《The Tragic Tale of Teddy Woven》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    My story begins in a humble lodging, an ancestral home belonging to Theodore Woven. His lodging


    was situated by the icy coast, ced upon the highest hill for all to see. Grey granite bricks were built


    from the ground upwards, towering over the sea-line where his simple white boat was but a dot in the


    distance. Theodore the second - his official title - lived in this housing alone. His onlypanion was a


    sleek white cat named, ¡°Luna,¡± whom he had found as a hungry stray many years ago.


    The first time I had set eyes on his home was on the twenty-first of April, on a warm balmy day that


    would ideally make my job easier. I was to take up my supervisor¡¯s position and tend to his private


    gardens for the next week, while her husband was in the hospital. I was informed it would be a


    rtively easy task if I followed one simple instruction: to leave the master of that house alone.


    ***


    Olive coloured rain-boots sshed against the dewy grass, squishing loudly with each step as I strode


    over the endless field that led to the tall brick building atop of the hill. An umbre was squeezed tightly


    in my hand. It was drizzling outside, but it was not enough to dissuade me from paying this house a


    visit. I had a map in my left hand, a circle around Mr. Woven¡¯s lodging to help me on my way as I


    wandered around this unfamiliar vige.


    It was just after dawn, and the sun was shining full strength despite the light water droplets drizzling


    from the sky. It was unusually warm weather as well,pelling me to unzip my ck raincoat to let it


    swing at my sides. The house was bing clearer now; a thick array of green vines crept up the side


    of the brick wall. There wererge green hedges streamed beside it, and fern trees half covering the


    windows. I spotted a small trail of a brick pathway leading up to the house, so I moved over to the left


    to navigate myself towards that well-trodden path. A vintage bike was parked outside of the front


    doorway, glossy with a cheery red shine that glistened in the golden sunlight. There was a shed to the


    left of the house; it was painted with a pale ruddy colour that had faded over the years. I could only


    assume the supplies I needed would be there, but first I must introduce myself to the owner.


    I knocked on the door, and then looked around to see Mr. Woven¡¯s property was devoid of all people.


    His house was somewhat isted, though the picturesque view of the blue sea made up for it.


    A heavy lock sounded from the inner quarters, and then I heard the creaking of a door as it slowly


    opened. In time I saw a man standing before me; his tall, lean stature easily overwhelmed me as I


    barely met the top of his chest. He had a proud look to him with dark eyes and a sharp, angr nose.


    His lips were tightly pursed as he looked down at me. I could feel a wave of scrutiny from him, and


    once he was satisfied with his silent examination, the stranger in front of me opened the door a tad bit


    wider. ¡°Good morning,¡± he drawled in a lifeless voice.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I answered him.


    There was a light meow behind the man, prompting him to look over his shoulder to find the cat that


    was vying for his attention. He took a step back, allowing me to see the small creature with soft blue


    eyes. The white cat tilted its head, trying to find the right angle to see the whole of my figure. The man


    abandoned his post and quickly swept the cat off the floor to cradle the creature lovingly. He


    approached the open doorway with the small white feline in his arms, allowing his right hand to stroke it


    softly as he reverted his attention to me. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°My name is S. My supervisor¡¯s name is Daphne.¡± I paused to see if this man disyed any


    recognition to my supervisor¡¯s name. ¡°Daphne Risson.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know who she is,¡± he eximed with disinterest.


    ¡°Her husband is in the hospital right now. She has sent me to tend to your gardens for the week.¡±


    ¡°An entire week?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    He nodded his head slowly, though he maintained that resolute dead-pan expression. ¡°Come in,¡± he


    quipped, before he turned his back to me. I took the liberty of removing my damp coat once I stepped


    inside. The tall man shut the door behind me, and then let his plush grey slippers tread over the


    wooden floor as soft as a mouse. He had a certain glide to his walk, an effortless gait that reminded me


    of a noble aristocrat. He wore a white dress shirt buttoned up all the way but the sleeves were rolled up


    to expose his forearms. The cat was brought higher up his chest, allowing the bridge of his nose to


    stroke across the fur calmly. ¡°Hang your coat up there,¡± hemanded. ¡°There is a rack, you see.¡± He


    watched me perform this action quietly, and then suggested Iy my muddy boots on a stic mat next


    to the door. ¡°Follow me,¡± he instructed, and then led me down the short hallway to take me into an


    unknown room.


    I entered his living room, observing the pristine order he maintained to the highest degree. There was a


    sleek ck piano ced next to the open window. The walls were cluttered over with paintings, images


    of far-away ces that I had never seen before. The soft patter of the catnding on the floor caught


    my attention, letting my eyes flicker back to its owner.


    ¡°My name is Theodore Woven,¡± he stated. ¡°But you may call me Teddy.¡± He raised up his chin proudly,


    almost expecting me tough at his statement. ¡°I would prefer that to junior,¡± he added, before he


    confidently strode over to hisrge sofa.


    His cat hopped over the wooden bench, and then jumped a little higher tond on the piano. The paws


    were most concerned to not press down on the keyboard, so the cat moved in a certain way to stay


    along the wooden edges to not make a sound.


    ¡°Your cat is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Luna,¡± he eximed. ¡°She has been with me for quite some time.¡± He pointed to the right side of the


    couch. ¡°Please, take a seat.¡±


    I inspected my clothes to make sure they were not dirty, and then I nervously took a seat on the other


    side of the couch.


    Luna leapt to the top of the piano and then tilted her head in a curious way, watching the flickering


    lights change as the clouds continued to drift past the sun. When I turned my attention to Mr. Woven he


    immediately dropped his gaze, not wanting me to discover that he had been watching me all along.


    ¡°I trust Daphne gave you proper instructions.¡±


    ¡°She did.¡±


    ¡°I would have liked her to call me,¡± he deliberated aloud. ¡°Is this very sudden?¡±


    ¡°I am afraid it is.¡± My hands inteced together nervously. ¡°Her husband had a stroke.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mr. Woven looked down at his hands, examining the lines creasing his knuckles as he let his thoughts


    drift away. I took the liberty of studying his bookcase, and then the painting of a French vineyard that


    was ced behind me.


    ¡°Am I to give you the wages then? I do direct deposit with her.¡±


    ¡°Daphne will pay me out of pocket,¡± I assured him. ¡°It will make things less awkward.¡±


    ¡°You are quite early. Have you had something to eat?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a car, so I had to take an earlier bus. I did not want to bete on my first day.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I normally work on the other side of the vige. The south side, to be exact. I design and maintain the


    garden for business owners. Banks,w offices, dentistry¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°-but no private homes?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then this must be unusual for you,¡± he observed. Mr. Woven turned his head away from me, letting his


    gaze settle to the open window where the drapes lightly fluttered in the warm breeze. His cat was


    curled up in a ball over the piano, lost in a sweet slumber that I almost envied. ¡°You never answered


    my question. Would you like something to eat?¡±


    ¡°I have too much work to do.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± He pushed himself off thefy couch and then straightened his back in a prideful way. ¡°I


    have some muffins. Would that suit you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it would.¡±


    He patiently waited for me to rise from the sofa as well, and then led the way. We entered the hallway


    once again, allowing me to see the wooden staircase directly ahead of us. The walls were bare along


    the wall here, though the creamy beige ceiling with an intricate diamond pattern held my interest for a


    bit. Mr. Woven turned to the left, crossing over the curved archway to take two sets of stairs downwards


    to enter therge kitchen. There was a window to reveal the backyard, and a circr dining table with


    two chairs situated around it. His kitchen was incredibly clean; a half empty cup of coffee was ced at


    the edge of the table with the few remains of a torn sesame seed bagel covered in strawberry jam. He


    pulled out a chair to suggest I take it, and then turned his back to me to wash his hands under the


    kitchen sink. I could make out the light scent of zhini, a curious fragranceing from his liquid


    hand soap. I took the designated seat in front of a door, though I was satisfied enough to see that I


    could simply turn my head to see the garden.


    ¡°I bought these muffins from a bakery yesterday.¡± I turned my head to see Mr. Woven lifting a pantry to


    obtain a set of pastries. ¡°I have blueberry, chocte and banana and onest carrot muffin.¡±


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    ¡°I will take the carrot.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± He pulled it out with a set of tongs. ¡°Coffee or tea?¡±


    ¡°Coffee.¡±


    ¡°You like it with cream or milk?¡±


    ¡°I will have it ck.¡±


    He looked over his shoulders at me in disbelief before he returned to setting the muffin down on a


    designated te. He strode over to me with eyes intently gazing on my person. The te was set


    down in front of me, and then Mr. Woven took a deliberate step back. ¡°Need a few minutes to set up


    the coffee.¡±


    ¡°Take your time.¡±


    ¡°I think I will have a second cup.¡± He moved away from the table, intent on starting the coffee machine.


    It was an old device, much like the rest of the items in his house. I thought Mr. Woven lived in a time-


    warp; an age forgotten, a time that had passed us long ago. He was the strangest of them all, for he


    had his dark brown hair brushed neatly to the side and sideburns that gave him a more distinguished


    look. I could only guess he was in his early thirties, but it was so hard to tell. ¡°All the tools that you will


    ever need will be in the outside shed. You will have no need toe through the house. I detest any


    mess¡­¡± He looked over his shoulder to maintain a hardened gaze on me. ¡°Of any kind.¡± He began to


    wash his hands, even though it wasn¡¯t necessary. The running water droned out his voice a bit as he


    continued, ¡°If you need me, knock on the front door and I shalle. If I am ying the piano, you may


    knock on the ss window. I find it harder to hear anything else when I am situated there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Theo or Teddy will do,¡± he sharply quipped.


    ¡°Why Teddy?¡±


    ¡°It was a nickname I received as a child,¡± he answered with his back to me. I watched hisrge hands


    rung the stripped blue and white towel tightly. ¡°It sort of stuck.¡± He clutched the towel even tighter as he


    added: ¡°My mother called me that.¡±


    I nodded my head silently, deciding it was best to agree with my employer¡¯s demands.


    The coffee machine made a screeching sound, signalling it was nearly done. I rested my arms over the


    table, letting it rest around the curve of the te as I silently watched the man work hard at drying off


    thest of the dishes. He hadrge hands, incredibly strong, and I could not help but notice he had not


    a single ring on his fingers. I imagined he must be lonely living in this house all alone, but he gave no


    inclination so far that it disagreed with him.


    ¡°Do you want arge cup?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not too much.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± A pastel blue ceramic cup was raised into the air, and he made sure to wiggle it from side to


    side to get my attention. ¡°This will do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    He walked over to my table and set the mug next to my right hand. ¡°Will you being here every


    day?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The same time?¡±


    ¡°I believe so. Why?¡±


    ¡°I will have coffee ready for you next time.¡± The coffee machine beeped at the perfect timing, allowing


    him to turn around to be attentive to the curious machinery. Luna appeared over the open doorway,


    stretching her back to the point that it curled upward. Her head was shaken once she was done, and


    then a tired yawn allowed her jaws to open to the fullest. I took in the sharp white fangs, and then


    watched aszy blue eyes turned in my direction with curiosity.


    ¡°Did you name her after the moon?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Teddy came over to retrieve my mug. ¡°Do you think it suits her?¡±


    ¡°With her white fur it does,¡± I mused aloud. I leaned to the right of the chair with my hand barely


    hovering over the ground. I waved my fingers for the small creature toe over, suddenly feeling the


    urge to pet her soft fur.


    ¡°I would advise you to wash your hands once you touch her,¡± a deep baritone voice echoed over me. In


    the corner of my eye I could see Teddyying the mug down on the table. ¡°We don¡¯t know where she


    winds up to sometimes.¡±


    Luna ignored her master, simply scampering over to me to drag the side of her head against my hand.


    ¡°Does Luna go outside?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t get to any trouble?¡±


    ¡°So far no, but I know she doesn¡¯t like to go far. It is hard to find her at night, however, she isn¡¯t one to


    sleep with her owner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is too bad.¡±


    Teddy never replied to my statement. I brought the cat upwards to rest on myp. Luna purred as I


    swept my fingers along her back, enjoying the attention I was giving her.


    ¡°S?¡± I looked upwards to see him hovering over a chair that was to my left. ¡°Do you have any pets?¡±


    ¡°My t is too small,¡± Iined. ¡°Maybe when I have a ce of my own.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a ce to yourself?¡±


    ¡°Well, the owner doesn¡¯t like pets,¡± I exined. ¡°And a cat would scratch up the furniture and walls,


    wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± A touch of milk was dropped into his coffee. ¡°Would you have one? If you were


    allowed?¡±


    ¡°I would feel less lonely,¡± I confided, as I continued to stroke my fingers over Luna. Her pink nose was


    intent on rubbing itself against the side of my hand, sending a dampness over the curve of my wrist.


    ¡°She likes attention,¡± he warned. A tall white mug was raised into the air, half shielding his mouth from


    me. ¡°I can tell she likes you as well.¡±


    ¡°Does she like Daphne?¡±


    ¡°Daphne is allergic to cats,¡± he regrettably answered me. ¡°All the more reason for Luna to enjoy you.¡±


    The purring grew louder, sending a shadow of a smile to this man¡¯s face. The sunlight revealed the


    clearness of his skin and absence of lines that made his exact age so hard to figure out. I could feel


    him studying me as well. There was something about me that secretly pleased him, and once his mind


    was made up, he took his first sip of coffee. I drew my hand away from Luna¡¯s demanding presence


    and reached for my mug as well. Tiny slurps filled the air, since I was startled to find the water so piping


    hot. Teddy was ustomed to the temperature, allowing him to finish up his beverage faster than me.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± I began. ¡°But what do you do?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have no idea. I suppose most men would be in their business attire and driving off to work by


    now.¡±


    ¡°Most men, yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you a musician?¡±


    ¡°It is a hobby,¡± he coldly stated. ¡°Nothing more than that.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ what are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like titles,¡± he fussed. ¡°But if I must choose something¡­ I am a painter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes sense now.¡±


    ¡°I paintndscape and architecture mainly. I seldom do portraits, so please don¡¯t ask that from me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I would never.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said with utter crispness. ¡°Now, hand Luna to me.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    I let my hands curl around the small creature and brought it over to the man next to me. He was able to


    lift Luna with one hand, allowing him to settle Luna on hisp with only her head peaking over the edge


    of the table. ¡°Wash your hands,¡± he reminded me once he spotted me reaching over for my muffin.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    I pushed back my chair and turned on the tap. The water was icy cold against my fingers, and when I


    sshed it over my hand, I let my gaze fixate over the garden that was just starting to bloom with


    spring. The soap was poured on my hands, and once enough soap suds were spread all over, I knew it


    was time to rinse it off.


    ¡°S?¡± called out Teddy behind me. ¡°Is this your full-time job?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡±


    ¡°About a year and a half.¡±


    The tap was just being turned off when I overheard: ¡°Do you enjoy it?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here, if I didn¡¯t.¡± I felt that statement was somewhat rude and looked over my shoulder to


    see his head bent downwards with pure fixation on his cat. ¡°I never meant to be rude. Sorry, it was


    sarcasm.¡±


    His voice was unbearably low as he uttered: ¡°Sarcasm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    His response was dyed, but eventually he spoke out: ¡°It is forgotten.¡±


    I let the dish towel dry my hands quickly, so I could return to my seat. Teddy never lifted his gaze from


    his beloved cat. I took a seat nervously and then reached forward to have my first bite of the muffin.


    ¡°Would you like it heated in future?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be nice.¡±


    ¡°I am not used to having guests,¡± he stated in an exacting tone of voice. ¡°I like my house to be quiet.¡±


    I chewed down on the muffin softly, hoping I wouldn¡¯t do anything else to disturb him.


    ¡°I enjoy peace and quiet,¡± he continued. ¡°I can¡¯t bear the scraping of chairs, the prattling of people.¡± He


    lifted the chin of Luna, so he could see her light blue eyes. ¡°Cats are quiet creatures, except when they


    meow.¡±


    I let out a light chuckle since I agreed with my employer.


    ¡°And the sound of the sea calms me. I have¡­¡± He tilted his head to the right. ¡°Frazzled nerves.¡±


    ¡°Frazzled?¡±


    ¡°Excitable,¡± he offered out. ¡°Any little thing can trigger it.¡±


    I let my eyebrows lower curiously, for I was having trouble understanding what Teddy was telling me.


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    ¡°You look confused,¡± he observed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will make sure it won¡¯t beshed out on you.¡±


    ¡°Excitable?¡±


    ¡°I am sensitive to sounds,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°The piano doesn¡¯t bother you.¡±


    ¡°With the right tune it can soothe my nerves,¡± he rapped out carelessly. ¡°How are you finding the


    coffee?¡± I nodded my head since my mouth was stuffed with food. ¡°Enjoying it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A grandfather clock struck loudly in the house, making me think it was the exact opposite sound that


    would agree with Teddy. He closed his eyes with half annoyance, and only appeared at ease once the


    reign of terror ended. His cat leapt off hisp, shooting down the kitchen to sprint down the hallway. I


    felt goosebumps rise at the back of my arms, but when I looked over my shoulder all I could see was a


    wooden door that was bolted shut with a heavy chain.


    ¡°That goes down to the cers,¡± Teddy exined. ¡°Nothing important down there.¡±


    I turned my gaze to the homeowner, having a sense of eeriness since I felt he was lying to me. My


    hand trembled as I reached for the cup, noticing how the room darkened as a series of clouds eclipsed


    the morning sun.


    There was something strange about this man, but I could not put my finger on it yet.


    ¡°The clock has struck ten, which means Daphne would be here by now. I will give you the keys to the


    shed, but please remember to return them.¡±


    ¡°After my shift?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He lifted his mug to gulp down thest of it. ¡°The key is near the front door, I will get it now. Once


    you are finished your breakfast, I expect you to be working hard outside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°And if you need anything, you know how to contact me.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°I will be back then,¡± he surmised. The mug was ced gently on the kitchen sink, soft enough to not


    make a sound. Slippers lightly trod over the wooden floor, and soon enough he was gone from my


    view. I took to eating my food quicker, finding Teddy¡¯s presence a little too much for me. He was an odd


    man, and for some reason I no longer felt safe alone with him. Daphne had worked for him for years


    and she had experienced no harm or difort, but still, would that be enough to guarantee my safety


    as well?


    I could hear creaking of steps overhead, a strange recognition since I assumed no one else was home.


    The creaking continued, going ever so slowly like a person that was elderly and too weak to make it


    down the steps on their own.


    The soft padding of slippers resounded on the other end, and I saw Teddy step past the kitchen


    doorway to make his way to the top set of stairs. There was hush muttering on his end, growing


    sharper as the moments passed by. ¡°Yes,¡± was the only thing I heard, and then the footsteps of Teddy


    grew louder as he went around the doorway toe into my view. ¡°I am afraid your time is up.¡±


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± His face was passive, unwilling to show any sign of emotion. ¡°I thought I heard


    something.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I looked down at the remains of my muffin and wondered if it was worth finishing when I felt so


    ufortable around Teddy.


    He looked over his shoulder as if he feared someone woulde, and then took arge step forward


    to enter the kitchen. ¡°Leave the rest,¡± he demanded. ¡°It is time for you to go outside.¡±


    I pushed away the te, feeling a sense of defeat. ¡°I am sorry I can¡¯t wash up.¡±


    He raised his hand to the left of him, entreating me to exit the kitchen as quick as possible. I walked


    towards him with timid steps, feeling like something was going to pounce at me at any moment. The


    bottom of my stomach felt tense when I finally locked eyes with Teddy, feeling his arresting gaze was


    seeking me out. ¡°I will take you outside,¡± he informed me. I passed under the archway and found just


    enough space to walk past Teddy without brushing my arm against him. In the corner of my eye I


    looked at the foot of the staircase, and then the uppernding where I thought the footsteps had


    stopped. There was nothing there.


    Teddyid a hand on the top of my back to keep me going, sensing I was too curious for my own good.


    He left me near the front entrance, iming he needed to retrieve his coat that he left upstairs. The


    house was incredibly silent when I slipped on my boots, though I heard the soft pattering of Luna in the


    main living room. She made a sharp hiss as if she could sense danger, but when I peeked around the


    corner into the living room, I saw nothing there. I turned my gaze to the empty hallway, and then the set


    of staircases that led to the upper rooms. Restless, I pushed open the front door and stepped outside,


    grateful for the fresh air and the heat of the sun. I would have to make some inquiries about Theodore


    Woven the next time I called Daphne on the telephone. There was something not right about this man,


    as if he were hiding a secret from me. Restlessness seized me once again, so I shut the front door and


    began to wander at the side of the house, curious to see the left side of it. I passed the cherry red


    bicycle, and then took a nce at the stony birdbath that was ced near the front of the house. The


    deep bowl was empty, informing me that Teddy cared very little for the birds¡¯ well-being. I let my hands


    fall deep into my pant pockets, watching my boots sink into the damp grass. I continued to wander until


    I fell under the shade of a willow tree, and only then picked up the distinctive sound of Teddy¡¯s voice: ¡°It


    was just coffee! No! No, I wouldn¡¯t do that. I swear it. Don¡¯t get angry with me. I promised I will protect


    you and¡­¡± The rest of his voice trailed off, for he had moved away from the crack of the open window.


    I looked upwards to see the in brick wall, still unscathed by the green vines that crept along the


    other side of the house. There were no windows on the lower level, allowing me to creep past it to get


    to the back of the house. I could see the extensiveness of the garden, the clean white bench that was


    ced in front of high grove wall. In the center of the garden was a steel bower, with floral greenery


    strung atop of it, dangling beautifully to the very bottom where a table and two chairs were situated. I


    walked over to it, letting my fingers feel the brown wood of the chair as I examined the intricate pattern


    of white pillow withce trimmings. I thought the area was very domestic, almost possessing a


    womanly touch.


    I looked over my shoulder to see the open window to the kitchen, noticing it was clear enough to not


    see Teddy on the other side of the ss. My eyes drifted to the two windows over top, both shut with


    heavy drapes so I could not spot anything of interest there. The faint sound of the front door shutting


    assured me that Teddy was outside, and soon enough I saw his towering figure striding down the green


    fields.


    Once he came closer, I observed he was wearing a tan suede bomber jacket with the first few buttons


    to his white dress shirt opened. ¡°You left,¡± he said with pure irritation. ¡°I would prefer you listen to my


    instructions.¡±


    ¡°You changed.¡±


    He looked down at his shirt, taking note that his dress shirt was tucked in neatly this time for me to see


    the tness of his stomach. ¡°I might have¡­¡± He shrugged his shoulders guilty. ¡°Freshened up a bit.¡±


    I smiled at him unknowingly, which made him look down in embarrassment. ¡°What do you think of the


    garden so far?¡±


    ¡°I think it is beautiful! Do you do any gardening yourself?¡±


    ¡°A little, but most of it is done by Daphne.¡±


    ¡°You spend a lot of time out here?¡±


    ¡°I like to read outdoors,¡± he mused aloud. ¡°Sometimes paint.¡±


    ¡°I bet it is nice in the summertime,¡± I said with all agreeableness. ¡°I like the table you put up here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my mother likes it too.¡±


    ¡°Is she around?¡± He arched up an eyebrow suspiciously. ¡°Does she live with you?¡±


    ¡°My mother is dead,¡± he said with a tenseness in his voice.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize.¡±


    He looked down at the ground, unable to reach my eyes anymore. I felt incredibly guilty, hoping her


    passing wasn¡¯t recent enough to bring him into a pitiful state. Teddy turned his body slightly away from


    me, curiously looking up at the house as if a thought hade over him. ¡°You should see the shed,¡± he


    murmured. ¡°And then you are free to do whatever the hell you like.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± I stretched out a hand, barely touching the soft fabric of his jacket. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know.¡±


    He swallowed hard, while instinctively leaning into my touch. His eyes wavered downwards, and when


    he had enough confidence, he shot it upwards to gaze longingly into mine. Teddy¡¯s mouth opened


    partially, but then somethingpelled him to shut it. He leaned away from my touch, creating enough


    space for him to look more himself again. ¡°I think you should follow me,¡± he uttered in a cracked voice.


    He left the spot immediately, striding over to the shed at an incredibly brisk pace. The wind picked up a


    bit, blowing right into Teddy¡¯s form as he made his way to the shed. The wind was strong enough to


    pick up his low mutterings, and in the breeze, I could hear the faintest traces of his one-sided


    conversation. ¡°Will you just leave me alone,¡± He grumbled. ¡°I am not doing anything. And stop following


    me.¡± Teddy looked over his shoulder, making sure I was far enough away to not hear his insistent


    grumblings. ¡°Go back to your room,¡± he shot out, and with a flick of his wrist sent that unknown being


    away from him. I slowed down my steps in disbelief, wondering if Teddy was suffering from some


    mental illness. It was clear he truly believed he was speaking to someone, but that person¡¯s identity


    would remain a mystery to me, not unless I was willing to find out the truth.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    The gardening shed had all the necessary supplies. Teddy took a step back, allowing me to venture


    into the darkened space to examine the gardening equipment. It was an unusuallyrge shed, with a


    few odd trinkets strung along the sides of the wooden wall. It was clean, a strange imitation of his


    ancestral home that was just outside of his shed. ¡°You should have everything you need in here,¡±


    Teddy informed me in a clear tone of voice. ¡°And I will leave the key on this hook.¡± He waited for me to


    turn around, allowing my eyes to follow the slow movements of his arm before hetched the key ring


    on a silver hook. ¡°And you know where I will be if you are in need of me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered him quite breathlessly, for his visage was eclipsed in darkness from the natural


    lighting of the shed. He stood there motionlessly for a moment, and then swiftly turned around to make


    his way back towards the house again. An involuntary shudder seized me. My jaw clenched with the


    realization that there was something alluring about me that Teddy could not ignore.


    Bent on the need for a distraction, I pulled out the wrinkled note I wrotest night. Daphne described


    the areas she would like me to focus on for this week, and I was ardent on following them to the letter.


    A long green hose was utched from its holder, and slowly but surely, I pulled it out to bring the


    nozzle to the edge of the house. I had to water the flowers first, so I thought to start at the front of the


    house. The water gushed from the hose, spraying over the greenery of nts that had been shielded


    from the drizzle of rain earlier this morning. I looked to the rugged brown door, and then the thick green


    vines that curled around the edges of the right side of the house. Bird songs filled the air, high enough


    for me to take in the clear blue sky. There were seldom any clouds now, and if I listened carefully


    enough, I could hear the hush roaring of the sea. The sound of fingers pressing quickly over the piano


    keys filled the air around the house as Teddy yed his instrument. He was a talented pianist, the


    uracy of his execution as he yed a piece by Beethoven only proved that. The window in the living


    room was barely cracked open, allowing music to seep into the air ande wafting its way towards


    me. I listened attentively, marvelled by the sheer sound that this man was able to produce.


    I moved to the right more, finding the flowers had been well watered. My attention was soon focused on


    a small section of yellow daffodils, watching them sway to the left and right as water poured down to


    their very roots. The music continued to y at a quick pace, crazed and hurried as if this man was


    holding his very breath. The depths of his passion were portrayed in his music, a world of emotion that


    he tried to hold back. I moved to the corner of the house, only to find there were no flowers that needed


    to be watered there. There was a strange sense of regret since I had to move further away from the


    brick building, knowing the closest set of flower pots were at the very back of the house. The music


    gradually became distant, and once I was standing over a circr rocky pathway with a green hose


    dangling in my hand, the homeowner¡¯s music was but a distant memory for me.


    ***


    An hour and a halfter I was trimming unruly hedges when I heard soft padding of shoes against the


    grass. My hedge scissors were lowered to my waist after I turned around to face him. He was dressed


    in the same apparel, though he looked more rxed as the natural shelter of the brick wall blocked out


    the harsh noon day lightening. ¡°It is almost time for you to go,¡± he noted. ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t convince


    you to stay.¡±


    ¡°I have to return to my regr job.¡± My arm was brought upwards to wipe sweat from my brow. I could


    feel my dark brown hair clinging to the side of my face, since the heat from the sun caused me to sweat


    profusely. ¡°I will have to leave right at noon.¡±


    ¡°In another half an hour,¡± he noted, without ever looking at the time. He stood perfectly still, simply


    watching me for a moment. ¡°I think you shoulde inside for a break,¡± he suggested. His right leg


    stretched forward, causing most of his weight to lean over to the left.


