Closer Each Day

[I love music]

Nice update, Eli. Glad things might be working out for DeAnna.

[Eli]

Thank you

Chapter 11 - Unexpected

"DeAnna? DeAnna Phillips?! You are kidding, right?"

Pippa stared at her mother and stepfather.

Sally bit her lip, this was exactly the kind of reaction from Pippa she had been fearing.

"Why would you do that?" Johannah interrupted, "I didn't think you liked her?"

"She made a mistake," Sally simply said, "Like you did, if I'm allowed to point that out, and you're still living here."

Johannah went very quiet.

"I don't want her to move in," Pippa said, "I don't like her." She could hear how selfish and childish it sounded.

"But you live in the apartment," Richard pointed out, "It's not like you would have to share a room with her."

"I guess you're right," Pippa muttered, "But don't expect me to be friends with her!"

Sally smiled.

"We don't," she said, "But we expect you to treat her fairly and with respect."

Pippa bit her lip just like Sally had.

"Okay," she muttered, very hesitantly, "She can move in."

The cappuccino machine was on top of its evilness again.

VJ had just spent ten minutes apologising to a busload of tourists complaining about tiny plastic bits and a unmistakable taste of burnt plastic in their coffee.

"I will kill you if you don't stop acting like that," VJ muttered angrily to the coffee machine while emptying the returned cups of the customers.

"First sign of insanity; telling a coffee machine to behave," A voice said behind him. Tina smiled.

"Is the thing spitting out plastic again?" she asked.

"And burning some of them!" VJ replied.

Tina laughed so hard she had to put down the trey she was carrying, and VJ had to take care of the customers by himself.

"Hey, Tina, when you're done laughing, can you take care of everything by yourself, I'm going on lunch break!" he shouted after giving a group of teenagers their change.

"Sure," Tina replied, "Stephen will be here any minute anyway."

VJ took off his apron and grabbed a milkshake before leaving.

He went to the beach as usual, there was a lot of people there on a sunny day like that, and by the fence under the big tree he could spot someone he knew.

He didn't really know if he wanted to talk to him. On one hand he wanted to talk to him about something, but on the other hand he didn't want any conversation at all with him.

He finally decided on the first option and walked over to him.

"Hi," he said, almost regretting his decision.

Vinnie turned around, surprised, but happy to see him.

"Hi," he replied, "I wasn't expecting to see you!"

"I just thought I'd say hi," VJ muttered, "I kind of need your opinion on something."

Vinnie couldn't hide how happy it made him to hear his son ask him for advice for the very first time.

"Sure," he said, trying not to sound so blissful, "Bring it on."

VJ took a deep breath.

"I have a girlfriend," he said, "But I've done something stupid..."

He hadn't even opened the door properly before Pippa started talking.

"Please tell me you can give me a romantic night," she said, practically running him down in the rush to get in to the house, "I really need it right now!"

"Hey, hey, what's going on?" VJ asked, "Bad day?"

Pippa rolled her eyes.

"Mum and Richard want to let DeAnna Phillips move in," she said.

"Why is that so bad?" VJ asked, frowning, "It's not like you live in the house with them."

Pippa growled angrily, like a dog seeing a cat through a glass door and not being able to do anything about it.

"WHY do people keep asking me that?" she exclaimed, "I just don't want her to move in, I don't like that girl!"

VJ smiled and gently put his arm around her.

"Let's get her out of your head," he said, and for a split second Pippa thought he sounded nervous, "We're gonna have a cosy night."

"You were right," Pippa said and put the last plate in the dishwasher, "You sure know how to make a girl feel loved."

She kissed him on the cheek.

"What was your favourite part?" VJ asked, "Me letting you put the plates in the dishwasher?"

"It's on the top three list," Pippa giggled, "But I don't think it'll beat the rest of the night, cause I'm sleeping over. In your bed!"

She said the last words like she was announcing a big birthdayparty to a five-year old.

VJ smiled.

"Last one to the bedroom has to take out the plates from the dishwasher tomorrow!"

VJ kissed her neck, but it felt wrong. The way it made her giggle, made it feel even more wrong.

Pippa kissed him back and started taking off his shirt.

"Who do you love?" she asked.

"Mhrrmmm... You..." VJ said, and she bit on to his neck. VJ had a feeling he would have a hickey there tomorrow, and normally he would have found it funny, but this felt nothing but wrong.

Pippa rolled on top of him, letting go of his neck and throwing his shirt out if the bed. Again he seemed reluctant and weird.

"Pippa, stop it," he suddenly muttered and rolled over so they were laying next to each other, "I need to talk to you..."

Pippa stared at him, something was wrong.

"What is it?" she said, "What did you do?"

It was half a joke, half a question. VJ didn't laugh.

