To Find You

13

Quick recap from chapter 12 xx

We can hear two women arguing furiously before my door slams open and in strides the same lady from before. Eyes blazing with controlled fire, and her hair sitting behind her forming a perfect halo of burning auburn.

Scrunching my face up in confusion, I go to ask what all the noise is about but stop short as I hear Nicolas whisper the one word he has refused to give information about despite his otherwise open book personality.

His eyes glossy, they run over her frame before settling on her eyes again. And he breathes out one word.

"Talia"

**********************

Well shit.

Placing my uneaten sandwich back down on the table, I try my best to analyse the situation without freaking out.

Talia, the woman who saved him (allegedly) is standing right in front of us.

Quite literally, right in front of my salad.

Well damn I didn't think I would meet her this soon. Or ever.

What is this, a romcom?

I look to Nicolas, trying to analyse his expression and body language. I can tell he's pushing to keep it together.

His eyes alternate from scanning her rapidly to shooting worried glances at the little girl holding her hand. The bright emerald green of his eyes have morphed into a tumultuous, angry seafoam colour, bearing too much resemblance - in more ways than one - to a controlled storm at sea.

His fingers are itching to run through his hair by the way he keeps clenching his hands into fists. And the force with which he's doing that? God I really hope he doesn't break skin.

I can't imagine how all this upheaval must feel for both of them but Nicolas especially - he wasn't expecting this today or any time soon.

No matter how much I'd love to be let in on the drama, I know it would be best for me to go - leaving my own office mind you - so they can talk things out. The challenge is, the tension in this room is so intense and physically suffocating, yet fragile at the same time. Even a breath a smidge too loud could set things off.

If I know him, and I think I do - the cogs in Nicolas' brain are working ridiculously hard as he figures out a way to let all of us escape from this situation relatively unscathed.

Clearing his throat once, he breaks through the tension. It feels like we've shattered an invisible glass box and the shards are about to start raining down on us.

"It's lovely to see you again Talia, to what do I owe the pleasure" my ears perk up at the first sound uttered in our 3 minute staring contest. I don't think I've ever seen him this way. His eyes are sharp and calculating, assessing every twitch, every flutter of her gossamer lashes. His voice is barely holding on to the warmth that usually coats his words and drips off his lips. It's strained and relatively clipped.

I'm somewhat confused because I was under the impression that she saved him. He seemed to remember her fondly. So why all this angst? Clearly they didn't end on the best note.