*＊✿❀ Chapter Eight ❀✿＊*

Porthcawl beach was quiet today. The sand blew around in the wind, covering the footprints that were once there. It was nothing like a busy day in the summer. On the hottest of days you'd barely be able to see the sand with all the people scattered around enjoying themselves. There would be donkey rides, food stalls and a fairground. Marcia loved the random stall nearby that sold bath bombs, but she wasn't the biggest fan of the rest of it. She preferred it like this, in the winter, when the atmosphere was more tranquil.

None of that was open today. Today it was just the odd dog walker braving the windy walk along the shoreline.

Marcia walked gracefully down the hill of sand to find Freya. Only she could pull it off so elegantly. When Freya had arrived she'd almost fallen over three or four times.

The blonde wore a warm, pale blue jumper. She dug her fingers into the sleeves in an attempt to keep her hands warm.

There was an unusually miserable look upon her face, like she was worn out; tired of everything life was throwing her. She wanted to curl up into a ball and hibernate for the rest of the winter but instead, she was walking towards more problems. Quite literally.

"Hi," Marcia breathed out quietly as she approached Freya. The other woman's hair was twirling around madly in the wind. Neither looked their best.

"Hey Marce."

It didn't take two seconds for Marcia to notice the apologetic look Freya was already giving her but she didn't yet understand why.

Since they'd met, Freya had been the more emotional and scared of the two women. But now, for Marcia, it felt like everything had shifted. She didn't know how to be strong when even her best friend, Carmen didn't want to see her face. She felt like a ghost of the person she'd been before all of this had happened.

"Bad news?" Marcia questioned with regret.

"Jack told me that they've found the man," blurted out Freya. Luckily she had taken a few hours to let it sink in before telling her friend. They couldn't both be panicking at the same time, then the worst kind of decisions would be made again.

Marcia nodded slowly, trying to understand what this meant. "You say the man, not the body. Does that mean he's alive?"

"For now." Freya's eyes twirled around the beach, ensuring that nobody recognisable was around. "But they're not sure he's going to make it and if he does, he can't remember a thing."

"Is Jack sure? Couldn't the man just be lying about not remembering?"

"I didn't think of that."

There was a pause. Marcia looked out at the sea and took a deep breath. Usually when she looked out at the view all she would see was beauty, but today she could only notice the negativities. The rough waves were blasting onto the sad and you could barely see a thing in the distance from the winter weather.

Eventually she forced her glare to stop and spoke again.

"Carmen won't speak to me. The excuse didn't work, she didn't believe it." Marcia rolled her finger under her eye to catch a tear.

"Hey, come here," Freya comforted, stepping forwards to wrap her arms around Marcia tightly. It was the first time they'd ever hugged and Marcia could hardly believe how natural it felt, despite her sadness.

The blonde felt the comfort of Freya running her long nails down her back. She'd noticed the other woman always had fresh, long nails no matter what situation. It was admirable. Marcia's were just left natural. During times of stress like this, she'd even nibble on them.

"You don't think we should just tell the police?" Marcia whispered into Freya's shoulder, clinging onto the other more than she intended to.

"Even with the whole story, if he dies we'll be charged with manslaughter, won't we?" Despite Freya's job in the police office, Marcia could tell that neither of them knew the legal sides to every crime. Especially crimes as serious as this one. "We have to be brave, Marce."

Freya took a step back again and looked into her eyes. Marcia tried to avoid returning the contact but something about those gorgeous, hazel eyes made it impossible.

The more Freya spoke, the more it felt like Marcia's mind was crumbling and the other woman's words were turning into an echo. Her mind couldn't even figure out what was right or wrong in this situation. It was caving in on itself and all she could do was put her trust in the opinion of somebody she'd barely known a week.

Eventually she blurted out some words. "I don't know if I can be around here whilst they're investigating. Everywhere we go people will be saying 'poor thing' or 'he didn't deserve this'. All whilst I know that he hurt me."

"...And because he's the one who's hurt, he'll always be the victim." Freya knew what the public was like, and the press too. As soon as the local papers got their hands on it, they'd be able to tell the world false information.

"It's too difficult." It was a phrase that had never before left Marcia's lips.

"Well what if we go away again? We can find somewhere to stay for a bit." She had no attachment to Trecco Bay, unlike Marcia. Not yet. "Jack will be fine. He's got his eye on a new woman now, I noticed."

"No matter what we do, we can't win," the older woman breathed out, defeated. She rested her hand against her forehead, trying to decide if it was the right decision or not. "I don't know if I can leave my job behind. Or my family, and friends."

"Marcia, you need a break! You're...You're not mentally fit to be doing your job right now."

She knew deep down that she'd needed to take some some time off ever since Alana's death but not working would leave such a large hole in her life.

It took her some time to come to a decision.

"Let's try it then," Marcia agreed with an unsure nod.

Ping.

It was Freya's phone. She looked towards Marcia before taking it out of her pocket.

It would only be one of her cousins, or Jack.

Wrong.

Wait until I tell them what you did. A x

Freya's face turned as cold as ice whilst she slowly tilted her phone around to show Marcia the message. "How did they get my number?"

"I really don't know, Freya." Marcia felt the worry immediately return to her body; that fight or flight feeling. "A? For anonymous? Is that all they could come up with? Incredibly childish."

"Childish but real. No child could get somebody's number like this. This isn't good."

"You're right, we need to leave. I'm going to go to the doctor's this afternoon, I'll book it in as an emergency. I suppose I'll get a doctor's note saying I'm not mentally fit for work. It isn't a lie, it won't be difficult to convince them." Marcia had never been cunning before so thinking this through made her feel guilty in itself. Her cheeks had blushed a shade of pink, but only out of panic.

"Would you like me to come with you?" Freya asked softly.

"You'd do that?" Even though it was to get away, Marcia still needed this time with the doctor and Freya offering to help her along meant a lot.

"Of course!! Don't be silly. We just have to make sure nobody spots us in the waiting room."

"What will you tell Jack?"

"That I won the lottery and I'm going to jet out to the sunniest of islands to clear my head?" Even in the most difficult circumstances, Freya would always make a joke. It was her best way of coping.

"Seriously."

"I'll think of something." Freya paused. "Damn I was really excited to be home with Steve and Hazel."

Confusion spread through the blonde's eyes. "Who are Steve and Hazel?"

"Theyre uh...my pet hedgehogs," Freya explained with a giggle.

"I don't think I've ever met somebody quite as extraordinary as you before."

"I am one of a kind."

Ping

Freya's phone went again.

Tell your friend I like her blue jumper. A x

Freya breathed out, "Somebody's watching us."

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Author's notes:
Thank you for reading! Who do you think 'A' is? These two really can't stop themselves from flirting with each other!

Interactive question:
Do you prefer a lively beach or a quiet beach?