"I didn't tell you the entire truth about what happened after I went windsurfing with Tina," he said, and swallowed.

"You slept with Tina?" Pippa said, looking both shocked and disgusted.

VJ swallowed again, thinking how horrible it was to wish that had been the truth.

"No," he slowly said, "I slept with DeAnna..."

[I love music]

"First sign of insanity; telling a coffee machine to behave

Oh, trust me, the best way to get a machine to behave is to threaten it and tell it you're getting a new one! Always works!

"No," he slowly said, "I slept with DeAnna..."

Uh-oh!

Good chapter, Eli, had a nice, easy flow, especially with the conversation.

[SfanS]

Argh, just caught up!

Sorry I neglected you, Eli. *feels ashamed*

VJ, you fool! How I hate you right now, VJ.

The cappuccino machine was on top of its evilness again.

*shakes head* the villain in every story. Always the Cappuccino machine.

"First sign of insanity; telling a coffee machine to behave," A voice said behind him. Tina smiled.

Tina: Villain no. 2.

"I have a girlfriend," he said, "But I've done something stupid..."

Ypu can say that again!

Pippa growled angrily, like a dog seeing a cat through a glass door and not being able to do anything about it.

Love that description!

"What was your favourite part?" VJ asked, "Me letting you put the plates in the dishwasher?"

LOL!

She said the last words like she was announcing a big birthdayparty to a five-year old

Well, it's basically the same thing....

"You slept with Tina?" Pippa said, looking both shocked and disgusted.

VJ swallowed again, thinking how horrible it was to wish that had been the truth.

"No," he slowly said, "I slept with DeAnna..."

Agh, Sh**!

NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THat's worse! *Starts to cry uncontrollably*

[Eli]

Thanks

Don't worry, Sarah, I just really appreciate that someone is still reading this

[Eli]

I'm sorry it's been so long since the last update, but I've been so extremely busy! Hope you like the new chapter

Chapter 12 - Midnight

It was almost midnight, and no one was on the beach.

Pippa sunk down in the sand, crying hysterically, not knowing that the two people who were the reason she cried had started their reason for her to hate them at the exact same spot she was sitting.

It was almost midnight, and no one was on the beach.

The loneliness of the ocean reflected her own loneliness so well, and that was why she came down here after dark when she felt a bit lonely.

She shouldn't feel lonely though, only hours earlier Sally Fletcher had offered her a place to live. She had said yes, and agreed to, for the first time in years, live in a family.

A real family, not just herself and no one else to worry about.

DeAnna wrapped her arms around her knees and stared out at the dark ocean, lonely like her.

Another night was about to become another sleepless night.

DeAnna had promised never to tell her secret to anyone, but somehow the news about her moving in with them hadn't comforted Johannah.

If Pippa and DeAnna got closer and started sharing secrets... No, they wouldn't. Pippa hated DeAnna, there was no way they would ever be friends.

But still, Johannah knew this would be another sleepless night.

VJ locked the door and zipped up his jacket. It was pretty chilly outside, but the warm, comfy bed inside didn't tempt him at all right now.

Determined, silently and without any hesitation at all he walked away from the house, and towards the beach, where he knew he would find Pippa.

He didn't run, didn't rush, just walked calmly, leaving footprints in the sand.

She hadn't gone that far, he could see her even from the fence, and that was the reason why he knew this had happened before.

It had been a different girl, but it had been the same helpless cries and the same spot in the sand, just between the big, slippery rocks.

He had seen DeAnna sit there like this, at the exactly same place.

Suddenly he wasn't so determined anymore. He knew the last time he had tried to talk to someone sitting there it had ended in catastrophe.

Pippa wasn't DeAnna, but the cries were the same.

After hesitating for only a second VJ turned around and walked back to his warm, comfy bed.

DeAnna knew this was all wrong. Deep inside she knew Pippa deserved to know.

She was tired of making mistakes, and if she came clean now she would never have to face moving out because they didn't want her, she would just never move in.

She had seen her running in the sand, collapsing at the same spot she had collapsed in deep despair not long ago.

Slowly, not sure if she had the guts to do this, DeAnna got up and started walking towards the girl who hated her.

It had been impossible to see DeAnna from where she sat, but Pippa could feel the person walking up to her from behind was DeAnna.

"I don't want to talk to you," she practically screamed, her throat felt scratchy and dry from all the crying.

DeAnna didn't move. She had stopped behind her, standing still two feet away from her.

Pippa turned around to scream at her again, but was put to silence when she realised DeAnna wasn't looking at her, but staring at the ocean and crying.

"I need to confess something Pippa," DeAnna said. Her voice was shaky and thin.

"I know you slept with VJ!" Pippa shouted back, "I know you slept with my boyfriend!"

