24

                                    

                                          
When I got home, Andy, Tom and Jake were sat in the living room watching a movie.
                          
"Hey, Millie!" Andy called through, sticking a hand in the air.
                          
I closed the front door. "Hey." I said back. Jake must have sensed that I wasn't in the best of moods, as he turned from the TV screen and looked at me. I pursed my lips, and walked into the kitchen, putting the kettle on.
                          
A few seconds later, Jake was standing next to me.
                          
"I take it your conversation with Kate didn't go well?" He asked, keeping his voice hushed.
                          
I looked up at him, shaking my head. "It was awful." I said, and rubbed my hand over my forehead. "I don't think it could have gone any worse."
                          
"What happened?" He asked.
                          
I sighed. "I think I nearly froze her face off."
                          
"Ah." Jake said, leaning on the counter top. I grabbed a mug, and started making my cup of tea.
                          
"Yeah." I said. "I was hoping to find out more about this doctor dude, but I let my emotions get the better of me."
                          
Jake frowned. "Don't beat yourself up too much about it." He said. "It's not every day your best friend hands you over to some psycho doctor."
                          
"I guess, but I'm wondering how things would have turned out if I just told her about all of this in the first place." I said.
                          
"I mean, I'm no expert, but it's not just any secret you can go round telling everyone." Jake said. "You only told me because I saw you."
                          
"True." I said.
                          
"You would have told her if she asked." Jake said. "But I'm assuming that you didn't tell her for her own good?"
                          
I nodded. "I thought it was for her own good. But we certainly wouldn't be in this mess if I'd told her."
                          
"Millie, stop." Jake said firmly. "This isn't your fault-"
                          
"What's not her fault?" Andy said, coming into the kitchen.
                          
I waved a hand. "Just friendship trouble." I said.
                          
"Kate's being a bitch." Jake chimed in.
                          
"Oh, damn. Well, I hope you sort it out." He said, before leaving the kitchen with a packet of biscuits. He obviously didn't want to know about it in detail, which I was thankful for. I guess he probably thought it was just the usual kind of argument.
                          
"So what are you gonna do?" Jake asked as soon as Andy was clear of the room.
                          
I shrugged, holding the mug of tea against my chest and letting the steam warm my face. "For now, I don't think I can do anything." I said. "Ronan is adamant that I stay away from the Doctor Geralds situation until he says so. That's why I was gonna talk to Kate- I thought I might be able to help. Seems I just made things worse."
                          
"Kate will come around." He said. "When she realises what a fucking idiot she's been."
                          
"Hopefully that's sooner rather than later." I said, meaning it. I didn't feel like I could approach Kate again any time soon without stirring up the same emotions, and possibly scaring her away even more. If I was to show her that I really wasn't the bad one in all this, and that Doctor Geralds was, I had to play things safe. Keep my distance. Then, perhaps a situation might arise that I could show her that I'm still the same person as last year. That whatever lies Doctor Geralds had told her were, in fact, lies.
                          
"You'll figure it out." Jake said. "You always do."
                          
I smiled. "Thanks. I think I'm gonna head to bed now."