An Enola Holmes Mystery

Chapter 4 Part 2

I prepared to leave with my belongings when a knock on the door startled me. 

"Yes?" I asked, not bothering to look up.

"Enola, what are you doing?" It was Tewkesbury.

"Leaving. What else did you think?" I asked before I could stop the words coming out of my mouth. Not hearing a response, I turned to look at him. 

"Tewkesbury?" I asked, feeling guilty about how I had responded to him.

He sighed before looking me in the eyes. "You're leaving, just like that?"

"I lead a busy life, Tewkesbury." I said, quoting what Sherlock had once said to me.

"Look, Enola, I really didn't want it to come to this, but I'm not about to let what's happened these past two years happen again." He said, nearly shocking me with his sincerity.

I looked at him quizzically, and he sighed heavily. "The last time we saw each other, do you remember what you said to me? 'You're not rid of me yet'. And yet it took until the events of yesterday for me to even catch a glimpse of you, Enola. Did you intend for your promise to be an empty one?" 

I stared at him in complete and utter shock, so much so that I sat abruptly on the sofa closest to me. Was that what he had thought? That I was deliberately avoiding him, or that I'd completely forgotten about him? If only he knew how often I'd thought of him these past two years, and how much I'd missed him.

"I missed you more than you might think, Tewkesbury. That makes up for nothing, I know. I thought you had forgotten about me after all that had happened." I said, my voice barely audible in the silence. I'd never taken the time to put my thoughts about Tewkesbury into words before, but I realized what I'd said was true. I thought he had truly forgotten about me and moved on with his life.

I knew at the very least I'd stunned him what I'd said, but couldn't bring myself to say anything else. I felt movement beside me and knew without looking up that Tewkesbury was sitting next to me.

"I'd have to be dead to forget about you, Enola." He said softly, and my heart swelled, my eyes threatening to spill over with tears.

"One can hardly forget someone who called them a nincompoop within a minute of meeting them." He added jokingly, giving me the necessary strength to push back my tears. 

"I suppose that was rather immature of me now that I think about it." I said, definitely blushing this time.

"I probably deserved it. I think I needed a blow to my pride after my rather daring escape." He smiled as I laughed at what he said. 

"You can keep telling yourself that it was daring, it doesn't mean it was." I said after my laughter died.

"We'll just have to agree to disagree then." Tewkesbury said playfully.

I smiled before switching the conversation back to the topic at hand. "I do have to leave, Tewkesbury. If I want my life to continue, I need to find out who is trying to kill me and why. The sooner I do that, the sooner I might become able to see you again." 

"And if they kill you? What then, Enola?" Tewkesbury asked worriedly.

"Tewkesbury, you should know that I can take care of myself. I don't need you constantly worrying about me." I immediately wished that I could take my words back, but I could see the damage had already been done.

"I don't want to worry about you, Enola. But you make it impossible not to do so." He said exasperatedly. 

I sighed mentally before coming to a conclusion that would at least satisfy one of us. "Why don't you write to me? You know where I live now, as I'm sure your prodigious memory would recall the address. This way you know how to get a hold of me." I said, hoping Tewkesbury would agree and nothing more would come of it. This boy did strange things to my heart, and I needed to time to figure it all out.

Tewkesbury smiled at me. "I was already planning on doing that if you hadn't suggested it. You're a very dear friend to me, Enola, and I want to be able to be a part of your life, if only a little bit."

This time I knew I blushed, as Tewkesbury let out a rather large grin when I looked at him. "Good. Might I be allowed to exit your fine house then?" I asked, still trying to get rid of the stupid blush on my cheeks.

"Only with an escort. I don't intend to see you leave sooner than I have to." Tewkesbury said, offering me his arm. 

I giggled, but took his arm nonetheless. What was happening to me? I never giggle, and certainly not in front of a guy! What was Tewkesbury doing to me?

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This was a very short chapter, sorry. Couple angst is not my forte. The next one will be longer, I promise. 

I don't have a updating schedule and probably won't for the foreseeable future, but I'll try not to leave you hanging for longer than 2 weeks.

Please vote and comment! Let me know what you think of the story.

~Jen