Into the woods I P U B L I S H E D

19.

„I'm lost without you. This life is hell on this earth."

- Elizabeth

Elizabeth

It has been seven days since I had last seen Henry. Seven long days and nights without sleep and hunger – thirst for water or food.Seven days without seeing him, feeling his touch.

Every day seemed to be worse than the previous day. I tried not to think about him but in the end, my mind would always win.

Everything that surrounded me always made me think about him and all of the things we did. I hoped that the University would help me not to think about him but I was wrong, It was much worse.

I couldn't think clearly and every time when someone would have asked me something, I wouldn't answer, I would be in my own happy world. Even the support group didn't help me much.

Nicklaus tried to cheer me up during the first four days but in the end, I would still be the same lifeless Elizabeth. He tried everything just like Ashley and Kathryn. They were the only ones who really knew what was really happening to me.

But the last three days I had spent with Nicklaus made me feel better. He really knows how to cheer me up and because of him, I started eating and being normal again.

„Does Miss. Zemerlöw want another magnificent pancake?" He asked with a French accent. He had a white apron wrapped around his hips that made him look like a real chef. For the last hour, he made so many, but so delicious pancakes. I still wondered how I managed to ate so many of them.

„Oui, chef Nigtclaw," I shivered as I said his last name. It reminded me that he was a Nigtclaw just like Henry, his brother.

„You should talk to him," Turning back to the oven, he flipped the pancake in the air. I took a bit of the pancake, slowly chewing it piece by piece.

„There is nothing that I want to talk to him," I leaned on the chair. „Besides, he has my phone. How I'm supposed to talk to him without my phone?"

He took his apron off, took the remaining pancakes and sat on the table, giving me his phone. „Here. Call him then."

I stared at him. „You know that I was joking. He was probably relieved that he got rid of me."

„Trust me Elizabeth, he is anything but fine. He is in worse condition than you. Our species take love differently," He started eating his pancakes.

„Species?" I laughed. „I didn't know that your family is a unicorn." He chocked and started laughing with me. He shook his head while his eyes were full of joy when he looked at me but that didn't last long because in the next second he turned back to his pancakes.

„We are far away from unicorns Elizabeth," He paused for a second, his gaze focused on the pancake in front of him. „I wanted to ask you something."

I turned my attention to him. „Sure," I felt scared because I didn't know if his questions were going to be good or not.

„How did you find that secret passage in the library?" I took a deep breath. I knew that there was a matter of time when he would ask me about that.

Biting my lip, I tried to think about a way how to answer him. There was so much to talk about and yet, I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him all about it.

„I got a call back in the library. A man told me that your family portrait is keeping secrets. At first, I thought that he was messing with me and that there is nothing to worry about..."