Sparks

Chapter 6

She left him to compose himself, sure that he wouldn't appreciate her watching his breakdown. Stumbling down the narrow hallway, she came across a door that screamed to be investigated. Large, thick and wooden with a name engraved into the door plate. But she couldn't make out the letters that were lined in dust and chipped away with age. Instead of straining her vision by trying to make out the name, she pushed the door open. It made an eerie creaking noise as it swung on its hinges and she nearly jumped when it hit something that was placed behind it.

Looking over her shoulder, feeling naughty, she searched for Romelius to come rampaging down the hallway. When he didn't come, she stepped over the threshold and was stunned immobile at the grandness of what was obviously an office of a wealthy man. A large fireplace stuck out of the wall with the biggest desk that she had ever seen before placed in front of it. Two comfortable lounge chairs sat facing the desk and the fireplace. The right wall was bookcases from one end to the other and from floor to ceiling. Every shelf was stocked with literature and binders. But the opposite wall drew her attention as frame after frame was placed on top of the dark grey paint.

The golden-framed pictures on the walls were all black and white, faded in their greys with faces gazing passively into nothingness. The eyes were white, glassy and sightless, yet somehow she was certain that they were staring straight at her.

She shouldn't be here, she thought to herself. This was wrong. His home, his zone, and yet she entered like she had a right. She sighed. Turning her gaze from the photos, she turned to run right into Romelius. He looked down at her with narrowed eyes. She swallowed at how close he was. She could easily pull him into an embrace, hold him close. Instead she stood stock still, confused about the way he looked at her. So many emotions flittered through his eyes and she wasn't sure which one she should grab onto.

He grabbed her shoulders, startling her. "What are you doing in here?" He sounded angry, but she wasn't sure that he was. He didn't hurt her. He didn't yell in her face. He didn't do anything but grip her shoulders and look at her with those dark mysterious eyes.

"I'm- I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

He sighed, causing her to stop. She looked up at him with her blue eyes, that slightly reminded him of Saturn's blue. But only slightly and as soon as the notion crossed his mind he put it away. Pagatti wasn't anything like Saturn, and that included her eye color.

"What. . . What are you sorry for?" He asked, quietly. He knew he should have assumed she was speaking of invading the office. It would have made their conversation a whole lot less awkward. But he knew from the look in her eye that she was speaking of so much more.

"Everything," she murmured back. She leaned into him, slightly. Not enough for him to notice but enough for her to offer her comfort if it came time to do so. Instead of another breakdown, Romelius looked at her thoughtfully. He was once again the strong composed man, who knew how to keep himself in check.

"You didn't do this." He hated that they were talking in riddles. Hated, even more, that he wasn't sure which part they were talking about. Were they talking about her everything? Or his everything? Or was it possible that they were talking about a mix of their everythings? He didn't know and that sort of frightened him. Not enough to cause another breakdown, but enough to look at her in a new light.

"Maybe not, but somethings you just have to apologize for. Even if you didn't mean for it to happen or even if you were never involved," she said. This time she leaned into him, noticeably. Putting her head against his chest and hugging her arms around his muscular frame. He stiffened under her embrace but didn't push her away.

"I'm sorry about your wife," she whispered, "And I'm sorry I invaded your seclusion and your privacy. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you when this mess is over, never hesitate to ask."