    ¡°I still have this to finish,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Come in for water at least.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±


    He nodded his head in contention, and then took a step backwards to create more space. I made sure


    the hedge scissors were safely closed. Teddy watched mey it down on the grass, for I was intent on


    completing the task before I would have to leave his estate for the day.


    He waited for me to take a ce by his side. The movements of his feet were impably smooth upon


    the grass, almost gliding in a way while he raised his chin upwards to admire the scenery.


    ¡°Teddy?¡± I called out to gather his attention. ¡°Who taught you how to y?¡±


    ¡°My guardian.¡±


    ¡°Guardian?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he murmured. He gave me a look to ensure I made no further inquiries. I turned my gaze


    fearfully from him, allowing my eyes to take in the wall of his house that was hidden away from the


    bright sunlight. ¡°Tired?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is the sun,¡± I confided. ¡°I should have brought a hat.¡±


    ¡°It would help.¡±


    ¡°What will you do for the rest of the afternoon?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    He shrugged his right shoulder. ¡°Paint, I suppose.¡± I noticed how he kept his gaze straight ahead,


    almost not wanting to look in my direction anymore. ¡°It is a fine day for it.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever get lonely?¡± I asked of him, after we turned a sharp right to strike the rocky path that led


    to his front door. ¡°Living out here alone?¡±


    ¡°I enjoy the silence of it all.¡±


    I believed him for some reason; Teddy did not strike me as the type of person that wanted a


    companion. The front door was gently pushed open, and then he instructed me toy my boots on the


    designated mat that had been cleaned while I was gone. He removed his shoes as well, letting me see


    therge size of his feet as he stood there in dark burgundy socks. ¡°We will go into the kitchen,¡± he


    suggested. ¡°If you would like to go to the washroom to freshen up, it is on your right.¡±


    ¡°I think I will go now,¡± I informed him. We parted ways once we reached the end of the hall, prompting


    me to open the in white door to step inside of the space. His washroom was incredibly narrow,


    leaving me barely enough room to breathe. I found it wlessly clean, however, taking note of the fresh


    flowers he had trimmed for a tall white vase next to the sink. Lavender-scented hand soap was ced


    over a circr bowl in the shape of a leaf; the mirror was short and narrow to let me catch a glimpse of


    my wild hair. When I had first entered his house it was tied up, but now my stray brown hair had slipped


    out of the tie to go over the sides of my head. I had short wavy brown hair; it reached the tips of my


    shoulders when I let it all down. I decided tob my fingers through it, and let my hair fall downwards


    and to the sides. My hands soon cupped cold water to ssh it over my face, letting the salty sweat


    pour down my brow and go dripping into therge white sink. It took me a few more minutes to freshen


    up, and once I was done, I patted a carefully folded towel over my face to have me nice and dry. Soft


    brown eyes stared back at me in my reflection, calm and full of life as I gingerly smiled back at my


    reflection. My fingers did their best to push back my bangs, and with that I dropped the towel in a waste


    basket and left the tiny room.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Two full sses of water were ced over a circr table. A tray of fresh fruits were arranged nicely in


    a cobalt blue tray. The windows were wide open to let in some fresh air; Teddy was standing in front of


    them to push back the drapes a little bit more. ¡°I brought out some fruit in case you are tempted,¡± he


    said with his back to me. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have much time, but I thought it might be nice to have


    something in your stomach.¡±


    ¡°I might take this banana,¡± I mused aloud. ¡°I could eat it on the bus ride home.¡±


    ¡°Bus ride home,¡± Teddy chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re not serious, are you?¡±


    ¡°It is the same one I took to get here.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, but it is hot,¡± he said as a way of an excuse. ¡°And I have no bus stops around here.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He turned around to face me now, letting his lower back lean against the edge of the counter.


    ¡°I had to ask the bus driver to stop me at the bottom of your hill.¡±


    ¡°And you walked all the way up here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I enjoy the exercise.¡±


    Teddy walked over to his table. A chair was pushed outwards and then he took a quiet seat next to me.


    ¡°Daphne has a car,¡± he noted. ¡°I can drive you somewhere.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be lingering out there alone.¡± He licked at his bottom lip. ¡°And it¡¯s hot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not summer yet.¡±


    ¡°And you are a woman,¡± he entreated. ¡°A woman standing in the middle of nowhere alone.¡± Teddy


    reached for his ss of water,pelling me to do the same. ¡°I will not stand for it. I was raised better


    than that.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±


    He nodded his head, entreating me to go on. His thumb lightly stroked the outside of his ss, while he


    altered his gaze between the clear ss of water and myself.


    ¡°You could drop me off at the main bus terminal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I could do that.¡±


    I took a timid sip of the water, feeling like I was asking too much from him. Teddy stared at me intently,


    letting his eyes focus on my hair that was now down to the tops of my shoulders. ¡°I could drive you


    after every shift this week,¡± he nervously pointed out. ¡°And if you want¡­ I could pick you up from the


    station as well.¡±


    ¡°No, that is too much.¡±


    ¡°I only care for your safety.¡±


    I took arger sip of my water, finding it was the best excuse to fill up the awkward pause. I thought it


    best to contact Daphne as soon as possible, knowing she was the only one avable to shed light on


    this mysterious man¡¯s behaviour.


    ¡°Time is ticking.¡± Teddy pointed behind him, suggesting I still need toplete the trimming to his


    hedges at the back. ¡°I suggest you drink your water quickly.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t need you to pick me up at the station in the morning,¡± I entreated. ¡°Though driving me to


    the station after twelve will ensure I have enough time to grab a quick lunch.¡±


    ¡°You could bring your lunch and eat here,¡± he suggested. ¡°Or I could¡­ I could make lunch for the both


    of us.¡±


    ¡°That really isn¡¯t needed.¡±


    He watched mey down my ss of water in silent deliberation. ¡°I would like to do that,¡± he voiced out


    to my surprise. ¡°You will have to tell me what kind of food agrees with you-¡±


    ¡°-Teddy, this really isn¡¯t necessary,¡± I cut in. ¡°You are my employer and I don¡¯t want things to get any


    moreplicated.¡±


    ¡°Complicated?¡± He questioned me in a higher tone of voice. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± His face was suddenly deadpan, hardly expressing any emotions at all. ¡°I feel like


    I will owe you too much,¡± I lied.


    ¡°I see no harm in sharing lunch,¡± he fought back. ¡°It will ensure I have something to eat. I can¡¯t


    remember the amount of times I have forgotten to have a meal.¡± He smiled at me, the first one I had


    ever seen spread across his face. ¡°I would like to do it, S.¡±


    At that moment, a door in the upper levels of the house mmed shut with a violent bang, startling me


    so much I nearly dropped my ss of water upon the table. Teddy¡¯s hands balled up together, and his


    bodynguage disyed a certain tenseness I had never seen before. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°It was the wind,¡± he coldly replied. ¡°Sometimes the wind blows so strong it ms the bedroom doors


    closed.¡± His fists gradually grew less tense, and soon he wasying the ts of his hands against the


    circr table. ¡°But I think it is time you should go outside again.¡±


    ¡°Let me drink thest of this,¡± I pleaded. He watched me gulp down the water rapidly. I let out a short


    exhale once I was done and ced the ss hard down on the table. He visibly flinched at the sound,


    making me feel guilty for causing him so much pain. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°I will take your ss,¡± he relinquished. The ss slid over the table to be positioned next to his own.


    Teddy retrieved the two empty sses and immediately turned hisrge back to me. I watched him


    dowse it in dish soap, dedicating his time to clean the sses out thoroughly.


    ¡°Your house is very clean,¡± I noted. ¡°Do you have a maid?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t afford one,¡± he darkly chuckled. ¡°No, I am the one that cleans the house.¡±


    ¡°It is so clean! You would think it is up for sale.¡±


    ¡°This is my ancestral home. I have no wish to sell it.¡±


    ¡°Has it been in your family for long?¡±


    ¡°Three generations. My grandfather on my mother¡¯s side had purchased it just after the war.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°The first world war.¡± The dish towel was taken up to dry the side of the ss in circr motions.


    ¡°And then you will pass on this house to your children?¡± I deliberated aloud. ¡°Do you have any?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I pushed out my chair, deciding it was best to get on with the rest of my day. ¡°I will be outside.¡± He


    looked over his shoulder, wearing an open expression as he truly took me in. ¡°Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°I wille outsideter.¡± He turned his head to the open window where the garden was situated. ¡°And


    then I will drive you to the station.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for that.¡±


    Teddy made no response to myment, so I turned away from the table and abandoned him in his


    quiet kitchen.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    The next time Teddy appeared around the corner of the house I knew it was time to go. A brown tweed


    newsboy cap restedfortably over his head. I thought he looked like a true Englishman then,


    reaffirming he was born and bred on this ind. He stopped some distance from me, and took his time


    observing my precise trimming of the top of the hedges to ensure it was perfectly straight.


    ¡°We should go.¡±


    ¡°One more minute,¡± I begged. I felt his presence encroach upon mine, and soon enough I could see his


    towering shadow in the corner of my eye.


    ¡°It is too high for you,¡± he observed, before he unhanded therge hedge shears from me. Teddy took it


    upon himself to cut the top of the bushes. He was most careful not to get anything on his nice suede


    jacket, moving back a tiny step to create some distance from the high green hedges. ¡°I don¡¯t know how


    Daphne does it. She is smaller than you.¡±


    ¡°I imagine she uses adder.¡±


    The man beside me chuckled with amusement as he continued to snip at the prickly bushes. ¡°It would


    take twice as long with that.¡±


    ¡°Has she ever asked you for help?¡±


    ¡°No, she is far too independent for that.¡± I crossed my arms, unsure if he was implying that I was not an


    independent person. Teddy must have caught my bodynguage from the corner of his eyes, for he


    laughed lightly with a hint of endearment. ¡°It bothers you that I am helping?¡±


    ¡°No, it is too high for me to reach.¡±


    ¡°I was saving you time,¡± he noted. ¡°How about you clean up the rest of the gardening supplies while I


    finish this up?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will be back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the shed,¡± he quipped, before he continued with his attentive trimmings of the hedge.


    It must say a lot about Teddy that he was willing to assist me with the gardening. He was very attentive


    towards me, almost intent on pleasing me in some way. It was evident he was going out of his way to


    make me feel morefortable in his home, though it made me suspicious as to his motives. Was it


    the kindness of his heart or something more than that? And what could he possibly gain from it?


    I worked hard to clear up the shed until it was nice and tidy. I knew Teddy was very particr about


    these things, so I had to ensure everything was to his liking. He returned to my side a few minutester,


    wearing almost a smile once he caught my eyes. I watched him stride over to me with confidence, chin


    held high to maintain his noble position. ¡°Are you all set?¡± he smoothly inquired. He leaned his body


    into the shed, cing the gardening tool on a small ledge where it would be perfectly safe. ¡°Did you


    forget anything in the house?¡±


    ¡°No. I am ready.¡±


    He plucked up a key off the hook and made sure I stood far enough away from the swinging door for


    him to shut it closed. I watched him lock the shed door with particr care, and then pocket the key in


    the inner p of his suede jacket. ¡°I parked my car a little further down the hill.¡± He took the lead,


    determined to show me the way. ¡°How was your first day so far?¡±


    I decided to take a more enthusiastic route, so I eximed: ¡°It was just lovely! You have such a nice


    garden, and this area is so quaint and quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he drawled out with suspicion.


    ¡°And it is such a nice spring day,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Perfect weather to go for a walk.¡± The man beside me


    nodded his head as he stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. ¡°Or to paint, as you say. The sea is not


    so far away, do you ever go sunbathing?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°I suppose you can¡¯t swim in it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I could,¡± he assured me. Teddy let his leather boots strike the hard pathway of carefully chosen


    stone bs, while motioning with his hand for me to follow the exact route. ¡°But it isn¡¯t safe going out


    into the ocean alone.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± I mused aloud. ¡°Why there is no one out here for miles?¡±


    ¡°I have no neighbours,¡± he conceded, after he looked over his shoulder to take in the house. ¡°There is a


    lighthouse further up north along the rocky coast, but I doubt my body would stray there.¡± He turned his


    gaze to me with care. ¡°If I should die.¡±


    ¡°A terrible thing to say,¡± I chided, which earned me a sly smirk. I shook my head at him in disapproval,


    and then looked straight ahead where I could see the outline of his navy-blue car. ¡°Do I detect a hint of


    dark humour from you?¡± I lightly teased. ¡°Or are you beingpletely serious?¡±


    ¡°I do have some darkness to me,¡± he responded with an easy air. ¡°But it is nothing to worry about.¡± The


    hill became significantly steeper, forcing us to slow down our steps. The dampness of the morning rain


    made the grass slicker, and unfortunately for Teddy it became a perilous journey. He reached out to


    touch the side of my arm, hoping to have some support as he attempted to regain his bnce. He was


    a tall man, and I could feel his immense weight leaned against my upper arm to the point that hisrge


    hand was gripping into my flesh. ¡°Sorry,¡± he quickly apologized once he regained his bnce. ¡°These


    shoes have no grip.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Teddy,¡± I softly replied, whichpelled him to slow down his steps. I got the sense that he


    was watching me, and when I turned around, he gazed into my eyes intently. I cast him a nervous smile


    and continued onwards, feeling the need to distance myself from him. The hill continued to go


    downwards, though the steepness was not as severe as before. His car was parked over a patch of


    dirt, and to my surprise the outside of his car was not as clean as his house. I stopped at the passenger


    door, letting my eyes trail over the older car that could have easily been twenty years to date. Teddy


    came over and walked around the vehicle to unlock the door. He slipped inside with ease, settling down


    into his seat before he outstretched an arm to utch my side of the door. I propped it open and took


    my ce beside him. ¡°Thank you again.¡±


    ¡°I must obey my conscience,¡± he slyly replied. The key was thrust into the ignition, signalling he was


    ready to leave. ¡°And it berated me for letting you wander down the hill all alone, only to stand in a


    secluded spot in the hopes of waving down a bus.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but we do live in the country.¡±


    The engine roared in front of us, encouraging me to put on my seatbelt. ¡°I dare say we do,¡± Teddy


    agreed with me. ¡°But it would not be right for a woman such as yourself, to be alone out here.¡±


    ¡°Will it be a long drive to the station?¡±


    ¡°Long enough.¡± He pressed down a button to put on his cassette yer, an old device that I had not


    seen since I was a child. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the drive. Sometimes it is best to get out of the house.¡± Soft


    piano music came through the speakers, and then Teddy turned his attention to winding down the


    window with a manual device. His car was very outdated, and I wondered why a man that owned such


    a nice house would allow himself to be tied to this ancient car. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better,¡± he


    continued. ¡°I spend far too much time there.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever throw any parties?¡±


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s no!¡± heughed.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    He reversed out of the dirt patch that made up his parking lot. ¡°The house must be quiet,¡± he drawled


    out slowly. ¡°Always quiet.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°It has been that way from the start,¡± he deliberated aloud. ¡°And it must continue that way.¡± The car


    reversed sharply to the right and then barrelled ahead to drive us down thest of the hill. ¡°And she


    would disapprove of it.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he mouthed out absentmindedly. ¡°My conscience.¡± He drew a hand upwards to scratch his fingers


    against the side of his jawline. ¡°A slip of the tongue.¡±


    My voice was soft as I uttered: ¡°I see.¡±


    We left thest of the lonely dirt trail, and finally entered the smooth paved road that would take us


    back to the vige. He turned the opposite direction from which I came, so I rolled down the window


    just a tad to gaze at the green scenery. The trees were budding, and the long stretch of green grass


    was decorated with vibrant blue bells that curved downwards into the low valley that Teddy¡¯s car was


    speeding along. The scenery was calming, undoubtedly beautiful, and I began to love the ce as if it


    were my own.


    ¡°You are very quiet.¡±


    My gaze flickered over to the driver of the car, taking in his calmposure. ¡°I was just thinking¡­¡± My


    gaze averted back to the sublime scenery. ¡°You live in such a beautiful ce.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, S.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel this way too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever bear to part with it,¡± he said in half jest. ¡°It has be a part of me now.¡±


    ¡°You have no reason to leave it?¡±


    ¡°The house is all paid for, but there is still the issue of maintaining the ce. I am not as rich as¡­¡± He


    stopped himself, and for some reason there was a darkness to his eyes. ¡°Others,¡± he breathed out with


    a look of pain.


    ¡°You don¡¯t make enough money through painting?¡±


    ¡°I make just enough.¡±


    ¡°Can you afford Daphne?¡±


    ¡°I can. The house is all I have, so I must invest in it,¡± he calmly ryed with a wave of his hand. ¡°At the


    end of the day it is my greatest asset.¡± He let his hand fall onto the steering wheel. ¡°I sometimes feel it


    is my fate to live and die there.¡±


    ¡°It could be if you never leave it. Have you travelled anywhere?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to France,¡± he rapped out happily. ¡°Germany. I have visited the Swiss Alps.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡±


    ¡°Much of my paintings are inspired by the travels I took as a boy and well into my adolescence.¡± The


    road turned smoothly to the right, leaving thest of the towering hill behind. ¡°I dream of seeing Italy


    one day,¡± he said with a charming ring to his voice. ¡°Barcelona,¡± he added. ¡°Spain.¡±


    ¡°You should go.¡±


    ¡°I would need an awful amount of money,¡± he entreated. ¡°And when I go, I would like to spend a great


    deal of time there. A few months at least.¡±


    ¡°You could, though.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Maybe when I was young and carefree, but I have responsibilities now.¡± The outline of houses could


    be seen in the very distance, the pale brown roofs blinding in the sunlight. We were approaching the


    closest vige to his home, an odd sight since I knew we would soon be parted.


    ¡°You are not old, Teddy,¡± I pointed out. ¡°There is still time.¡±


    ¡°It would be unwise to leave my home. I must take care of it.¡± He gripped onto his steering wheel with


    more force. ¡°But sometimes I close my eyes and dream of farawaynds. Things that I have not seen


    yet, and people¡­¡± His voice trailed away. ¡°But I am a difficult person to be around, or so I¡¯ve been


    told.¡±


    ¡°Is it because you are sensitive to sounds?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed with me quickly. ¡°And the fact that I have certain peculiarities. I had them since I was a


    child, you see, but as I have gotten older it has be far worse. I think my life and the seclusion of


    my home is enough to keep me sane.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    The road dipped downwards, and I could see the outline of a bridge in the distance that stretched


    across an unbidden stream. I watched it stream downwards, jutting down the sleek brown rocks to


    descend from a small waterfall. The scenery was so calm, it was a pity Teddy could not feel the same


    way.


    His car soon drove over a stony bridge, so I quickly rolled down the window to hear the water gushing


    downstream. Teddy pulled over to the side of the road and turned down his music so that I could truly


    hear the falls. It was a kind gesture, something I greatly appreciated, but I could not find the words to


    express it aloud. I sat perfectly still, listening attentively to the water, and once I felt satisfied, I turned a


    gaze to him. ¡°Thank you, Teddy.¡±


    ¡°I will have to take you down there sometime. There are some trails you can follow, they lead naturally


    to the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I wouldn¡¯t have time for that.¡±


    He arched up his right eyebrow in question. The car was put into drive, and then he pressed his foot


    down on the gas pedal to set his vehicle in motion.


    The soft keys of the piano soon filled the air after the stereo¡¯s volume was turned up more. Teddy kept


    his gaze focused on the road, following the pathway that wound left and right to take us to the low


    valley where a small vige was situated. I nced at the tiny houses, the modesty of the surrounding


    thatcked the grandeur that Teddy possessed. His car slowed down once we entered the natural


    traffic of the vige, and without anything picturesque to look at, it felt right to start a conversation with


    the man beside me. ¡°Do youe down here often?¡±


    ¡°To buy groceries,¡± he ryed with disinterest.


    ¡°Nothing else?¡±


    ¡°No, not really.¡± He stopped the car at a roundabout, waiting for his turn to enter traffic. ¡°I see nothing of


    interest here.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever go into the shops?¡± I inquired. ¡°The restaurants?¡±


    ¡°No, never.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you meet your friends down here?¡±


    His voice was incredibly low as he answered: ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then they meet you up the hill? At your ce?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have friends,¡± he surmised. ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°You are shocked by it,¡± he observed. The brake pedal was pressed downwards to allow his car to


    slowly ease into traffic. ¡°I thought you would be the only one to understand.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just a thought,¡± he ryed softly. ¡°Intuition.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of friends,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°But I have one or two I can rely on. A person needs


    that, you know. Someone to talk to on the phone. To go out and spend some with them. Life can¡¯t


    always revolve around work.¡±


    ¡°What would you like for lunch tomorrow?¡± he asked at random. ¡°I was thinking salmon. Would that


    agree with you?¡±


    ¡°Salmon is expensive,¡± I countered. ¡°And wouldn¡¯t it be better to have that for dinner?¡± The man beside


    me was silent, though he paid extra attention to the road since he was exiting the roundabout. There


    was a sign up ahead to show we were approaching the bus terminal. I experienced a heart-sickening


    feeling at the sight of it, for I was surprisingly enjoying Teddy¡¯spany.


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    ¡°Dinner would suit it more, but I wasn¡¯t asking you for that,¡± Teddy finally ryed to me, while


    purposefully slowing down the speed of his vehicle. ¡°Would you like salmon?¡±


    ¡°I am grateful for whatever you serve me. After all, I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the better judge of that?¡± he questioned me in an irritated voice. The terminal was right


    ahead of us, already crowded around by small buses that would take the people to nearby viges.


    ¡°And I believe you do.¡±


    The car was put into park at the side of the road, resting in a carpool area that was away from the


    bustling traffic. Teddy turned off the engine, letting his keys stay in the ignition as he slowly dropped his


    hands away from the steering wheel. I could feel his patient gaze on my profile, but I was too afraid to


    look in his direction.


    ¡°Thank you for the drive again.¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡±


    ¡°I will try and find some way to make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°Tempting,¡± he jeered. ¡°But I would never ask that from you. I am a gentleman after all, S.¡±


    I found enough nerve to turn my head to the right of me, finally making eye contact with this strange


    man. It held for a long time, to the point that I felt my breath was caught in my throat from the sheer


    intensity of his gaze. Eventually I let my gaze focus on myp instead as I tried to calm my nerves.


    ¡°Would you like me to walk you to the station?¡±


    ¡°You have done enough already,¡± I answered him in a shaky voice. ¡°I can make my own way now.¡±


    ¡°Do you live quite far from here?¡±


    ¡°Southwards,¡± I informed him. ¡°It would be another twenty minute drive at least.¡±


    ¡°I imagine the time would go by quicker if I was you,¡± he cleverly quipped. ¡°Until tomorrow then.¡±


    I nodded my head slightly. ¡°Goodbye, Teddy.¡±


    He waited for me to raise my gaze away from his chin, so I could take in the darkness of his rich brown


    eyes. ¡°I will see you first thing in the morning. Ten o¡¯clock sharp. Unless you want me to pick you up at


    the station as well?¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t bear it!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he questioned me with a look of pain.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask that from you. Not when you have done so much for me already.¡±


    He tilted his head to the left as he took in my words. ¡°Very well,¡± he droned with a hint of annoyance.


    ¡°Then goodbye for now.¡±


    I let my hand rest over the doortch, but I found it was rather difficult to leave him. Teddy was


    watching me, sensing my inner conflict, but I would not give way to this shadow of temptation. I pushed


    the car door open wide and wished him a quick goodbye before I headed towards the bus terminal as


    fast as I could.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    My deepest concerns could not be satisfied. I had rung Daphne¡¯s ce for most of the night, but to no


    avail, she was not home to answer my calls. My curiosity could not be quenched, so I would have to


    take another avenue and be weary of Teddy¡¯s presence. He had been kind to me, yes, but I knew by


    now that men¡¯s actions were often conducted by an ulterior motive.


    As I walked up the long hill, I could not help but ponder the simple fact that Teddy was speaking to


    someone - an unknown being when he believed I wasn¡¯t around. There was something he was hiding


    from me, a secret that was connected to his ancestral home. A secret that I was almost sure he would


    take to his very grave.


    He gave no signs of being mentally disturbed, no troubles of the mind that made me believe he had


    some sort of sickness. Teddy appearedpletely sane, but then again, I had only known him for a


    single day.


    As I reached the top of the grassy hill, I could see the faint outline of the grey building. From this


    distance it appeared to be a very normal house, quite beautiful. Though I was young, I had experienced


    enough of the world to know that appearances could be deceitful. Instinctively a guard was put up, a


    wall for my own well-being since I knew the master of this house had a certain partiality towards me.


    His motives were unclear, but I knew for certain he was going out of his way to please me.


    I walked along the stony path, seeing the pale grey sky that shielded the morning sun. It was likely to


    rain this afternoon if the clouds continued this way.


    With each step forward, I could feel my heartbeat escting, aware that there was a ckness about


    this house and around the man that owned it too.


    The front door drew open, and to my surprise Teddy appeared over the doorway and stepped down


    onto the rocky pathway. He closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it. He wore a white


    dress shirt and khaki pants that appeared to be freshly ironed. I could feel his earnest gaze as I slowly


    approached him, revelling in the scenery that he clearly delighted in.


    I stopped in front of him, ensuring there was enough distance to keep me in check. He stared at me


    intently, though it gradually ebbed away. ¡°Forgive me for staring,¡± he stated in an almost charming


    voice. ¡°I trust your journey was well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Teddy.¡±


    He brought his hands behind him, letting them lean against the door that he rested upon. I wasn¡¯t sure


    if it was intentional to block the doorway, or if it was a subconscious action. ¡°Would you like to have


    coffee with me before you begin?¡±


    I bit down on my tongue, unsure of the answer I should give him. He waited ever so patiently for me,


    taking in my countenance to get a hint of my inner thoughts. ¡°Yes,¡± I found myself replying. Teddy


    leaned himself off the door, and thentched his right hand over the doorknob to push it open. The


    hallway was dark, making me hesitant to walk inside of it.


    ¡°Come along now, S,¡± he spoke out in a charming voice. He slipped into the darkened hallway,


    compelling me to follow his example. I took onest look behind me, seeing the bleakness of his front


    yard where the distant cliff overlooked the sea. Courage rose within me, and I stepped over the


    threshold to enter Teddy¡¯s household. It took me some time to remove my yellow spring jacket and high


    ck rubber boots. Teddy was waiting for me down the hall. He stood there watching me, taking in my


    every movement with care. When I was finally near enough, he almost looked like he wished to smile at


    me, but he would not allow himself such luxury. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind muffins again.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    He stepped over to the right, leading me down the small steps to get into the kitchen. Warmth


    immediately flooded my senses, making me look over to my right to see the oven was on at a low


    setting. The scent of coffee filled the air once I approached the rounded table. A tter of fruits rested


    over the table, its colour losing its vibrancy because of the dimness of the room lighting. Luna was fast


    asleep upon her master¡¯s chair. Teddy was facing the window, taking hold of matching ceramic cups to


    lay it out on the counter-top.


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°Everything is ready.¡± He went over to the oven to turn it off. ¡°I have your carrot muffin ready for you.¡±


    ¡°But I thought I ate thest one!¡± I eximed with an air of disbelief.


    ¡°I bought some more.¡± He retrieved the muffins out of the oven, making sure toy it out on neat little


    tes with a napkin at the side. ¡°I purchased enough tost the week.¡±


    ¡°Of carrot?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I imagined it was your favourite,¡± he replied in a monotonous voice. He turned in my direction and


    laid the pastel blue te in front of me. ¡°Do you approve?¡±


    ¡°I feel grateful.¡±


    ¡°As long as I win your approval,¡± he charmingly replied. ¡°That is all that matters.¡±


    ¡°You go to great lengths of it.¡± I lowered my gaze, feeling a sense of shame. ¡°But I am grateful for it¡­


    truly.¡±


    He turned away, hell-bent on filling our small mugs with fresh coffee. I watched his precise movements,


    the way his head was bent low as he poured out piping hot coffee into each mug. He returned to my


    table to set the beverage down, and then smiled slightly at his cat that had taken over his seat. ¡°Luna is


    tired today,¡± he observed.


