Choking On Sapphires

54 Whole Wide World

His fingers kept gripping and regripping the top of his cane, he stared out the window, a menacing glare on his face as the stone of the city started to fade and the hills of the countryside started to replace it. His mind was going over a million different things that he could say to you. Where to begin? Where to end? Should he just wing it? Should he be light or heavy handed with you? So many questions, none were focused on long enough to get any real answers from himself as each thought led to another question, leaving his eyes wild and unsure as he reaches the driveway of your home. The men at the front had let him in, that was a good sign he thought.

He takes a deep breath, getting out of the car with a grunt, the cold seeming icier in the country to his achy bones. He steadies his breathing with the visible air his nervous heaves leaves in puffs as he walks up to your large wooden and wrought iron door.

He hears the door unlock before he gets to it, he sees Claire's pale and severe face meet his with clear hesitation.

"Alfie?" she says with clear confusion as her eyes narrow.

"'Ello Claire." he says with a heavy breath.

"What are you doing here?" she says, her tone giving him a warning. He felt more nervous than he had about how welcome he would be here.

"May I come in? It's fucking freezing out here." he says with a scrunch of his nose.

She looks him over, and nods, holding the door open for him and shutting it after. She stares him down, mouth in a straight line as she says nothing.

"Is Genevieve home?" he asks with a hopeful quirk of his brow.

"No." she says indifferently.

"Ah. Would you be so kind as to tell me where she's gone?"

"Out." she says flatly, arms still crossed over her chest and tone steady.

"And where might out be?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I need to talk to her."

"Why?"

He pauses for a moment, trying to figure out how to approach this.

"Why now? Why at all? And you can't call like a normal person?" her head moves with attitude.

"I felt suddenly compelled to speak with her so I left and came straight here." he says defensively, brow furrowed with more sadness than anger.

"From where?"

"What with the fuckin' questions Claire?" he says in a higher pitch voice.

"I think after how you've acted the past months I get to ask however many fucking questions I want Solomons." her tone is harsh, her eyes narrowing at him.

He knows she's right. He was getting too excitable. "I left from work."

"So it's work you need to speak to her about?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I'd...I'd rather say it to her."

"I think you can say it to me because I want to know what mess you'll be leaving me with to have to fucking clean up again."

"I didn't mean-"

"I don't know what you meant to do Alfie. But you've not been here. I have. I've had to deal with how much you hurt her. You do know you devastated her when you left right?"

"I..." he wants to defend himself but there's no point. "Yes." he admits, his shoulders slumping.

"Then why the fuck would I tell you where she is? So you can go and hurt her some more?" her voice is fierce and protective over you. "She builds up the courage to put herself back to together, and face you at that meeting and what do you do? You accuse of her being used by someone, you don't apologize and you don't mention the evil you've done?" her arms are out at her sides in anger. "She's very mad at you over that, I'll have you know. And rightfully so! What man acts like that to someone he cares about?" she leans towards him, and he flinches as the rage beams out of her eyes at him and he knew he deserved every bit of it.