House of Anubis: House of Pasts

House of Helping/House of Secrets

Nina sat the guy on her couch even though he was soaking wet. She hurried and got him a towel. She didn't have any guy-clothing in her apartment, so she didn't know what to do for him changing. She went to change and dry off herself though and thought of a solution.

She knew she had an apartment neighbor around age twenty who was about this man's size. This random man was definitely taller and bigger than Nina, so she wouldn't even think about offering her own clothes to him.

Nina quickly made a stop by her neighbor's door. He answered it after a few knocks.

"Hey, I'm gonna need a shirt, some pants...and throw in some underwear too," Nina pleaded.

He was about to say something, but Nina cut him off.

"Don't question it. I have an injured man freezing to death in soggy clothing in my apartment at this moment, and I really, really need you to do this for me, so hurry," Nina explained quickly.

"Uh, ok..."

He hurried and gave Nina what she asked for, and she thanked him. She went back into her own apartment and gave them to the man. She showed him to her restroom for him to change, and she waited for him to get out. When he did, the clothes practically fitted him perfectly. His shoes and socks were put in Nina's dryer, as well as his own clothes.

She let him sit back down on the couch where it wasn't wet, and she sat on her other couch across from him.

"Do you need water or anything?"

"No, but thank you," he responded in an English accent, which made sense since they were in England.

Nina dived right into her interrogation. "So, what were you doing just lying there?"

"I don't reveal such incriminating information to strangers I just met."

"Even the stranger that save your life?"

"Well, that's debatable."

Nina sighed and faked a smile. She really wanted to know the secrets of this man. She tried to see what she could get out of his physical features.

His hair was cut short, but from what she could tell, he looked blond. His eyes were a bluish-grey, and his face had slight facial hair which was probably shaved often. He was well-built; he definitely had more muscle than fat. And he was definitely injured as Nina observed before from the way he still held his stomach.

"Are you in pain?"

"I'll live, but thanks for caring."

Nina pushed all her personal and investigative questions to the back of her brain and asked, "So, how old are you?"

"Thirty-four...technically."

"Technically, huh? Well, 'technically' I'm thirty. So, what's your name? You know, if that's not too incriminating."

"I suppose it's not incriminating. William Floyd."

"Nina Martin."

Nina allowed him to stay overnight, and they'd reconvene their conversation the next day. He slept on the couch with the pillow and cover Nina provided him. In the middle of the night, Nina could hear William whispering in his sleep. It was loud whispering which interrupted the serenity of the apartment.

Eventually she fell asleep. She didn't know when, but she did doze off rather than troubling her mind with Williams's condition.

When Nina woke up the next morning, she went out her room to see William already awake.

"Hey," she croaked within a yawn, "I think it's time I take you to the police."

"Police?" William stood to his feet. "No police. Please, you can't."

"Let's just settle one thing real quick-I'm not housing a criminal, am I?"

"No, no crimes committed here. I swear."

Nina hesitated before nodding. She went to the kitchen to fix breakfast for two, and her guest devoured his platter hardly before Nina was halfway done with hers.

"I don't know what to do with you," Nina suddenly said. "Should I house you? Should I turn you in? Should I let you go?"

"If you need me to go, I will. I don't mean to be a burden."

"You're not a burden, you're just-you're just a stranger who I randomly found on the apartment grounds, who I know nothing about except for your name and 'technically' your age. I'm sorry, but if I'm really providing aid to a mysterious guy, I might as well know something about him."

"In time, Ms. Martin. If you keep me here long enough to the point when I am willing to tell you all you want to know. But for now, I just can't."

Nina agreed no matter how hard it was to do so. She also agreed to continue helping him and housing him in her apartment. But she made him swear that one day the truth will come, and he'll give a whole-hearted response for it.

~~~~~
Kind of a short chapter, but it's leading up to big things! Hope you enjoyed!

What could be the secrets William won't tell?