Heart Pangs

Chapter 37 - A Place To Hide

As soon as he's alone, Lux feels very out of place and unsure of what to do with himself. He crosses the room and tentatively sits on the bed. He closes his eyes and strains his ears, trying to pick up on anything that's being said downstairs. He's able to decipher several voices that he doesn't recognize, but he's only able to catch every few words. Not enough to figure out what's being discussed. Besides that, his concentration is broken every minute or so by his stomach reminding him that he's due for a meal.

He snaps his eyes open and smothers the urge. He has no prey he can consume right now, and if being on the run from the Facility is really his new reality, he won't be getting anymore prey for quite some time. He needs to learn to deal with the discomfort. And soon.

Losing patience, Lux stands and begins moving restlessly about the room. He doesn't touch anything, but he looks. A strange feeling comes over him as he does so. It's a warmth in his chest, an unexpected swelling of fondness. Benji had said this room was the guest room, but he'd clearly been living in it long enough to leave his mark. There are several details in the room that are so quintessentially Benji, Lux can't help but smile.

There's a knitted sweater in the laundry that's in that soft shade of baby blue which Benji had always considered his favorite color. The book on the bedside table looks to be a murder mystery, Benji's favorite genre to pick up from the library back in middle school. Even the deodorant on the dresser is the same brand Lux remembers seeing in Benji's room way back when. But even more than that, the familiar scent of Benji simply hangs in the air, surrounding Lux and pulling him into a nostalgic haze.

For a moment, he forgets his present self. He forgets the angry hunger that drives his every motivation. The feel of the summer night air on his skin as he sits on the playground swings with Benji, talking late into the night with no fears or cares in the world, is almost tangible. It tugs at Lux invitingly while dancing ever so tantalizingly out of his reach. It's a memory, a feeling, that's gone now, and it's not something he'll get back no matter how much he aches for it.

The sound of voices drifting up the stairs and the eventual opening and closing of the front door pulls Lux out of his reverie. He pauses to discern that everyone's left, then without a sound, he creeps over to the window. It overlooks the front of the house, and Lux parts the curtains just enough so he can peer outside. He sees a few prey departing down the street, but their backs are to him and it's dark out. Annoyed, he lets the curtains fall closed again and returns to sitting on the bed. He's not even sure what he'd been hoping to discover. It's not as though he's in a place to arrest anyone and bring them in.

Lux expects Benji to return at any moment, but several minutes of silence go by. Lux waits nervously for what he's sure will be the arrival of a "yes" or "no" verdict. He already knows his chance at a "yes" is slim to none, but he truly has no idea what he'll do if he receives a "no."

Then the shouting starts.

It's between Benji and Camille, Lux would recognize their voices anywhere, and they're loud enough that he can pick up nearly everything they're saying. And it's all about him. The only thing Lux can do is sit and listen while the Marottas lay bare all their anger and hurt over preds, Epomis, the Facility, and Lux himself. Then just like that, things fall quiet again.

Lux can hear his heart racing. Then he can hear quick footsteps coming up the stairs and to the bedroom. The door is flung open and Lux springs to his feet so quickly he smacks his head on the ceiling.

Camille stands in the doorway with an apologetic and nervous looking Benji right behind her.

"Camille!" Lux says in surprise. It's been weeks since he'd last seen her and she looks far healthier. She seems almost like a new person, almost like the Camille he remembers.