✔ | PAINTED IN CRIMSON | T. SHARPE

SIXTEEN | ANCHOR

❝As the world fades away,
I still believe what you eyes say,
I still see you illuminate.❞ 
   

─────── 

SIXTEEN | ANCHOR

"Two tickets," I heard Nicholas talking on the phone later that night, "yes, Lake District . . . yes, one way tickets," I heard him say on the phone as I put a pillow on the couch and wondered if he'd be comfortable sleeping there, "thank you so much." I heard him finally say to the person on the other end. I, still, was worried that he'd go to Allerdale Hall, but I tried to keep myself busy, thinking about other stuff.

Nicholas emerged from the kitchen, where he had been on the phone. I was fluffing the pillow and looked up at him. A smile crossed his face, making one creep up on mine.

"It's alright, I'll do it. Don't worry," He said as he approached when I began to put the blanket on the couch, "if you are letting me stay here tonight, at least let me do this." He smiled again and I let go of the blanket. I observed him. Sir Thomas was handsome and so was Nicholas, they were almost identical, physically and sometimes in their behaviour. However, there was something I couldn't quite tell about Nicholas, he was different - apart from being alive, of course - and, I don't know, it intrigued me somehow.

"Are you sure Josh will be okay if I stay with you? I mean, if I stay here." He simpered.

"He won't mind." I gave him a coy smile and crossed my arms over my chest, "What did they say?" I asked, referring to the phone call.

"The train's leaving tomorrow at ten in the morning, we'll be there around two or three in the afternoon," he said, "I should've rented a car . . . now I realise." He laughed under his breath, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets and gazing at the floor. A soft chuckle left my lips at the sight of such thing, I couldn't help but think it sounded innocent and sweet yet it sounded extremely seductive at the same time.

"You must be tired, you should go to sleep now," I said and he inhaled deeply, "we have to get up early and get ready."

"Yeah," Nicholas scratched the back of his neck, "thanks for letting me stay, Adeline."

"It's quite right," I shrugged and slowly turned round, "Good night."

"Good night."

I walked into my bedroom and crawled into bed determined to sleep. Instead, my mind began to run, it didn't take long for me to realise I would stay up that night. I couldn't stop thinking about pretty much everything. I had nearly forgotten I had a book to finish, the book that had started it all. Now, I wasn't even sure if I was going to actually finish it. I wondered what would mister Miller think of me; I knew myself that my career as a writer was fucked up. I only got to write two books, people liked them and I felt like nothing would stop me. I was living the moment where you think nothing bad can happen, I had planned to write two books, everything was perfect, but reality knocked at my door one night, dressed as a policeman, telling me that some idiot collided head-on with my dad's car. Reality isn't nice.

With a shake of my head and a sigh, I crawled out of the bed and just walked out of my room with Edith's book in hand. It was almost one in the morning, I wanted to stop the time so Nicholas wouldn't board that train to Cumbria. I walked past Josh's bedroom and the living room. I saw Nicholas' silhouette on the couch and kept walking to the room in the flat that Josh and I use as a studio. It actually is a small room with a desk, a chair and a large window from floor to ceiling, that's the so-called 'studio'. I sat on the floor and put Edith's book on my legs and paged through until I found the page I had been reading the other night.