    ¡°Cats often sleep at this time.¡±


    ¡°They sleep all the time.¡± He went over to the counter to retrieve his mug, sliding it over gently to the far


    end where his refrigerator was positioned. A small amount of dairy satisfied him, and then he spun his


    spoon around to mix in the sugar that he added for a sweet vour. In time he returned to the table,


    using one hand to lift his cat off the chair and delicately settle her over hisp. Luna stirred briefly, but a


    calmness soon came over her until she was fast asleep once more. A natural silence descended over


    the kitchen. We drank our beverages calmly, listening to the rushing wind bursting through the tiny


    crack of the window.


    ¡°What did you do with the rest of your day?¡± Teddy inquired. ¡°Did you work all evening?¡±


    ¡°I was done at five o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°I was exhausted,¡± Iughed to myself. ¡°I think I came home, took a shower, and then put my feet up for


    the rest of the night.¡±


    ¡°What did you do then?¡±


    ¡°I called my friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ca.¡± I looked down at my untouched muffin. ¡°I went to school with her. She is married now, so it


    is hard to talk nowadays. I suppose that is what happens when you get a husband.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been married?¡± He shook his head in reply, shooting down that idea immediately. ¡°Not


    everyone gets married.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± he woodenly replied. ¡°The bachelor life isn¡¯t so bad. I don¡¯t think I have been with someone


    for almost five years now. I thought I would marry her but then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Everything went wrong,¡± he miserably droned. ¡°Have you ever thought you knew someone, only to find


    out it was all a lie?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°She thought that way about me,¡± he mused aloud. ¡°That is what she told me.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe her?¡±


    ¡°I think she wanted to change me.¡± He brought the mug up to his lips. ¡°But as you know, you can¡¯t


    change a person¡¯s character.¡±


    ¡°Were you different with her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± He drank his coffee solemnly. ¡°The past haunts me. I don¡¯t think I can live a normal life


    like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the things I have heard¡­ the things I¡¯ve seen¡­¡± He stopped himself short and nced past


    me to stare at the chained-up door. ¡°She wanted me to get married and shut up the house, but I could


    never do that.¡± His face visibly hardened, bing stone cold. ¡°She was asking too much, and quite


    frankly, I didn¡¯t think that was fair.¡±


    ¡°You have to be selfless in marriage.¡± His eyebrow quirked up in shock. ¡°Perhaps, it was better that you


    didn¡¯t marry.¡±


    ¡°My, my,¡± he softly chided. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a firm opinion on the matter?¡±


    ¡°No, not really.¡±


    ¡°Being an only child might change my view on things. When you are the focus of attention¡­ purely


    doted on¡­¡± He wore a shadow of a smile then, as if memories of the past had suddenly seized him. ¡°I


    imagine it would be harder for me to be, as you call it ¡®Selfless.¡¯¡± Teddy took to sipping his cup of


    coffee, appearing to be done with this turn of conversation.


    ¡°I disagree with you.¡±


    ¡°Do you really?¡± he asked with a hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°You have made a cup of coffee for me,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Heated up muffins to bring out its vour.


    Offered to drive me to the station.¡±


    ¡°I have done all that,¡± he conceded, with a certain look to him.


    ¡°And you have asked nothing in return.¡±


    ¡°No, I have not.¡± He set his mug down with purpose. ¡°But I believe doing something right for someone


    wille ¡®around in the end.¡±


    ¡°Karma?¡±


    ¡°No, S. Something more than that.¡± He took up his coffee again, seemingly pleased with his answer.


    I took my time eating my muffin, enjoying the vour even more than I did yesterday. Teddy decided to


    not have anything to eat, so his left hand was upied with stroking his beloved cat.


    The clouds darkened even more, threatening to rain. I hoped it wouldn¡¯te to that, or there would be


    no purpose of me being here. My troubled thoughts must have been portrayed by my expressions,


    because when I looked to my right, I realized Teddy was staring at me. ¡°It will not rain,¡± he told me.


    ¡°It looks like it.¡±


    ¡°The clouds will pass,¡± he told me with confidence. I had trouble believing him, but I thought it was best


    not to argue with Teddy. ¡°And even if it did, I hope you will stay.¡±


    ¡°And do what exactly?¡±


    ¡°Bepany,¡± he suggested with an open expression. ¡°I have a library that could upy you. It might


    be a benefit to have an outsider¡¯s perspective on my most recent paintings as well.¡± He pushed away


    his empty mug. ¡°Or you could listen to music.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever perform for anyone?¡±


    ¡°Like an audience?¡±


    ¡°Yes! In public.¡±


    In a low drone he answered: ¡°No. I don¡¯t think that would be a very good idea.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good enough.¡±


    ¡°I thank you.¡± He brought Luna upwards, and rested her on the kitchen floor. Teddy retrieved his mug,


    intent on cleaning it in the kitchen sink. He took to washing his mug, giving me enough time to finish up


    my pastry. I could see now that he desired mypany, but I was not sure of the cause for it.


    Teddy returned to the table to clear up my te, softly inquiring if I desired anything else. I felt touched


    by his concern, but assured him I was quite satisfied at the moment. It felt like he was doting on me,


    intent on ensuring my happiness, but I could not understand the cause of it.


    Luna awoke from her slumber, stretching herself upon the floor to my own amusement. It must have


    dawned on her that I was around, for Luna came pouncing towards me. She rubbed her head over the


    side of my leg. I smiled at the sight of her, and since I had finished my pastry, I lifted Luna up and


    ced her over myp. Her white fur was stroked softly, watching the way her chin perked upwards to


    lock eyes with me. Luna was pure and good, and I could not help but love her.


    ¡°You grow on her,¡± Teddy observed. He was drying his hands now, letting a peaceful gaze fall over my


    visage. ¡°Soon she will follow you everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Does she follow you?¡±


    ¡°To most ces,¡± he quipped with something of a smile. He pulled out his chair and descended over it


    with certain grace. Teddy let his elbow rest over the table, letting the palm of his hand support his head.


    He had no qualms to stare at me, making the sides of my cheek blush with nerves. ¡°What are you


    thinking?¡± he questioned me with a certain yfulness to his voice.


    ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± Teddy pursed his lips, trying to suppress augh. My nerves were shot, and it was only getting


    worse. ¡°I seem to have forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Should I help you?¡± he teased.


    I picked up my mug, hoping thest of my coffee would be a wee distraction. Luna was cing her


    ws over the bottom of my stomach, trying to getting my attention as well.


    ¡°I feel veryfortable with you,¡± he mused aloud. ¡°Do you get that a lot?¡±


    ¡°No, not really.¡±


    ¡°There is a sort of peace to you.¡± He let his fingertips dip into the side of his cheek, highlighting the


    defined cheekbones he wore so well. ¡°It helps calm my nerves.¡±


    I offered him a soft smile, feeling at a loss of how to answer this man¡¯s statement.


    He moved his head back, letting his thumb scrape over thest of his chin. ¡°I suppose it is time to get


    back to work. I suddenly feel inspired to paint.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± He dropped his right hand downwards upon the table. I watched him push in his chair,


    drawing himself closer to me. ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling.¡±


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°Like profound passion!¡± he blurted out. ¡°Ecstasy! Something of that inspiration.¡± He stretched out his


    hands towards me. ¡°May I have Luna now? I am bing extremely jealous.¡±


    Iughed at his words, finding them somewhat amusing. Luna was ced over the table, and she


    naturally walked over to her rightful owner. Teddy took to petting Luna, appearing pleased that his cat


    had returned to him.


    ¡°What are your ns today?¡± He raised Luna upwards until she was standing on her hind-legs. ¡°In the


    garden?¡±


    ¡°I know I have to mow thewn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I seem to have been putting that off,¡± he contemted aloud. ¡°My mind is everywhere these


    days.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind doing it.¡±


    ¡°If you need any help let me know,¡± he consoled. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to overexert yourself.¡± He looked


    over his shoulder to see that it had not rained just yet. ¡°And if it does pour, I want you toe inside


    right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Teddy.¡±


    ¡°Best be off then.¡± He rose out of his chair, bringing Luna with him. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to the door.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I wash up the dishes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± He motioned his hand for me to rise off the wooden chair. I could feel his intensive stare


    as I made my way over to him. There was a tension in the air, I could feel it. ¡°I mighte out and visit


    youter,¡± he informed me. He dropped his gaze in a bashful manner. ¡°If I need any more inspiration.¡±


    Speechless, I walked past him and headed towards the door. His soft footsteps were barely heard


    behind me, but I knew he was near enough to me. Once I reached the front door, I took a hold of my


    coat, wanting my back to Teddy as I threw it on. A tiny meow filled the air, making me look over my


    shoulder to see Teddy was a few steps away.


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    ¡°I might have Luna go out in the garden.¡± He massaged the top of her brow with profound devotion.


    ¡°We could join you for a bit.¡±


    I leaned my hand against the wall as I slipped on one boot at time. Teddy must have noticed my


    silence, but I thought it was for the best.


    ¡°Hold her for a bit, will you?¡± The cat was ced into my arms, and then he took a close spot beside


    me to slip on his shoes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will put on my jacket just yet.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s windy.¡±


    ¡°I like the cold,¡± he piped up with agreeableness. ¡°And I live next to the coast, it¡¯s to be expected.¡± I


    opened the door for Teddy, catching him off-guard. ¡°No, you go first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Let me have Luna.¡±


    His cat was coddled in his arms tightly, and with a short nod of his head upwards he encouraged me to


    move forward. We exited the house together, and to my surprise Teddy made the best effort to walk by


    my side.


    ¡°Take the key for now.¡± He pulled it out of his pant pockets to hand it over to me. ¡°Have to lean in more,


    I can¡¯t drop Luna, can I?¡±


    I chuckled lightly, and then leaned into his arm just a bit to retrieve the key. He made sure to let his dark


    brown eyes fall over me, taking care to watch my every expression. I swallowed hard, and then


    clutched the key to the shed tightly in my hand. I was almost certain he had an attraction towards me


    now; that look of his exined everything.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    We reached the shed; Teddy lowered himself to the ground to let Luna pounce out of his arms to


    scamper towards the front of his shed. I fidgeted with the key shyly, knowing that most of his attention


    would turn to me. Teddy exceeded my expectations, examining my profile as we walked side by side. I


    reached out for the doorknob, letting the key gently slip inside of the lock. His voice broke the silence


    as he inquired: ¡°What do you think of my house?¡±


    ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but could you borate on it a little?¡± He watched me turn the key to utch the door. ¡°I think it


    deserves a little more than that.¡±


    ¡°It is beautiful. How could you not like it?¡± He tilted his head questionably. ¡°It is located by the sea.¡± I


    propped the shed door and moved backwards to let it swing open. Teddy watched me step through,


    taking on a vow of silence for some unknown reason. I turned on a light switch, noticing how it flickered


    on and off. I did my best to find thewnmower, keenly aware that Teddy was standing just outside the


    door.


    There was rubbing of flesh against a hard surface, and when I turned my head it was to see him


    standing there with his arms outstretched to rest his hands over the sides of the door-frame. ¡°And is


    that all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I rubbed the back of my hand against my nose since it was so dusty in here. ¡°What do you


    mean?¡±


    The light flickered off just as Teddy stated: ¡°Your opinion on my house.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ what am I supposed to say?¡±


    ¡°My grandfather fell in love with this ce the second he saw it. The former tenants had been living


    here for generations, only selling it when they suffered through financial hard times. They told my


    grandfather it was built by blood and sweat alone.¡± He raised his chin up proudly. ¡°But perhaps I put too


    much thought into it.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with being proud of it.¡±


    He stepped forward, and then flickered on the light switch a few times until it came back on. ¡°I must fix


    this,¡± he muttered. ¡°Add it to my list.¡±


    I had my back to him, not liking how we were trapped in this tightly enclosed space. The light flickered


    on, creating a strange yellow halo just over my head. I blocked the light a bit with my hand, so I could


    see the very back of the shed. ¡°Thewnmower must be here.¡±


    ¡°Here let me,¡± he insisted. I felt his arm brush over mine as he passed by, and then he knelt downwards


    to have a better look. ¡°I should have a shlight or something here.¡±


    ¡°It would be safer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, add that to my list as well,¡± he drawled out softly. ¡°Do you see it?¡±


    ¡°There are boxes in the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I haven¡¯t cut thewn myself in quite some time.¡± He scratched the top of his head, brushing


    up his short brown hair. ¡°I guess we can¡¯t call her?¡±


    ¡°I triedst night, but she wasn¡¯t home.¡±


    ¡°Call Daphne?¡± he said with a note of sarcasm. ¡°Whatever for?¡±


    I chose to avoid eye contact with him as I lied: ¡°Ask her about the garden.¡±


    ¡°If you have any questions on the design of the garden then it would be better to ask me.¡± He let his


    hand rest at the back of his head. ¡°A change in lighting and now I can see it. Rather small, isn¡¯t it?¡± He


    pushed a cardboard box aside to take a hold of the heavy machinery. ¡°I think I will do it.¡±


    ¡°Teddy,¡± I scolded, hardly believing a word of it.


    ¡°No, I will cut the grass!¡± he argued back. ¡°Take a step back, my dear. You are in the way.¡±


    I had to backpedal until I was out of the shed, seeing him cart it out with certain ease. He brought it


    down onto the grass, letting out a shrill whistle to Luna that had softly padded over to us. ¡°Luna is in the


    way.¡±


    ¡°Carry her back to the house,¡± he quietly instructed. ¡°No! Let her be. This machine is quiet, and it has a


    manual handle. She won¡¯t be in the way.¡± He left me to retrieve something else in the shed. I crouched


    onto my knees to pet Luna, liking the soft purring noise that escaped her as I stroked my hand over the


    side of her. Teddy returned to my side with sturdy gardening gloves in hand. ¡°I see there are some


    weeds along the side of the hut. Would you remove them for me please?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°Try and keep Luna near you.¡±


    I left his side to retrieve gardening gloves as well and a small bag to put in the yard waste. Teddy


    returned to the shed to speak to me, trapping me inpletely. ¡°Everything alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any food allergies?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I nearlyughed since I was so caught off-guard by his inquiry.


    ¡°Once I am done with this, I hope to prepare lunch.¡±


    ¡°Oh! No, I am not allergic to anything.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He left the shed after that, intent on mowing thewn near the front of the house. We would


    be separated for quite some time, but luckily, I had little Luna as a friendlypanion. The wind was


    brisk, although it was not intolerable. As a matter of fact, it was very peaceful out here today, almost


    making me forget the urrence of strange incidents around this household. Teddy didn¡¯t seem to be


    in any trouble, and I saw no signs of him speaking to anyone aloud. He appeared quite content as he


    rolled thewn mower over the grass. I watched his tall figure, the way his long legs outstretched


    themselves as he moved forward. I did not find him a handsome man at first, but he did have some


    qualities that made him attractive.


    I went to the side of the shed and began to pull out the prickly weeds, knowing the feisty dandelions


    were the next to go. If we weren¡¯t careful it would take over the wholewn. Luna was out on the field,


    chasing after a moth that captured her attention. Iughed at the spectacle and then continued with my


    work.


    I thought it was ambitious for Teddy to want to mow the entirewn in one day, mainly because his


    property was so extensive. It was sorge that he didn¡¯t need a fence to divide his property, there was


    nothing but wide open fields. In the distance of his backyard I could see a line of trees, tightly clustered


    together to give a natural shelter to the outskirts of his yard. It was nice to see him take pride in his


    home. I lived in a small t, barely enough room to move around, so it was a sharp contrast to see the


    enormous house belonging to Teddy. He appeared to be proud of this ancestral house, but I did notice


    he had not spoken much about his family. He was an only child, yes, but shouldn¡¯t Teddy have been


    close to his parents? He mentioned his mother died. Did she pass away recently or when he was a


    child? He hadn¡¯t made one mention about his father yet. As a matter of fact, Teddy did say he was


    taught how to y the piano by his guardian. Did that mean he was an orphan?


    So many questions.


    I looked over, seeing the current homeowner was cutting the grass with a peaceful air about him.


    And so little answers.


    ***


    I hade to the realization that I had felt far toofortable around Teddy. He was seated in front of


    me, quietly cutting up his grilled asparagus. Luna was settled over hisp, fast asleep the minute she


    leapt over thatfortable spot. Silence had descended over the table the moment we sat down, but it


    was not an ufortable one. His salmon was delicious, dripping with vours of lemon zest and


    healthy herbs that made it rather difficult to suppress a smile.


    ¡°Your food is delicious,¡± I piped up merrily. ¡°You¡¯re a good cook.¡±


    Teddy swallowed his food thickly, apparently startled by my words.


    ¡°You seem to excel at everything.¡±


    He lowered his right eyebrow as he quietly answered me: ¡°No, not everything.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is quite delicious,¡± I assured him. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He straightened his back against the chair once he realized he was unable to answer me. Perhaps,


    Teddy Woven was not the type of person that tookpliments well.


    His answer was dyed, though it was full of politeness as he gently replied: ¡°I am delighted to hear


    that.¡± He watched me nod my head in understanding as I chewed on the salmon. His stare lingered for


    a little too long as if something had captivated his attention. ¡°Do you know I can¡¯t remember thest


    time I shared a meal with someone?¡±


    ¡°You take it alone?¡± I asked with disbelief.


    ¡°I believe so.¡± He let his gaze fall away from me, half tempted to look over his shoulder. ¡°Or at least at


    times it feels that way.¡±


    Soft pelts of rain pattered against the ss window, which quickly captured our attention. Teddy had


    assured me that it would not rain this afternoon, but it seemed he was wrong in this case. I watched


    him look over his shoulder, taking in the sight of the tall green ferns leaning over to the side. The


    breeze was harsh, warning of aing storm. He did not appear to be disturbed by the sight of it,


    rather it held his attention for some time.


    ¡°Are you not hungry, Teddy?¡± I asked of him, hoping he would not take offense to my question.


    He turned his gaze to me, arching up an eyebrow in surprise. ¡°I am,¡± he spoke inly. ¡°But I became


    distracted. It seems that I was wrong.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Yes, it is raining,¡¯ I practically giggled. ¡°You are not a fortune teller.¡±


    His smirk was unmistakable as he replied: ¡°I try to be.¡±


    A strange smile was shared between us. Embarrassment overtook me, and soon I was letting my eyes


    fall downwards to my te of food. It was clear Teddy was taking a liking to me, nevertheless he was


    my employer and I had to behave in a respectable manner.


    ¡°We got a lot of work done this morning,¡± he spoke up in a confident voice. ¡°I look forward to continuing


    it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You were out of the house the whole time,¡± I agreed with him. ¡°I promise it will not be a habit.¡±


    He waved his fork around nonchntly. ¡°There was work to be done.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it is not your job.¡±


    He let his fork stick up, pointing it towards the ceiling. ¡°This is my house,¡± he stated with a slight tilt of


    his head. ¡°I must take care of the grounds, otherwise¡­¡± He let the lids of his eyes close a small


    fraction. ¡°It will start to look like something of a wilderness out there.¡±


    ¡°As untamed as the sea.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he drawled out with interest. ¡°You should see it sometime. Maybe¡­ maybe sometime this week I


    will let you take a little break. Oh, we can¡¯t go out sunbathing¡­¡± The corner of his lip suspiciously


    quirked upwards. ¡°But we could find something to do.¡±


    I swallowed hard with nerves, feeling like Teddy was making a sly invitation to have a date with me. ¡°I


    thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡± I let my fork and knife settle down on the edge of the te gently. ¡°Teddy,¡± I began. ¡°I


    am being paid to take care of your grounds. I feel as though I would be taking advantage of you, if we


    should do that during work hours. I hope that makes sense. It is rather hard to exin.¡± I let out a


    nervousughter afterwards, letting it fade away once I caught a certain look that crossed the


    sharpness of his dark brown eyes.


    ¡°The only solution would be doing it after hours,¡± he proposed, which startled mepletely. ¡°Then


    none of that would be an issue.¡± He ate thest piece of his salmon with satisfaction, as if the vour


    had been suddenly intensified.


    ¡°I think it would,¡± I whispered, but it was low enough for Teddy to overhear it.


    He stopped chewing his food, letting it linger over his tongue as he stared at me. He watched me pick


    up my utensils, and once I began to eat my food he forced himself to look away. I knew that he felt my


    rejection quite keenly, but I felt that I was overstepping a boundary.


    The rest of our meal was eaten in silence, a painful one at that. Teddy was the first to finish his meal,


    and soon Luna was lifted up into the air so she could sleep on hisp no longer.


    ¡°Teddy, I never meant to upset you,¡± I apologized. ¡°I only thought it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Heid Luna down on the kitchen floor with extra care. ¡°I was getting ahead of myself.¡±


    ¡°It would be nice,¡± I ventured forward, which immediately made him turn his head in my direction. ¡°But


    you are my employer.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely right,¡± he answered me in a faint tone of voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking.¡± He let out


    a nervous chuckle, while bringing his cloth napkin upwards to wipe at his mouth. ¡°I am going upstairs to


    fetch my raincoat. It looks like it will be a downpour soon enough.¡±


    Teddy unexpectedly got up from his chair and sped out of the kitchen. I made him feel self-conscious,


    perhaps even embarrassed for trying to ask me out. I was ttered he showed a romantic interest in


    me, but I did not want things to be overlyplicated.


    Rain pattered against the window harder, peppering it enough for me to know a storm was nearly here.


    The howl of the wind was vaguely heard throughout the house; faint creaking of the ceiling overhead


    showed that Teddy was walking around upstairs to retrieve his coat. His house was peaceful, more


    than I had ever expected. I turned in my seat to simply watch the raindrops stter against the clear


    ss window, noticing how blurry my vision was when staring past the wet sheet of ss. Luna must


    have left the room, for when I looked around for her in the kitchen she was nowhere to be found. I


    wanted to make myself useful so I gathered up our tes and brought it next to the kitchen sink. His


    yellow sponge was lifted upwards, and I applied a small amount of dish detergent to let it soak into the


    material. It felt strange how natural I fitted into the surroundings. I watched the cold water fall from the


    spout of the tap, sshing against the dishes to wash the soap suds away. There was a stillness to this


    house. I looked over my shoulder to see that Teddy had not entered the kitchen yet, and then looked at


    the calendar that was next to his fridge to find itpletely nk. There was a stock photo of a garden


    in the photograph above it, reflecting Teddy¡¯s own love of nature. Once the dishes had been washed I


    dried them gently, letting the towel wipe over the smooth surface with a calm air about me. I could hear


    the distinctive footsteps of Teddying down the stairs. By the time I looked over he was standing in


    front of the doorway with his hand frozen over his coat zipper. He simply stared at me, as if stunned by


    my presence.


    ¡°I thought I could wash and dry your dishes,¡± I softly exined. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± he said in a strangled voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to put them.¡±


    He zipped up the front of his long ck jacket. His eyes shifted to the right, ncing at the cupboard


    that was not far from me. ¡°I will put them away,¡± he suggested.


    Soon we were standing side by side, putting away the dishes. Teddy was pursing his lips the whole


    time, and I could not help but notice he was most determined to not look in my direction.


    ¡°The storm is picking up,¡± I sighed aloud. ¡°Will you be fine driving in this weather?¡±


    ¡°I would never let you stand out in a storm.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that but-¡±


    ¡°S,¡± he cut in with sudden sharpness. ¡°You mustn¡¯t feel bad when I try to take care of you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I know you can take care of yourself,¡± he added. ¡°After all, you are an independent woman.¡±


    My smile was sorge I was sure he could see it from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°You must understand I only have a cat to care for. Luna is a sweet creature, but she is only a cat.¡± He


    paused his efforts and let his hands fall downwards. ¡°If I have a privilege of taking care of someone


    else, I will dly take up the offer. You are a hard worker, S. I think you deserve a little something


    extra for your efforts. If that means driving you to the station, or making you lunch¡­ I will do that.¡± After


    this speech he turned his entire body in my direction, having no qualms to stare deeply in my eyes.


    ¡°Please allow me that at least.¡±


    ¡°I will, Teddy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He blinked slowly with a tiny sigh of relief. Teddy then turned away from me and walked


    over to his chair. Heid his hands upon the top of it, squeezing it tightly as he tried to regain his


    composure. I pretended not to notice this subtle gesture and simply put away thest of his dishes.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Once I was done, I took a seat beside him, observing the way he rolled his shoulders back to heighten


    his stature. His voice was raspy as he inquired, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is about time I leave.¡±


    He turned away from me to exit the kitchen first. He did not want me to leave the house just yet, but he


    would never vocalize those thoughts aloud. For some reason I could understand those feelings, the


    fear of being left alone once again. I watched him stand in front of the doorway, observing the way he


    was trying to pull down his sleeves to regain some level of control. Teddy would not look at me as I


    walked down the hallway, but I knew he was listening to my soft footsteps. Once I was beside him I


    politely asked him to move away from the mat, knowing I would have to slip on my rain boots. He


    moved back a small margin, and unconsciously watched my every movement as I slipped on my boots.


    Once I was finished, I looked around for my jacket, but Teddy had fetched it first.


    ¡°Let me,¡± he entreated, and held out my rain jacket so I could ce my arms through the sleeves. For


    half a second I thought of protesting, but then I realized it would only insult him.


    ¡°Thank you, Teddy,¡± I hushed, after I slipped my arm through the right sleeve first.


    There was a deep thunderous ping from outside the house. It quickly followed by a heavy


    pouring of rain.


    ¡°Do you have an umbre?¡± Teddy inquired, as I slipped my left arm into the sleeve of my coat.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You can borrow mine. I know you will have to wait outside for your bus, and even then¡­¡± He stopped


    himself short once I turned around to face him. His cheeks took on a pale shade, almost fearful to be


    standing in front of me. He lowered his gaze with nervousness as he added: ¡°You would have to walk


    home in the rain after you reach the bus stop and I couldn¡¯t have you doing that.¡±


    ¡°You do like taking care of me,¡± I observed.


    Lightning shed, bouncing off the narrow corridor where we stood. The thunder grew louder, making a


    small part of me almost fearful of the sound.


    ¡°I want to see you safe,¡± he answered me with a nervous quirk of his head that let his eyes fall over the


    staircase. ¡°But I should get the umbre.¡± He turned around to open a small closet, a storage area


    where there was a small collection of his outer clothing and boots. A long ck umbre was pulled out


    of the closet and then he turned around to hand it to me. ¡°Keep it.¡±


    ¡°I will give it back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No, really,¡± he emphasized. ¡°Keep it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    He merely smiled at my reply, a sign that I only amused him. Teddy outstretched his left hand to get a


    hold of the doorknob, and soon enough the door was pulled forward to let the heavy downpour crash


    against the front carpet inside his house. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I run?¡±


    ¡°Only if I run with you,¡± he teased, and with a quick nod of his head we both jumped through the


    doorway and were immediately soaked by the onught of rain. I ran forward, unaware that Teddy was


    far behind still locking the door. I eventually heard him screaming out my name, and looked over my


    shoulder to see he was running as fast as he could. Iughed at the spectacle, seeing how soaking wet


    his dark brown hair was already. ¡°Use the umbre.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t run in it.¡±


    He took it from my hand and pulled it open, providing enough protection for us to hide from the rain. I


    moved my body closer to his own, noticing how my teeth were chattering from the frigid temperature of


    the water. It was warm outside, but the rain was icy cold whenever it touched my skin. I pulled up my


    hood more, and leaned into Teddy¡¯s body to continue to hide myself from the rain. We walked at a brisk


    pace over the t terrain, knowing we had a while to go before we reached the car that was further


    down the hill. I could hear the raging sea off in the distance, and the remote call of seagulls as they


    sought a ce of refuge.


