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Chapter 31: Gone

L POV

Jude returned to the empty dining room a short time later, where I still stood terribly confused but angry at myself regardless. He groaned as he stepped in front of me snapping his fingers.

"So what are you doing still standing here?" he asked. "Are you really gonna dig yourself back into the hole you just climbed out of?"

I gave him a cold look. "I have had enough of your talking out of turn. Need I remind you, you should respect your elders."

He snorted. "It's as if you like her being upset with you!"

"Grace has no reason to be upset with me at this moment. I did nothing wrong." I lied, my mind desperately searching for a reason.

"Yeah, if you say so." Jude chuckled, not believing me for a moment. "You always do something wrong. Why else would she be angry?"

"Do you not have a lesson you should be sleeping through right now?" I snapped as he refused to leave.

"Ha, no. L, you should go talk to her. I've seen what happens when this kind of stuff festers. It's not good."

"But I have no idea what to say." I admitted then, finally speaking the truth. "She's obviously not going to tell me. She expects me to know why and I don't."

"Well don't look at me!" He stepped back, shaking his head. "This is as far as I'm getting involved."

"Very well." I shrugged. "I suppose there is no harm in at least making a blanket apology."

"Wait, so you're gonna apologize and not know what for?" he snickered. "Maybe you're learning about women after all. I just hope she doesn't ask you to explain!"

I left him growing more nervous with every step. What if she did ask me what I was sorry for and I had no reply? I could make things so much worse.

However, I deduced as I made my way up the front staircase to the bedrooms, anything that I could possibly do to alleviate the heaviness of my heart I was willing to try.

Outside of her door, I patted down my hair and drew in a shaky breath. It was not going to be a cheery G with light dancing in her eyes that greeted me; instead it would either be a cautious G or a miserable, argumentative woman who might not let me through the door. I still had absolutely no idea why her attitude had shifted so drastically. I was going to approach her blindly without insight or a plan, rather like a suicide mission. I could only hope for the best.

I coughed and knocked on the bedroom door. "Er, Grace?"

I cringed, waiting for a string of epithets to volley back in reply but I was only subjected to silence. Forget angry and argumentative, she had chosen ignoring and icy, definitely my least favorite mood.

"G, I do think we should talk." I tried again, giving my voice a more plaintive tone.

Again, nothing. I envisioned her sitting on her sofa with a book wearing a coy smirk and not moving a muscle, while I continued to try to receive a response like a fool.

Nonetheless, I made another attempt. "Grace, won't you talk to me? Whatever you are upset about, let us discuss it like mature adults, not on either side of a door. I need to know if I did something wrong. If I did so, I apologize. I-I should not have taken that liberty...it's just, well, I thought you would not mind. You were smiling at the time so I..." I ran out of explanation.

I had kissed her because I adored her, because I could not have been happier if it had been our actual wedding day and because the taste of her lips made me whole. Why could I not say any of this?