Till The Count Of Five ✓

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

I could vividly see the grey hair moving as he spoke and I hated it all. I hoped he would not hear my panting, my camouflage and my hands.

Nolan

11th May 2019, Saturday
6:45

He was waiting downstairs. I looked at Mum's picture. Dad would leave me alone if he thought I was still asleep. I hoped he would. His footsteps grew closer, his hand probably holding a phone while his girlfriend talked on the other side.

"What did you do, Mum?" I said to her smiling face. "What did you do?"

"Nolan," she called.

I stood behind Miss Smith, hiding my face when the woman called my name again. She was so tall. Miss Smith slipped aside and I was left alone. When I looked back at her, she beckoned me to go. But I did not want to.

"Hi," the woman said again.

I rubbed my ear and took a step towards her, my gaze fixated at the floor. She bent down and I felt her grab my chin.

"Hi," I said.

"You're beautiful," she said. "Look at his eyes."

I blinked at the man standing behind her. He smiled at me.

"Do you know who they are?" Miss Smith asked.

I turned back to the woman. I was not sure, maybe she was Mum. I had never seen her.

"Nolan?" Dad called.

The door knob twisted and I jumped up from the bed, placing Mum's picture between the sheets.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Just tired. I'm feeling a little nauseous."

He frowned and mumbled something into the phone. Walking up to me, he touched my forehead. "You seem to have temperature."

I shrugged.

"Breakfast?"

"I'll be downstairs in fifteen minutes."

He gave me an unsure look but nodded. His phone rang again and I gestured at the lit screen. Once, he turned on his heels, I shuffled through the sheets, my gaze still on his retreating figure. My fingers caught the photograph and I walked to my closet to keep it back there.

A glossy paper caught my eye. I picked up Ashiamma's picture and looked around for those paintings. My heart began to race when I found nothing. The photographs fell out of my hand. I shoved my clothes aside and searched for a familiar black bordered canvas. It was right here. I remembered. I hadn't opened the closet since I placed them until this morning. The hair on the back of my neck rose. My heart thudded faster and my cheeks grew warmer. They had to be here.

My phone rang. I declined the call when I read Kiara's name. What would I say to her? I picked up Ashiamma's picture, put it in my pocket and walked downstairs. Dad lowered his phone, raising an eyebrow at my rushed movements.

"Where's Max?" I asked.

"He went to check the house. They stopped the work, something about rain." His phone rang again.

I walked out of the house despite Dad's silent protest. He had bought another land a month back and wanted to construct another house. It was not that far. Three streets away. If I walked, I'd reach there in fifteen minutes.