    A hand wasid over my lower spine once Teddy leaned closer into me, bridging thest of the gap


    between us. I looked up to see his side profile, but his facial expressions gave nothing away.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold,¡± I blurted out. ¡°My teeth are chattering.¡±


    ¡°I can hear it!¡± he yelled over the rain.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold? You don¡¯t have a hood.¡±


    ¡°Not nearly as cold as you are.¡± He made sure to look downwards as he added: ¡°I have heat in the car.


    That will warm you up.¡±


    I nodded my head at him in acknowledgement, and then looked straight ahead to see a dip in the earth


    that immediately sped downwards. ¡°The hill will be too steep,¡± I fretted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take the long way around,¡± Teddy suggested in amanding tone of voice. His hand felt firm


    upon my back as he led me over to the left. We walked close together, trying to find shelter under our


    shared umbre. The wind was howling over us, blowing so fiercely that the umbre threatened to


    break. ¡°I say we make a sprint for it.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°3-2-1¡­¡± The umbre was pulled away from us and shut immediately. ¡°Go!¡± We sprinted down the


    natural ebb of the hill, thankful that it was not as steep as other areas. I outran Teddy easily, though I


    suppose he let me do it since my boots had more grip on the wet grass. I reached his car first and then


    immediately pulled over my hood as I tried to suppress myughter. Teddy ran into me from behind and


    bumped me right up against the side of his car. ¡°My shoes have no grip,¡± heined. ¡°Sorry! Here,


    take this.¡± The umbre was ced into my hand, and then he ran around the hood of the car.


    It took a few minutes for him to retrieve his key and unlock my side of the door, so I had my umbre


    open and was staring at the silhouette of his house that rested on the top of the hill. The clouds were


    so dark over the area, while the trees swayed violently from the stormy gale.


    A sharp rap against ss drew my attention, and when I peered through the car window I could see


    Teddy signalling to me that the door was open. I closed my umbre and shook off the raindrops before


    I yanked open the car door. ¡°Get in!¡± shouted Teddy.


    He watched me jump into my car seat and immediately toss the umbre in the back. ¡°I¡¯m soaked.¡± I


    unzipped my jacket and balled it up before cing it behind my car seat as well. I was so distracted by


    this action that I didn¡¯t realize Teddy was watching me the whole time. When I finally looked in his


    direction he looked spell-bound.


    ¡°Your hair is so curly,¡± he tried to exin. He reached out his hand ever so slightly before he retracted it


    backwards. ¡°I am afraid mine isn¡¯t as pretty.¡±


    ¡°t as a pancake,¡± I teased. He burst out inughter at that, not expecting that answer at all.


    ¡°I look like a drowned rat,¡± he remarked. ¡°I should take off my jacket too.¡±


    I fell into my seatfortably as he removed his outeryer. Teddy took care to fold his jacket neatly,


    exhibiting behaviour that waspletely opposite to my own.


    ¡°This storm is terrible,¡± he voiced aloud with a worried look. ¡°I think I should take you all the way home.¡±


    ¡°All the way?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t object?¡±


    ¡°A little rain never killed anyone.¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to risk it?¡± he gibed. ¡°And you¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I submitted. ¡°If it will please you.¡±


    He never responded to my statement. The key was ced into the ignition and then Teddy started up


    the car. I looked at the darkened silhouette of his house once again, seeing the pale white glow in front


    of his house from an outdoor light.


    ¡°Will Luna be okay in this storm?¡±


    ¡°She is stronger than she looks.¡± The car slowly reversed out of the parking lot. ¡°Being a stray does


    that.¡±


    ¡°It was nice of you to take her in.¡±


    ¡°I thought it nice to have apanion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, really.¡± I made sure to catch his eye before I added: ¡°Only two days left.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and then Daphne returns,¡± Teddy uttered with sorrow. He made no otherment, instead he


    focused on the dimly lit road that dipped downwards to take us to the main road. We drove in silence,


    only hearing the pattering of rain against the front windshield. I let my fingers rub along the inside of the


    car, letting my thoughts naturally drift away. I could feel a faint smile ying upon my face, making me


    realize I enjoyed the day more than I thought I would.


    ¡°I should turn on the heat,¡± Teddy realized. ¡°Are you still cold?¡±


    ¡°I feel better.¡±


    ¡°Still want the heat?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not.¡±


    ¡°I was a bit worried back there. When your teeth were chattering.¡±


    I tapped my finger against the side of the ss window. ¡°I never meant to worry you.¡±


    Teddy was silent beside me, though I could detect a change in his demeanour. The road was filled with


    puddles, so he had to take care when driving down the singlene. The drive was not as scenic as the


    last time, but there was something calming about the rain beating down heavily over the windshield.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me prying but¡­¡± Teddy paused to turn his gaze onto me. ¡°Are you seeing


    anyone?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered him with a shake of my head.


    He turned his attention back to the road and became ufortably silent. I thought he would continue


    on with this conversation, but he did not.


    ¡°Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°I was only curious,¡± he lied.


    ¡°And are you satisfied?¡±


    His lips quirked upwards for half a second before it fell back to its normal position. Teddy tightened his


    hold over the steering wheel. I continued to stare at him, knowing that I had the upper hand since I was


    not driving. He avoided my gaze quite anxiously, but whenever he had to look through the rear-view


    mirrors it gave him some trouble.


    ¡°I¡¯m not seeing anyone,¡± he spoke up. ¡°At the moment.¡±


    ¡°I thought so.¡±


    He never added anything else, which created an awkward tension in the air. He let out a long sigh after


    the car turned along a sharp bend in the road. The stony bridge came into view, reminding me of the


    events that urred yesterday afternoon. Teddy did not pull over to the side of the road this time,


    though he did slow down because of the dangerous conditions. Once we were back on the main


    roadway, he released his tense grip over his steering wheel and let one hand fall over the top of hisp.


    ¡°Another twenty minutes, you said.¡± He rubbed his hand over the front of his thigh. ¡°After the bus


    terminal.¡±


    ¡°About that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I take you all the way?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Teddy. I trust you.¡±


    ¡°I should hope so,¡± he mistakenly answered. He heard my faintughter, which made him turn his head


    in my direction. ¡°I am a respectable man, S.¡±


    ¡°I can tell,¡± I teased back lightly, hardly believing I was flirting with him.


    ¡°Then at least I did something right today.¡± He shed me a yful grin before averting his gaze back


    to the road. ¡°And this is your way of thanking me.¡±


    ¡°I am guessing you aren¡¯t like this with Daphne.¡±


    ¡°Daphne is a married woman.¡± His statement earned another burst ofughter from me, since I knew


    he was only teasing me. ¡°And as a respectful man, I know that a woman like that is out of bounds.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not?¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± he countered in a sly manner. ¡°If you are not seeing anyone, I can only assume¡­¡±


    I shook my head hard enough for him to catch the movements in the corner of his eye. He stopped


    himself mid-sentence, but I knew he was tempted to finish it.


    He cleared his throat with purpose. ¡°That either you wish to not see anyone for personal reasons, or


    that you have not met the proper man yet. If it is thetter, I would most happily make a few


    suggestions.¡±


    ¡°You have someone in mind?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do.¡± He bit down on his bottom lip, and to my surprise he chose not to add anything else to his


    curious statement.


    ¡°You won¡¯t tell me?¡±


    ¡°It is a long drive, S,¡± he said with a raised hand into the air. ¡°And I thought I should tell you by the


    end of it.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Because I can tell you are a clever woman and I thought you should make up your own mind.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I choose no one.¡±


    ¡°A spinster for life,¡± hemented. ¡°While I remain an old bachelor. What a fine couple we would


    make?¡±


    I could not help butugh at his witticism, it was very peculiar. By the time I was done, I was leaning


    heavily against the car seat, letting my eyes take in the dark clouds that continued to hover over


    Teddy¡¯s car. Silence fell over us, but it was a most wee one. I despised small talk, and forced


    conversations only made me feel ufortable. If I could enjoy the silent presence of apanion


    while listening to the pouring rain, why, there was nothing I could want more in the world than that.


    The thunder continued to roar above our heads followed by a blinding white light that flickered in the


    darkness on this stormy afternoon. I hoped I wasn¡¯t taking advantage of Teddy¡¯s kindness towards me.


    He was going out of his way to drive me home, and I thought he should deserve something better. I


    looked at his side profile, seeing the dark side burns at the side of his face and the angr nose that


    lent him distinction. His face was almost dry at this point, but his hair was slick and jetty from the


    dampness of the rain. He was unaware that I was staring at him, for he was lost in his own thoughts as


    he drove through the empty vige. I was curious to know more about this mysterious man, and why he


    chose to be so very alone in this world. There was something about me that drew his interests. I could


    not exin this maism about me, but perhaps one day I should learn of it. As for now, I had to


    maintain my distance and make sure that no lines were blurred between our two positions. I could not


    consort with my employer, for my own well-being and sanity. If I was not so inexperienced with men it


    would not be a problem, but Teddy was years older than me and I feared that his peculiarities would


    soon get the better of him and he would grow tired of me. Perhaps, I was jumping to conclusions, all


    the same I choose to remain on guard.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    We drove past the bus terminal in silence. Teddy¡¯s demeanour became more rxed, he reached


    forward to turn on the stereo to let soft ssical music into the room. If he felt triumphant he did not


    voice it aloud. I watched a single finger tap against the steering wheel as he listened to the tune,


    enjoying the song that put him in a better mood. It could be my imagination, but it seemed that his


    mood lifted the further he drove away from his home. There was lightness to his face, a particr glow


    that seemed to capture my attention. I do not know how long I was staring at him, except that when he


    turned his head in my direction I could feel heate over the sides of my cheeks in embarrassment.


    A look transpired between us, but he said nothing to solidify the gravity of our unspoken words. Teddy


    looked back onto the road, and decided to let the silence speak for itself.


    ***


    Teddy¡¯s car was parked outside of my apartment building. He let his hands rx over the steering


    wheel before turning an earnest gaze towards me. ¡°Here you are,¡± he dered. ¡°Safe and sound.¡±


    A shy smile escaped me, while I tried to ignore the nervous butterflies that fluttered in the pit of my


    stomach. His gaze was unyielding, so focused on my visage that I feared he could read every


    expression.


    Rain was pouring down over the windshield, but with the engine off it allowed water to cover the whole


    of the ss until you could barely see past it. My fingers curled together in a ball over myp, while I let


    my eyes fixate on the curve of my wrist. ¡°Thank you, Teddy.¡±


    I never heard a sound from him, although I had the sense that he took my gratitude rather well. When I


    finally looked up he was still gazing at me, his eyes full of a strange enchantment that he could not hold


    back. I found my teeth biting down on my bottom lip, twisting it cruelly before I forced myself to speak


    up. ¡°Would you like toe inside?¡±


    His eyebrows shot upwards in surprise.


    ¡°For coffee,¡± I continued. ¡°I might have some lemon poppy-seed loaf left. Although, tea would pair


    nicely with that.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked through barely parted lips, for he was caught off-guard by my suggestion.


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do.¡±


    ¡°Then I ept.¡±


    I broke my gape from him to retrieve my bright yellow raincoat. I handed Teddy his carefully folded


    jacket as well, ensuring the water droplets did not drip all over hisp. The umbre was retrieved next.


    Water sprayed over the front of my pants from the dripping wet umbre that was longer than I was


    ustomed to. ¡°Should we go?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said with confidence, and with a certain grace that only he could possess, Teddy opened his


    car door wide and stepped out into the pouring rain. I watched him move in front of the hood of the car


    and only when he was in front of my door was I willing to push it open. He took the umbre from me,


    only to open it wide enough to block out the rain. His free hand was used to close the door, and then he


    laid a light hand in the center of my back to lead me to the front door. Rain sshed hard against the


    smooth pavement; the ring horns of the bustling town was a stark contrast to his own settings.


    Teddy was looking across the city block while I was retrieving my set of keys from my small purse. You


    could hear the roar of the engines down the street, the heavy pounding of shoes against the pavement


    as people tried to outrun the rain. My key was finally ced into the lock, allowing me to open the first


    set of doors before I could enter the second one. A short whizzing sound was heard behind me, a


    peculiar sound Teddy¡¯s umbre made when he shut it closed so abruptly. I watched him shake out the


    long umbre to make it less wet before I stepped through the open doorway. He followed me as quick


    as he could, stepping into the small area where I opened a second set of doors. We entered the main


    lobby in no time at all, and once we were there we shook out our raincoats and tried to get as dry as


    possible.


    ¡°I am on the fifth level,¡± I told him, and then motioned my hand towards the elevator. He followed my


    sure footsteps, only stopping once we reached the main area where I could press the button to bring


    the elevator down to the main level. A metallic scent lingered in the air,ing from the machinery that


    was in front of me. We could hear the faint sshing of water against the faded grey floor where a


    custodian was mopping the tiled surface. Teddy let his eyes linger over the middle-aged woman for a


    moment, while I stared nkly at the closed elevator door. ¡°I don¡¯t really have visitors,¡± I nervously


    stammered.


    ¡°I know the feeling.¡±


    ¡°But I wanted to thank you for everything.¡± I was finally brave enough to turn my gaze towards him.


    ¡°Driving me home and all.¡±


    ¡°A gentleman first,¡± he assured me. The elevator made a sharp binging noise, before it swooshed


    open. ¡°Ladies first,¡± he eximed. His hand was raised upwards to direct me forward, encouraging me


    to step into the elevator door before him. Once he was at my side, I pressed on the ck circr


    button that would bring me up to the fifth floor.


    ¡°My ce is very small.¡±


    ¡°Are youparing your ce with mine?¡±


    ¡°Yours is very fine,¡± I feebly exined. ¡°Mine feels more like a closet inparison to yours.¡±


    ¡°I would not judge you, S.¡±


    I pulled off my bright yellow jacket with nervousness, hoping it was not a mistake to invite a man I


    barely knew over to my ce.


    ¡°I feel nothing but gratitude,¡± Teddy continued. ¡°That you should even invite me up here.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was my intention.¡±


    A sharp bing rang from the elevator speakers, and soon enough the doors spread apart to let us


    through. We walked together in perfect unison, though Teddy looked at every door we passed by as if


    he expected me to open it. ¡°I am all the way down the hall.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Near the stairwell.¡±


    ¡°Better than the elevator.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, especiallyte at night,¡± I nervously chuckled. ¡°Nightmare. You would hate it.¡±


    ¡°That insufferable bing would drive me mad,¡± he noted. ¡°Do you have a t mate?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He nodded his head sternly, but made no otherment. We eventually reached my door, letting me


    pull out another set of keys to ce it into my lock. I knew my t would be in a bit of a mess, not as


    nearly as clean as Teddy¡¯s, so I hoped he would not judge. ¡°Here we are,¡± I announced, after I turned


    on the living room light. ¡°You can ce your shoes over the mat here. I will take your coat. I don¡¯t have


    a rack. You mind if I hang it up in the bathroom, the water will drip into the tub and-¡±


    ¡°-I understand,¡± he interjected, and handed me his long ck coat at once. ¡°Perhaps, I could head


    there. I want a towel to dry myself off.¡±


    ¡°You cane with me.¡± It took me a bit longer to remove my tall rain boots, but Teddy was ever so


    patient as he waited behind me. Once I was free of it, I pulled off my socks and went on the tip of my


    toes as I headed towards the bathroom. The floor was cold upon my feet and with the ceiling fan going


    off I feared that I would catch a cold. ¡°Light is on,¡± Imented, after I flicked the light switch on. ¡°And


    now a towel.¡±


    Teddy ced our jackets over a hanger before he set it upon a ledge that would let the water naturally


    drip itself into the tub. I was holding two sets of towels, silently grateful for his help. ¡°Thank you,¡± he


    hushed, after I handed a towel to him. ¡°My shirt is a bit damp.¡± He looked around the room as if


    contemting something. ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t have anything.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any men clothes lying around,¡± I told him in truth. ¡°But I should have a baggy shirt or


    sweatshirt. I will be right back.¡±


    He nodded his head stiffly and let me leave the room to retrieve some dry garments. By the time I got


    to my bedroom I threw off my work clothing and put on afortable long-sleeved cotton shirt, a long


    rosy pink cardigan for extra warmth and skinny jeans. I found a baggy shirt that my younger brother


    mailed to me once, a ssic ¡°I love N.Y.¡± t-shirt that was two sizes too big for me. Iughed at the


    spectacle, before I managed to find arge grey hoodie that would be more eptable to Teddy.


    I knocked on the door politely and then took a step back from the bathroom door. ¡°I have something for


    you.¡±


    ¡°You mind just leaving it outside of the door for now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I ced the neatly folded clothing outside of the door. ¡°I will be in the kitchen to pop the kettle.¡±


    ¡°Be right out,¡± Teddy called out. I left the spot to attend to business, hoping to clean up the kitchen and


    start a cup of tea before he had a chance to find me. It took several minutes to put it into a manageable


    state. The small dining room table had been cleaned off, and now there were two small tes and two


    mugs that did not match upon the table. Teddy walked into the room, wearing my hoodie with the


    sleeves rolled up slightly. He was a tall man, so the sleeves did not exactly reach the curve of his


    wrists. He offered me a tiny smile, doing his best to appearfortable when he was filled with nerves.


    ¡°I hope you like regr ck tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Lemon?¡±


    ¡°Lemon will suit me fine.¡± He was standing on the other side of the table, staring at me intently. It was


    interesting to see how shiny his dark hair had be, and the bulkiness of the sweater that made him


    look two times his size. ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°Everything is done actually.¡± I turned away from him to retrieve the tea pot. Teddy continued to stand in


    front of his chair, not wanting to take a seat just yet. I ced the teapot down upon the table, and then


    went away to bring back some milk and sugar.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°I see you have avender nt next to your windowsill.¡± His hand was pointed outwards with a single


    finger gesturing towards the only nt in my room.


    ¡°I like the scent of it,¡± I informed him. ¡°And lcs.¡±


    ¡°What about roses?¡±


    ¡°Roses are sweet smelling,¡± I admitted. ¡°But they have such prickly thorns.¡± I went around the


    countertop to retrieve thest of the lemon loaf I had purchased from the bakery two days ago. ¡°I


    should be used to it by now because of my job. Then again, my mother was never fond of them. I


    believe my grandmother was, but she had a fondness for anything that was beautiful.¡±


    ¡°She must have liked you then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did,¡± Iughed, before I realized what Teddy had just implied. I froze in front of him, startled


    by the directness of his words. He watched me with care, taking in my every expression. I managed to


    walk forward and ce the tray of lemon loaf upon the table. Teddy observed me slicing a thick piece


    of the loaf, and gently raised his te so I couldy it over the t surface. His eyes were ever so


    resolute in seeking mine out, but I would not give in.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    ¡°I see the loaf is from a bakery.¡± He offered me a false smile, hoping it would be enough to start a


    conversation.


    ¡°There is one next to my workce. I go there from time to time. Oh! Will you excuse me for a


    moment? Feel free to pour the tea when you are ready.¡± I ran out of the kitchen, hoping to find my


    phone so I could call my employers. The rainstorm would mean I would not have to go into workter in


    the day, but I wanted to have confirmation with them.


    I was gone for more than five minutes, mainly because I had to call my other three employers. Thest


    one was quite adamant for me toe in, stressing the fact that the storm could notst forever. I


    assured him that I would give him a ring in another two hours, considering the weather could drastically


    change by then. By the time I walked into the living room, Teddy had finished his lemon loaf and his tea


    cup was empty. ¡°I was gone so long.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing? I heard your voice.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°I was talking to my employers.¡± I sat down on my chair, and hoped that the teapot was good enough to


    still retain some heat. ¡°But thest one wanted to have an argument with me.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    My hand rested over the side of the teapot, seeing it was still hot enough for me to enjoy. I fancied it


    would be strong in taste, and not feeling like a bitter cup of tea, I raised myself from my chair and


    decided to have a cup of instant coffee instead. ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t bored.¡±


    ¡°I was tempted to look around,¡± he confessed. ¡°But I thought it would make a bad impression.¡±


    My back was to him as I poured out the hot water, watching it swirl around the sink. The wind was still


    fierce outside, but it was nice and warm in my apartment space. I filled the kettle with some fresh water


    and clicked it on before I returned to my seat.


    ¡°You have a lot of family portraits here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I looked over my shoulder, seeing the closest one was against a wall beside me. ¡°We are very


    close.¡±


    ¡°Do you live in close proximity to your parents?¡±


    ¡°In a different town,¡± I admitted. ¡°And my brother is working abroad. He is living in Boston right now.¡±


    ¡°So far away.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been to America?¡±


    ¡°No. Have you?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± I told him in truth. ¡°But I think it suits my brother more.¡±


    ¡°Have you no interest in visiting him?¡± Teddy asked with all politeness.


    I took my first bite into the lemon loaf, realizing how cold it felt once it was ced inside of my mouth. I


    would have to do better next time, but then again inviting Teddy up here was a rather spontaneous


    decision.


    ¡°S?¡± Teddy urged, since I did not answer his question at first.


    ¡°No, hees here,¡± I answered him with a stuffed mouth. I used my hand to cover the front of my


    mouth with embarrassment.


    The kettle suddenly popped, so Teddy took the liberty of starting up my coffee. He must have watched


    me earlier, for he knew where the spoons were and scooped the appropriate amount of instant coffee


    into my mug. ¡°You drink this stuff,¡± hemented, while trying to disguise his disdain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy it, but it works.¡±


    ¡°I guess we all can¡¯t have borate coffee machines.¡± He looked over his shoulder to make eye


    contact with mine. ¡°I like to collect antique things.¡±


    ¡°I noticed.¡±


    ¡°I like old stuff,¡± he continued. His hand was raised upwards to pour hot water into my mug. ¡°I don¡¯t


    know why I do. It is a rather expensive hobby.¡±


    ¡°You could open an antique store,¡± I teased him. ¡°Or you could even sell your car.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a bit out of date,¡± heughed. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I don¡¯t even own a


    cellphone?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t?!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How do you live?¡±


    His smirk was broad and mischievous as he answered me: ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    Teddy made his way over to me and ced my mug down on the table. It was only then that I realized


    he was serving me in my own household. ¡°Ummm.¡± I let my fingers tap against the side of the mug.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You mind if I take a bit more lemon loaf? It is quite good.¡±


    ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°And turning off the fan overhead,¡± he added. ¡°I don¡¯t want to catch a chill.¡±


    ¡°Do you want a nket?¡± I watched him head over to a switch I pointed out to shut off the light and


    ceiling fan at the same time. The living room descended into darkness, but fortunately the windows


    were wide open to let the natural grey lighting seep through. In normal cases I would have been


    scared, but oddly enough I was not. ¡°Teddy?¡±


    ¡°No, I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Let me know if you need anything else. I am not a good hostess.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± he asked from the darkened part of the room.


    ¡°I feel ipetent.¡±


    Teddy was silent on his end, although I could hear the steady patter of his footfalls as he made his way


    over. He passed me, moving behind my chair to pull up thest of the blinds. He went over to the


    second set of windows to perform the same task, letting me see the bleak grey skies with clear rain


    falling down from the heavens. ¡°Do you have any candles, S?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± I pushed back my chair and went around the living room to retrieve one. ¡°Where should I put it?¡±


    ¡°On the table would do nicely,¡± he said with utter civility. ¡°Or is that too much?¡±


    ¡°It will be nice.¡± I settled it down neatly, and then walked around the countertop to bring myself


    unexpectedly to Teddy¡¯s side. ¡°The box of matches are in the drawer.¡±


    ¡°How clumsy of me.¡± He stepped to the right, allowing me to pull it outwards and retrieve it. I could feel


    that heated stare again. ¡°I can light it for you.¡±


    I handed him the box of matches, aware of the way his fingers brushed against my hand as he reached


    out for the item. I hitched my breath, fearful that he heard the sound since he was standing so close to


    me. Nervous, I retreated from the spot and made my way to the table first. The coffee was nd


    against my taste buds, but I drank it down anyways. Teddy slowly made his way over to me, and


    brushed past his chair to light the candle. He was such a tall man, so much so, that he had to lean over


    and bend his long back to ce the zing match against the long wick of the candle. It took only a


    moment for the room to brighten, the small candle casting enough of a glow for me to see Teddy¡¯s face


    more clearly. ¡°Light,¡± he murmured from the back of his throat. The match was blown out, and only then


    did he turn his dark brown eyes in my direction. I felt my jaw clench by his stare, feeling as though his


    look alone had stripped me bare.


    He eventually lowered his gaze, breaking the awful spell that threatened to consume me. Arge hand


    was ced over the back of his chair and then he pulled it outwards so that he could take a seat.


    I continued to drink my coffee, doing my best to focus on anything else but him. It was bing harder


    to resist his lingering stare. I could hear the pulling of wrappings as Teddy tried to get another piece of


    the lemon loaf. His momentary distraction was enough for me to lean back in my chair and feel more


    comfortable. The candle cast a warm orange glow about the table, illuminating our faces with an


    alluring light that I was not prepared for. I watched Teddy slice the loaf into smaller pieces, desiring it to


    be in small equal parts before he could ce it into his mouth. His peculiarities were subtle at times,


    but the more time I spent with him, the more I became aware of it.


    His voice was smooth, almost musical-like as he uttered: ¡°I suppose you have the evening off then.¡±


    ¡°Possibly.¡± I took another sip of my coffee, as I noticed the sudden stiffness to his hand movements.


    ¡°For a few hours at least.¡±


    ¡°There is no way you can go out gardening in this storm.¡±


    ¡°You tell my manager that.¡±


    He rolled his shoulders back, taking on a haughty air about him. ¡°Maybe I should.¡±


    I shook my head at him quite adamantly with an instant regret of ever making that suggestion to him.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have my gardener catching a cold.¡±


    I raised my mug to him, tilting it slightly in approval. He raised his chin upwards, absolutely pleased by


    my silent salute. His dark brown eyes glowed marvellously under the candle-light, captivating me once


    again. ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡±


    He ced the lemon loaf into his mouth, chewing on it slowly as he continued to peer into my eyes. I


    forced myself to look downwards, knowing it was at my peril if I continued to entertain this subtle


    exchange much longer.


    Once he was finally done with his pastry I felt a sense of relief, finding the sexual tension was almost


    too much to bear. I was the first to abandon my seat, and looked around the room for a wee


    distraction. Teddy followed my movements, bringing himself across the table to be at my side. I avoided


    his gaze, looking downwards at the shabby wooden floor. ¡°What would you like to do now?¡±


    ¡°It is your home,¡± he emphasized in a soft, murmur. ¡°I will let you decide.¡±


    ¡°You like art,¡± I noted. ¡°I have nothing that will entertain you here.¡±


    ¡°I like many things,¡± he whispered, almost impatient for me to look upwards.


    ¡°I have music,¡± I suggested. ¡°And books. We could watch the television.¡±


    ¡°No, not the television,¡± he quickly shot down.


    ¡°It bothers you?¡±


    ¡°I would prefer to spend time with you.¡± The sound of his voice, the energy that radiated from it made


    me nce upwards immediately. There was a certain look to his eyes again, like a wave of feeling that


    he was trying to hold back.


    ¡°We could sit on the couch,¡± I suggested in a small voice. I led the way, knowing that Teddy would


    naturally follow. I took a seat in the center, and it wasn¡¯t until he was standing in front of me that I


    realized he was deliberating where to sit. ¡°Sorry.¡± I moved towards the edge and took a spot, feeling


    awkward once the couch dipped downwards from his weight.


    Teddy rubbed his hands together, finding it easier to stare at the rugged circr mat in front of him.