DeAnna didn't look surprised, and for the first time she actually looked at Pippa. Then, without changing her expression at all she opened her mouth.

"I need to confess something, Pippa..." DeAnna repeated, looking scared.

[I love music]

The loneliness of the ocean reflected her own loneliness so well, and that was why she came down here after dark when she felt a bit lonely.

Great line, Eli. DeAnna is a fascinating character.

[Eli]

Thank you, I'm glad you think so

I'm really sorry I haven't been good at updating lately, I blame the good weather.

Chapter 13 - Coming clean

It was in the middle of the night, but none of them really realised it until the first birds started singing. It wasn't even sunrise when DeAnna and Pippa got up from the beach and headed home.

It had truly been a bizarre night, and now it was like every feeling was washed out of both of them. If someone had told Pippa at midnight that by dawn she and DeAnna would walk side by side home, she would have thought they were crazy. Now she didn't even know if she was angry with DeAnna. Her confession required something bigger than anger, but it was something about the pain in DeAnna's secret that seemed to erase all anger and bitterness.

DeAnna had come clean, and for the first time in ages Pippa saw a light at the end of the tunnel, and a possible end to her nightmare.

As they came closer to the house, DeAnna suddenly stopped.

"Are you sure Sally is the first person we should tell?" she said, seeming a little shaky.

Pippa stopped as well.

"How sure are you about the story you told me? Do you know for sure it is exactly how everything happened?"

"Positive," DeAnna replied.

"You are sure she didn't lie to you?" Pippa asked nervously.

DeAnna nodded.

"Yeah," she said, "Let's go to the police."

They had been waiting for almost three hours before any of the detectives came to the police station. Both Detective Hartford and Detective Ray arrived around 8.30, surprised to see DeAnna and Pippa.

"Ms. Phillips, Ms. Saunders, what are you doing here?" Liam Hartford greeted them as soon as he had put down his document folder and coffee.

"They are here with what they claim is new evidence in the kidnapping case," Lillian Ray replied, she had already been there a few minutes and heard the reason why the girls were there.

Detective Hartford frowned and scratched his chin.

"What kind of evidence are we talking about?" he asked, but before either of the girls got a chance to reply to that question, Detective Ray raised her hand.

"We better go into an interrogation room," she said, "I want to talk to Ms. Phillips first as she was the one with the most information, did I get that right?"

She turned to DeAnna who nodded and got up.

"You can wait here in the meantime," Detective Hartford said to Pippa as Detective Ray brought DeAnna to the interrogation room, "Maria will show you where to sit."

VJ hadn't really slept much, and around eight he gave up getting any more sleep at all.

He kind of regretted not going after Pippa and trying to talk to her, and he felt guilty for hurting her again.

But he didn't really want to push her or force himself on to her, so he decided the best opportunity he had to see her was to not call in sick at work after all.

He went to work right before ten, and found the diner pretty close to chaos.

"I'm so glad you're here," Tina exclaimed the moment he entered the door, "Stephen had to make some calls, so Alexa and I have been by ourselves all morning, and on top of it all this bus full of tourists arrived and-"

"It's okay," VJ blew her off and tied his apron, "I'm here now, take a break or something."

Tina couldn't help noticing VJ seemed grumpy and distant, and he seemed to stare at the door an awful lot of time, and practically jump up whenever anyone entered.

"Are you okay?" she asked when they finally got to sit down and relax as soon as the bus left the parking lot.

"I'm fine," VJ muttered, but he didn't seem fine.

"Wanna go windsurfing again this weekend?" Tina tried, and finally she got something that seemed like a real reaction.

VJ looked up, and he looked genuinely sorry when he replied.

"I'm sorry Tina," he said, "I don't think I can go windsurfing with you this weekend."

"I haven't seen Pippa all day," Richard muttered from behind the paper, "Where is she anyway?"

"Oh, she stayed with VJ last night," Sally said, smiling, "I suppose she's spending the day with him."

"Good to see them back together," Richard said, "It's obvious he's making her happy."

"Yeah, and I think she's making-"

Someone knocked on the door, and Johannah shouted from the stairs; "I'll get it!"

"You were saying dear?" Richard said, folded the paper and looked over at the door.

"I think Pippa makes VJ happy too," Sally said quickly, looking at the tall, handsome man behind the door Johannah had just opened.

"Detective Hartford!" Sally exclaimed, surprised to see him, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for Johannah," Liam replied, sounding serious before turning to Johannah.

"Johannah Michelle Davis, you are under arrest for witnessing false and slowing down the investigation of the kidnapping of Pippa Saunders."

[I love music]

Intriguing chapter. Don't leave it there!

[Eli]

Thanks, I will be updating again soon