CHAPTER 14

She kept staring at the letter in her hand, slowly, her hand began to shiver, her lips started to bleed as she bit her lower lips unknowingly to her.

After what seemed like an eternity, she shook her head and heaved a heavy sigh that was capable of clearing a pathway.

She opened the door, walked towards her room, and stared at the letter once more, but one thing was constant- her reaction.

Opening the drawer slowly, she threw the letter in and walked out of the house quickly, ignoring the thought of opening the letter even when she wanted to know what was inside.

Slowly, she strolled through the quiet street, leaves that had fallen the previous afternoon due to the rain crunching beneath her feet as she walked alongside the park, the gentle chirping of birds filling the air.

The warm sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the sidewalk and revealing her shadow; if there was anyone with her at that moment, it was only her shadow.

She made her way to the cozy café that beckoned her with its inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

Damon was there already, sitting in her usual spot with a cup of coffee neatly placed on the table and a book in his hand.

Sitting elsewhere would be rude, so she moved to her usual spot.

“Good morning,” without taking his eyes off the book he was reading, he spoke, and Elysia on the other hand returned the greeting.

“Yeah,” she paused as her eyes landed on the barista who approached her with a smile.

“French press,” she was straightforward, and with a wry smile, the lady turned back.

“Also, I'm sorry for leaving the way I did yesterday; something urgent came up, so I had to go,” she lied through her teeth; it was obvious.

She did not receive any calls, neither did she look impatient the previous day, she just left after the rain subsided,

But with a barely noticeable nod, he answered. “It's fine.”

In a short while, the coffee was placed on the table, and after making the payment, the boy, who seemed to be an employee, collected the money with a slight bow.

Elysia, alongside Damon, nothing, just each one of them reading, and from the look of things, they were deeply rooted in what they were reading.

Damon's gaze lingered briefly, just long enough to confirm what he had grown accustomed to seeing. He knew that prolonged stares would make her uncomfortable, so he looked away, careful not to overstay his welcome or make her change her spot.

As the days went by, their routine remained unchanged – same spot, same silent acknowledgment of each other's presence, it needed no words.

He watched her for some time, changing sitting positions, from crossing his leg, to placing his elbow on the table and his hand beneath his chin.

“There’s something I want to give you,” he broke the long-lasting silence, and with a swift movement that was an accountability to her sensitivity, she raised her head to look at him.

Curious, she asked. “What's that?”

They barely spoke, so it was surprising that he wanted to give something to her so quickly.

Without giving a response, he reached for his bag- a small brown leather bag that was placed close to him on the floor.

“Here,” it was a novel, and that made her gaze narrow on it, then slowly, their eyes locked.

She hesitated, staring at it longer than expected, but after his hand fidgeted due to staying in an uncomfortable position for long, she reached for it.

“It should help,” it was Damon's baritone voice.

“Hope in the dark?” She asked, with her eyes fixed on the novel and a hint of confusion playing in her eyes.

“By Rebecca Salnit, yes,” he completed, and a sip of the coffee followed. “You should try it out.”

Unknowingly to her, he had been watching her since he knew what she needed: a word. A word that was capable of showing her there was a light at the far end of the dark tunnel she was stuck in.

Talking to her about it might seem offensive, so maybe that was the best way; the book.

"You should read it, trust me," he urged, his voice low and persuasive.

With a sigh, he stood up, his eyes drifting to his wristwatch as he checked the time. "I've got somewhere to be," he said, a hint of urgency creeping into his tone compared to hers where she lied.

"It's fine," she replied, her fingers tracing the cover of the book. "Thanks for this," she added, holding it up in a small gesture of appreciation.

He nodded, a brief smile playing on his lips, before turning to leave. As he walked out of the coffee shop, the faint scent of his cologne lingered, capable of reminding her of his presence.

She opened the first page.

At a grocery store, she pushed the cart around, switching gazes at intervals; the pregnancy had begun to show. Easily, she grew tired but never stopped to make it obvious in public.

“Please can you help me get that?” She demanded, and the lad, who seemed to be in his early twenties, nodded, giving her the item she demanded.

“Thanks,” she said to him and he just nodded before walking away to the salesperson.

A woman who permed her hair came to get something with her husband pushing the cart behind her, and her gaze landed on Elysia, who seemed lost in thoughts.

“She would not have to worry had it been her husband was with her,” it was with the main purpose of letting her hear it, provided that she did not say it in a low tone.

With a sigh, Elysia gave no response.

“As much as I'd like to keep this question to myself, I don't think it's possible,” the woman approached her in a precise motion, and her husband watched her from a distance.

“You're pregnant, and your husband is nowhere to be found,” she paused, scanning the whole place to maybe catch a glimpse of a male that was likely her husband…but no one was there.

Suddenly, she gasped, covering her mouth quickly. “Don't tell me he impregnated you and–”

“That's enough,” Damon stepped in, hardening his jaw, and that made the woman take a step back in fear.

“I was just–”

“I never asked you any question so fuck off,” he cut her off in a rude tone, firmly holding the shivering hands of Elysia.

As the woman left with her husband, she embraced him, tears streaming down her face.

She was reminded.

Reminded of what she had been trying to forget, of what she had gradually started to move on from.

Yes, she cried at night, but it was not frequent.

Most of the time, it was because of her grandmother, and other times, it was because of Orion, but she kept telling herself that all she needed to do was brace herself.

Same thing she told herself as she packed from Orion's house that very day.

Soon, Damon's chest was wet due to the tears that Elysia had shed; she finally pulled back with a frown on her face.

“I'm really sorry for doing that,’’ her eyes was fixed on his cloth but he smiled, trying to cheer her up, but all attempt was futile.

“Should I take you home?” He requested but she shook her head, turning her back on him.

She came to an abrupt stop and turned to him. “Thanks, though, for what you did there, too,” without waiting for his response, she went to the salesperson.

Elysia sat on the floor as she got home, tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably. Taking that woman's word, truly, her husband should be by her side, but where was he?

Off with someone else who he cherished more than her, who he was willing to spend most of his life with, and that night, she cried herself to sleep.

She did not visit the coffee shop the next day.

While humming a lullaby, she folded the clothes and arranged them neatly before placing them back in the box.

She needed to keep herself busy if she was going to escape boredom, she had cooked already, so what else was there to do?

Her grandmother was so engrossed with nature that she planted lots and lots of things, and just to constantly remind herself of her, she did the same the previous day.

The only difference was that she organized a tiny corner for it since her apartment was not spacious.

She walked in to get the book that Damon had given her some days ago, but something else caught her attention as she opened the drawer; the letter that she saw some weeks ago.

This time, she threw it back into the drawer and went to the sitting room with the book in her hand and the TV on.

Surely, that day was not like every other day since she did not visit the café but night came faster than expected, she went to lock her apartment but her eyes was focused on something else, a car.

The familiarity nagged at her, she was certain she'd seen it before, but where?

Closing her eyes for a moment, a spark of recognition flared up; the grocery store yesterday. For a brief instant, she stood frozen, her face etched with uncertainty and a mix of concern.

Then quietly, she locked up the apartment and stepped back inside, her mind too active for sleep.