Mates 86

Chapter 86

FREDA WHITLOCK

“Lyra” I called out a bit louder. Her reaction to my question was clearly a confirmation to my thoughts. The ‘mate’ she muttered earlier must have had something to do with her sour mood.

She turned away from me and looked towards the grass beneath her feet and I could see tears pooling in her eyes. I hated seeing my best friend in pain like this.

Lyra had always been there for me so why couldn’t I be there when she needed me?. ‘Why couldn’t she trust me enough to share what was bothering her?. Why didn’t she want me to be there for her as well?”

My heart twisted a little in pain at the thought that Lyra was pushing me away. But I wasn’t going to back down. She was going to have to tell me what was wrong with her whether she liked it or not.

“Lyra” I called out a bit more fiercely this time. “What’s going on with you?,I asked you a question and you kept mute. What are you hiding from me Lyra that you’re unwilling to share?”

“What’s eating you up so bad that you are slowly becoming a shadow of your former self?. I’m your friend, Lyra, and it hurts. me to think that you don’t trust me enough to share what’s bothering you, when I’ve always come clean with you”.

“So I’m going to ask you one more time Lyra, what the hell is

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going on?” I was panting heavily by now and my eyes glistened. with unshed tears. I was already frustrated with all that was going on in my life. I didn’t want Lyra to make things difficult for both of us.

I looked at Lyra expectantly as I waited for her reply but all I got was a heart breaking silence. My heart dropped to my stomach and I was hurt. One lone tear ran down my cheek but I wiped it off quickly.

I

“Fine, if you’re not going to tell me what’s wrong I won’t push. But at least come back inside,it’s uncomfortable out here”. I stated as I helped Lyra up to her feet. We both dusted grass off ourselves as we headed back in.

Before Lyra was able to open the door I pulled her back and gave her a tight hug. “I don’t know what is eating you up Lyra but I want you to know that I’ll always be there for you. I’d never judge you.

You know that”.

“All I’m asking is that you trust me. Trust me enough to tell me what’s wrong. What are friends for if we can’t share our problems with each other. Okay?”

She pulled away gently from the hug as she gave me a small smile. “Thanks Freda, but everything is okay. Just tired”.

I shook my head as I gave up on trying to probe her for answers. and we walked back into the house..

Cole and the rest were still at the table as they talked in hushed tones. Gina and Elle mostly, while Cole was texting on his

phone.

Cole looked up when he noticed our presence in the room. “You

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Chapter 80

guys are back”. He stated as he glanced from me to Lyra.

“Thank God, you guys took an awfully long time. Everything. okay?” Gina asked as she scanned my face. I wondered if she noticed I was close to tears.

“Yeah,it was a really long girl’s talk. Right Lyra?” I laughed

nervously as I nudged Lyra in the ribs. “Yeah” she stated with a lack of enthusiasm.

“Okay” Elle said awkwardly. “We were just waiting for you guys. to come back before we went to bed”.

“Oh you didn’t have to wait up” I said. “It’s already so late. You guys should go to sleep”.

“Okay, Goodnight Freda” Elle and Gina said in unison as they spared one last glance at Lyra and went to the room I showed them earlier.

Cole, who had been observing the interaction between us girls, stood up too. “Good night, Freda”

he said softly as he let out a

yawn.

“Goodnight Cole”. I replied and he headed to his room. I glanced at Lyra who followed him with her eyes. “Lyra, you should head to bed too, you’ve had a long day” I stated softly as I placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Good night, Freda“, she stated softly and went to her room. I sighed at the new version of my best friend. I shook my head. and turned out all the lights.

I checked on Cisco, and seeing he was still fast asleep, I headed for my room. I slept off thinking of possible causes of Lyra’s

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change of mood.

The next morning, I dragged my lazy body out bed as I headed for the bathroom to wash my face. I still hadn’t come up with a possible cause for Lyra’s strange behaviour.

I decided to try again today. Maybe she’d have calmed down. enough to tell me what was bothering her. I washed my face quickly and headed for Lyra’s room.

“Lyra I knocked softly then entered into the room. ‘Strange’, Lyra wasn’t in the room. I decided to check around the house. maybe she was in the kitchen or something.

“Lyra” I called out as I searched around the house. Just then Elle and Gina where coming out of their room. “Have you guys seen. Lyra?, she isn’t anywhere around the house”. I asked worriedly.

“No, we haven’t, but I heard some crying last night, I’m very sure the sounds were coming from her room”. Gina disclosed and I frowned.

I was about to ask more questions when Cisco showed up. “Mummy, can you help me shower?”, he asked, his voice still groggy from sleep.

“Of course, honey” I replied softly as I scopped him up and we headed to the bathroom. As I was washing him up, he began to speak.

“Mummy, where is aunty Lyra?, she’s wasn’t in her room when I checked her”. Cisco asked curiously as he peered at me with a face filled with soap lather.

1288 Wouchers I would have laughed at his state of apperance if I wasn’t already so upset about the whole Lyra situation, everyone in the house now had an idea that something was up with Lyra.

“Yes, sweetheart, she went out to do a few things” I lied

smoothly and Cisco nodded and didn’t ask any more questions which I was grateful for. I hated lying but I had no idea what was up with Lyra.

Soon, I had him showered and dressed and left him in the care of Gina and Elle and left for the kitchen where I was about to dial Lyra’s number to ask her where she was when she walked into the kitchen sweating.

“Where have you been Lyra? You just left the house without. telling anyone, we were worried, what happened?”

“Umm, I went jogging” she replied slowly and my mouth opened in shock. What the hell!