Seafoam //Completed//

Chapter 38

Guilt gnawed at Lulu's chest for the rest of the day. She and Zac didn't get a chance to talk after he told her about his accident. Liam got there just as they were about to finish their conversation, taking away what little courage Lulu had of confessing everything.

"Zac!" Liam flew through the door, forcing Lulu and Zac to pull apart abruptly. "Oh, sorry," he laughed a little nervously. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but, dude, Uncle Diego and Aunt Esther are here, downstairs." He looked towards Zac, a question in his voice.

She turned away, half relieved for the interruption, clutching at her belly.

"You didn't tell me your parents were coming." There was a hint of jealousy in Liam's accusation, and not for the first time, Lulu was left wondering what had become of Liam's parents that he should be living here with his grandparents.

"They didn't tell me they were coming." Zac ran his hands through his hair in agitation. Liam only shrugged unconsciously.

"I'd better go then," Lulu said looking towards the window. The climb down would be difficult, but she was sure she could manage. Liam noticed her eyeing the window and guessed her thoughts.

"There's actually a set of stairs which will take you out the back. You don't need to use the front door," he winked. Her eyes snapped to Zac who was turned away from her, and she wondered if he minded that she wouldn't meet his parents, but she couldn't face them.

She nodded and walked towards the door, and past Zac. "I'll call you later," she told him and walked out, Liam right behind her. He led her towards his room, taking a left turn into a little hall Lulu had never been down, and opened a small door to their right. It opened up to a rickety set of stairs which led into the, thankfully empty, kitchen.

Liam stopped before she could leave. "My aunt and uncle will be staying here the whole week, but don't worry, Lulu. We'll figure out a way for you to stay, I promise."

She'd become an inconvenience, homeless once again. Still, Liam's earnestness made her smile. There was still light in the sky outside. A golden halo broke through the blue-green clouds, making it look as if the sea were above. Lulu didn't want to go to Ava's house, so she set off towards the beach. It was a difficult walk through the cold but it helped clear her mind. She didn't want to think about where she would sleep that night or what she'd do with her things tomorrow. All there was left to do was walk and wait. Her life was in the hands of others, and though she hated losing control, this slow freefall was a welcomed respite from the constant worry.

Despite how much she just wanted to only feel the cold on her skin and let the smell of the sea pull her towards it, Zac forced his way into her thoughts. She couldn't stop thinking about how hurt he looked when he told her about the accident or how he'd cried, mourning the permanent loss of his sight. Through her head ran countless ways and scenarios by which she could tell him the truth, but none of them ended very well. Maybe she didn't need to tell him ever. How could he possibly find out she was the girl from that night, if he couldn't see her?

Distracted, she must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, because when she focused properly on her surroundings, she realized she was in a foreign part of town. If she strained her ears, she could hear the waves of the ocean and the cries of the seagulls, but they were too far off. There was something vaguely familiar about these streets, as if she'd seen a picture of these buildings a long time ago. Especially the brick building across the street from her. Night had fallen as she'd walked through the streets, and with it, the temperature. Her jacket wasn't much in the way of protection against the bracing wind so she walked swiftly to the brick building, praying it was open. With a jolt, she realized why she'd recognized the area. She'd been here countless times on school fieldtrips and walks with her parents, during the daytime. Only once before had she been here during the night when the shadows fell sharply and warped everything to look more ominous. The night of Zac's accident. This building was the marine museum in which his grandfather had worked once; the same one which had caved in on top of them.