VOX

Ch 7

She didn't move for several minutes. Her muscles had locked themselves and refused to move, she couldn't even will herself to turn off the water. Thoughts raced too fast for her to comprehend.

How could he know? No one was supposed to know? I didn't even slip up! I got the story right. I don't want to go back. Sweet Soldeus, what do I say to Robert? I don't want to go back. He didn't say he would say anything to him, so maybe I don't have to? Yeah. Yeah, if he doesn't know that ourstoryisn'tironcladanymorethanmaybeIcanstillstay.

The familiar sound of Robert clomping down the steps sushed the screaming train of thoughts in their tracks. She willed her hands to stop their shaking and turn off the water. Only the water stopped.

"Alright, so Finns gettin' settled in upstairs." She tried to hide her hands by slowly drying them with a dish towel. "I'm sorry 'bout not discussin' this with you sooner. If you're not okay with him staying here though, just say the word darlin' and his fishy ass will be gone." He said the last part with a chuckle, but there was a seriousness in his eyes that almost made her crack right there. He wanted her to know that her safety took priority, she wanted him to know of the dam of uneasiness that was about to overflow. If they kicked this man out would he be angry enough to alert the town about who she really was? Did he even know who she really was?

"I'm okay Robert." She tried to keep steady eye contact with him, she couldn't tell if she was doing a good job or not. "Really, I am." He didn't look too convinced but nodded, trusting that she would say something if she really wasn't.

Dinner that evening was...interesting. Robert cheerily made dinner with Davina, humming away his favorite songs, while she tried not to meet Finn's eye as he sat in the doorway chatting with Robert. His yummy eyes, her mind quietly whispered. She shook her head so quickly that Robert sent her a questioning look, one that she smiled away.

While they ate, Robert kept up the conversation. He wanted to know how the latest fishing season was, which routes they took, and any interesting stories Finn and the crew went through. Davina didn't say much, only humming in interest or nodding  every few minutes so as to not draw suspicion.

On a normal day Davina would be beside herself with hearing tales of distant waters, perilous storms, and choppy seas, but in that moment her mind was too loud to focus on anything else. What will I do if the collectors come? Can I even go back to the shrine? Surely they wouldn't allow her back after she ran to avoid her ceremony. There's nowhere else to go.

To her surprise Finn made attempts to include her in the conversation, and he even sounded interested in her responses when she finally answered. As long as Robert was around he was civil and the stern crease between his brows melted away.

When he wasn't starting daggers at her, or giving her the cold shoulder, Finn wasn't...too bad. It was obvious that he and Robert knew each other, they joked and mentioned things the way that old friends did, and she was enjoying how much Robert was laughing. The man smiled so hard that the scar on his face disappeared into his laugh lines.

Perhaps if they kept up this charade things wouldn't be too bad.

⟴

After three days of living under the same roof as the man, Davina thought she would have better luck trying to befriend the crazed squirrels that lived in the attic. No closer to gaining his trust, and unsure if it was intentionally avoiding her, she had given up trying to be friendly. Cups of tea she made him went untouched and cold, he didn't acknowledge her attempts to speak to him when they were alone in the house, and those green eyes of his wouldn't meet her gaze directly unless Robert was in the same room. Who am I kidding, he's definitely avoiding me.