    ¡°What do you do in your spare time?¡±


    ¡°When I am not gardening?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I enjoy listening to music. I wish I could y an instrument like you, but I have tried and failed multiple


    times. I don¡¯t have the talent for it.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their gifts,¡± he said quite gruffly. ¡°Yours is working the ground.¡±


    ¡°So is yours.¡±


    ¡°Years of experience,¡± he noted. ¡°But I am not a professional like yourself. I confess¡­¡± He looked down


    at the palm of his hands. ¡°It was enjoyable to be working side by side with you this morning. Normally I


    would put off cutting the grass, but when I saw you working in the corner of my eyes, it encouraged me


    to carry on. I like the fact that Luna takes an interest in you as well. She must get lonely, stuck up in the


    house with me all the time.¡± A faint smile travelled across his face. ¡°A pity that you don¡¯t have any pets.¡±


    ¡°I considered buying a fish a few times.¡±


    ¡°And what changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t really interact with it. They are pretty to look at, but that is all.¡±


    He nodded his head in grave understanding. ¡°I never had one.¡±


    ¡°Did you have any pets as a child?¡±


    He shook his head sharply as he tried to disguise the anger that flooded his eyes. ¡°No,¡± he said from


    the back of his throat, all raw and husky to my surprise.


    ¡°My father is allergic to pets with fur, so cats and dogs were out of the question. We had some finches


    when we were growing up, but they died by the time I entered my teenage years.¡±


    ¡°What were you like as a teenager?¡± He inquired, trying to fend off the topic.


    ¡°The same as I am now.¡± I shrugged my shoulders at him. ¡°Quiet and I like to keep to myself.¡±


    ¡°A hermit,¡± he taunted.


    ¡°Not as much as you.¡±


    He brushed his fingers through his damp hair, pushing it backwards. ¡°You have me there,¡± he


    acknowledged. ¡°But life has thrown a wrench at me, and I have suffered for it.¡± He stared in front of


    him, taking in the bleakness of the ck television screen that vaguely showed our reflection. ¡°I still


    suffer.¡±


    I reached out a hand andid it over the top of his knee. ¡°Nothingsts forever.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but some things do,¡± he warned, with a mysterious look to him. His eyes ventured downwards,


    focusing on my hand that was still resting over the top of his knee. Aware of his reaction I slid my hand


    away and settled it over myp yet again.


    Teddy reached behind him to collect a nket, throwing it over his legs to retain some warmth. I took


    the liberty of bringing the candle over to us, wanting to have some light in that part of the room. By the


    time I settled down, Teddy had opened up a photo album that I had left on my coffee table. His finger


    rubbed over the corner of the photo album, while he took in photos of me as a toddler. ¡°You are


    adventurous,¡± he ryed, after he pointed at a specific photo. ¡°Climbing trees.¡±


    ¡°I nearly broke my arm one time.¡± I plopped down upon the couch, and leaned to the side to have a


    better look at the photographs as well. ¡°In that picture there is my brother, Benjamin.¡± I let my finger


    smooth over the front of his chest fondly. ¡°He¡¯s an athlete. You should see him! Not as tall as you, but


    he is so muscr I am almost certain he spends most of his time in the gym.¡±


    ¡°He is ying football here,¡± Teddymented.


    ¡°Yes, but he is the type of person that is good at every sport. He is fond of rugby too, but of course they


    don¡¯t really y that sport in America.¡±


    ¡°They have American football.¡±


    ¡°Basketball too.¡± Teddy flipped the page to see me atop of a horse. ¡°You look happy on it.¡±


    ¡°If my parents had money I would have begged them to sign me up for horse lessons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never toote.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡± He returned his gaze back to the portrait, staring at the image of my father with me


    at his side. ¡°My father liked to be in nature as well. This is when we went camping.¡±


    ¡°Going for a swim too, I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is wearing his swim trunks,¡± I giggled. ¡°You are very observant.¡±


    ¡°At times, yes.¡± His voice was filled with delight as he added: ¡°It means you are an experienced


    swimmer then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can swim.¡±


    ¡°I would like to test it out,¡± he quipped. ¡°How about Saturday morning?¡±


    I fell into the back of my couch, hardly believing a word of it. ¡°Saturday morning?¡±


    ¡°You mentioned that you wanted to see the ocean.¡±


    ¡°You really are incurable.¡±


    He blinked nervously. ¡°Apliment?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure yet.¡±


    ¡°It was only a suggestion.¡± Teddy was back-tracking now, realizing he made a dreadful error. ¡°Nothing


    more than that.¡±


    ¡°How about I think about it?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Yes, of course.¡± The photo album no longer concerned him, it was half closed with only a few


    stray fingers to keep it propped open. ¡°Take your time.¡±


    ¡°What do you normally do on Saturdays?¡±


    ¡°If I am lucky I go to an art g. At least, anywhere that is willing to put up my paintings. Two weeks


    from now they will have one, it won¡¯t be as grand as an exhibit in London but it will be something. It


    takes a long time to climb up the socialdder. I have been an artist for years, and I still haven¡¯t made a


    big name for myself. Sometimes I wonder if I ever will.¡± He held out the palm of his hands in front of


    him. ¡°God knows I¡¯ve tried.¡±


    ¡°Could you show me your artwork tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I would like your opinion on them. Choose your favourites and I will ce them in my next


    exhibit.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! If that doesn¡¯t give me good luck then I don¡¯t know what will.¡± Teddy kicked out his legs from


    underneath the nket and for the first time ever he slunk backwards onto the couch to take on a more


    comfortable position. ¡°Your ce is very quiet.¡±


    ¡°The neighbours are for once.¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± he said with relish.


    ¡°Nothing to upset your nerves,¡± I cleverly pointed out.


    ¡°My nerves are fine, it¡¯s the sounds that bother them.¡± He scratched the back of his neck. ¡°There should


    be some scientific reason, but I haven¡¯t discovered it yet.¡± He leaned his head to the right, appearing


    rxed as he stared at my side profile. ¡°Do you find me odd?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°And does it repel you?¡±


    ¡°No, not in the least.¡±


    ¡°What do you think of me?¡±


    ¡°You are a very curious person, Teddy.¡± He blinked his eyes shut, somewhat pained by my answer.


    ¡°Unique,¡± I added. ¡°You stand out from the crowd. Never change that.¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°You go about the world and everyone is the same. Conformity is the poison of life, or at least in


    society. Be who you are, Teddy, and you will find your true friends then.¡±


    ¡°So, you are my friend?¡±


    ¡°I am your employee,¡± I reminded him. ¡°But at this moment¡­ I could be something more.¡± Thunder p


    sounded in the background, and with it a sh of lightning that prated the darkness of my room.


    ¡°I have no friends, so I will take you as mine,¡± Teddy said with utter confidence. ¡°It will be a nice


    change.¡±


    ¡°Have you no friends?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t go out of the house,¡± he quietly exined. ¡°I am what you might call a hermit.¡±


    ¡°But that could change.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed!¡± he shouted out. ¡°I will try and put in more effort, especially when ites to you. You


    see, S, it is a good thing I met you.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°I think it is best to leave then.¡± He closed the photo albumpletely and ced it upon the couch,


    resting it over the small space between us. ¡°I like to leave on a happy note.¡±


    ¡°There was never a sad one.¡±


    He tilted his head to the side with slightly raised eyebrows. ¡°Valid point.¡±


    ¡°I will not keep you here. I suppose I will take a shower, and waste some time away until my employer


    calls me back.¡±


    Teddy followed me as I made my way towards the bathroom, bent on retrieving his clothing that had


    hopefully dried by now. When I had entered the bathroom he was close behind me, but he left enough


    room for me to not feel ufortable. I gently lifted his long ck coat off the hanger, vaguely aware


    that his shirt was hanging behind it. ¡°You mind if I keep this sweater for now?¡± Teddy spoke up. ¡°And


    the t-shirt too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it washed and dried for you tomorrow.¡±


    I ced the items in his hand along with his umbre. ¡°There¡¯s no rush, Teddy.¡±


    Heid the tips of his fingers against the back of my hand, dragging out the moment as he retrieved the


    umbre from me. ¡°I thought I told you to keep this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s raining,¡± I reminded him. ¡°And it belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°But I want you to have it.¡±


    ¡°You are kind, Teddy, but I do not need it. I have an umbre of my own you see.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said rather coldly, for he hated when he was being rejected. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then.¡±


    I followed him out the room, feeling miserable that he should suddenly behave this way. When he was


    at the door, he forced himself to turn around to face me. He opened his mouth, but found there were no


    words to express his feelings. I bravely took a step forward, watching the way his mouth abruptly


    closed and the manner in which his eyes eagerly sought out my own.


    ¡°Thank you for inviting me up here,¡± he muttered shyly.


    I fidgeted with my cardigan, bunching it up around my fingers. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    ¡°I hope we can do it again sometime,¡± Teddy said with a sudden surge of boldness. ¡°Well, have a good


    night.¡± He slipped on his shoes quietly while doing his best to not look in my direction again. He had


    forgotten about his jacket, and timidly looked around until he realized it was resting under my arm.


    ¡°May I?¡±


    The jacket was handed over to him, as well as his umbre. Teddy propped up his ck cor,


    highlighting his sharp cheekbones. He looked down at the bottom of his jacket and straightened it out


    to the best of his abilities. Teddy was dying his time to leave me, drawing it out while he regrettably


    could not look me in the eyes.


    I took another step forward, encroaching upon his space. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°The morning,¡± he agreed with me. ¡°Take care, S.¡± A shadow of a smile came across his face, and


    with that he left me to return home. I kept the door ajar to watch him walk away. A curious feeling came


    over me now that we were separated, and it was only then that I realized my guard was not put up high


    enough around him. Teddy had found a small chink in it, a prable source, and not even I could


    have the power to stop it from falling downpletely.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    The silver railing was cold in the palm of my hand, and yet I clenched it tightly. The bus swayed from


    side to side violently as it inched up the steep incline of a hill. We were almost in the designated spot, a


    particr stretch of levelled ground with a dusty patch of earth that I often marked as the spot for the


    bus to pull over. There was a new driver today, an old man with a t cap and thick grey whiskers that


    were most unkempt. Frequently he would look over his shoulder, waiting for further instructions from


    me. It was nice of him to go out of his way just to appease me, especially since he was unfamiliar with


    this bus route.


    ¡°Just a little more?¡± he asked in a rather high-pitched voice. His fingers pinched the brim of his hat to


    pull it downwards.


    ¡°Just about.¡±


    He looked over his shoulders yet again, but this time his stare was hard and inquisitive-like. ¡°So, what


    are you doing up here?¡±


    ¡°I work at the house there,¡± I tiredly exined. ¡°At the top of the hill.¡±


    ¡°Not in that old house?¡± he questioned me with an obvious strain to his voice. ¡°The one next to the


    cliffs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is the very one.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he drawled out slowly, with a hint of worry tethering in his deep voice. ¡°You have got to be kidding


    me!¡± I boldly stepped forward, enough to bring myself beside the bus driver. His gaze was hard upon


    the road as he drove the bus over thest part of the steep hill, and yet, his ck eyes were filled with


    pain that was beyond myprehension. ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± he muttered from the corner of his mouth.


    Dark lines began to form over his forehead, while his greying brows lowered themselves worriedly over


    the hoods of his eyes. ¡°Good heavens.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± I muttered with some regret. The bus gradually came to a stop; the front wheels slid


    across the muddy patch of dirt that still hadrge pools of water floating over it. The bus driver moved


    forward to pull at a mechanism, which immediately made the set of doors swing open widely. I took a


    good long look outside, observing the dewiness of the green grass with clear water droplets


    crystallizing its tips. The air was fresh, an unmistakable scent after a long night of a steady downpour. I


    inhaled the air deeply, while pondering over the bus driver¡¯s reaction. A quick nce over my shoulder


    made me realize that he had been watching me, and that cruel dip of his dry lips proved his thoughts


    had steered in that direction as well.


    ¡°You be careful there,¡± he warned. Lips pursed tightly until a straight line was formed over the lower half


    of his face. I nodded my head at him in understanding, and then took a step downwards to depart from


    the buspletely.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I shouted over my shoulder.


    ¡°May God help you,¡± was promptly answered back.


    I turned around to face the driver, seeing the way he was clutching the curved ck handle that


    controlled the doors of his old bus. He nodded his head sternly at me, though its meaning was lost to


    me, and then he shut the doors abruptly so he could speed away.


    ***


    ¡°S?¡± broke through my thoughts. The front door had been open moments ago, but I was still


    standing outside of Teddy¡¯s household. ¡°You look unwell.¡±


    Teddy was wearing a sky-blue dress shirt today, crisp and freshly ironed. A rather dark charcoal blue


    sweater vest fit snugly over his broad chest, and ented well against the lightness of his creamy


    white trousers. His apparel informed me that he had no intention to work out in the garden with me


    today. The front door was pushed open wider, and then Teddy took the liberty of stepping over his


    threshold to bring himself closer to me.


    ¡°S,¡± he hushed with concern, before he unknowinglyid his hand on the side of my arm. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I lied. ¡°I just had trouble sleeping, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°It rained all night for you as well,¡± he observed. ¡°I had the same issue. The housees alive at night


    when it rains that hard.¡±


    ¡°Alive?¡±


    He leaned forward and with a teasing look about him, Teddy whispered, ¡°Alive with sounds.¡± He


    squinted at me yfully before he let out a low chuckle. ¡°But not enough to irritate my nerves. Come! It


    is a beautiful day, but you shoulde inside all the same.¡± His hand fell off the side of my arm, and


    without looking back he stepped into his household.


    I took my time removing my light spring coat, a much darker hue than the one I wore yesterday. Teddy


    was right in his assumption that we would have lovely weather today, so why did the morning make me


    feel so fearful and uneasy? My eyes were focused on the floor and then the walls, but it could not fall


    under the enchanting spell of Teddy Woven.


    ¡°You need tea,¡± he coldly remarked, after the silence was too much for him. ¡°Or coffee?¡±


    ¡°I need a strong cup of coffee,¡± I said, before I stepped past the master of the house to get to the


    kitchen myself. My white socks slid across the smooth surface of his hardwood floor, barely making a


    sound because I was so light and small in stature. I could hear the hush slippers of Teddy¡¯s close


    behind me, and it wasn¡¯t long before he overtook me and entered the kitchen area first. The table was


    fully set for me, prepared in every manner. He instinctively pulled out a chair, and gestured with his


    hand that I may take a seat.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said with some level of difort before I sat down on the wooden chair. Luna was


    nowhere to be found, and with that uneasy thought I quickly looked around for her. Teddy had his back


    to me, preparing thest of the coffee that was hot and ready to pour.


    The windows were wide open; curtains pushed back to show the expansiveness of the garden. It would


    be a wet work day, considering the dampness of the grass and flowerbeds, but I would have to make


    do.


    ¡°I thought,¡± Teddy began in a stilted voice. ¡°You might want to go to my art room.¡± His hand gripped the


    coffee pot tightly after he made this statement. ¡°To see my work.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°It would be nice to hear your opinion on it,¡± Teddy added with his back to me. ¡°There is nothing worse


    than overthinking things. A natural characteristic for every artist. Well, that and being your own worst


    critic.¡± He looked over his shoulder to make eye contact with me. ¡°But I think I grew out of that stage by


    now.¡±


    ¡°I would love to see your work.¡±


    He brought over the two piping cups of coffee,ying my mug down in front of me in a graceful manner.


    ¡°But you couldn¡¯t stay there for long, of course,¡± he added in a strange sort of way. ¡°You have work to


    do.¡±


    I nodded my head at him while maintaining the intended eye contact. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Teddy deliberately broke our lengthy gaze and let his fingers timidly rub the side of his mug. His


    behaviour was peculiar today, most puzzling. Yesterday evening there was a sudden boldness to him,


    but now Teddy was like an animal that had been tamed and neutered. There was something on his


    mind - a worry that could not be expressed in words.


    ¡°Do you have anything to eat?¡± I softly inquired, hoping it would not break him away from his thoughts


    too severely. ¡°Muffins?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Teddy curtly replied. ¡°Something different today.¡±


    ¡°Different?¡±


    ¡°No muffins,¡± he eximed with more merriness this time. ¡°Quiche.¡±


    ¡°You cooked?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± He pushed his chair back with energy, determined to reveal this surprise that he brought a


    shadow of a smile to his face. The oven was thrust open, and soon enough he was carrying out a small


    pan that brought an alluring aroma throughout the room.


    I leaned back in my chair with astonishment as I uttered: ¡°This is really sweet of you, Teddy.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    The egg quiche was ced upon my te, arge piece that would fill me up for the rest of the


    morning. A long meow struck the air, a good sign that Luna had just entered the room. She was


    rubbing the side of her body against the door ledge, while her eyes squinted happily at me. Things


    were beginning to feel normal again, so I took up my cutlery and dly took my first bite. Teddy was


    eating his breakfast quietly beside me, asionally taking long sips of his coffee with an air of


    satisfaction.


    ¡°Do you want anymore?¡± he inquired, before I had even finished my first slice.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Coffee?¡±


    ¡°I guess I can have a top up. Oh, not too much! I would have toe here a lot to use the bathroom.¡±


    He chuckled softly while pouring a new cup nearly to the rim. ¡°This is really lovely,¡± I added. ¡°You didn¡¯t


    need to do-¡±


    ¡°S,¡± he warned in an unusual strict tone of voice.


    ¡°But I appreciate it,¡± I added with some hesitation. ¡°Teddy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    He lowered his fork with some concern. ¡°What?¡± he asked with some rm.


    ¡°You have been so good to me,¡± I softly replied. ¡°I just¡­ I feel like¡­¡±


    He reached his hand forward, almost wanting to touch me. At thest second he dropped it down


    beside my left hand, leaving enough room to show he meant me no harm. Luna pounced upwards to


    be on top of the kitchen table, her head moving in all directions as she quietly took in her surroundings.


    ¡°S,¡± broke the long silence. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡±


    ¡°You knew¡­¡± I closed my eyes sorrowfully. ¡°That I was going to say that to you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like asking for help, do you?¡± He dragged his hand down the table until it could return to his


    lap. ¡°Sometimes we have to learn to ask people for help. There is nothing to be ashamed of.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    Teddy reached for his mug and took a few sips of his coffee. The silence was done on purpose on his


    end, forcing me to rethink my answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want,¡± I found myself saying. ¡°You are good to me and¡­¡± My voice was lost at that


    moment because of the pure strength of his gaze. ¡°I¡­¡± My teeth clenched together, knowing that my


    body was responding to the look in his eyes. My left hand balled up tightly together, but not before my


    fingernails lightly carved against the wood. ¡°I forgot what I was trying to tell you,¡± I breathed out quickly.


    ¡°Ummm.¡±


    ¡°Eat your food, S,¡± he lightly chuckled. The mug was used to cover his smug smile, and I hated him


    for it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I softly replied. ¡°I¡­ sure.¡±


    His chuckle was unmistakable then, for he knew he had me truly. There were a lot of things I could


    resist, but that heated stare was not one of them.


    I crossed my legs tightly, but it didn¡¯t make quite a difference. A hush curse escaped my breath, but it


    was so faint that Teddy could scarcely make it out. His attention was more focused on Luna, so at least


    I had time to regain someposure.


    The house was silent all around us, a faint whistling of a breeze could seldom be heard on a rare


    asion. It would be a warm spring day on all ounts, a good sign that it would dry up the nt life


    and grass by mid-afternoon.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Teddy prompted up. ¡°I received an email from Daphne. She will return to work by


    Monday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she contacted you?¡± I asked with disbelief, for she had been most silent on my end.


    ¡°A mere sentence with her name written at the bottom,¡± the man beside me slowly drawled.


    ¡°She is stressed.¡±


    ¡°Understandably.¡± He looked down at his mug. ¡°It would be hard.¡±


    ¡°I guess that means less hours for me,¡± I surmised. ¡°My back will thank me, but¡­¡±


    Teddy leaned forward in his chair and brought an arm upwards to support his head. The right side of


    his cheekbone shined brightly in the morning sunlight at that particr angle; his rosy pink lips looked


    more enticing than I remembered.


    I tapped my fingers against the edge of the table anxiously. My thoughts had once again left me, and


    he hardly did anything to instigate this uncanny behaviour.


    ¡°You were saying something about your back.¡±


    I leaned forward in my chair and let out a short sigh. ¡°Forgive me.¡±


    ¡°You need to take it easy today,¡± he suggested. ¡°That¡¯s the second time now.¡±


    ¡°I think I need fresh air.¡±


    ¡°My windows are wide open,¡± he noted, without ever having to look in that direction. ¡°You need


    something else.¡±


    I licked my top lip quickly, an act of betrayal. My eyes darted towards the open doorway of the kitchen;


    a fear had suddenly seized me and now I wanted to flee from that very spot. To have any feelings for


    this man would spell my doom. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I huffed out, before I bolted from the chair and strode


    quickly over to the doorway. I could hear Teddy¡¯s chair scrape backwards in rm, probably getting to


    his feet. I quickly jogged to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. Nerves overwhelmed me to the


    point that I could feel the erratic beating of my heart. ¡°What is wrong with me?¡± I whispered aloud.


    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡±


    I turned towards the mirror, catching sight of my reflection. My hair was tied up neatly today, and my


    face was clean and youthful from a good night¡¯s rest. It was my eyes that betrayed my true emotions:


    worry, nervousness and a sense of rm rested in my dark orbs. There was a strange foreboding all


    around me, a hush whisper that could barely be detected by my ears to leave the master of this house


    alone.


    A soft knocking on the door took me by surprise. ¡°S? I just wanted to know if you are okay.¡±


    I turned around and ced my hand over the doorknob. The door creaked open, and with a thick


    swallowing I was finally able to meet his gaze. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡±


    ¡°I should go outside,¡± I mumbled. ¡°And start to garden.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed with me quickly enough. ¡°But you have to finish the rest of your meal.¡± The corner of


    his lip quirked upwards. ¡°Or else Luna will get to it first.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t!¡± I eximed with disbelief.


    ¡°She was once a stray,¡± he reminded me. ¡°She¡¯ll eat anything.¡± Teddy¡¯s hand pushed hard upon the


    door to force it open, leaving every inch of the bathroom exposed to his view. He looked at me up and


    down slowly, and then quickly turned away in a hurried manner. My feet gravitated out of the bathroom,


    but I unconsciously looked to the left at the closed doorway that was the only means of escape. A


    curious feeling came over me, so I turned my head sharply to the right to see the unfinished staircase


    that led upstairs. You could tell the upper levels of the staircase were old and worn out. There was


    something off about that part of the house, where looming shadows as dark as night seemed to quiver


    my very soul.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Luna made a small meow, urging me to join her in the kitchen. Her master was not far behind, subtly


    watching me from around the pale white wood of the doorway. Bravely I stepped forward, allowing my


    fingers to lightly rub against the left side of the hallway wall. I stopped over the archway, still feeling that


    heated gaze from him. My body was starting to respond to him, but I forced that thought away and bent


    down to pet the back of Luna¡¯s ear. She purred instinctively, loud enough for Teddy to hear. He


    abandoned his post to clear away his dishes.


    ¡°Hello Luna,¡± I whispered. She was brought upwards to rest in front of my chest, cuddled like a small


    babe that had just been born. She was sweet and innocent, and I found myself being drawn to her


    immensely.


    My right hand drew out my chair and I happily took a seat. She was the cure I needed to calm myself


    down, a wee distraction from the lustful look that continually escaped Teddy¡¯s eyes. I suppose it


    was unintentional, but this morning it had increased more than ever before. A lot can be said in a


    person¡¯s eyes and looks, and Teddy¡¯s was most telling.


    Luna soon grew bored of me and wanted to be put down. I had no choice but toy her down on the


    kitchen floor and watch her small paws pad their way towards her master.


    While I was eating I could hear him speaking to Luna. ¡°Hello, little Missy,¡± he affectionately cooed. ¡°You


    missed me?¡±


    I nced upwards to see he was just drying off his hands with a dish cloth. His whole attention was on


    this small creature,pletely forgetting I was still in the room with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going outside today?¡± he continued, before he bent his knees and reached for his cat. ¡°Or are


    you going to spend the day with me again?¡± His dark brown eyes searched out her pale blue ones, and


    once they connected a warm smile spread across his face. ¡°I know you like S too.¡± A happyughter


    escaped him before he averted his gaze from his cat towards me. ¡°I¡¯m speaking to her aloud. Forgive


    me. I am used to living alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it is normal to speak to your pets.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± he looked down at Luna with something of a smile. ¡°She¡¯s my only friend.¡±


    ¡°Now, you have another one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Teddy,¡± I confirmed for him. ¡°I am done with my food now.¡± He watched me rise up from my chair


    with a surprised look to him. ¡°Please move so I may wash my dishes.¡± He moved to the right, allowing


    me enough space to ce the dishes down in the sink. I could feel him staring at me again, examining


    my side profile as I soaked the water upon the pure white te. Luna squirmed in his arms, forcing him


    to ce her upon the kitchen floor. He never moved when I reached behind him to obtain the kitchen


    towel, probably enjoying the closeness of our bodies. ¡°Anyone tell you that¡­¡± His gaze strengthened


    two-fold. ¡°You have a certain look to your eyes.¡±


    ¡°What kind of look?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t describe it.¡±


    He blinked slowly, and then finally dropped his eyes from mine. Iid the dish towel down on the edge


    of the countertop; Teddy was quick to retrieve it and fold it neatly to his liking. His quirky mannerisms


    were exhibited once again, an uncontroble side to him that Teddy had trouble hiding. ¡°I like it neat,¡±


    he said as an excuse. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    His head jerked backwards, for he was puzzled by my answer.


    ¡°No, you never offended me.¡±


    He looked down at my lips, and I could see the strain to his jawline since we were standing so close


    together. A sharp gust of air escaped his partially open lips, and then he suddenly looked over his


    shoulder as though we were being watched. ¡°We should go,¡± he said as a way ofmand. He left the


    spot as quickly as he could, abandoning a crumbled dish towel over the countertop in the process.


    ***


    ¡°I specialize inndscape paintings.¡± The canvas was brought upwards, braced hard against his chest


    because of the weight and sheer size of it. ¡°I live along the English coast.¡± He shrugged his shoulders,


    but it looked amusing when his arms were spread so far apart. ¡°I thought I might as well make a living


    out of it.¡±


    ¡°People would kill for a house like this.¡±


    His face darkened substantially, a dangerous pulse of anger ignited in his eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s- it¡¯s,¡± I stammered out nervously. ¡°An expression. ng.¡±


    He lowered his painting, which brought a wave of sadness to me. I stepped forward to stretch out my


    hand. ¡°I like how you added the wildflowers in the foreground. Red campions,¡± I pointed out with my


    finger hovering over the canvas. The man in front of me nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Yes, and there


    is¡­¡± I tilted my head with a mischievous smile. ¡°White bluebells! Weren¡¯t you worried it would blend in


    with the white foam of the sea along the coast line?¡±


    ¡°Never even entered my mind.¡±


    I stepped forward even more, until I was right on top of him and the painted canvas. ¡°It looks nice at


    dawn.¡±


    ¡°It looks nice at any time,¡± he ryed in almost a hush. ¡°I could take you there, if you don¡¯t object.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s right outside,¡± I noted. ¡°Ah, but I have work to do.¡± His smirk grew wider, for Teddy knew that I was


    toying with him. ¡°Another time then.¡±


    ¡°I could show you the exact spot where I painted this,¡± he said with utter pride. The canvas was


    lowered swiftly, and then he moved backwards to take up another one. This painting was very simr


    though it was taken at a different angle, and on a cold foggy day. ¡°This one has trouble selling. I enjoy


    these sort of days, but my clients don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°They want happy scenes,¡± he softly bemoaned. ¡°Scenes of bright sun-lit seas and swathes of lush


    greenery. Yes, there are those days,¡± he admitted. ¡°But you cannot have light without the darkness.¡± He


    brought the painting closer to me, disying the sheer rage of the sea that crashed harshly against the


    ghostly grey rocks. From the precipice you could see the looming shadows and misty fog that added


    more dimension to his painting. There was life to this image, but as Teddy noted it was not a painting


    for everyone. ¡°But I must find some way to pay the bills,¡± he said in a dejected voice. ¡°And so, I paint


    scenes of beauty¡­ or what some may say joy.¡± The canvas lowered over hisp, exposing the deep


    heaving of his chest. ¡°But what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I like them both.¡±


    ¡°Which one do you prefer more?¡±


    ¡°Well, the first one made me want to travel to that exact destination. To see it with my own eyes. It is


    the kind of painting that you would like to put up on a wall.¡±


    Teddy turned around to lower his painting to the ground, somewhere close to Luna where she was


    silently roaming. ¡°And not the other?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t finished,¡± I quipped with a beguiling smile. Teddy turned around to face me, slipping his hands


    deep inside of his trouser pockets. ¡°I think the second one reflects you more. We all have inner turmoil


    inside of us.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you are right,¡± I assented with a sort of forcefulness to my voice and physical gestures. ¡°We can¡¯t


    have light without the darkness.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t let the darkness consume us either.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    He stepped forward, bringing his chest nearly against my own. His hands were still in his trouser


    pockets, which was a safety indicator for I had the sense that he wanted to touch me. He bit down on


    the corner of his lips while he looked down at me, making me feel the stark difference in our height.


