Tearing Paper

The Visit

“This place is actually really sweet.”

“It’s just decent,” Dianne said as she poured the pot of tea into two mugs. She handed one to Nate. “Careful—it’s hot. And, sorry about the seat, I…”

“It’s fine,” Nate laughed as he looked around. He was sitting on Dianne’s bed—there was not much place left for him to sit anyway. He felt his blood tingling as Dianne sat next to him and sipped her tea. “So… the lady who owns this place just gives it all to you and helps you with work? She must be really nice.”

“She’s just a lonely lady--she treats me like I'm her own daughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to stay,” Dianne nodded. “What?”

She said that because as she spoke, Nate was staring at him, as if he was bewitched. He woke from his daydream as Dianne’s hand tapped his.

“Nothing. I realized I haven’t seen you this closely since we were in Namiri Island,” Nate wished he could sit there longer just to stare at her face and every detail of beauty written all over it. Dianne smiled. “I miss those days.”

"Yeah, umm--me too."

They were silent—until Nate dared himself to ask,

“I heard… a lot of things yesterday—in the café. People were looking for you. And when I checked on you, you were gone.”

He stopped talking because he noticed all the colour being soaked away from Dianne’s skin as she stared blankly at her drink. Nate placed his mug away and took her hand. “Are you okay?”

“I can’t come back to that place because I knew he would come back there again, but I can’t stay here forever. That’s why I…” Dianne’s voice broke down into sobs and Nate hugged her like he always longed to. He stroked her hair in hopes to give her comfort, but he knew nothing would ever change if all he did was hold her like that.

 “I’ll help you. We’ll get through this together, you and me. We’ll find Devon, too—if he’s in this town, he’s gotta know how to keep you safe. I will never let any of them hurt you. I promise…”