Dawning (Dysmorphia Series #3)

Two Sides

Florence couldn't quite explain why seeing Andrew's face filled her with such joy, but it did the conformation that he was okay and could call her to reassure her of this fact made her beam with happiness.

Andrew was also in the beaming mood, all smiles as he showed her his room and told her about his charity group and how tomorrow they would be installing a water pump in the centre of the village, her heart swelled with pride the feeling of dread she had before seemed to have evaporated, he was fine and doing amazing things.

"How was your first day on tour? Did you meet lots of adoring fans?"

"Well... it was a change from my usual routine, I guess that kind of thing takes getting used to"

She didn't know why she didn't want to tell the truth, that she had completely frozen and bene unable to address the crowd, she just didn't want to ruin the moment by bringing in a negative, this was a conversation of positives.

"Well not everyone's cut out for the celebrity author life" he raised his eyebrows jokingly.

"In my wildest dreams I never would have imagined I would be marrying Phillipson's dearest sweetheart and nationwide hero"

Florence had to laugh at that, fame was a fickle thing one day everyone loved you and the tabloids were discussing how you were going to have a picture perfect wedding and live in your very own happily ever after, the next day there was an article about whether Dysmorphia encouraged anorexic thoughts.

You couldn't win with the press so she'd decided to do the next best thing, to ignore them, if people really loved her for her writing they would read her books and not try and invade her personal life.

"Well you don't have to worry about my head getting too big to fit through the apartment door because I don't particularly like being in the spotlight"

She hadn't meant to snap at him, or had she?

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that, I was just kidding around, really how was it tell me everything"

His face was slightly pixellated and she didn't like it.

"In truth Andrew, it was horrible I saw this girl I used to know back at high school you could say she was my best friend but there was nothing good about her friendship, she abandoned me at the time when I needed her the most so I froze when I saw her and literally closed off if it hadn't been for..."

"Oh jesus Flo, I'm so sorry I should have been there, I can get an early flight back if you need me"

She shook her head, she wasn't going to cry or let herself relive the panic that she'd felt when expectant eyes gazed up at her and she had no words to offer the crowd.

"It's fine, I think its more of a first day kind of thing, Cooper's going to come and bring Amberly tomorrow so that will be my moral support sorted"

She smiled hoping it didn't look fake.

"If your sure..."

When had this chat got so very awkward?

"Andrew, Becca is calling us!"

Florence hunched in her seat, he was going already.

"That would be Crystal, I'm so sorry Flo but we need to go for a briefing and health and safety check up, I love you and I hope the rest of your tour goes better, keep me updated and I'll see you tomorrow at the same time?"

"Yeah sure, love you too Andrew"

And the video cut off just as a girl with long pink hair and silver stars painted on the side of her face entered Andrew's room looking like she'd stepped out of a magazine.

The screen went black, so that must be Crystal.

Florence realised that even if you had fan pages created for you, 1.8 million followers on Twitter and thousands of emails in your inbox you could still feel incredibly lonely.

Her personal phone beeped then, and she picked it up expecting to see a text from Andrew, something motivational or something sweet but instead she saw a message from an unknown number, now this was strange no one who she hadn't given her number to was able to text her on this phone.

She didn't know whether she wanted to open it, if it was some kind of hateful message she would probably promptly burst into tears, but she had to open it, just to see.

You think that every time we see each other we have to part on worse terms than when we began the conversation, I think that's just your defence mechanism, but let me tell you one thing you can keep up the act of indifference in front of people who don't know you well but your forgetting that I know you Florence, so just be kind to yourself and drop the pretence

She'd read the text in his voice because she knew that it had to be from Cole, before they'd lost touch he'd had her number and he was the only person she knew who would send such a cryptic text, she really didn't want to reply but before she could stop herself her fingers did the work for her.

Cole generally when people send messages at 11pm from unknown numbers they state their name but seeing as you knew I would know this was you your forgiven for that, what your not forgiven for is mistakenly thinking that I'm somehow pretending, let me assure you I'm being 100% me right now and if you don't like that find someone else to message

Well that had turned out to be more sarcastic than she'd intended but the boy was getting on her nerves assuming things and trying to act like he could see right through her when he really couldn't. 

She would have called Cooper to rant but her best friend was probably collapsed with exhaustion at this time after a busy day with Amberly, and her university friends weren't the type she could rant to, their conversations were mostly happy and carefree.

Another beep, she cursed and then opened the message.

Why would I message anyone else when I can imagine your annoyed expression right now as you read this?

God, he would be the death of her, she was tired and pissed off and also very sad, this was not prime time to be winding her up.

Okay when you've stopped being obnoxious about nothing and messaging me just for the sake of messaging me let me know Cole, right now I'm going to bed so I hope you have sweet dreams about whatever you have dreams about and I bid you goodnight

Her parents would be back very late, there was no point in waiting up for them so instead Florence changed into her nightdress, brushed her teeth and removed her makeup ready for a hopefully dreamless sleep where she could escape her worldly problems.

On instinct she checked her phone and saw one more message from unknown number.

Good night, sleep tight I will be dreaming of you with all my might

Heavens above, did he not know that she was engaged?

There were such things as boundaries and he'd better toe the line, nothing was going to ruin the fragility of her life even more than infuriatingly cute texts like that.

She shouldn't be smiling as she closed her night light.

But she was.