The Lost Tarzan

Chapter 24

Her legs hadn't stop moving restlessly as she sat on the couch in the living room of the townhouse, fidgeting with her hands and feet every seconds she got the chance to do so. Her hands were clasped together, her elbows on each of her knees as she let out a few heavy sighs. Adelaide's mind darted off to Tarzan.

Had he been missing her like she had?

Had he been thinking 'bout her like she did these few nights?

Snapping out of her own reverie, Adelaide quickly took a glance at the grandfather's clock in the corner of the room. It was fifteen minutes to ten, and from what she remembered, Tarzan's bed time won't be up until the clock strikes eleven at night.

The incidence earlier flashed before her eyes. After calming herself down, Tate had guided her to the car in the basement and had taken her for a silent drive around London for half an hour before they stopped by a restaurant for dinner. She hadn't asked about Gerhard but somehow Tate could sense that one particular question that had been lingering around on her lips. His answer had been simple;

He's fine. He'll be okay, and I'll make sure of that.

She knew he was lying to both himself and her by the faint dull look of concern in his eyes, but at the same time she knew Tate and Gerhard's relationship was somewhat special. The bond they shared was similar to that of normal siblings, with a unique twist of where Tate had that rare genuine, deep concern for his best friend.

Adelaide knew Gerhard had not been answering his phone for the last couple hours. Tate had been trying his best to reached out to him but each time those phone calls ended up unanswered, that familiar voice of the lady every time the call had been left unanswered diminish his hope altogether. And each time that happened, she could see that small hope of light in his eyes faded little by little and what's left of it was that dark abyss similar to when he had told them Keiran had summoned both Gerhard and her to Portsmouth.

After that one last attempt to call Gerhard, she had stopped asking about him and decided to let silence take over the car for the rest of the ride. By the time she stepped out of the car, Tate threw her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, trying to assure her that everything would be alright but she was no fool. She knew better than whatever it was that he's trying to convince her. Knowing the state his mind was in, she had thrown him a smile mirrored that of his.

Letting out one last heavy sigh, she quickly stood on her feet and bolted towards the closet by the front door. Whatever it took, she needed to see Tarzan to ease that one bad feeling she had in her chest for a while now. She needed to see his face smiling at her and his strong arms wrapped around her to feel the safety she'd longed for ever since she'd left the house.

She quickly donned the beige trench coat from before and wrapped a red wool scarf around her exposed neck before putting on a pair of dark brown boots. Putting on her knitted winter hat, Adelaide pulled opened the door and was ready to step out when a shock gasp escaped her cold lips. Standing on the doorstep of her house that very moment was none other than Gerhard. His face was badly bruised, blood marred all parts of his face while his eyes swelled terribly. His steps faltered and soon, Gerhard wobbled into the foyer of the house before letting himself fell upfront.

Adelaide quickly snapped out of her trance and extended her hands as quick as she could to hold him steady before he could bump his head on the marbled floor of the house. But Adelaide being the petite woman she was compared to Gerhard's large figure, she had failed to control her balance. She fell onto her bottom as she wrapped her arms around his fragile head, bracing him from further impact. The painful groans he emitted filled her ears, his hands gripping her arms tightly trying to hold onto something that will give him strength to endure the pain he was suffering.