Vanessa was looking for her boots in her wardrobe. They were her favorite pair and, for some reason, she was taken over by the desire to wear them. Did it really matter what she wore anymore? She didn’t give a shit most of the time and right now, she looked like crap. She was half in, half out of the wardrobe when someone spoke to her. She gave a little squeal of fright before backing out of the wardrobe. She was so jumpy, unable to concentrate since she’d worked it out, but she’d yet to tell anyone what had really happened to Olivia and Wren. She needed concrete proof, otherwise no one would believe her.

‘Can we talk, Vanessa?’ asked Billy. He was running late for work and she guessed it was because he wanted to talk whereas she just wanted to find her damn boots.

She knew she was in trouble because he never called her by her full name. ‘Sure.’

‘I can’t deal with this anymore,’ he said, glancing at her then looking away.

‘Are you leaving me?’ she asked in a flat tone.

‘That’s so blunt; it’s much more complicated than that and you know it.’

‘Is it the truth though?’ She felt her heart beat fast, the rushing of blood in her ears almost drowning out her words.

‘I’m not sure. All I know is that you’re hardly ever here and when you are here, you’re not. Ty misses you, I miss you and we both need you.’

‘Well, that clears it right up for me, doesn’t it?’ She put her hands on her hips, staring intently at him. ‘Enlighten me, Billy. Please.’

‘All right then. You want the truth, I’ll tell you the truth. It’s like we, Ty and I, don’t matter to you anymore. Like Wren has the biggest piece of your heart and always will. You’re walled off and I’m worried it’ll be forever. He’s gone, Ness, and though we all mourn his passing, we’re not. We’re still here. Ty and I are still here. Waiting. For you. I just don’t know how much longer I can wait.’

‘Are you leaving me?’ she asked again, painfully aware that this was truly an option, but not willing to back down.

‘I’ll give you one more week. One more week of my heart and soul, then I have to do what’s best for me. I’ll back away and you won’t see me anymore.’ He seemed to not know what to do with his hands; he clenched his fists, then crossed his arms, then put them down by his side. Once he’d finished giving her his ultimatum, he left the bedroom.