THE ESCAPE

Flora awoke to the light of the sun shining through the curtains. She scowled and the occurrences of the previous night gradually returned. She sunk as she knew that Marcus was not in the bed anymore. The papers were messed up, hot where she had been lying on them.

She leaned her legs to the edge of the bed and her feet came in contact with the cold wood. Her head throbbed slightly. Panic hit her first. What if Lily walked in? Suppose that Marcus said something? She needed to leave. Now.

Flora silently picked her clothes on the floor and got dressed. She did not even go to the mirror. She just wanted to disappear. She had a shaky finger when tying her shoes and walked down the stairs cautiously hoping to get out unchallenged.

Her nose was assailed to the bottom by the aroma of cooking. She froze.

Marcus was standing at the stove, turning eggs, and had an apron over his T-shirt. He looked up and saw her. His eyebrows shot up.

“Good morning,” he said in his calm voice.

Flora’s throat went dry. She mumbled, “Morning.”

He tilted his head. “You slept in. That’s… early for you.”

She burst out into laughter and moved nearer. “Yeah… something like that.”

Marcus’s gaze didn’t leave her. “Flora, we need to talk.”

Her chest tightened. “No, we don’t.”

He put aside the spatula and crossed his hands. “Lily will be coming back in a couple of minutes. You can’t just leave without—”

“I have to go,” Flora said quickly. “I can’t—look, just forget it. I’ll be fine.”

Marcus frowned. “Flora…”

“I said I’ll be fine!” Her voice was sharper than she would have meant. She knew it, but she did not take a halt. She moved toward the door.

Marcus made no attempt to prevent her, but his eyes were as attentive to her movements as possible. “You need not do this alone, you know.”

Flora hesitated half a second, but the conscience and the panic conquered. “I can’t stay. I need to go.”

She crept out of the door, and into the cool morning air, almost falling over the steps of the porch. The ride home in the cab seemed to be endless. She looked through the window and clutched the edge of the seat, and her thoughts were the kiss, and the hands, and the… everything.

Upon arrival home, she closed the door behind her and made a beeline to the bathroom. The hot water felt her skin when she entered the shower and for a couple of minutes she forgot the hangover, forgot the alcohol, forgot Marcus, forgot Ryan, forgot the betrayal.

Her phone buzzed. She took it and noticed the name Ryan. She hesitated, then answered.

“Where have you been?!” Ryan’s voice was sharp.

“I… I was… busy,” she said, hastening to appear calm.

“I’ve been calling! You didn’t answer anything. Do you know what today is?”

Flora’s stomach sank. “Uh… Monday?”

“Really? Really, Flora?” His voice was incredulous. “It’s my best friend’s birthday. And she wanted you there, in particular. I am not believing you have just neglected that.”

Flora’s heart thudded. “I… yeah, I’ll come. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be there.”

There was a long pause. “Okay… see you soon.”

She hung up and sighed shudderingly. “Okay. You can do it. You just have to play normal. All is well, all right,” she said to herself.

Ryan arrived an hour later outside her house in his car. Flora sat down in the passenger seat, attempting to sit up straight and conceal the tension of her body.

“You look… tired,” Ryan said, and looked at her.

“Oh… long night,” she said to herself and continued to stare at the window.

The drive was quiet. Flora clenched her hands in her lap. Her stomach churned. So, what would she do with such a secret in front of a room full of people? However, she said to herself that she had no option.

As they came in, the apartment was filled. Music and laughter poured into the hall. Flora’s pulse quickened. Her head was down as she followed Ryan.

“Everyone! Can I have your attention?” she called, and got on the little platform before the kitchen. The room quieted.

“Well, this evening,” Flora, her voice shook a little, “we are here to celebrate somebody.” She smiled against her will, and looked over the crowd. “But, not all, it seems, have told the truth.”

Some laughed in a nervous manner. Ryan frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Flora held up her hand. “I just want to say… Selena has been excessively familiar of late. And seemingly, there have been people who have been crossing boundaries. The example is, having sex with the partners of others.”

The room went silent. Selena’s face paled. She opened her mouth, yet Flora had not finished.

“I believe that it is significant that all people here are aware of the truth. The things have their effects, and lying does not make anybody better.”

Individuals moved restlessly around. Ryan bent over and whispered, “Flora, what are you—”

But Flora went on, and did not notice him. “Some things… can’t stay hidden. And now I believe that all people need to know where they are. Oh, and Selena, good luck to his mom he leaves me to you.”

Selena was red-cheeked and furious.

There was a muttering of voices, and the party moved into anarchy. People were talking over each other, some of them were trying to comfort Selena, others stared at Flora as though she was a hero or a villain, she could not tell which one.

Flora’s phone buzzed again. She drew it out shaking her hands. The display was enlightened with the name of Lily.

Her heart stopped.

She replied, with a flat, cautious voice, attempting to be normal.

“Hello?”

“We need to talk,” Lily said. Her voice was neutral, calm, yet there was something behind it, a weight, a warning.

Flora’s stomach dropped. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t speak. She could only listen.

“Uh… okay,” she whispered.