Are you ok?

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I sighed and sipped my coffee. Snicket was late and I was starting to worry. It wasn't the fact that he was late, but the fact that he had said "If I don't arrive before or at 8:30 PM, something has happened, ok? I won't be late." It was 8:26.

I leaned back in my chair at the counter of Black Cat Coffee. It was starting to get dark, and I was starting to get anxious. Trying to pass the time, I reimagined the ending of a book I read a long time ago. Instead of the main character dying, she faked her death and saved her love interest 3 years later when she came out of hiding. I liked the ending better, and it helped to pass time. I looked at the clock. It was 8:32. I looked outside just to make sure he wasn't walking down the street. He wasn't.

I decided to walk to the Lost Arms, seeing as he would most likely be there, or headed to the Black Cat from there.

The streets were completely empty as the sun sank even closer to the horizon. I pulled my jacket closer to me and shivered. It was a little windy, and it was getting colder as it got closer to nightfall.

I walked into the lobby of the Lost Arms, where the statue of the woman with no arms or clothes stood. She must be cold, I thought. I told the man at the desk I was going up to see Lemony Snicket, and he told me the room number. Quickly I climbed the flights of stairs to the second floor, And found Snicket's room easily. I knocked, and a disgruntled-looking Theodora opened the door.

"Oh, it's you, that Eleanor girl. Snicket won't shut up about you. I suppose you're looking for him?" She asked, tone annoyed and kind of rude. "As a matter of fact, I am, Ms. Markson. Would you happen to know where he is?" I asked, in my polite, sweet voice. "He locked himself in the bathroom 20 minutes ago. He's bawling his eyes out about... Something." She said, a little uneasily. "I was just going. He probably won't talk to you anyways, seeing as he's an indecent, rude excuse for an apprentice." She finished, rolling her eyes and glaring at the bathroom door. She maneuvered past me in a rude manner. I glared at her departing form, and walked into the small hotel room. I knocked on the bathroom door. "Mr. Snicket, are you in there?" I asked,concerned. I could hear him crying. "Go away." I heard him mumble flatly. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Snicket." I sighed. I heard the door unlock, and I opened it. He was curled in a ball on the bathroom floor, tears still pouring down his face. I sat down next to him. "Oh L, what happened?" I asked gently, then just as gently asked the question this chapter is titled. "S-she called my sister incompetent a-and lazy and said t-that she deserved to be arrested, and s-she called me things I won't r-repeat for the sake of both of us.. She s-said stuff about y-you, too.." He hiccuped, and I was instantly filled with anger. How DARE she?! I mean, that's just messed up. Only a- I cut myself off. Snicket was shivering now, gasping and trying not to hyperventilate. I wrapped my arms around him gently, my face buried in his dark hair. "I'm really sorry about what she said. I'm sorry. I-I love you." I choked out the last 3 words, and I felt him stiffen in my embrace, then relax into my arms, still trying to breathe and still bawling his eyes out. I cried a little too. It hurt, seeing him in pain like that. It really hurt.

It must have been about an hour until he stopped crying. He didn't let go of me, though. I didn't let go of him either. His brown eyes were red and puffy and above all he looked exhausted. He just laid there, shivering, and taking huge, shaky breaths, and I held him.

"I love you too." He mumbled into my shirt, sitting up and looking me in the eyes. His bloodshot eyes were so tired it looked like he hadn't slept, or stopped crying, for a week. I pressed my lips to his forehead, and I guess he was too tired to blush. I stood up and pulled him to his feet. "I'm guessing the date will be another time." I half-joked. "Yeah.. When's good? Did you say, what, Wednesday...." He mumbled. "Yeah." I responded. His brown eyes started to slide shut and his knees buckled. I caught him and carefully laid him on his bed. He must have been really, really exhausted.

I pulled the blankets around him, then wrapped my coat around him too.

"Sweet dreams." I whispered, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you, Snicket."