six hours

13: Tears

The air in the room was thick with tension as we stood frozen, the noise still echoing in my mind. What the hell was going on?

Eddy's eyes met mine, his expression unreadable, but the weight in his gaze said it all. Something was wrong.

Without a word, he gestured for me to stay behind him. I didn't argue—this wasn't the time to test the waters.

We crept down the stairs, every step slow, deliberate. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat as the living room came into view. And there they were—Alfred and Roberto.

Roberto. The same man I had seen in town earlier. What was he doing in the house? Why was he here, at this hour?

Eddy's voice was calm, but the fury beneath it was palpable. "What's going on?"

I stood quietly behind him, my eyes flickering between the two men. Alfred, ever the calm one, was unshaken. "Sir, your office," he said, his British accent a sharp contrast to the unease swirling around us.

Without hesitation, Eddy walked toward the office, his jaw clenched. But before the door closed behind him, he turned to me, his eyes softening only slightly.

"Alfred, take Nora to her room. Nora, wait there. I'll come back."

I nodded, my heart racing. What was happening?

Alfred led me upstairs, but my mind couldn't stop racing. What was going on downstairs? Why was Roberto here?

I couldn't help myself—I turned to Alfred. "What's happening?" I asked in a whisper, trying to keep my voice steady.

He gave me a sideways glance, his face unreadable. "Nothing much, little miss. Just some untamed kids running wild in the streets. They turn rogue this time of year."

I raised an eyebrow, his answer feeling vague and unsatisfying, but I smiled politely and entered the room, quickly closing the door behind me.

The room felt empty, cold, despite the warmth in the house. I had no idea what to do with myself—waiting—like a housewife whose husband had gone off to war, not knowing if he'd ever come back.

As I sat down on the bed, trying to shake the tension, my phone buzzed.

Ash.

"Ça va avec toi?"

"Oui, et toi?"

Ash's response came almost instantly: "I'm just tired, Cris had an emergency, so he left."

Left? Where?

"I don't know, but he'll be back. Anyway, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you're okay, in all the ways 😉😜."

A soft smile tugged at my lips as I read her message. "Ash 🤭, I'm fine 😁 in all the ways."

"Okay mon cœur, je t'aime fort et on se parle plus tard 💋🤗"

I couldn't help but grin, my heart lifting just a little. Her words always had that effect. It felt good to know she had my back.

I placed the phone down on the dressing table, and then Fox curled up next to me, her little body providing the kind of comfort only an animal could. I hadn't heard from Tante Marie or Mrs. Renee, and the silence in the house made me feel lonelier than I wanted to admit.

Then my phone buzzed again.

I stared at the screen.

An unknown number.

"Heyy Nora."

"How r u?"

"Just checking if you're fine."