    There was that look again, increasing by the second since we were in such close proximity to each


    other.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°You are very talented,¡± I hushed out softly, a vain effort to not break the natural silence of the house. ¡°I


    think you chose a career that suits you.¡±


    He cleared his throat with purpose. ¡°I¡¯d like to say the same thing about you.¡±


    ¡°Even though I am not out there gardening,¡± I nervously giggled.


    ¡°Are you free Saturday?¡± he spoke out quickly. ¡°Please say yes.¡±


    ¡°I might be,¡± I lied. ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°S,¡± he said with more determination, but just then we heard a harsh hissing of Luna that spelled


    disaster. I looked to the open doorway and saw nothing, but the manner of Teddy had suddenly


    changed. He stormed towards the doorway and looked left and right at the empty hallway. His


    mannerism grew stiff; his left foot prodded Luna away from the doorway so he could shut itpletely.


    He held his hand over the top of the heavy door with some forcefulness once it was fully closed; a long


    sigh struck the air added with the faint hissing of Luna that was as sharp as ever. Teddy patted his


    fingertips against the door in a strange rhythm. ¡°I must leave this ce,¡± he muttered to himself.


    I was motionless next to his painting of a stormy day, not wanting to disturb him when my nerves were


    so frazzled. The darkness of the house seemed to loom over me, clutching like an unseen hand with


    long tendril-like fingers around my throat. I could not feel this sensation physically, but my spirit


    quivered at the queer feeling of it.


    Teddy approached me slowly, probably aware that I was not looking in his direction. The wind howled


    throughout the house, particrly down the hallway where Teddy had just shut the door. ¡°S.¡±


    I blinked harshly, feeling the full weight of my emotions.


    ¡°S.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I said in an exasperated breath.


    ¡°S,¡± he repeated for the third time, until I turned my fearful gaze in his direction. ¡°Sometimes cats


    see things¡­¡± He looked over his shoulder, noticing how protective Luna was in front of the closed


    doorway. ¡°Hear things.¡±


    ¡°She looks rmed.¡±


    ¡°The wind is picking up,¡± he suggested. ¡°It makes odd sounds throughout the house. It is an old one. I


    should show you¡­¡± He turned away from me and pulled out a drawer. A small hardcover sketchbook


    was held in his hands protectively. ¡°I have something here.¡± He flipped through the pages quickly,


    although he made sure it was positioned so that I could not see the contents of it. ¡°A sketch.¡±


    I stepped closer, awaiting to see the image that Teddy wished to reveal to me. His hand motioned me


    forward and soon we were leaning over an old pine table to look at the image.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    The depiction was made in ck ink, a detailed illustration of his house at some point in time. It


    appeared abandoned then, with tall weeds growing at the side of the house. The windows were


    boarded up with wood, and the shabbiness of the house was felt profusely the longer I stared at it.


    ¡°Not so long ago,¡± he revealed. ¡°That it looked that way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± He questioned me with a yfulness to his voice. ¡°Then I shall take credit for it.¡± Teddy


    straightened his back to bring himself to his full height. ¡°This was a little more than five years ago.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was over fifty years at least.¡±


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    ¡°No, at that time it was quite livable.¡± He looked over his shoulder at the closed doorway. ¡°Thriving.¡± He


    averted his attention back to the hand-drawn sketch in front of him. ¡°When my mother was still young


    and happy. When her father and the rest of her family were still alive.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any images of them?¡±


    ¡°I would have to go looking for them.¡± He left my side, intent on seeking out the images that would


    quench my curiosity. When he was gone I turned the page, too curious for my own good. It was a small


    depiction of Teddy as a child, probably between the ages of six or eight. He was a tall, wiry sort of boy


    with an unusual growth spurt. His clothes were shabby though, disorderly and worn out to the point that


    it looked too small for his frame. The strangest image of all was that he was holding a raggedy old


    teddy bear; it was pressed hard against his chest in a protective manner that matched the haunting


    sadness to his eyes.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Teddy paused, realizing the image that I had discovered. His jaw clenched tightly and


    then he tore his eyes away from me to look out the open window.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I shut the sketchbook closed and took arge step back.


    ¡°There is stuff in there that is private,¡± he growled. A hand reached downwards to snatch it off the table.


    ¡°And I can¡¯t locate the photo album. I think it¡¯s in the cer.¡±


    ¡°Should we go looking for it?¡±


    His eyebrows arched upwards. ¡°Look for it?¡± he echoed with a voice that was full of mockery. ¡°No,


    S.¡± The sketchbook was tossed into the open drawer at the side of the table. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you


    to go outside.¡±


    ¡°Teddy, I¡­¡±


    He stepped away from me, burying his hands inside of his trouser pockets. The door was soon pushed


    further back, a tell-tale sign that it was time for me to leave the art room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I finished off. ¡°I went too far.¡±


    He never made a word when I bypassed him, he simply watched me ce on my rubber boots with an


    overwhelming sense of guilt.


    ¡°Teddy!¡± I called out, for I hated the distance that stretched between us. ¡°I really am sorry for snooping.¡±


    ¡°It was a mistake leaving it there with you.¡±


    I pursed my lips tightly, wishing there was something I could do to make the situation better.


    ¡°You trusted me,¡± I pointed out. ¡°And I ruined that trust.¡±


    The man was silent as he stood in front of the art room. It was the first time he had ever allowed that


    door to be open, and I because of my own curiosity I may have stopped him from taking the chance to


    open up to me more. My curiosity had gotten the better of me. Luna padded down the hallway, heading


    towards the music room where Teddy and I had first sat down to have a proper conversation. How long


    ago it felt, but it had been just days since we first met. I forced my gaze to shift to the right, noticing that


    he had trouble looking at me. There was pain coursing through him, and I realized then that his anger


    had turned to another direction.


    ¡°Teddy!¡± I called out yet again. ¡°Please, can we talk some more outside?¡±


    He stepped forward and slipped on his shoes. Grey slippers were lined up neatly against the wall; he


    decided to not take a proper spring coat and stepped outside into the bright sunlight first. Teddy waited


    for me to join him before he mmed the door behind us, though he frequently looked back as though


    we were being followed. We steadily walked towards the small wooden shed, and to my surprise he


    pointed out a shady area where we could have a private conversation with one another.


    ¡°What do you have to say?¡± he asked with impatience.


    ¡°What is that sketchbook for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for my memories,¡± he sighed out. ¡°I like to suppress them, but sometimes they force themselves


    out. So that book is my coping mechanism. Some people write diaries.¡± Teddy stretched out a long arm


    to rest his hand over the sturdy tree bark. ¡°I draw.¡±


    The leaves of the willow tree blew softly, it was arge one that must have been nted when the


    house was first developed. I was too busy looking up at the treetops to focus on Teddy, it was as


    though my lucid mind was slipping away from me.


    ¡°Do you keep a diary?¡± he inquired with a sharpness to his voice.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Some people do.¡±


    ¡°I am not much of a writer,¡± I told him with some reluctance.


    ¡°Are you ever haunted by some things?¡±


    I took a step backwards so I could see the expanse of his garden. The grey bricks glowed in the bright


    midday sunlight, letting me know that time was slipping away faster than I could have ever imagined.


    ¡°Like memories?¡± I questioned him. ¡°Or something more than that?¡±


    ¡°Memories,¡± he rified.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made mistakes,¡± I assured him. ¡°Sometimes we do things in life to please other people. At other


    times, it felt like the right thing to do at the time.¡±


    ¡°Or the wrong,¡± heughed out sadly.


    ¡°It¡¯s what makes us human.¡±


    ¡°Human,¡± he repeated with an air of mncholy.


    ¡°You did not have a happy childhood,¡± I stated as fact, which immediately caught him off-guard. ¡°Did


    you?¡±


    ¡°I had the worst,¡± he huffed out aggressively, to the point that I could sense the burning anger inside of


    him. ¡°And I live everyday¡­¡± He stopped himself short. ¡°I¡¯ll only be free of it if I die, maybe.¡± He looked


    downwards at the ground. ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t sound right. How¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°How can I move on?¡± he stammered out. ¡°How can I live when¡­.¡± He stared hard at the house, as if it


    was his own prison. ¡°When everything around me forces me to live in the past.¡±


    ¡°You move away,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Sometimes I wish I could.¡±


    ¡°You are troubled, Teddy.¡± I reached out to touch the sleeve of his dress shirt. ¡°I only wish I could help.¡±


    ¡°Then stay away from me,¡± he murmured, so soft I could barely hear it. He stepped backwards after


    that, intent on creating an evenrger distance between us, which made me feel the full weight of his


    words.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    The ringing of the phone rmed me at first, breaking me out of my daydream. A towel was tossed


    over my soaking wet hair and then I sprinted out of the bathroom to find my phone. It was perched over


    the left side of the couch closest to the door, shing a bright white light to the darker part of my living


    room.


    ¡°Hello?¡± My towel was nearly slipping off the side of my head, so I threw it over the back of my shoulder


    to catch the water that was steadily dripping downwards.


    ¡°S,¡± a distinctive Polish ent rang through the speakers. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Daphne!¡± I cried out with pure joy. ¡°It is so good to hear from you again. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± was murmured faintly, a sound that I barely detected through the speakers. ¡°I¡¯ve been better. I am


    home now. I haven¡¯t spent much time here, and it feels strange without my husband.¡±


    ¡°Is he any better?¡±


    ¡°Getting there.¡±


    I brushed back a printed orange and red pillow before I took a seat at the edge of my couch. It waste


    Thursday evening, and I was nearly ready for bed. ¡°Daphne? Are you ready to go back to work on


    Monday?¡±


    ¡°As long as I work a short morning shift at Woven¡¯s, then I should be fine.¡± She cleared her throat a


    little. ¡°I¡¯d give you my afternoon shifts, but I know your time is upied already.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my schedule is full.¡±


    ¡°I will have to contact one of my other employees then,¡± she surmised in a tired voice. ¡°But, how are


    you doing at Woven¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am fine,¡± I lied, while squinting my eyes funnily. I tried to push back the awkward drive to the bus


    terminal that I had to endure this afternoon from my mind. ¡°Well, you see¡­¡±


    ¡°Is he giving you any trouble?¡± my manager asked with worry. ¡°S?¡±


    ¡°No, not really.¡± I pulled up the towel to cover my damp hair more, for I was currently experiencing a


    chill. ¡°I didn¡¯t take your advice. I spoke to him¡­¡± My gaze lowered to myp with a feeling of remorse.


    ¡°And he spoke to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there is nothing wrong with that!¡± Daphne yelled over the phone. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to him often. He is a


    charming young man.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is very polite.¡± My legs stretched themselves out upon the couch, since I wanted to get into a


    morefortable position.


    ¡°Very charming!¡± my employer continued. ¡°I don¡¯t often work on private property, but Mr. Woven was


    quite desperate to procure a gardener. You mustn¡¯t say anything, my dear, but he could not hire anyone


    in the town.¡± Herughter rang through the speakers, increasing in time. ¡°Town gossip,¡± she quipped.


    ¡°But, S, you must not listen to them.¡±


    ¡°Town gossip?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± she said in a way to drop the conversation entirely.


    ¡°Daphne? Why did you want me to stay away from him?¡±


    ¡°Because he is a troubled man, S. You have a good heart. Incredibly sweet. A nature like yours


    against his¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°S,¡± she spoke in a tone of voice that was full of concern. ¡°You would only get hurt trying to help


    him.¡±


    ¡°Help him?¡± I piped up, after I leaned forward with interest.


    ¡°Mr. Woven is a man that is best left alone,¡± she warned. ¡°It would be in your best interest to stick to


    your job and-¡±


    ¡°-what if I don¡¯t want to?¡± I interjected. ¡°What if I want to help him?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, my dear,¡± the olddy chided. ¡°You simply do not understand.¡±


    I let out a low sigh, and then fell upon the pillow at the end of my couch dramatically.


    ¡°Mr. Woven,¡± Daphne began. ¡°Has gone through horrors you could hardly imagine. He is still a victim to


    it! You would do right to stick to your work and let that be the end of it.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t,¡± I stammered out with an awful spread of heat across the sides of my cheeks from


    embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ve spent so much time with him already.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°He helps me in the garden,¡± I informed her. ¡°We have coffee together in the morning, and then we


    share lunch. He even drives me to the bus terminal after work, and one time he drove me all the way


    home. He enjoys mypany, and¡­¡± I licked my bottom lip quickly. ¡°I enjoy his as well.¡±


    ¡°The only time I go into the house is to use his washroom,¡± Daphnemented in a low tenor. ¡°I would


    be ttered if he brought out a ss of water to me. Do you mean to tell me-?¡±


    ¡°-yes!¡± I interrupted her. ¡°I have spent most of my time there with him.¡±


    ¡°Then he likes you,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Mr. Woven takes a romantic interest in you. He hardly spent


    more than five minutes of his time around me. That man often spends his mornings in his art studio,


    focusing on his paintings.¡±


    ¡°They are wonderful paintings,¡± I breathed out quickly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen them?¡± Daphne questioned me with a painful sound to her voice. ¡°I wish I had.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen them?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I told you already, I hardly took a step into his household. Everything I could ever need is outside in


    that shed or somewhere in the garden. If I wanted lunch, I would drive down to the vige at the bottom


    of the hill after work. There is a nice bakery there with sandwiches that are to die for. You should try it


    sometime. Oh, look! I am bbing again.¡± Her softughter echoed on her end of the phone line.


    ¡°Whatever you do, S, do not mention you work at the Woven¡¯s residency. The locals will tell you


    such frightful tales! They will say the ce is cursed and all that. Mr. Woven will not like you to hear


    such things.¡±


    ¡°Cursed?¡±


    ¡°Never mind that!¡± Daphne scolded me. ¡°You go to work tomorrow, and perform your duties. I will be


    back first thing Monday morning, and there will be nothing for your pretty little head to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I submitted in almost a hush.


    ¡°It will break Mr. Woven¡¯s heart, I daresay. To see you off again.¡± The old woman paused, as her


    reflection upon the matter deepened severely. ¡°But it is for the best.¡±


    ¡°Will he be alright?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm.¡±


    ¡°If I leave him?¡±


    ¡°If?¡± Daphne echoed. ¡°What do you mean by that, child?¡±


    ¡°Only that¡­¡± I looked to the right, taking note of the television screen that was off and vaguely


    remembered Teddy¡¯s words. ¡°He wants to spend more time with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Outside of work.¡±


    ¡°I fail to understand.¡±


    ¡°He wants to show me the coastal line outside of his house. He suggested it this afternoon, but I think


    after what happened¡­ after I upset him.¡±


    ¡°S, it would be wise to stay away from him.¡±


    ¡°He is quite harmless,¡± I said as a way of an excuse. ¡°He has been nothing but kind to me.¡±


    ¡°He is harmless. But¡­¡± I leaned the phone closer to my ear, eager to learn more of her thoughts.


    ¡°There is a ckness to that house. A ckness to him too.¡± She paused, clearly in pain for having to


    reveal the truth to me. ¡°One more day. I pray to God that it rains, so you won¡¯t have to endure it. Stay


    away from that man, S.¡± She paused for one more time, to add emphasis to her next words: ¡°Stay


    away.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Teddy stood at the bottom of the hill with a long, ck umbre in hand. A few droplets of rain crashed


    down upon the hillynd, but not enough to make me feel agitated. The bus pulled up right beside


    Teddy¡¯s dark figure, and the usual bus driver that normally took me to work simply tilted his hat in


    respect to the gentleman waiting outside for me. The driver did not exhibit the same fears as the one


    yesterday, so perhaps it was only a bad incursion. I offered a small goodbye to the bus operator,


    pleased that he opened the doors wide enough for me to step outside and join Teddy¡¯s side. I could feel


    the heated stare of this dark cloaked figure as I walked past the front of the bus, although Teddy


    remained motionless as I steadily approached him.


    He was draped in all ck for the morning, with a smoky grey t cap covering his head. He removed it


    once I stood in front of him, and angled the umbre in a certain way to block out the rain for me.


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    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His eyebrows shot up with surprise. ¡°Is anything the matter?¡±


    ¡°I came here to apologize.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you came out of your house,¡± I professed. ¡°You didn¡¯t have toe all the way down the hill


    to tell me that.¡±


    ¡°I was rude yesterday,¡± Teddy apologized. ¡°And cold towards you.¡± His hat was ced back upon his


    head. ¡°It is perfectly natural to be a little curious, and besides, you didn¡¯t see anything too damaging.¡±


    He stepped a little closer, allowing the umbre to cover us both from the light dripping of rain. ¡°I


    overreacted,¡± he confessed. ¡°I¡¯m naturally a private man, and things only became worse when the town


    began to gossip about me. But you are different, S. You don¡¯t listen to that.¡±


    ¡°No, I know nothing,¡± I conceded.


    A twinge of a smile spread across his face, though it was small and fragile-like. ¡°You¡¯re like a breath of


    fresh air." An arm was presented upwards, a subtle offer for me to slip my arm over his own. ¡°I think it¡¯s


    time for something hot to drink. The rain will let up soon enough, and then you can return to work.¡±


    His mood had suddenly lifted, there was even a lightness to his rich chocte brown eyes. He escorted


    me away from the side of the road, bent upon taking the smoothest route possible that would lead him


    back home. The umbre was shared between us, allowing him to be as close beside me as possible.


    We walked inpanionable silence up the hill, where only the faintpses of the calming sea could


    be vaguely heard under the light showering of rain.


    ***


    A steady downpour of water droplets fell from a steel-grey sky; it pelted against the window where


    Teddy silently stood. His back was to me; arge white mug clutched firmly in his hand as he watched


    the sudden change of the temperamental weather. I was seated in my normal chair, stroking the small


    cat that was lost in slumber upon myp. The faint ticking of the clock could be heard down the


    hallway, and the rushing wind that inevitably came from the sea.


    Teddy was lost in his own thoughts, deep and dark enough for him to wear a brooding expression. I


    contemted the warning of my employer, Daphne, and the words she gave me over my phone.


    Something inside of me wanted to dismiss it, to tear down every wall that silently stood in between us.


    Luna was ced upon the kitchen table and I found my feet naturally gravitating towards this sober


    looking man. My hand perched itself upon his left shoulder, turning him around so that I could have a


    better look at him. ¡°What is troubling you?¡± I gently whispered. His face softened before me, but it still


    revealed a haunting look in the darkest regions of his eyes.


    ¡°Thoughts,¡± he offered out. ¡°Memories.¡±


    My hand was lowered, which made his demeanour change suddenly. He looked down at the hand that


    once touched him, and I could see in his eyes that he wished it would return to his shoulder.


    ¡°You worry for me,¡± he ventured. ¡°You should worry.¡± He took a small step backwards, and then turned


    himself away from me. ¡°I am not my normal self today, S. I think it¡¯s best to return to your normal


    duties.¡±


    ¡°It is raining,¡± I reminded him, which made him look to the left to see the rain soaking the long ss


    window. ¡°You were fine only a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°I must get out of this house,¡± he said with gritted teeth, before he darted his head to the open doorway


    that would lead to the hall. ¡°Do you mind the rain, S?¡±


    ¡°You want to go out in it?¡±


    ¡°I thought a walk would do me well.¡±


    I looked to the window as well with a feeling of uneasiness. ¡°We could catch a chill,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°There must be something else you could do.¡±


    ¡°I will go to my room,¡± he dered, and then immediately left the kitchen. To my surprise he did not go


    up the staircase, but turned right to head down the long hallway. I followed after him, too curious for my


    own good. Teddy entered the art room and purposefully left the door wide open for me to follow him.


    ¡°You are wee toe inside,¡± he said over his shoulder, once he heard a creak of the floorboard


    over the threshold of the open doorway. ¡°I have nothing to hide. Not anymore, at least.¡± He pointed


    behind him, directing his fingers towards a small wooden stool. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Teddy, won¡¯t you tell me what is wrong?¡±


    He never answered me, but I could see the slight trembling of his hands as he walked around the


    room. There was something wrong, almost too overbearing for him. He used his shaky fingers to brush


    back his hair, revealing his entire face and the long frown that he could not hold back any longer. ¡°It¡¯s


    unbearably hot in here,¡± heined, and moved swiftly to the window to force it open. The cold rain


    pattering against the stony grey wall was loud, you could hear the echo of the wailing wind as it


    battered against the wall with forcefulness. I expected it to rain a little bit this morning, but I was never


    prepared for this type of stormy weather.


    The gust of wind blew fiercely into the room, scattering some papers that wereid upon his desk.


    Teddy frantically tried to pick up some papers, and motioned his hands for me to stay away when I tried


    to assist him. I tantly ignored him, and picked up some sheets of papers that were closest to me.


    There were some sketches of the house, and self-portraits of him in different rooms. I peered at one in


    particr; an illustration of him in this very room. There was a haughty expression about him, a defiant


    glimmer in his eyes, but the thing that troubled me the most was the deliberate grey shading positioned


    next to him as he sat beside the drawing table. It was indistinguishable, the shading, but there was


    something about it that still disturbed me.


    ¡°I do self-portraits,¡± he dered in a booming voice. ¡°Either that or I draw poor Luna.¡±


    ¡°I thought you don¡¯t do portraits.¡±


    ¡°So did I,¡± he darkly chuckled. ¡°But¡­ it clears my mind.¡± He retrieved the small piece of paper from my


    hand, and protectively ced it against his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t do it for money though.¡±


    ¡°You could,¡± I suggested. ¡°You captured the likeness quite well.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± He lowered the paper and held it in front of him. ¡°I enjoy drawing people; capturing their


    expressions. I always thought that mine was rather depressing though.¡± He stepped away from me


    while still carrying the self-portrait. ¡°Strangely enough, yours is quite different.¡± Teddy stopped in front of


    his pine desk and pulled open a differentpartment than before. ¡°I drew it yesterday evening.¡± A fine


    quality paper was lifted into the air, and then he slowly strode towards me. The paper was handed to


    me, and I could see an exact likeness of myself in the image. I was situated in the garden, surrounded


    by flowers that were in full bloom with the outline of a cloudy blue sky in the background. He had


    captured my likeness so well, it shocked mepletely. Slowly I lowered the paper and darted my


    gaze upwards to see that he had been watching me. He took a small step forward, allowing the


    darkness in his eyes to increase dramatically. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± My voice fell so low that I could go no further.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°All of this from memory?¡± I inquired. He nodded his head slowly, though his expressions disyed his


    anxiety as though it was choking him to death. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°It is like I was standing there in front of you,¡± I mused aloud. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± The paper was pressed


    upon my chest. ¡°Could I keep it? I hope I don¡¯t sound vain, Teddy, but I have never seen anything like it


    before.¡± My feet moved to the right, and ever so slowly I moved towards the open window. ¡°It is like you


    captured my very existence,¡± I pondered quietly to myself. ¡°In a single image.¡±


    ¡°I will go over it with ck ink, and then frame it for you.¡±


    I turned around sharply, and eximed: ¡°You would do that?¡± He responded with a small nod of his


    head in affirmation. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me,¡± I eximed. ¡°And I feel as though I have done


    nothing for you.¡±


    His rosy pink lips puckered outwards, and soon enough his grey slippers elegantly stepped over the


    light almond coloured floor to get to me.


    ¡°Teddy.¡± He stopped his movements abruptly. ¡°What could I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Let me see you tomorrow,¡± he urged. ¡°I will pick you up.¡± He took another bold step forward to enclose


    thest of the space between us. ¡°I want to show you the rest of mynds. You would like the


    shoreline, I think.¡± He took a long pause to let him intece his fingers together and ce it over the


    front of hisp. ¡°That is all I ask from you.¡±


    ¡°Then yes, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    His facial expressions was inscrutable, but I knew he was secretly happy to hear the news.


    ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± I asked of him. Teddy nodded his head sternly, never letting his gaze


    waver away from mine. ¡°I don¡¯t like to see you that upset. I am d you are feeling better. If you still


    want, we can take a walk outside.¡±


    ¡°In the rain?¡± heughed in mirth.


    ¡°If it will clear your mind, I see no reason not to.¡±


    ¡°You care for me,¡± he voiced aloud with a half-startled expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your friend,¡± I cunningly reminded him in the hopes of avoiding his question.


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    The left side of my lip quirked upwards, and then I nervously avoided his gaze. To stare at him any


    longer would be at my peril. Teddy must have gotten the hint, for he stepped aside and returned to his


    normal stool where he would conduct his paintings. I watched him busy himself with his apron, securing


    it neatly before he set up his station. I wandered about the room, and made sure to open the door a


    crack in case Luna wanted toe inside.


    Rain continued to fall down from the heavens, sending a light mist into the room with the familiar scent


    of rainfall that I loved so well. ¡°Fill this with water,¡± Teddy requested, while holding up arge container


    just behind his back. ¡°I need it.¡±


    It was strange how easily I fell into his domestic surroundings, especially when I took the item from his


    hand and headed to the kitchen to fill it. When I looked over my shoulder, Teddy was already lifting up a


    nearlypleted painting. His mind had turned over to his work; a good sign for his sanity at least.


    Upon entering the kitchen I felt the temperature to be unreasonably cold, and a queer sort of feeling


    that I was suddenly being watched. The house was silent though, and there was nothing in my


    surroundings to cause any form of rm. The tap was turned on and I slowly filled the container, while


    keeping an eye out for Luna. When I peered through the ss of the foggy window I thought I had


    caught sight of my own reflection, but the figure wasrger than my own. I turned around instantly to


    find that nothing was there, and immediately shut off the tap. I held my breath with anticipation, and


    frantically looked around the room. There was a low whimpering sound, as if someone was in pain,


    forcing my head to turn to the left to observe the tightly sealed door with the heavy iron chain, wrapped


    around the doorknob and hooked around the corner of the wall, where a bronze hook jutted out of it. I


    wondered where that room led to, and if someone was down there. Should I be afraid of Teddy? Could


    there be someone down there like me? Some victim of his, or had my imagination gone too far? I


    turned on the tap once again, and forced my mind to a more positive sphere. I came to the logical


    conclusion that it was only my imagination, or the sound of the wind that made that sound that first


    rmed me. Still, what sound in this house could create such a painful whimper, such a low moan of


    pain? I filled the water as high as I could and quickly scampered out the room.


    ¡°Back already?¡± Teddy questioned me, without ever looking back. ¡°Excellent.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to fill up anything else?¡±


    ¡°What? No! I only want you to go into the music room. Feel free to take up any book you¡¯d like. Be a


    dear for me, and turn on the music. I concentrate better that way. If you could be quiet while I paint, I


    will make the most of this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, having you here in the room with me,¡± he said with all politeness. He waved his free hand over his


    shoulder, dismissing me with a simple gesture. I embarked on the errand to switch on the radio, hardly


    amused when ssical music began to y. His bookshelf was full of non-fiction books, a sad fact that


    he did not enjoy stories as much as I did. I picked up a quaint travelling book about India, and then


    walked back into the art room where he quietly worked.


