The Empty Space Next to Me

Chapter 11

The next morning when he wakes up with a smile upon his face, he finds she has gone. The memory from the past night plays vividly in his mind with unfamiliar exhilaration. It has been long since he last felt such a kind of thrill, one that makes him feel young and blithe again. He takes a deep breath in, savors the day ahead and gets up.

Drinking coffee at the table, Katherine glides in, sits across from him. She looks at him with a beaming smile.

"Morning," she speaks softly. Her voice and expression are serene.

"Hi," he whispers back.

"Thank you for keeping me company last night," she says. They talked most of the night.

"Anytime," he smiles. What he really wants to answer is that it was, undoubtedly, the best night of his life — the most thrilling. One that excited him, raised goosebumps and left him breathless. A chaste night with her is far more electrifying than a thousand carnal encounters with anyone else. Far more tantalizing.

Eliza comes down the stairs. "Are you here?" she asks.

Katherine calls and bites into her toast. Liz said she needed to run some errands in the big town, which is about two hours away.

"I'm ready," she says, getting up.

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asks.

"It's a girls day out," she answers.

"And you still have some improvement to make on this matter," Eliza teases.

Steve smiles and glances at Katherine as she picks up her denim jacket. "Well, I'll see you later."

The two women and Riley climb into the Chevy and leave.

Sometime later, his phone rings.

"How did it go with Barton?" Sam asks.

"It could have been worse."

His friend sighs. "I'm sorry about that. He came to the compound to check out some files and he must have come across the Louisiana one. When I came back, I found the file open and he was on his way out. I tried to explain to him—"

"It's not your fault, Sam. It's on me," he pauses. "I shouldn't have waited so long."

"You did what was best for her."

Or for him? He can't really tell anymore.

He gulps down. "I screwed up, Sam."

There is a short silence on the line.

"He'll come around," Sam assures gently.

And he finds himself hoping his friend is right.

At the end of the afternoon, Steve hears the main door open.

"You sit here and I'll bring you some water," Katherine's voice echoes from the living room. She sounds worried.

"I told you I'm alright," Eliza replied with a noticeably uneasy tone.

Steve comes into the living room, finds Katherine leaning over Eliza who is sitting in the sofa with visibly tense features, and Riley standing closely by her side, its head resting on the old woman's knee.

Katherine looks up in his direction and makes eye contact before tending back to Eliza. It is long enough for him to catch she is concerned.

"Is everything all right?" he asks, walking up to the couch. Katherine sighs and looks at Eliza.

"We were mugged on our way back," she says.

His eyes widen. "What?"

"It all happened very fast," Katherine explains. We were at the gas station and I find those two guys surrounding the car; one of them grabbed Eliza's purse and tried to snatch it out of her grip. Here, take this," Katherine says as she hands the lady a glass of cool water.