The House of Sorrows

Chapter 17: "Homely"

Lucy remembered the steady beat of her heart the night before, lying with her cheek resting on Lockwood's chest, feeling safer than she had in a long time. She recalled waking to find George and Holly entering their room around 7:00 a.m., both of them stopping in their tracks when they noticed her and Lockwood asleep together, cuddled up in the same bed. The surprise and delight on their faces was unmistakable; it was as though they had been expecting this moment all along. And then there was Lockwood's expression as he woke up to see their friends staring—he looked like a tomato, his face flushed with embarrassment. For someone as stoic and composed as him, seeing him blush that much was a rare sight, and Lucy found it quite endearing.

"Uh, hey, guys..." Lucy said awkwardly, sitting up.

"...FINALLY!!" Holly practically yelled, making both her and Lockwood jump.

"You two have been pining after each other since I got here," Holly continued, grinning widely, only to be cut off by George.

"Even before that, if I'm honest," George added with a smirk.

Lucy and Lockwood exchanged shocked glances. Lucy, for one, thought she had done a decent job hiding her feelings for him, and she'd never imagined he might feel the same way. It seemed, however, that they had been the only ones who hadn't realized it—George and Holly had apparently known for a long time.

"You knew? Both of you?" Lucy exclaimed, taken aback by their friends' remarks.

"Well, yeah. You two were constantly flirting with each other," Holly replied with a teasing grin. "Friends don't look at each other the way you guys do."

Lucy must have looked bewildered, because Holly moved to her side, giving her a careful side hug to avoid her shoulder injury, and guided her to the other room. Meanwhile, George stayed back with Lockwood, probably engaging in their own version of the conversation Lucy and Holly were about to have.

"Is he your boyfriend? What happened last night? Did you kiss?" Holly bombarded her with questions, excitement in her voice.

"Uh...no. Yes—maybe?" Lucy stammered, still feeling slightly overwhelmed by everything.

She managed to explain that Lockwood had been having a nightmare, and she had gone to check on him. One thing led to another, and they had kissed. Then, they fell asleep together.

Holly looked like she was about to ask another question when Lockwood's head appeared around the doorway, his face tense. He asked them to come into the hallway, where he shared some unsettling news. The building they'd escaped from—the one they had informed Inspector Barnes about the previous night—had burned down. It wasn't an accident; it was arson. Someone had deliberately set fire to the place, killing everyone inside.

"Well, Inspector Barnes said there'd be two investigations," Lockwood explained gravely. "First, to find out who kidnapped us. Second, to figure out who killed the people who kidnapped us. What strange questions..." he mumbled under his breath, clearly uneasy.

"Okay, well, I personally just want to go home," Lucy said, trying to focus on the silver lining. "At least we don't have to worry that they'll come after us again."

The others nodded in agreement, realizing that, for the moment, their ordeal was over. They gathered what little they had with them and caught a cab back to 35 Portland Row. The house was dark, just as they had left it three days earlier. As they entered, the air was thick with dust, and Holly coughed, the movement of the door having stirred up a cloud.

"Whew," Lucy muttered as they moved toward the kitchen.

There was an odd feeling in the house, something unsettling. It was as if a malevolent presence lingered, though they all attributed it to the lingering nerves from the last few days. With an understanding nod, they went their separate ways—Holly did some quick dusting before heading home, while Lucy climbed the stairs for a long-overdue shower, eager to wash away the hospital scent that clung to her.

Fresh from the shower, Lucy wrapped herself in a towel and went to her dresser to grab a set of comfortable pajamas. But there, lying on her dresser, was an unfamiliar note. She assumed it was from Lockwood, and her cheeks flushed at the thought of him writing her a message. Curiously, she opened the envelope.

The note read:
"Dear Lucy, you are so beautiful; you deserve the world. I've watched you for months, and I love you. That's why I did what was necessary—I killed the men who dared to hurt you. I hope you can appreciate the care I took in making sure none of them survived. - Your one true hero."

As Lucy read the words, her stomach dropped, and her heart skipped a beat. What the fuck.