    ¡°S?¡± he voiced aloud. ¡°I heard your footsteps. Where would you like to sit?¡± His paintbrush continued


    to dab on the canvas, focusing on a particr area of a tree in the corner of the painting. ¡°You can


    bring the stool closer.¡±


    He turned around finally, revealing a smile that took me by surprise.


    ¡°I promise you that I will work on your portrait. It feels quite awkward doing it next to you. Besides, I


    ought to finish this one. Feel free to look at my other work, though do take care. It is my living, you


    know.¡±


    Iid the travelling book down on the stool and explored the length of his room. For someone that was


    normally organized, his workspace was in a state of disarray. I thought it was an acute reflection of his


    own mind, but I should not go so far as to judge him on the appearance of his studio alone.


    Teddy¡¯s eyes were bent upon the canvas, utterly fixated with his work. I felt free enough to look at his


    landscape paintings, noticing that he was very talented at his work. ¡°Teddy? Who taught you how to


    draw?¡±


    ¡°No one taught me.¡±


    ¡°But did you study it in school?¡±


    ¡°My boarding school did not put much emphasis on the arts.¡±


    ¡°Boarding school?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he drawled in a heartless way.


    ¡°Did you study it afterwards? Go to another school for it?¡±


    ¡°No, never.¡±


    ¡°So you were born with this gift.¡±


    ¡°I worked at it,¡± he remarked with his back to me. ¡°It takes years of experience.¡±


    I drew myself closer to him, until I was at his side. ¡°I think it¡¯s wonderful.¡± He tilted his head upwards


    and to the right to have a better look at me. ¡°You can y the piano, draw, paint, and are so well


    educated.¡±


    ¡°I had a good mentor,¡± he quietly exined. ¡°And a guardian that was bent upon bringing out the best


    of me. I was like a wounded bird when I was first brought to his doorstep. I daresay, I still am.¡± He


    lowered his paintbrush grievously. ¡°But I have be all of this through sheer determination alone.¡±


    ¡°Determination is one thing,¡± I noted. ¡°But I would say you are a genius.¡±


    ¡°Like Einstein?¡± he teased. ¡°No, I am no genius. All of this has been incurred in most recent years, I


    can assure you.¡±


    ¡°And before that?¡±


    His mouth turned crooked, bent downwards with disdain. ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡± He averted his


    gaze from me. ¡°I enjoy the way things are. The less you know about me, the easier it will be for us


    both.¡±


    ¡°You have so many secrets.¡±


    ¡°Some secrets are best to keep to one¡¯s self.¡±


    ¡°Debatable,¡± I hushed from the corner of my mouth.


    ¡°Believe me, S. There are some things that you should keep close to your heart.¡± He raised up his


    right hand, letting his paintbrush stick upwards. ¡°After all, things are better between us this way. You


    are not tainted! No, not like the others before you.¡±


    ¡°What others?¡±


    ¡°People,¡± he sneered. ¡°How they look at me! And- and whisper things behind my back. They treat me


    as though I was Satan himself.¡±


    ¡°But you are not him,¡± I lightly teased to cheer up his mood.


    ¡°Not even close!¡± Teddy blurted out in anger. ¡°Why should I suffer for the sins of others? I cannot


    change things! I cannot cut myself and let my blood pour out upon the floor just to appease them. I am


    not my¡­¡± He bit down on his tongue, and I could see the venomous sh of something akin to hatred


    pool over his ckened eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s change the topic,¡± he sharply stated. ¡°I am done with this


    conversation.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Teddy.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said with utter respite, and that was the end of it.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    The ends of my short yellow floral dress billowed in the wind, lifting up to the point that I had to use my


    hands to pin it down. Teddy seemed to take no notice of it, simply looking out along the sea coast as he


    strolled by my side. It was a fine day, supremely sunny with a gentle breeze that caressed my skin.


    He was closest to the cliffs, unbothered by the substantial drop that could spell the end of his life. I tried


    to read his facial expressions, but they seemed to conflict with one another at certain intervals. The


    straw basket swung on the left side of his body, probably heavy since it was filled with our entire lunch.


    I was nervous to go out with him today, but after everything he had done it felt right to ept his


    invitation. The breeze felt wonderful against me, and the fresh sea air enlivened me. I looked over my


    right shoulder, vaguely catching sight of the dark silhouette of his humble home. It was nice to know we


    were so far away from it now, and I secretly hoped his behaviour would lighten now that we were no


    longer inside of it. I slipped my hand against his left rib-cage to get a hold of his arm, propping his


    upwards until I could rest minefortingly against his own. He looked down his long nose, allowing a


    tiny twitch of his lip upwards in satisfaction. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he politely asked.


    I swayed my body weight to the left, hitting him hard enough for him to sense my mood. ¡°Good,¡± I


    cheerily replied.


    ¡°When¡¯s thest time you had a pic?¡±


    I looked past him, taking in the azure blue sea with heaps of white foam smeared atop of it. ¡°When I


    was a little girl,¡± I softly replied. ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°When I was a child.¡±


    ¡°And yet, you have a basket.¡±


    ¡°It never left this ce,¡± he informed me with a strain to his voice. ¡°Everything has been kept intact.


    Entirely the same.¡±


    ¡°And why should it ever change?¡± I asked him in a peppy voice. ¡°When the house is so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Fond of that word,¡± he observed in a low tenor. ¡°You will say the same thing when I show you the


    portrait Ipleted.¡±


    ¡°Will I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, once we sit down I will show it to you.¡± His eyes were focused on the changing shoreline, almost


    captivated by the ripples and waves that leaped over each other. ¡°We won¡¯t wander that far.¡±


    ¡°This ce stretches out for miles on end.¡±


    ¡°There is a sense of seclusion.¡±


    ¡°Does all of thisnd belong to you?¡±


    ¡°This portion really doesn¡¯t belong to anyone. I suppose if I ever found myself with neighbours I would


    build a wooden fence, or be like the olden days and build a wall full of rocks.¡± He caught my growing


    smile. ¡°I would like to improve this ce and make it feel like a home. The only problem is, it can never


    be truly mine. It is haunted with memories.¡± He looked downwards at his feet. ¡°But that is to be


    expected. I should have gone insane by now, but you see I haven¡¯t.¡± He turned his gaze to my side


    profile. ¡°At least, you do not see me that way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for that,¡± he muttered. Eyes closed somberly, he eventually turned his head to the left to


    look at the sea. Teddy seemed to gain strength at its presence, a sense of calmness at the pale blue


    sky and vibrant hued sea. It was not long until he picked out a t patch ofnd, and ced the straw


    basket down neatly. The small nket I was carrying under my left arm was unearthed, and Iid it out


    t so that we could have a seat. Teddy sat first, immediately stretching out his legs with exhaustion.


    I became busy opening up the straw basket, and gasped out loud once I saw what was on the very top.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± I asked with excitement. There was something wrapped in crimson red tissue paper that


    squished under my finger when I pressed upon the surface. ¡°Could I-¡±


    ¡°go ahead.¡±


    I sat down beside him and happily tore at the decorative paper. Teddy took the wrappings so it would


    not fly away in the wind, and soon enough I saw a glossy white frame securing the portrait of myself.


    My grin stretched from ear to ear, and then Iughed in ecstasy at the image. ¡°It looks just like me,¡± I


    childishly pointed out. ¡°And you added some colour.¡±


    The man beside me was blushing with embarrassment once I turned to look at him. ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I unknowingly said. ¡°Brilliant, really. I wonder where I should put it. Maybe in the living


    room, so when someonees over they can see it. I must show this to my parents. This is so¡­¡± I


    stopped myself short, once I realized how much I had been raving about the portrait. I lowered it over


    myp, but the smile could not fade away from my face. A hand was lightly pressed against the top of


    my arm, and when I looked up I realized how close Teddy¡¯s face was to mine.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you smile so much before,¡± he rted in a low tenor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± I lowered my gaze from his. ¡°You make me look like some great beauty.¡± My smile grew


    even more at the sight of it. ¡°You must give me one of yours as well. Oh, but not one where you are


    looking sad. I would like it to look just like this! Could you, Teddy?¡±


    ¡°Could I¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Give me your self-portrait where you look like this?¡±


    ¡°I will give you anything you want.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look so haunted here.¡± My thumb rubbed the side of the picture frame affectionately. ¡°You


    almost look happy.¡±


    ¡°I hardly know that feeling.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Teddy,¡± Iughed. ¡°You know that¡¯s not true.¡± I leaned forwards and examined the contents of the


    straw basket. ¡°I must put this portrait somewhere special. Could you hold it for a moment? I will get out


    our lunch. This is a great idea.¡± I was hardly aware how much I was rambling in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t


    know why I was wavering so much with the idea. After all, we are friends.¡± I instantly regretted the


    word, and the silence on Teddy¡¯s end made me think he felt adverse to the idea as well. ¡°It is nice that


    we get along so well,¡± I said as a way of an excuse. ¡°And I don¡¯t bother you.¡±


    ¡°No, S.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t upset your nerves?¡±


    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It is a pity that I won¡¯t be working here anymore.¡± I pulled out a container full of potato sd. ¡°But you


    will get more work done that way.¡± Bean sd was gathered next, and then I set out to find the bowl of


    fruits that I had cut up this morning. ¡°You are quiet.¡±


    ¡°I was watching you.¡±


    ¡°I am not doing anything interesting,¡± Iined. The wrapped up sandwiches were gathered next,


    and then I settled it down in the small space between us. ¡°Just getting our lunch ready.¡±


    ¡°Maybe dinner too,¡± he suggested with a cunning look to his eyes. An eyebrow arched upwards, once


    he caught a certain expression sh across my face. ¡°Another time then.¡±


    ¡°You wish to spend so much time with me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so hard toprehend?¡±


    I sucked in my bottom lip, vainly trying to distract myself by gathering tes. Teddy ced a hand over


    the top of my back, forcing me to look up at him. His face softened before me, full of emotion. ¡°No,¡± I


    whispered soft enough for only him to hear it.


    ¡°Stay,¡± he entreated. ¡°I am not asking you to stay the night, only the evening.¡±


    I nodded my head in ascension, even though a small part of me feared the consequences of such


    actions.


    He removed his hand from behind my back and let it fall upon the navy-blue nket. I took that


    opportunity to prepare thest of our lunch. In time our tes were full with food, and we sat together


    by the high precipice to look out at the water. A seldom boat would cross over the horizon, skirting the


    azure blue sea at an easy pace. There was peace all around us, afortable feeling that was shared


    between two friends. I knew that Teddy wanted more than that, perhaps, more than I could possibly


    ever imagine. I had to heed the advice of my friend and employer though, and take things incredibly


    slow with him.


    ¡°You will miss me when I am gone,¡± I pointed out in between bites of food.


    ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡±


    I smirked at him, which earned a naughty shake of his head. ¡°S,¡± he warned. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be here starting next week.¡±


    ¡°You could stille,¡± he replied with a smug smile. ¡°Just not be out working in the garden.¡±


    ¡°What would you have me do here?¡±


    ¡°We could go on pics like this one,¡± he suggested. ¡°I could drive you around the countryside. Go on


    long walks or trails. Bike rides.¡± He paused to eat a mouthful of food. ¡°You could sit with me in my study


    room, or watch me paint in my studio. It would be nice for Luna and myself to have apanion.¡±


    I elbowed him at the side in annoyance, not because I did not like the idea. It was a good one, and I


    feared that small part of me that was too eager to ept his offer.


    ¡°I could take you out for dinner sometime,¡± he added after he stopped looking at me. ¡°Or we could go


    somewhere - somewhere far away from here.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°We could explore up north,¡± he suggested. ¡°Go to Scond. Maybe Irnd? We could go to Europe.¡±


    ¡°Or somewhere warm,¡± I added.


    ¡°Yes, that too.¡±


    ¡°Aspanions?¡±


    He opened his mouth, but some secret fear overwhelmed him, and then he promptly shut it with pursed


    lips. I leaned into his side, catching the rising colour to his cheek.


    ¡°Or something more than that?¡±


    ¡°You already know the answer to that,¡± he grudgingly replied.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    He cleared his throat with purpose. ¡°I am just waiting on you,¡± he sighed out. His chin tilted upwards,


    staring at the clear blue sky overhead. I watched his deliberate movements, knowing he was holding


    something back. I stared at him for a long time, so long that I had forgotten the food resting on myp.


    When he finally lowered his chin, his right eye darted in my direction. ¡°Watching me?¡±


    ¡°How does it feel?¡±


    ¡°Ummmm,¡± he murmured. ¡°Different.¡±


    ¡°Usually it is you that does the watching,¡± I easily quipped.


    ¡°Can you me me?¡± he countered with a sudden energy to his voice. Teddy turned his gaze


    completely in my direction, letting it focus on my lips. ¡°S,¡± he added in a sensuous voice that was


    dripping with desire.


    I was fixed before him, unable to respond to his words. He leaned forward ever so slightly, and to my


    surprise I was not fighting back. His eyes narrowed on my lips, while the darkness to them heightened


    to such levels that it was nearly ck. I shut my eyes just when his lips pressed down against my own,


    morphing slowly into the first kiss before he went in for a second one. My body shuddered by his touch,


    feeling the warmth of his hand carve around the side of me until it rested against my back. I found my


    lips responding to him, embracing them quickly. Our bodies swayed forward and backwards ever so


    slightly, eagerly kissing each other harder than before. He tilted his head to the left, obtaining a new


    angle where he could press his luscious lips against my mouth. I could feel my chest hammering hard,


    like my heart was thumping quickly from the excitement of it all. Teddy deepened his kisses, letting out


    a tiny moan before he went in for more. I was left speechless, practically frozen by the fierceness of it


    all. Thankfully, he slowed down his efforts and let ite to a stop. Teddy inched his head backwards


    while swallowing hard. We were unable to look at each other straight in the eyes, although I could feel


    that my cheeks were ming red with undeniable heat. Teddy was a good kisser, amazingly so. I licked


    at the whole of my lips and then cleared my throat. He brushed his te full of food off hisp and


    ced it neatly over the straw basket.


    ¡°Just getting it out the way.¡± He reached for my own andid it upon the basket there as well. His hands


    stopped moving, and then he rested it over hisp. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do that for a while now.¡±


    ¡°I know you did.¡±


    ¡°Did-did,¡± he stammered out nervously. ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡±


    A smirk came over me, a rather guilty one. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Want to¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered him back quickly, and then brought an arm around the back of his neck to urge him


    forward. He fell into my body, crashing hard against my chest before he went in for more. His kisses


    were brash, full of energy that made a warm sensation flood the lower half of my body. His fingers


    entangled themselves in my loose hair, lightly tugging at the ends in a possessive manner. I leaned my


    chest heavily against his strong own, kissing him in a passionate way like I had never done before. He


    applied enough weight to steer me downwards, and then quickly pinned upon the floor until I was


    resting over the edges of the nket. Teddy kissed the side of my cheek, lovingly pressing the tip of his


    nose into the side of my face.


    ¡°Teddy,¡± I said for the first time ever, for I began to fear that things were bing too heated. ¡°Wait.¡±


    He pulled himself upwards, although heid his left hand over the firmness of my stomach. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­¡±


    He moved backwards, since he was able to catch my unspoken words. ¡°Sorry,¡± he quickly apologized,


    before he helped me back up.


    ¡°I¡¯m still new at this,¡± I told him shyly. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had a boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°No, not really.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°You had a girlfriend,¡± I recalled. ¡°So, you are more¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I had a girlfriend,¡± he interrupted in a firm tone of voice. ¡°That was a long time ago though.¡±


    I nodded my head while pushing a lock of hair behind my ear. His hand reached upwards and soon I


    felt the warmth of his fingers dragging along my cheekbone. He stopped just under my temple, letting


    his fingers curl over the lock of chestnut brown hair that I had just pushed behind my ear. I could feel


    the intensity of his gaze again, that undeniable desire that he wanted to give into. ¡°Am I different from


    her?¡± I found myself asking aloud.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he hushed.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°She was very different from you.¡± He leaned backwards, dragging his fingers away from my face. ¡°She


    wanted to go out more. She never likeding up here. She lived in a different part of town, almost a


    city I guess you could say. Yes, she was a city girl.¡±


    ¡°Very different from you then.¡±


    ¡°My ex was an artist,¡± he informed me. ¡°We bonded through our love of art. I would never admit it


    aloud, but she was even better than me.¡±


    ¡°Do you miss her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he mused aloud. ¡°Been over five years. People change by then. I¡¯ve changed.¡±


    ¡°In a better way?¡±


    He turned his body in a different direction to face the tranquil-like sea, and then tilted his head upwards


    as a long exhale escaped him. ¡°In a way, yes.¡±


    I ced my fingers over the back of his hand, rubbing it softly as it rested over the nket. ¡°Thank you


    for telling me this.¡±


    ¡°You asked.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I know how reserved you can be.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Iughed at hisment, for it was painfully urate. ¡°Not as much as you,¡± I promised him. ¡°And I


    went out with guys, but I never had a proper boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Never met the right one?¡±


    I nodded my head eagerly. ¡°Yeah, and I am the type of person that likes to take things slow. Logic will


    win every time.¡±


    Teddy immediately wore a puzzled expression. ¡°I thought you were the type to be ruled by your heart.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I guess I was wrong,¡± he soberly replied. ¡°But it is best to have a bnce.¡±


    I rubbed the top of his hand tenderly. ¡°In a way, yes.¡±


    He leaned his body closer to mine, resting his weight over the side of my arm. He turned his head in a


    way to admire my side profile, and I knew instinctively that Teddy wanted to kiss me. I stayed perfectly


    still, but the slow twist of my mouth upwards betrayed my true feelings. He responded with a quick peck


    of his lips against my cheek. ¡°We should eat,¡± he suggested, and then reached forward to retrieve our


    tes.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    My mouth was soon stuffed with food. I found my eyes wandering over to the left of me, taking in the


    bareness of thend on that side of the field. The grass was higher on that end, and the unruliness of


    thend assured me that people seldom walked in that direction. The sound of seabirds ignited the air,


    enough to blend harmoniously with the sound ofpping water. I contemted going down there, but it


    was something that had to be discussed with Teddy first. ¡°How far is the drop?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± he asked in a painfully harsh tenor that I was unustomed to hearing.


    ¡°The drop?¡±


    His jawline tightened significantly until he could no longer look in my direction. ¡°Why are you asking me


    this?¡± he inquired in a strained voice. There was a look of defeat to him, a terrible sense of pain that


    creased the top of his brow.


    ¡°I was wondering¡­¡± He squinted his eyes tightly. ¡°If we could go down to the bottom?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked in a sharp tone of voice.


    ¡°To walk along the sandy beach.¡±


    He sat there silently, and after a while he was able to regain hisposure. ¡°We can¡¯t go through here.


    There is no way downwards. If we return to my house, I could show you a route, but it is a long walk


    and it will not be an easy one.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to do it?


    ¡°Did I say something to anger you?¡± His teeth clenched together. ¡°I never meant too.¡±


    ¡°It was a mistake bringing you here,¡± he relinquished. He took arge bit of his tuna sandwich and


    chomped down on it harshly. It was clear I had said something to upset him. His body physically turned


    away from me, focusing on the left side of the cliffs that was closer to his house. He stopped eating


    suddenly and then took to standing upwards, he kicked the edge of the nket downwards and then


    slowly strode over to the cliff¡¯s edge. I watched him look at the bottom of the cliffs, head bent


    downwards with a look of destitution. It was not curiosity that made Teddy look downwards, it was


    something else. ¡°Good riddance,¡± was uttered softly under his breath, after he kicked a stray pebble off


    the cliff to plummet to the bottom. It was only then that I realized I struck a sensitive cord.


    ¡°Teddy?¡± I called out, but he chose to ignore me. ¡°Teddy!¡± I called out in a much louder voice. My te


    was pushed away from me and then I quietly strode towards him. His arm was taken up with a steady


    grip, my fingers pressed firmly into his forearm. ¡°I never meant to upset you,¡± I gently reminded him. I


    tugged on his arm to gather his attention, and then used my left hand to tilt his chin until it could face


    my direction. ¡°Look at me,¡± I pleaded.


    He blinked at the image of me, and then nodded his head in agreement. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t,¡± he hushed


    with a great deal of pain.


    ¡°Should we leave?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if we don¡¯t go down there today?¡± he asked me in turn. ¡°I am not ready for that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°The next time youe along I should be in better spirits. You could bring your bathing suit.¡±


    ¡°Go for a swim?¡±


    ¡°Dabble our feet in the water,¡± he mentioned. ¡°The waves are too strong here to swim. At least, not for


    your first time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that will work.¡± I let my finger glide past the edge of his chin to feel his strong jawline. He closed


    his eyes as the sensation overtook him and instinctively leaned into my touch. There was something


    sensual about my hand movements, the way his face smoothed out willingly as the seconds wore on.


    He opened his eyes eventually and then took arge step forward to close off the gap between us. I


    watched him hook a long arm around my frame and with a sudden jerk he tugged me forward. ¡°You are


    going to kiss me again, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I intend on always kissing you, S,¡± he warned. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let me have a taste.¡±


    I rubbed my hand at the back of his nape, liking the irresistible look in his eyes. Teddy was the first to


    lean forward and parade my mouth with longful kisses. It was just as good asst time, which


    encouraged me to go at the tip of my toes to kiss him back. His arms were tight around me, pressing


    me firmly against his chest. I was nearly off the ground at one point, but his arms were strong enough


    for me to feel secure in them. The back of his hair was balled up in my hand, tugging on it lightly with


    something akin to aggression. He was stirring all kinds of emotions inside of me, feelings that I wasn¡¯t


    used to.


    He made a low moaning sound once he departed from my lips that showcased his pleasure of kissing


    me. ¡°I could get used to this.¡± He yanked at my hand to bring me away from the cliff¡¯s edge. Our feet


    casually trampled over the nket and soon enough he dragged me downwards to be seated next to


    him. ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I lightlyughed, for it was strange to see his expression so smooth and youthful. There were


    laugh lines at the sides of his face and tiny crinkles about his eyes from him smiling so much. ¡°Teddy,


    how old are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m thirty-four.¡±


    ¡°I thought so.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Twenty- seven,¡± I confidently told him. ¡°There isn¡¯t that much of an age gap.¡±


    ¡°You look young for your age,¡± he deliberated aloud. ¡°A young face then.¡±


    ¡°I got it from my mother. No one ever believes her age.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my mother¡¯s looks too.¡± Arge hand dragged over the back of his neck once his thoughts


    took a different direction. ¡°I have my father¡¯s eyes, so cold and ck.¡±


    ¡°They are brown.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve noticed?¡± he asked with rm. ¡°It is hard to tell, unless I am in a certain light.¡±


    ¡°The amount of times you stared at me, I was bound to notice,¡± I assured him. I fell into his chest, and


    then kicked my feet up to be more rxed. My te still had some food on it, but I would save it


    for another time. Teddy curled his arms around the front of me, letting his fingers glide over the front of


    my stomach in a meditative way.


    ¡°I like you, S,¡± he said out of the blue.


    ¡°I know you do.¡±


    He let out a low sigh that was full of aggravation. ¡°There will be things I need to tell you.¡± His wandering


    fingers froze over the top of my abdomen. ¡°You will have to wait until I am ready.¡±


    ¡°Take your time,¡± I assured him. ¡°There is no rush for anything.¡±


    ¡°When I first arrived at Harry¡¯s house he thought I was a mute.¡±


    ¡°Harry?¡±


    ¡°My guardian, Harry Leas.¡±


    ¡°So, he took care of you then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he lost his wife and was very lonely. He wished to have a child. I was up for adoption and he


    found me. I became a son to him, a son he never had.¡±


    ¡°And was he kind to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Everything that I am is directly because of him.¡± A brief pause seeded, where he dropped his


    hands away from me. ¡°The good things at least.¡±


    ¡°And are you still close to him?¡±


    ¡°He died about three years ago,¡± Teddy soberly ryed. ¡°I was sorry to see him go, but I guess¡­¡± I


    could feel him moving behind me, probably repositioning himself against the nket. ¡°Things like that


    come with old age.¡±


    ¡°Did he live in the house with you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Where were you?¡±


    ¡°He was a museum curator. We lived closer to the city.¡±


    ¡°So, he was a historian?¡±


    ¡°Henry was many things! A talented pianist. A schr of sorts. He was very gifted at cricket, and


    enjoyed golf on the weekends. He was a man that could hardly stay still, so you could imagine his


    astonishment once he met me.¡±


    ¡°You enjoy a more rxed lifestyle,¡± I knowingly ryed.


    ¡°Yes, and that is the reason this house fits me so perfectly. I feel as though I could never depart from it,


    but there is something - something in my soul that warns me that I should. I have been so long


    attached to it, but it is darkening some part of me.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    He was silent on his end, a strange urrence for him. ¡°I am a changed man once I enter those walls,¡±


    he finally revealed to me. ¡°But you have noticed that already, I imagine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°I must be free of it,¡± he mused aloud. He looked over to the left, taking note of the barren field with


    some interest. ¡°Free of the pain and the anguish.¡± He shook his head with some regret. ¡°But its ws


    are etched deeply into my skin. It won¡¯t let me win. Not this time.¡±


    ¡°Could I help?¡±


    He turned his gaze to my side profile with a pleasant look in his eyes. ¡°You already have,¡± he promised


    me. ¡°We should go to the grocery store afterwards. I thought it would be nice to n out our dinner


    together.¡±


    ¡°Should we go out for dinner?¡±


    ¡°You want to go out?¡± he worriedly asked me. ¡°Here?¡±


    ¡°You could take me to your favourite restaurant.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± He lowered his gaze nervously. ¡°I never go down to the vige to eat.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I prefer to stay here,¡± he meekly replied, though I sensed that he was hiding something from me.


    I reached for his hand and held it tightly. ¡°It would be nice to get dressed up, Teddy. Go out and spend


    some time outside of the house. You know, like a proper date.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to take things slow.¡±


    ¡°That was before you kissed me.¡±


    He tilted his head to the left, silently agreeing with me. ¡°We could pop in and look at the menu. It¡¯s a


    last minute decision, so I doubt they will have reservations.¡±


    ¡°Not if I call them first.¡± I pulled my phone out of my dress pocket and turned on my cell phone data.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what restaurant they have over here. What are you feeling? Asian? Italian? Oh, what about a


    seafood restaurant? I imagine their fish would taste good, if they get it from their local fishers.¡±


    Teddy was silent behind me, although I could feel his gentle breathing that brushed against the top of


    my crown.


    ¡°Mexican food? Oh no, they don¡¯t have that here. Pity. Well, they have a fancy restaurant in the vige


    that looks quite nice. They have pictures too, if you want to see.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather eat it at my ce?¡±


    ¡°I could,¡± I pointed out selfishly. ¡°But it would be nicer to try something new.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± he submitted with some reluctance.


    ¡°This is your hometown. I thought you would want to show me around here.¡±


    ¡°I try to avoid it as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    He eased me off him, not wanting me to lie against his chest any longer. ¡°I just do,¡± he said in a curt


    tone of voice, which meant he would not add anything further. It wasn¡¯t until he was reaching for his


    te of food that I remembered Daphne¡¯s warning about the locals and their ceaseless gossip about


    him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I began. ¡°We can go to the grocery store and pick up something for tonight.¡±


    ¡°You really mean that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯s only fair. Next time when we are closer to my ce I will show you a restaurant that I


    often go to with my friends. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, S,¡± he said with utter gratefulness.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to upset you,¡± I admitted. It felt like I had a bad habit of doing that, but when Teddy


    had so many secrets, how could I not? ¡°So the grocery store and then home,¡± I decided aloud.


