✔ | PAINTED IN CRIMSON | T. SHARPE

SEVENTEEN | ROOM 23

 ❝And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be,
right in front of me, talk some sense to me. ❞

─────── 

SEVENTEEN | ROOM 23

"Wow," Sam said, a soft and nervous chuckle left the boy's lips when he saw Nicholas, well, we had been in the same room for several hours, yet he couldn't help but stare. Nicholas looked so uncomfortable sitting there, pretending not to care, but he did and Sam noticed, "I'm sorry, it's just . . ."

"It's okay," Nicholas said, but he was growing annoyed by the attention he was getting, "you should browse 'Edith Cushing', you'd be surprised." He added, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Shhh," I said, placing a steaming mug of coffee on the small table in the back of the café. Sam's grandmother had gone to the city, therefore we were alone. I saw the curiosity on Sam's face as he looked at me with big eyes. I sat next to Nicholas and Sam pulled out his phone, typing what I thought was the name of Nicholas' great-grandmother, "So, what are we gonna do now?" I asked to Nicholas and he sighed.

"Go to this place and get some sleep," he handed me a piece of paper with Sam's handwriting and the address of a place we could spend the night, "tomorrow, we'll rent a car, and then, you say what time are we leaving for Allerdale Hall." He said, smiling.

"Okay, how about ten in the morning, we could-" we heard a soft gasp across the table and we looked at Sam, who was now staring at me as well, "Oh God, he found it," I uttered under my breath and he smiled. I took a sip of coffee and read the adress of hotel again.

"This is so weird guys, how on earth is this possible?" He chuckled, "This is insane!"

"I told you that you'd be surprised," Nicholas said and, since Sam returned to his phone, he said to me, "I think ten is a good idea."

"You know," we both looked at Sam, "now that I think about it," he gazed at his phone before placing it onto the table, "it's like, Sir Thomas and Edith had a second chance to be together again, eh?" He raised an eyebrow and I looked over my mug at Nicholas, who mirrored the surprise on my face, "Anyway, it's like I'm talking to Sir Thomas Sharpe and Edith Sharpe themselves! I just hope my grandmother doesn't see you here, she would probably have a heart attack or something . . ."

"Then, we should be leaving, we don't want to do that to your grandmother, " Nicholas said, smiling and straightening himself before standing up, "it's getting late anyway, you've been so kind," I looked at my watch, it was almost half past six.

"Yes, it's been so kind of you to help us," I said and I stood up, "it's better for us to leave, we have to get to this place, " I said waving the hotel address in my hand and we grabbed our backpacks.

"I would take you there myself but I have to help with the café tonight," he said.

"Don't worry," by this time, Nicholas had walked to the back door, "We'll see you around," he nodded and I began to walk towards the door, where Nicholas waited for me. He had opened the door and stepped outside, holding the door when Sam called my name.

"Adeline," I turned around to face him, "can I go to Allerdale Hall with you?" He asked and I bit my lip, thinking of a way to answer and convince him. I told Nicholas to wait outside, since he hadn't heard what Sam had said to me.

"Uhm, Sam, you've done enough for us and I think you should stay here, it's not a good idea, it's dangerous, and," I shook my head as I placed my hand on his shoulder, "I don't want anything to happen to you, okay?"

"I could stay outside of the house? Oh, Adeline, please? I want to know what's up there, nothing interesting ever happens in the café."

"Stay here, it's better that way, okay?" He sighed.