Heart Drop

Chapter 6:

January,06,20??

Even with quivering hands, Clover quickly tied the laces of her bald-treated Adidas, stepped out into the hallway, and locked the apartment door behind her, pocketing her big bunch of keys.

She used the fire stairs to get down to the basement level, she didn't have time to take the elevator.

She passed the different doors and then turned right, walking down the incline toward the blinking door of the exit. The lock on the door opened, and she stood there for a minute in the sunshine enjoying the break before the disaster.

After a couple of minutes in the Uber, her feet's finally touched the wet ground mixed with the fallen leaves of trees. She rushed out, sneaked through the graves, and kneeled on her mom's one. She couldn't feel any tears or culpability, her heart didn't ache not even in a break of a second. She whispered under her breath:

Rest in bloody peace.

Clover noticed a glass and a bottle of soju.

-A person came by...But, who?-

The question kept repeating in her mind, as she grabbed the bottle and poured its content on the ground.

-Here mother, a gift- She mocked.

At work.

After the long break, it was time to catch up with the work. Only 3 weeks left before the Big-ass event and Clover was still not done with the project.

While sketching a small boy, she remembered what happened with Adonis so her focus got lost and she threw the only thing near her and on the wall facing her. Glass exploded, as her mind swirled with terrible, sinking thoughts. Her father, a psychologist, told her this thing about brain chemistry, the nub is that when you're feeling good you can never imagine feeling bad again. She opened the drawer and pulled out a liquid doliprane, which she drank instantly.

"

-Someone in a gray coat. Gotcha. Did you see the person at the wheel?-

-Nope. I put the magazine in the trash. Then, like I've said. I heard the van turn the corner, I heard a loud pop, and saw what looked like blood splattering against the black window. It was horrible.-

-Anything you can tell me about the man in the gray coat? Tall, short, distinguishing features?-

-I didn't pay attention. I'm sorry-

"

Clover put down her pen and kept looking at the animation she just made. She was trying to change what had happened to her Papa. The story of her project was unfolded around her own life, but two things remained unchangeable, death and the freedom of the killer.

Two days later :

Finally, back from work, Clover entered her apartment, threw her arms around Petal, and promised her a run after her shower to rinse up the skeezy images out of her brain. Done showering, she noticed a note from an unknown person on the kitchen counter. She went to the fridge, cracked open a Corona, and took a long pull from the bottle before reading it.

Hey, uh, when I didn't see your motorbike, I took Petal for a walk! :c Remember I told you about me having a convenient house for her? I should take Petal with me. It would be good for her, pumpkin.

Let me know. K.

She felt sick knowing that she abandoned her dog without walking her out. And she knew Adonis was right. She wasn't doing Petal any good right now. Her new hours included catching up on the lost time. She hadn't taken a real break since the heated argument. She stooped down for a kiss, lifted Petal's silky ears, and looked into her big brown eyes.

-You want to run on the big grounds, Boo?-

She picked up the phone and dialed Adonis's number.

-hi, pumpkin- Laughter sounded across the phone along with his voice.

-Hello, you can take Petal with you tomorrow at 10 am, you'll find her luggage near the door I won't be there-

-Sadly, well excellent- He said. - I'll pick her up in the morning as said-

She was about to end the call when he added.

-Wait!-

-Yes?-

-I love you-

Then the line ended.

Her heart started pounding restlessly outside her chest. She was feeling high all of a sudden. She ran her hands through her hair and pulled it up into a band. Jeez. Her hands were shaking.

She felt crazy wanting him and not wanting him at the same time.

January.07.20??.

-Shit, I'm late-

Clover was slowly enjoying the sun beating on her room when she looked over at the clock and realized, it was 9:45.

She was getting ready when her intercom buzzed.

-it's open.- She said incontinently.

There came the sound of footsteps pounding up the ground, followed by an almighty crash in the hallway and some rather loud male swearing.

-For the love of God, Clover, why have you trapped the front door?

She stuck her head round the door frame to see Adonis sprawled across the hall floor: his chin was resting on her handbag, his left knee was bent underneath him at an awkward angle and both feet were hooked over the end of her cherry-red suitcase-on-wheels. Obviously, she'd forgotten to write "wait for Adonis to arrive before strewing luggage behind the front door" on any of her lists.

She held out her hands to help pull him off the floor. However, halfway to vertical, he tripped over the suitcase again and came crashing down, pushing her back up against the wall and causing a small hat-stand to wedge itself in the place her kidneys usually occupied.

-Are you okay?- She gasped.

Adonis sat up and ran a hand through his neatly trimmed hair.

-I was fine until I discovered you'd rebuild the Berlin wall directly behind this door-

-Sorry. I was just being organized for my early start tomorrow. Drink?- She suggests, waggling the wine bottle in his direction and hoping this might foster an atmosphere of calmness.

Adonis stood up and readjusted his jeans.

-Oh dear- He sighted, squinting at the label on the wine bottle.-It's from Chile, Chilean wine always has a bad effect on me. Headaches, nausea, that sort of thing. I thought you knew.-

Oh lord. She must have forgotten. During the past 3 years, She had learned there were several things incompatible with this man. To begin with, She had found his allergies and avoidances, but, as it gradually became clear how this would limit the food they could share and the restaurants they would frequent, it had started to grate.

-Food then?- she suggested brightly.- A microwave will open up a world of culinary experiences.-

- I had a bite to eat before I came over.- He gave her a rueful smile.

-John, Adonis. I'm going to Greece.- She said in one breath,

-Greece. Yes of course you are. Sorry. Been doing fourteen-hour days all this week, and my brain is pretty much shot to pieces, and ah-ah-chooooo!-

He suddenly gave an enormous sneeze.

-Are you alright?- She grabbed a tissue from a box on the mantelpiece and thrust it into his hands. He blew his nose loudly and then gave another, even more, enormous sneeze.

-The candles- He mumbled into his Kleenex,- I'm allergic to scented candles. Remember? That time we had dinner at that place with the-ahhhh-CHOO!-

Not altogether sure which items in her expensive candle collection were, in fact, scented, She dashed around the room blowing them all out. Then she remembered the ones she had lit in the bedroom and went and extinguished those as well. Adonis and she plunged into the murky orange glow.

Adonis's hand reached over and squeezed hers. She wasn't aware of just how tense she had become until the touch of his fingers made her relax.