𝐃é𝐟𝐢 𝐌𝐨𝐢 | 𝟏𝟖+

𝟑𝟖 | 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐦

It had been over two and a half hours after Rachel and I returned to our hotel room, and she was currently cleaning the whole suite, which had previously been cleaned by room service.

Her eyes remained moist from the tears she had shed earlier, which only subsided after she had engaged herself in wiping the invisible dirt from the windows and all around with one of her spare scarves, then arranging the bedsheet and pillow covers, dusting the cushions on the couch, all of which had been tidied previously, and then spraying the water all over the bathroom floor with a hand shower, wiping it clean afterwards.

It didn't take me a second thought to understand why she was doing all this.

She wasn't just cleaning the room but distracting herself from the mess inside her own head.

Understanding a person's behavioral clues does not require a genius. If they claim to know them well, anyone can catch upon the silence without so much as trying.

I followed her every step, like a shadow, cautious not to intrude on her space until she wanted me there, but equally careful enough to be present to hold her if she collapsed again.

She has not spoken a word, and neither have I. She needed time to think and process her emotions, and I think I was able to help her with that in this way.

I leaned against a wall when she stopped. Her face shifted in every direction around her, her eyes exploring the surroundings as if she were looking for anything else to go with, but when she couldn't find anything, she sank into the couch next to her.

I head to the water dispenser at the opposite end and fill a glass of water. As I neared her seat, her gaze remained fixed on the floor.

The moment I reach near her, my heart squeezes with pain.

I'd never felt more wounded in my life than when I looked at her cold face. Pale and sweaty, those eyes that once carried so much fire are now empty, as if there was no life in them, tired and exhausted, and this has nothing to do with all the cleaning she performed.

She was tired from herself.

I took a breath to ease myself. "Here," I say softly, placing the glass in front of her.

She looks at the glass before averting her attention and shaking her head as a no.

"Come on, you look like you'd faint any moment now." I tried to push her as usual, and despite my attempt to appear fun, I said it as a matter of fact.

"I am fine, Nicolas." Rachel pins me with a glare. "Stop irritating and leave me alone."

I put the glass on the floor, sit beside her, and pull her into my arms.

"Can't..." I answered, kissing the top of her head.

Her body seemed to relax when she inhaled a weak breath. Her palms come forward to grip my shirt into fists.