As she was told to go no further, Tabitha stopped. She froze on the spot for a second or two, winced and then took a hesitant step backwards. He was right, of course. This was his house. She didn't know where the linen and bed sheets were kept. She didn't really know anything and this was becoming painfully clear. Like a scolded child, she backtracked and sat back down on the sofa.
Why was he being so nice to her?
Swallowing a lump in her throat, she listened intently to the rain pounding against the glass. It was windy outside and it was getting worse as the seconds ticked by. He spoke and she didn't look up, she simply nodded quickly. Her slim fingers pressed hard into the hot china of her mug but the tea remained untouched. She wasn't going to sleep in his bed. She couldn't sleep in his bed. It was weird.
Like the last time she was here, she slept on the floor. Not that it mattered much. She wouldn't be sleeping anyway. Tabby licked her lower lip absently, the silence between them both felt painful.
Her tea was becoming rapidly colder as she sat awkwardly on the plush sofa. She was always told by her mother that if she was offered anything to drink, she should take it to be polite. Swallowing again, she leant forward to place her cup neatly down on the coffee table, taking her time to rest it on a coaster. Besides, she sort of thought if she ate or drank anything, she might throw it back up. Tabby felt awful. She was sore and cold and without the warmth of her tea cup, she began to shake visibly.
Her head was banging. Despite Zephir fixing things on the surface, her vision was a little blurry and her reactions delayed somewhat. There was also a pressure building in the back of her skull. She didn't know what it was but it felt like her brain was being squashed, pushed and pulled. She reached up to touch the spot on her forehead and let out a gentle grunt of pain as she clenched her eyes shut. She wasn't very well at all.
Then her thoughts drifted to his room mate. There were two bedrooms, she remembered him mentioning a girl. No name, though. Were they sleeping together? Tabitha frowned as she massaged her temples, clearly lost in her thoughts. What if he was having sex with someone? She wasn't sure how she felt about it. They weren't close enough for her to have any opinions on the matter if they were doing it.
The redhead wasn't aware that she hadn't said a word in ten minutes before Zephir spoke again. "I don't eat breakfast," Tabitha responded without thinking, her big dark eyes large. "Or…anything, really," she admitted, her gaze going glassy. It was true. It wasn't unusual for her to only eat two biscuits per day in school. Eating was the last thing on her mind. "I mean," she stammered, shaking her head. "Sure. Sure, that'd be nice." He was closing conversation for the night.
Falling silent again, she stared at him. Her eyes were sad. Tabitha knew him but she didn't really know him. She knew the facts, she'd read them. His rota for work, the history her cousin had managed to wrangle but she didn't know the things that mattered. His favourite colour or food, what made him happy, what he liked to read, his favourite smell. Nothing. They were strangers.
"Oh no," she was quick to say. "No I'm fine," she said with a faint smile, plucking at her still damp clothes. "These are.." Trailing off, she frowned again. "Fine," she settled on. Tabitha sniffled, wiping her nose on the inside of her wrist as she stood, getting the feeling that this conversation was now over.
Ensuite? Ah. "Right," she said in a clipped tone as she got to her feet. She probably did need a shower, she was freezing. And she looked like she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards. "Goodnight then," she replied, lifting a hand to wave and assure him that he needn't worry about her. Tabby didn't bother to grab towels like Zephir had said, she simply wandered in a dazed state to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Swiftly, she clambered into the bath tub and pulled her legs up into her chest. She could stay here. The bath was fine.
