was from the stomp or if one of them is leaving.

" I know. And I have apologised many times since then," David says, exasperated. I've never heard Laira cry or be upset because of the way things ended between them, but I guess I haven't seen her all that much, and I realise I've been such a shitty friend.

Silence falls between them, the floorboards creak, a telltale sign that one of them is moving. David makes an appearance at the mouth of the hatch and begins to descend the ladder.

He storms past me without a word, while I gear myself up to console my best friend.

Heaving a heavy sigh, I climb up on the steps and find Laira curled up in bed sobbing, and I do the only sensible thing. I curl up next to her on the bed and hug her as tightly as possible while she unravels.