Chapter Five
“Thank you for doing this.” Nervously, I hovered in the doorway of the small living room, eying the woman sitting on the couch with her feet up on the table. She was older than me. More around Pocket's age than mine, but I kind of liked that. It meant she would be more mature and quieter. I had been dreading having to live with a girl my own age. I had nothing in common with them. I just wasn’t about that life.
She looked up at me. “Don’t thank me. You’re actually doing me a favour. Rent in this city is so high, and I needed a roommate.” She eyed me. “You can come in and sit down, you know.”
Smiling with uncertainty, I moved into the room. I didn’t know why I had to be like this. It wasn’t that I was shy or even unsure of myself. I just took a little while to read the room and until I did, I was reserved.
“You’re American?” I asked, leaning forward. The accent was unmistakable. “What brings you to London?”
The colour drained from her face. “It’s a really long story.”
I frowned. She was hiding something, just like I was. I knew because that was exactly the phrase I used. Over and over again.
“Yeah.” I said quietly, my eyes lowered. “I have one of those as well.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
My eyes snapped to hers, and I shook my head. “Do you?”
She shook her head as well.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes and just studied each other. There might have been ten years between us, but we were linked now. Linked by the secrets that weighed us down. It was a bonding moment.
“What is Sy short for?”
She shook her head. “Sylvie. But I don’t use that name here. I hate it.”
“I will call you Sy, then.”
“Thank you.” She nodded her head once sharply and then stood up. “I have work tonight. Are you going to be ok on your own?”
“Of course. What a silly question. Why wouldn’t I be ok?”
“Because of the serial killer? Lots of girls are nervous right now.” Catching my confused look, she sat back down. “You haven’t heard about him?”
“No.” I shook my head. “But I only got into the city yesterday. There’s an actual serial killer on the loose?”
“So the newspapers say. The third body was found a few days ago. Young woman, again. The freak has a type.” A darkness filled her eyes. “They always have a type, though.” She shook herself. “Anyway, I have work so you can come with me if you don’t feel like staying by yourself. It could be fun.”
“I’m just going to have an early night.” I smiled at her. It was clear she was scared, but honestly, I wasn’t. When you lived your life frightened every day, then you didn’t scare easily. And whatwere the odds that some weird serial killer would break into my home and murder me on my first night here?
Zero.
That’s what.
“Ok, well, I know you don’t have anything yet. So help yourself to my stuff ok. I shouldn’t be home late. And lock the door behind me.” Sy glanced at me. “Stay safe, Chloe.”
“You’re walking to work?”
“I’ll be fine. Believe me. I’m not the kind of woman these guys go for.” Lifting her hand, she gave me a small wave.
I was left alone. For the first time in my adult life, I was truly alone. The thought made me pause. It was a strange feeling. Not lonely exactly, but something else.
Maybe because it was so quiet. Even when I was working as a nanny, there would always be another person in the house, even if it was a child. And before that I had lived with my parents who never let me out of the sight for more than a few hours.
I liked it though, the quiet. I could get used to it.
Pushing myself up, I began to wander around. When Duke and Pocket had shown me around, it had been such a brief tour, and then they had left.
