•CHAPTER XVIII•

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After typing in the key code, the solid black gates slowly opened and allowed us to enter, then closing behind us with a satisfying click indicating it was locked again.

I walked to the front door with Romeo behind me, looking up at the house.
"You have a beautiful home." He said but seemed to be staring at something in the window.

I stepped back and craned my neck to see my bedroom window and the gazelle skull in its bell jar facing us back. I nervously chuckled hoping he wouldn't think it's freaky or weird.
"Oh that's mine." I said and he chuckled. "I like it." He mumbled before turning back to me.

I felt convinced that he wasn't lying to me. If he did think it was freaky and that I was a weirdo then what am I going to do? Who else is going to save me from the hidden depths of the forest? I can't imagine anyone else replacing him. His tall stoic presence is something I've never come across in my whole life. Imagining someone else having the same brooding features is impossible.

I turn the key into the door but find that it is already open.
"Oh." I say and open the door.
"What is it?" He says and I shrug.
"I didn't expect it to be open. Mrs Elm must be in." I said and he followed me inside looking around. He had some sort of expression on him that was unreadable.

He shut the door behind himself and I walked into the kitchen. "Would you like a drink?" I asked as I know that this is the inevitable line of good hospitality.
"Water will be fine, thank you." He said and followed me, taking his black coat off revealing a fitting navy shirt that hugged his muscles across his arm and torso. He rolled the sleeves up to reveal his toned arms laced with veins that made my eyes widen. He had to have noticed the way he made my heart race. Even I could hear it pounding in its cage. I took my eyes off and mentally slapped myself back into reality as I poured two glasses of water from the water filter.

"Here you go." I say and slide it over the marble counter, sitting opposite him. I took a sip of my cold water and realise that I was thirsty. The cold flowing liquid washed down my hoarse dry throat.
Romeo took a sip and it looked like it disappeared perfectly without even a bob from his Adam's apple.

"Who's Mrs Elm?" He asks and looks behind him as if it was something daring he was asking.
"Uhm she's the housekeeper. "Why?" I ask but think he must have just been trying to start conversation and that I've just taken it the wrong way. Again, I mentally slap myself.
"You have a housekeeper?" He asks then glances at something behind me.
I slowly nod and turn around to see nothing there. Just the door to the hallway.
"Yeah I do. I guess it's a bit weird. I've never had one before, nannies yes but that was when I was younger." I said. It's only now that I realise how strange it really is that we have a housekeeper. We have never had one before and why should we?

He looks at me intently and then nods. Taking a larger gulp from his water like he was disturbed and needed the refreshment.
"What's in that room?" He asks and points to the dark oak door opposite the doorway of the kitchen.
"Oh that's the study. It's always locked to keep me out." I say and look at the door leaning my elbow casually on the edge of the table. He looks intently at the door as if he was trying to discover what was past it. I give in to those deep green eyes.

"We could see if it's unlocked?" I suggest and he stands straight suddenly and nods. I realise the height difference between us is quite drastic. He is definitely over 6"5' and I barely reach 5"5. Though I don't mind, I quite like it actually. My head finds itself wanting to lean on his chest and inhale his cologne even more but I snap myself back to reality.

He slowly walks behind me like he's expecting something to happen. I stop at the door, our eyes meet for a second before I turn the handle. It's open.

The shock passes through me and Romeo can see it on my face. I open the door wider and see that the lamp on the desk had been left on.
"Hello dear I was just finishing up here." A croaking old voice says behind me and I gasp, placing my hand on my chest. "Oh! Mrs Elm. I didn't realise you were in here." I say. Her grey wide eyes stare past me at Romeo, who looks more tense than ever. "Just cleaning." She says too sweetly and tilts her small head to the side, pulling that forced smile back into the deep lines on her cheeks. I look down to see that she has no cleaning utensils in her hand. Could she be snooping around?
"This is Romeo, he's a classmate. We're going to study." I say and Romeo walks towards me, places a hand on my arm and gently squeezes. "Azra do you think you could get my water please?" He says and I can't disobey his charming voice and the soft touch of his hand on my arm. "Of course." I say and exit the study without a second glance.

I walk back into the study with his glass of water, only to let it slip in my hands as the sight in front of me takes me by surprise.

The sound of the glass crashing onto the floor is ignored by the both of us.
His wide alert eyes that are now greener and brighter than ever stare at me like I he was a deer in headlights. In his fist was something muscly and round. Smaller than his hand and covered in blood. A heart. His whole hand was leaking with the red liquid, it dropped everywhere from his arms to the dark wood floor and on the floor was the body of Mrs Elm with a spreading circle of blood on her chest. Her lifeless eyes shot wide open with fear. The grey in them, pale with death.

"Azra." Is all he whispers and I swallow my, now dry throat.
"What have you done?" I say. My voice is surprisingly calm. It's still and resonates the silence between us. The deathly silence filling this room. It incases the books on the shelves, the yellow light of the lamp turns sour and the room grows bigger and bigger. Sharing this dark secret with everyone and anyone. Exposing us.

Romeo had just killed my housekeeper, Mrs Elm.

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authors note:

sorry this is uploaded late! i've has a concert tonight. but omg Romeo and Mrs Elm? what are your thoughts on why he killed her?

vote and comment if you enjoyed it!

-kiim

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