Leave {z.m.}

Nine

"Well, that was exhausting," Adelaide sprawled out onto the living room floor and closed her eyes as she tried relaxing. 

It was already five in the afternoon; we had been out for nine hours. 

"I agree." 

"And I still have a three hour drive home ahead of me. I should probably leave in a little while. I don't like driving when it's really dark outside."

"I could drive you there and then drive back," I offered. 

"No, I wouldn't want you to stay out that late." 

"It does not matter to me. I do not normally go out on Sunday, or any day, so I would have time to sleep." 

"Are you sure? It wouldn't be a problem? I mean, I'd be fine." 

"It would not be a problem. I insist." 

She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear nervously, "Okay, if you're sure about that." 

"I am," I replied firmly. 

A knock on the door startled her for a second, but she quickly recovered whilst blushing. "Hello?"

 "We're here to move the furniture inside." 

"Oh. Right. I will leave the door ajar." 

The young man nodded and went to retrieve the new furniture. 

"Ajar? Shouldn't you leave it completely open? Not just partially?" Adelaide corrected.

 I shrugged and swung the door open wider with my foot.

The young man and two others brought the burgundy red sofa into the room and placed it against the wall I directed them to. I had not chosen the color, I preferred black, but Adelaide noted that I needed to add some sort of color to the place. Apparently, everything I owned was "boring".

The young man, whose name tag read "Liam", and another person brought a smaller, black sofa inside. The flat was spacious, but too much furniture would make it crowded. A thinner, yet still strong-looking, man carried a dark, cherry wood coffee table and set it down where I told him to. 

"Thank you," I told them and paid them more than I needed to before shutting the door behind them.

 "How do you have so much money laying around?" Adelaide wondered. 

"After my mother died, I received a vast amount of money, although I did not want it nor did I need it." 

Adelaide's lips turned downwards into a sympathetic frown,"I'm s-" 

"I do not need your sympathy," I grumbled. 

"Alright, fine then." Adelaide jumped up from the ground and laid her entire body across the burgundy sofa. 

"When should we get going?" 

"I don't even know if I want to go home tonight, although I should. I'm too tired." 

"I can bring you home after you rest a bit. You can sleep longer in the car as well."

"Good idea. Thank you so much, seriously." 

"It is not a big deal." 

"It is though. Normally, someone wouldn't do this for me. They would wait until tomorrow." 

I shrugged and began putting away kitchen utensils in the dishwasher. I wanted them to be clean before I organized them into random cabinets and drawers.

"Do you have any books?" Adelaide called from where she remained on the sofa. 

I finished up with the dishwasher and returned to her. "No, why?" 

"I was going to ask if you would read to me. It makes it easier for me to fall asleep when I listen to something in the background. I would normally play music, but I wouldn't want to bother you with that."

"Do you happen to have any books with you?" I questioned. 

"Maybe, I'll go look." 

Before I could tell her that I would search for it, she ambled off to her belongings. 

"I found something!" She shouted. 

My eyes met hers before finding the book she clutched in her arms. "What is it?" 

"Wuthering Bites by Sarah Gray. I started it a few weeks ago. I enjoy reading stories about vampires I guess. You could read from where I left off?"

I stiffened at her mention of vampires, but she did not notice, "Where?" 

She handed me the book and relaxed across the sofa once more. 

"Towards the bottom of page one hundred-ten, where it says "Heathcliff stared hard". 

I nodded and sat near Adelaide on the edge of the black sofa.

"Heathcliff stared hard at Isabella, as one might stare at a strange, repulsive creature like a human infant in its cradle, sprouting vampire fangs. Isabella couldn't bear his scrutiny, and she grew white and red in rapid succession, tears beading her lashes. She closed her fingernails down on Catherine's hand, trying to force her to let her go." (Wuthering Bites, p110)

"That reminds me of you and me," Adelaide joked lightheartedly. 

"How so?" 

"Heathcliff stares at Isabella the same way you stared at me when we first met." 

I rolled my eyes, "You do not know what you are talking about." 

"I do though. Continue?"

I read page one hundred-eleven and as I turned the page, I glanced up to see Adelaide's eyes closed, her long lashes against her cheeks. I placed her bookmark in between the next, unread pages and closed the book. I watched her chest rise and fall for a brief moment before returning my attention to Adelaide's bookmark.

It was a painted piece of precisely cut paper stuck in a sheet protector cut to the same dimensions as the paper. A scene of a meadow was painted in a variety of calming colors. In the bottom right corner was a signature and a year in barely-readable, cursive script.

"Gemma S. 1838"

 I blinked a few times as I stared at the bookmark. 

No, it could not be her.