[TEXT MESSAGE] To Fiona @ middleowens

[aussielawyer]

[Follows THIS]

Mark had called in sick, and had gone back to bed. In hindsight, it probably wasn't such a bad idea. Everything was catching up with him, and he did feel like shit, but he knew it was probably 70% being a wank knob, and 20% maybe coming down with something. The other 10% was undoubtedly fear over seeing Ali in the wake of her

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[middleowens]

Fiona had been staring into space, her cell phone sitting nearby. She didn't know what to do any more. Every thought was filled with Mark, and she still couldn't believe she'd run out. Why had she done that? He had to be thinking she was such a bitch.

Fuck.

She jumped as her cell went off, signalling a message. If it was Izzy she was doomed. She had yet to tell her sister about Mark, and she was almost scared to. What would Iz think?

Fiona picked up her phone, and opened the message, her breath escaping in a rush of air. It was Mark. Her heart skipped a beat, and she gazed at the message for a long time before she even tried to formulate one to send back.

IM SRRY 4 RUNNING. MISS U. GOT SCRD.

She hit send, and immediately slapped herself in the forehead. What the hell kind of reply was that?

[aussielawyer]

The phone slipped out of Mark's hand when it went off again. He got a fright and lost his grip. He hadn't expect any sort of response. In fact, he was sure that was going to be the end of the whole thing. He was apprehensive about reading the reply, especially after checking the ID and see it was her and not James with another dirty joke or picture message of his bare arse.

He brought the message up and just stared at it for a long time. He never expected the ball to get launched firmly back in his court. His head was already spinning and now he didn't know what he was supposed to do. He could feel those dangerous flames of the risky fire licking at his toes again.

Despite his brain offering a silent diatribe of Don't answer, don't answer, don't answer... he punched in a second message and hit send, squeezing his lips with his fingers from nerves.

SCRD OF WHT?

[middleowens]

Fiona sighed. How did she even begin to explain in a message? It would have been better to have been talking to him face to face, but the thought of it was enough to make Fiona's stomach twist. Could she even see him again?

PHOTO OF U, JIM, ALI & IZ. UR HIS BROTHER.

[aussielawyer]

She knew. She saw. The photo. "Dog's balls," he cursed and rolled over on his stomach to bury his face into the pillow. He wanted to stay like that forever. It meant he didn't have to think ever again, or bother with those stupid fucking things called emotions. If he didn't answer, though, she would think he was the chicken shit he was. There was being chicken shit and then leading someone else to agree.

He peeled his face out of the pillow and stared at the phone in his hand again with one eye, the other still squished against the pillow.

TLD U I WAS A WNKR