    ¡°I will make you the best seafood dish you¡¯ve ever had,¡± he assured me with a sparkle to his eyes. ¡°It


    will be absolutely¡­¡± His cheeks dented profusely as he tried to hold back a smug smile. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t


    help it,¡± heughed out sheepishly. ¡°S, I can assure you that it will be absolutely beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know I overuse that word.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± he quipped with a steady gaze on my person. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    For once I was left to my own devices. I was able to wander about his studio in idle amusement, taking


    every opportunity to explore his treasured ce. Teddy was upstairs changing for tonight, which


    allowed me every opportunity to explore his home. Fr¨¦d¨¦ric Chopin¡¯s elegant ensemble echoed from


    Teddy¡¯s music room, steadily streaming its way over to his art room across the hall. I was bent over to


    pull back a rich silky cloth that covered a set of canvases. They were works of architecture; ancient


    stone buildings that appeared to be from different parts of Ennd. Many of these houses would be the


    envy of any person; illustrious country houses with a view of expansive farnds or rugged stone


    bridges that hovered over a winding stream. It was clear he travelled far and wide to obtain these


    landscape images, a hopeful sign that he left the house from time to time. I ced the cloth over the


    canvases again, and then looked over my shoulder to see that he had not appeared yet. Rebellion


    stirred within me, so I swiftly headed over to hisrge table where he had once kept that secret


    sketchbook. I pulled out the smallpartment to find that it was missing, which made me regret my


    wilful decision to invade Teddy¡¯s privacy in the first ce. I scoffed under my breath in misery, before


    opening up anotherpartment that was just down below. I pulled out a heavy stack of paper,


    noticing that his drawings were deliberately done for a fashion magazine. Women dressed in thetest


    fashion captured my attention, for I was enamored by the vibrant colours that radiated off the model¡¯s


    smooth porcin skin. I began to envy her as I flipped through the page. To my horror I found myself


    questioning my own physical appearance, and whether Teddy liked it at all.


    As an artist, Teddy would have undoubtedly encountered such morous looking women, so what


    could he possibly see in me? I pulled his stool closer to the right and took a seat, knowing Teddy would


    note downstairs for another few minutes at least. The pages fell over the table quietly, while my


    eyes scanned the next few pages with serious contemtion. Over time a series of models began to


    wear less clothing, and soon enough they were dressed in only lingerie. I blinked at them slowly, seeing


    women of every colour and curve exquisitely depicted by the careful strokes of Teddy¡¯s inked pen. I had


    a strange inclination that they were earlier sketches, for theycked a certain quality that my self-


    portrait contained. Teddy was right that it took years of experience to be the artist that he currently


    was, for these very images were a testament to them.


    I tilted my head to the left once I reached a set of thick creamy beige papers that looked old and


    withered as they rested in the palm of my hand. My lips puckered inwardly, half-startled to see the


    depictions that had now captured my attention. Multiple drawings of nude women were sketched upon


    the page. Great detail was poured into the background with the use of a coloured pencil; a long russet-


    hued tapestry gilded with rounded golden shaped leaves were printed on the grand curtains behind a


    naked model. Most of thedies were lounging on a curved mauve coloured divan. There were some


    models that brashly stood before their artist without a shame in a world. As for myself, so innocent and


    hardly knowledgeable of the ways of the world, it left me with some difort. Such images were


    normal for an artist, but for a person like me, I felt a spread of a rosy damask hue overtake the sides of


    my cheeks. A part of me was curious if Teddy ever saw me in a sexual light, if his own imagination


    could picture me lounging on his divan or standing before him in all my nakedness. I nervously


    scratched the back of my ear as I recalled the passionate feelings that overwhelmed me when he


    kissed me upon the nket over an hour ago.


    Footsteps sounded throughout the house, so I quickly piled the sketches together and rested them in


    the cab where they rightfully belonged. The stool was pushed backwards, and when I was just


    cing it in its normal spot, Teddy entered into his studio.


    ¡°I am sorry I was gone so long.¡± He stopped in front of the doorway, and I knew instantly that he sensed


    something was amiss. ¡°S?¡± He questioned me. ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    I turned around while rubbing the palm of my hands together. Unfortunately, I could vividly recall the


    last time he caught me snooping, and was deliberating whether I should tell him the truth or not. ¡°Oh,


    nothing,¡± I lied, before I stepped forward to greet him.


    He stood motionlessly before me in a proud sort of way, raising his chin upwards once I stood in front


    of him. Teddy had changed his clothes indeed; a smooth navy-blue suit zer fit snugly against his


    lean frame. A white dress shirt was buttoned up all the way, adorned with a id red and blue bow-tie


    that fit the details of his outfit. I looked down at his dark mustard coloured pants, a brighter shade than I


    was ustomed too.


    Teddy reached for my hand with a hint of endearment. He pulled me along, wanting to step further into


    his studio. ¡°Come,¡± he ventured forth with a firmness to his voice that lent authority. ¡°I left you in my


    studio, and now you are behaving differently.¡± He stopped in his tracks and turned his body towards


    me. ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°I saw¡­¡± I broke my gaze with him. ¡°I suppose it is normal for artists.¡±


    ¡°What is, my dear?¡±


    ¡°You- you drew¡­¡±


    He leaned forward with concern, while a darkness covered a portion of his face with distrust.


    ¡°Nude women.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sometime ago,¡± he sighed out with relief. ¡°Live models for burgeoning artists to try.¡± He leaned


    backwards to return to his normal position. ¡°Does that bother you?¡±


    ¡°It just startled me, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with it,¡± he quietly exined. ¡°At least, not for me.¡± He stepped forward and


    lightly grazed the side of my cheek with his left hand. ¡°But it makes you ufortable. Well, you will be


    comforted to know that I do not engage in that sort of thing anymore.¡±


    I nodded my head weakly, while my mind began to grow hazy before him.


    ¡°S,¡± he urged. ¡°I am sorry to say this, but this is what happens when you go snooping.¡± His thumb


    dragged along the side of my face with some affection before it rested over the side of my neck. ¡°Count


    your blessings, it wasn¡¯t something worse.¡± He winked at me yfully, a sign that he was only taunting


    me for his own sinful pleasure. ¡°Now, are you ready to go out? We should head into town before it gets


    dark.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Yes, Teddy,¡± I answered him in a monotone voice.


    ¡°Is anything else bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Do you look at me that way?¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡± he asked with a puzzled expression that he could not hide from me.


    ¡°Like in those pictures.¡±


    ¡°Do you want the truth?¡± he asked in a lower tenor that grew husky by the end of it.


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    He simply arched up an eyebrow and let his facial expressions speak for itself. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a kiss today.


    I shall ask for nothing more. I promise you that.¡± He tugged on my hand lightly to lead me to the open


    doorway. Upon entering the hallway, he let go of my hand and stuck it deeply into his trouser pocket. A


    low exhale escaped the corner of his mouth, and then he looked to the right to gaze at the empty


    staircase. ¡°We should leave,¡± he said with more determination than before, and with that he turned to


    the left to seek out the refuge of the front door and the world thaty beyond it.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Alone, I wandered over to the bakery at the end of the street. Teddy was busy at the bustling grocery


    store, which allowed me to escape from him for a little while to explore the vige belonging to him.


    Steps away, I could already detect the scent of freshly baked bread. In thete afternoon it was a


    weing aroma, which filled me with anticipation for the rest of the night I would spend with Teddy.


    I swung the ss door wide open, startled to find that I was the only customer inside the store. An


    elderlydy with dark coloured skin and incredibly short curly hair was quick to greet me. She was


    absolutely enthralled that a customer had finally stepped through her door. She immediately went


    around the wide counter, letting her hand slide over the ss case to bring herself closer to me. ¡°Good


    afternoon!¡± thedy greeted me with a faint Jamaican ent. ¡°My name is Marjorie. Pleasure to meet


    you. Now, how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I was looking for a small cake. Perhaps, a dessert,¡± I quietly answered her.


    ¡°You¡¯vee to the right ce. Come right this way!¡± she encouraged me, while waving out her hand.


    ¡°We have Morning Glory coffee cake, caramelized apple loaves, chocte banana cake, and a whole


    selection of fruit cheesecakes.¡± Marjorie motioned me forward to take a look through the ss. ¡°A light


    velvety chocte chiffon cake, with trimmings of Belgian chocte. Perfect for anyone with a sweet


    tooth. If you want something in then we have vani cake, or perhaps a simple carrot cake.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good!¡± I eximed, for it was my favourite vour when eating pastries.


    ¡°Oh! But we have more too!¡± she shouted out. ¡°Look! Red velvet, white pearl, toffee, and then we have


    our pies. Peach! Strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, and then¡­¡±


    ¡°I think Teddy would like something simple.¡±


    ¡°Teddy?¡± sheughed. ¡°Is that the name of your son?¡±


    ¡°No, he is a friend,¡± I breathed out quickly. ¡°Well, my boyfriend actually.¡±


    ¡°A nickname then? Oh! How adorable.¡± Marjorie¡¯s smile was broad and well set upon her plump looking


    face. ¡°Lovely. To give a name like that to your boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°He uses that name all the time,¡± I confessed. My finger pointed at the crumbled apple pie with creamy


    custard and raisins inside of it. ¡°He will like that one,¡± I said with utter certainty.


    ¡°He goes by that name all the time?¡± she asked with surprise. Marjorie went around the corner to


    retrieve the selected item right away. ¡°A grown man too.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows in a curious way.


    ¡°I assume he is about your age.¡±


    ¡°No, Teddy is a little older than me.¡±


    ¡°A strange name,¡± she remarked with the corners of her eyebrows now quirking upwards. She was so


    puzzled by this situation that she forgot to pull out the pie. It was just then the door to the shop flew


    open and I heard the familiar tread of Teddy¡¯s soft footsteps.


    ¡°S? You are still here,¡± he called out in a voice that rang with pleasure.


    ¡°Hello, Teddy.¡± I reached out for his arm, desiring him to stand close beside me. ¡°We were just talking


    about you.¡± His face darkened substantially. ¡°About your name,¡± I quickly exined. ¡°Teddy.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Marjorie was quick to intrude into our conversation. ¡°I thought it was a cute sounding name!¡± she piped


    up. ¡°Especially for a little boy.¡± She smiled at him agreeably, but Teddy could not reciprocate her


    feelings. ¡°A nice pet name,¡± she added. ¡°If I ever have another dog, I will give him that name.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he coldly replied, in a vain effort to hide his annoyance.


    ¡°I will just set your pie in a box, and then you can be on your way.¡± She turned around to retrieve the


    said item.


    Teddy immediately looked down at me from his long prominent nose. ¡°What did she tell you?¡± he


    demanded.


    ¡°We only talked about your name, that¡¯s all.¡±


    His jaw constricted, and a re of anger shed through his eyes. ¡°What name?¡± he demanded with a


    true fierceness to his voice.


    ¡°Teddy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I osted him, as the otherdy returned to the room. ¡°What did I say?¡±


    He became cold and rigid beside me, which only aggravated me further.


    My voice was raised with frustration as I added, ¡°I only told her your name was Teddy! Not your full


    name! Not Theodore Woven.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± he screamed out, but it was toote. He immediately utched his arm from mine and stormed


    out of the bakery as fast as he could.


    My eyes widened in pure horror, for he never behaved this way around me. I could see his tall figure


    walking far away from the bakery and heading into the parking lot, without ever looking back at me.


    ¡°Theodore Woven,¡± Marjorie uttered with all astonishment. ¡°In here? Well, good heavens.¡± She drew


    her hand up to cross herself, signaling a holy gesture that revealed her utter fear of this man that had


    just stepped into her shop. ¡°You aren¡¯t truly with him? Are you?¡±


    I never answered her, for I was too dejected to even voice my thoughts aloud. A stack of bills was


    tossed over the counter-top, and with a small thanks, I picked up the heavy box of apple pie that was


    intended to go with our dinner for tonight. Needless to say I stormed out of there as fast as I could,


    probably from embarrassment and a sick overwhelming sense of shame. Perhaps, everyone was right


    all along. The world would have been better if I simply left Teddy Woven alone.


    I stepped upon the sidewalk,bing back my hair with the tips of my fingers. I was upset to say the


    least, for I feared that this was all my fault. For some reason I keep saying the wrong things today,


    things that would only upset him. Perhaps, if I knew more about his past, I would not so easily step on


    his toes. The fact of the matter is that I did not want to hurt him, and yet, I continually find myself doing


    so.


    Slowly I strode over the stark white sidewalk, looking over the tops of various cars in the parking lot to


    find the one belonging to Teddy. His car was easy to point out because it was so old, and the matte


    navy-blue shade was most peculiar inparison to other modern day cars. The parking lot was full,


    mostly because people were going into shopsst minute or lining outside of local restaurants to


    celebrate Saturday night. A long sigh escaped me, for my emotions were getting the better of me.


    Perhaps, I was a fool to entertain a romantic rtionship with Teddy. Without knowing about his past, it


    would be impossible for us to continue this rtionship further.


    His head suddenly came into view, once he stepped out of his car doorway. I could hear the loud


    mming of his door even from a distance. He rubbed his hand over the hood of his car profusely, as if


    he was trying to suppress his emotions before making his way over to me.


    I leaned against a brick wall, not wanting to go Teddy when he was in a temperamental mood. When he


    was ready he woulde to me, so I pressed the heavy box of pie against my stomach and let the lids


    of my eyes gradually close. The wind was faint against the side of my face; the ends of my hair


    brushed upwards to the side of my neck and cheek. I could hear the roaring of car engines and the


    sounds ofughter from the people enjoying their meals on the outdoor patios. The sound of Teddy¡¯s


    footsteps appeared; that light patter with the faint scraping of his expensive leather brogues against the


    hard pavement. Once that distinguishable sound stopped I opened my eyes, and there he was, staring


    down at me with an apologetic look.


    ¡°None of this is your fault.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that,¡± I scolded him quite sharply.


    A quirk of his right eyebrow rose upwards, for he was not used to seeing me in such an angry state. He


    licked his top lip quickly while lowering his handsome head. ¡°Look, I am sorry.¡± He raised a hand to rest


    over my right shoulder, feeling the thin fabric of my sunny yellow dress. ¡°I should have told you before


    to never mention my name aloud. At least, not here.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you,¡± he sighed. Teddy looked over his shoulders as he heard a group of men walking down


    the sidewalk, more rowdy than most people as they headed to a tavern. ¡°Not here,¡± he emphasized,


    after he raised his chin to finally look at me. ¡°In the car.¡±


    The box of pie was thrust into the center of his chest. ¡°Here,¡± I rapped out with a deathly stare about


    me.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he meekly ryed, since he knew I was more than upset with him right now. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    His left hand fell over mine gently; he inteced our fingers together before giving it an affectionate


    squeeze. I followed him willingly, bringing my body close to his own before we entered the busy parking


    lot.


    Was I a fool to be so in love with him, I wondered, to allow myself to feel this way? There was a


    suddenness to this all; the way I felt about him was new and strange. I could feel his careful gaze upon


    my side profile, fraught with worry that he should lose me after all. If I was smart, I would heed others¡¯


    advice about him, remember the red-gs that earnestly warned me to stay away from him. Someone


    with that many secrets could never give their whole life to me - their whole heart. Still, I had the


    strangest inclination that Teddy needed me far more than I ever could. I was his lifeline, that grain of


    sanity that he needed for his own well-being. I was his calming ssical music, the never-ending


    silence of his house, the peacefulpses of the ocean on a cool spring day. I was his inspiration and his


    passion, an innocent flower that bloomed in all its joy. When I finally turned my head to look in his


    direction, catching that earnest look in his eyes, I began to realize that I was something he dearly


    needed. He was attracted to me from the start because of my pure, innocent nature. I was something


    untainted by the world, like the flowers that he cared for about his house. If he represented all that was


    darkness, then surely I represented all that was light.


    ¡°S, I am sorry for what I did back there,¡± he uttered in a broken voice, after we reached his car. ¡°If


    you want me to take you back home¡­¡± He lowered his chin a margin, so he could no longer look me in


    the eyes. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I say your real name, Teddy?¡±


    ¡°Because of the history my family has here,¡± he articted in a sorrowful way. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to get


    into details.¡±


    ¡°History?¡± I breathed out sharply. ¡°What kind of history? That woman back there, Marjory, she had


    nothing but fear in her eyes when she found out your name. Teddy, what could your family have


    possibly ever done?¡±


    ¡°Terrible things.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± he hushed. He turned his head to the left, gazing upon the full parking lot


    with uneasiness.


    Iid a hand over the top of his chest, rubbing it softly to gather his attention. ¡°Alright, you said enough


    for now. I promise to not mention your name in public if we evere down here again.¡± My hand


    moved upwards to tug at the end of his bow-tie. ¡°You got all dressed up for me tonight?¡±


    ¡°Is it too much?¡±


    ¡°No, you look quite handsome,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°And you look quite beautiful,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°I like the lipstick you put on tonight. A light


    peach shade. I will remember that for the next time I draw your portrait. The one I gave you will be just


    one of many.¡±


    My cheeks were turning a shade of rosy pink, as I did my best not to touch my lips with the tips of my


    fingers. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°A bit of a distraction,¡± he pondered aloud. ¡°Your lips.¡±


    I offered him a cheeky grin, since I was not used to hearing such ttery from him.


    His voice was levelled when he asked: ¡°Should we go inside now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± I piped up. We were both in better spirits, so it felt right that we should return back to


    his ce. ¡°What did you pick up for dinner? Is it still a surprise?¡±


    Teddy never answered me until we sat inside of his car. He turned on the engine by twisting his key in


    the ignition, and then I watched him put on his seatbelt. ¡°I decided on grilledmb chops!¡± he said with


    glee. ¡°Mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and I even picked up a bag of espresso. I intend to make


    you a nice cup of coffee for tonight.¡±


    ¡°To go with our dessert?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± Teddy wore a broad smile now, which created small crinkles around the corners of his


    dark eyes. He reversed out of the parking spot with certain ease, and was now finding a way out of the


    packed parking lot to get back to the main road.


    ¡°Do you ever drink?¡± I prompted up, after I caught sight of the busy patio outside of a two-story tavern.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I do, but it¡¯s mainly on social asions. I grew up in a household that was incredibly religious, so I


    never really had a taste of it until I was older.¡± I turned in my seat to face Teddy. ¡°Howe you don¡¯t


    drink?¡±


    ¡°Bad encounters when I was a child,¡± was all that he revealed to me. His right hand clenched over the


    steering wheel, which immediately gave me some level of concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You drank as a child?¡±


    A false smile spread over his handsome face. ¡°No, S.¡±


    ¡°Then the experience-¡±


    ¡°-can we please not talk about that now?¡± he bellowed out with a great burst of anger. ¡°I have to


    concentrate on the road.¡±


    I bit down on my lip, realizing I had made another error. Perhaps, I was too curious for my own good. If


    our rtionship should ever crumble, I was certain my insatiable curiosity would be the cause of it.


    The car inclined upwards, carving down the winding road at a brisk speed. The sunlight was wavering


    over the horizon; the blue skycked its lustre and now a vescent lighting peaked over the top of the


    hill in ast effort to spread its light. Soft piano music came through the speakers; the tune was filled


    with mncholy to fit Teddy¡¯s sullen mood. I stretched out a hand and rested it over his top left thigh. ¡°I


    don¡¯t mean to be so daft,¡± I entreated, which made him tilt his head in my direction. ¡°Sorry, I


    overstepped another boundary again.¡±


    ¡°There is no boundary,¡± he assured me with his posh British ent, which denoted his high status and


    upbringing he must have acquired under his guardian. ¡°I don¡¯t drink alcohol because it reminds me of


    my father.¡±


    ¡°He drank a lot?¡±


    ¡°That is an understatement,¡± he assured me. ¡°But I would like to change the topic.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Ted.¡± Heughed at his new nickname, and then I knew for sure that everything was right


    between us.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Glenn Miller¡¯s ¡°In the Mood¡± was sting through the speaker, much to Teddy¡¯s annoyance. He made


    the mistake of stating he listened to nothing but ssical music, so I was trying to liven up his house


    with jazz. After all, they were very simr, so surely that would not upset his nerves. The long frown on


    his face informed me that I was wrong, but I danced to the music next to him anyways.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I taunted with an urgent wave of my hand for him toe over. ¡°Dance with me.¡±


    ¡°S, I am cooking,¡± he sighed out with distress. His statement was true, for he was in fact busily


    working over the stove-top to prepare our dinner.


    I childishly lifted up his dish towel and smacked him lightly in the arm. ¡°Dance with me.¡±


    ¡°Afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    Teddy grabbed a hold of the towel to tug me towards him. ¡°Promise.¡± He pecked his lips over mine with


    a sudden urgency. ¡°Now, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ready yet,¡± Iined. ¡°Why must I sit?¡±


    ¡°The answer is simple,¡± he reasoned with a raise of his hands. ¡°You are a distraction.¡±


    ¡°A good one though?¡±


    ¡°Please, can I have my normal music back on? I must concentrate.¡±


    Iid a hand over his solid back and leaned over to kiss him on the side of his neck. ¡°Yes, Teddy,¡± I


    purred in a naughty way, and then quickly scampered off before he could kiss me back.


    The stereo, of course, was in his music room. I walked down the hallway, and then began to skip as I


    approached the open doorway. My mood had lightened since Teddy and I made up, and now all I


    wanted was to be incredibly affectionate and near him all the time. He was theplete opposite this


    evening, but I knew there had to be a logical reason behind it. The music was switched back to his


    normal radio station, and then I turned the volume down since amercial was currently ying.


    Luna leapt off Teddy¡¯s piano, energized enough from her long nap for her to join me. I lifted her off the


    ground with supreme happiness. Luna purred in my arms, snuggling her head upon my chest with her


    blue eyes wide open to take in the sight of me. I swayed her from side to side as I walked down the


    long hall, humming an unknown song to counteract the droning of a nonsensicalmercial. I paused


    in front of the staircase, and found myself humming with tighter lips. There was an eerie feeling when I


    looked up at the staircase; a chill ran down my spine that was beyond exnation. I looked downwards


    at my bare feet, taking in the coldness of the floor. My mind suddenly recalled the first time I met Teddy,


    and his familiar voice wafting past an open window down to the gardens where I was currently waiting


    for him. Was he not speaking to someone that day?


    I stepped forward quickly and entered the kitchen to ask Teddy about this bewildering scenario that


    happened some time ago. ¡°Teddy,¡± I called out. He was too focused on stirring around the mashed


    potatoes to pay attention to me. I tapped him lightly on his upper arm, which was enough for him to turn


    to me. ¡°Teddy.¡±


    A warm smile spread across his face and he leaned forward to peck a kiss over my brow. ¡°Yes, my


    dear.¡±


    ¡°I have a question.¡± His wooden spoon continued to stir around the silver pot, mixing in the butter and


    herbs that he had just added to give the mashed potatoes more vour. I leaned against the side of the


    countertop and looked down at Luna for some extra strength. ¡°Does anyone live here with you?¡±


    ¡°You know I live alone,¡± he calmly answered me.


    ¡°Always?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°There is no other woman here then?¡± His hand froze for a moment, and then he darted his eyes in my


    direction for half a second. ¡°Is there?¡±


    ¡°No, I live alone.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I submitted, even though I did not fully believe him. I moved away from him to set Luna down


    on the ground. Her white fur was brushed off the front of my dress and then I moved over to the kitchen


    sink to wash my hands. ¡°It¡¯s only¡­¡±


    Heid his wooden spoon down on the side of the pot. ¡°What is it?¡± groaned Teddy with his posh


    ent sharper than ever.


    ¡°When I came here on Monday, I thought I heard you talking to a woman.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that.¡± I blinked nervously in front of him. ¡°No one lives upstairs with you?¡±


    ¡°I am all alone.¡± The spoon was taken up from the pot with a sharp movement of his wrist. ¡°You must


    have heard me talking to myself.¡±


    ¡°It was just coffee,¡± I recited slowly to remind him. ¡°Why would you say that to yourself?¡±


    ¡°Because I liked you from the very beginning.¡± He turned away from me to retrieve something from the


    fridge. I observed the way his hand tightened over the handle, the tenseness of his jaw. ¡°And I felt guilty


    about entertaining the idea. You were supposed to work here, and that was all.¡± He came over to me


    with a carton of milk in his hand. ¡°And I wanted more than that.¡±


    Iid a hand over the side of his arm. ¡°Yes, we both knew that from then.¡± My hand stroked the side of


    him softly, ruffling up his clean white dress shirt that he was still wearing. ¡°I like the apron you put on.


    The stripes are nice.¡± He looked down at the sky-blue stripes that were incredibly thin across the white


    fabric. ¡°You look handsome in it.¡±


    ¡°In an apron?¡± he asked with disbelief. The container was slowly poured over the piping hot potatoes to


    add to the creamy texture he had already crafted. ¡°And you find me handsome? Good.¡±


    I giggled beside him while doing my best not to roll my eyes. ¡°Teddy,e here.¡± He lowered the milk


    carton and followed my lead. I stopped behind the back of a chair and leaned myself against it. ¡°I want


    you to kiss me.¡±


    ¡°Kiss you?¡±


    I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°If I kiss you, I won¡¯t be able to stop.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not true.¡± My fingers dragged along the back of his neck. I could feel my eyes


    darkening before him, pupils dting with desire. ¡°Just one.¡±


    He physically removed my arms from around the back of his neck. ¡°After,¡± he whispered. Teddy turned


    back to the stovetop before I had time to respond, and took up the spoon to smash it hard into the pot.


    My right hand rubbed the back of my neck as I tasted defeat, wondering why Teddy did not want to kiss


    me just now. I looked over to my right, catching sight of the open doorway and wondered what could


    possibly be upstairs that he was so desperate to hide. If I was subtle enough I could find a way to


    sneak upstairs, but I did not want to ruin a perfectly good night.


    Another time then, I decided, before I turned my gaze back to him.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    A burst of heat was felt on the right side of me, as Iid there all snug and warm upon his couch. Tired


    limbs stretched themselves outwards, toes perked high enough for me to see the scarlet red nail polish


    I was currently wearing. I wiggled my toes tiredly, and thenid my weary head upon a plush pillow


    behind me. Ever so slowly my eyelids closed, while I attentively listened to the song that came from


    Teddy¡¯s piano. He was seated on a slim ck bench, his fingers pressing upon the keys in an elegant


    manner as he performed a song for me. When I opened my eyes I could see the tall white cafe styled


    mug resting on the top of his piano, light wavy lines of heat drifting over his hot chocte. The window


    was open just a crack, enough for me to hear the ocean¡¯s waves crashing against the cliffs.


    The sound of a music sheet being turned struck the air, but it was not long before Teddy had his two


    hands upon the nched white keys again. I watched his quick movements, the intense focus he


    demonstrated for anything that had to do with the arts. A small white coffee table was on the right of


    me, with a clear flute vase made out of ss at its center. A cluster of yellow irises rested inside of it;


    petals as bright as a midday sun blooming wondrously under the dark vescent glow of the fading


    sunlight. Crimson skies hovered over the horizon for the sun was losing thest of its colour as we


    neared the end of the day. Teddy had promised me he would take me home before it became too dark,


    so I knew we had only a short time left before I would have to leave his ce.


    The music was slow and somber-like, though it was beautiful all the same. It reminded me of the still


    peacefulness you get when there is a light drizzle of rain. My imagination ran away with me, and I could


    picture glossy cobbled streets with darkened silhouettes of people stepping under a shower of rain.


    Teddy may have had the gift of painting imagery with a paintbrush and a good set of paints, but I had


    my imagination, and a vivid one at that.


    Teddy had reached the end of the song. A long arm outstretched itself to grasp at the pure white mug.


    He drank his hot chocte deeply before settling it down. I watched him turn an easy gaze towards the


    fire, observing the sunburnt orange mes flickering in the darkness. He suggested putting on a fire to


    make the room more cozy, assuring me that once the sun had fully set the house would descend into


    an ufortably cold temperature.


    I rolled over the couch to lean onto my side, pulling a pillow downwards to ce itfortably against


    my head. It felt so easy to watch him, to take in this man that was so mysteriously alluring from the


    start.


    ¡°Nearly time to go.¡± Teddy lifted up a leg and straddled the sleek ck benchpletely. ¡°S?¡±


    ¡°I heard you.¡±


    ¡°I enjoyed it,¡± he mentioned with a raise of his right hand.


    ¡°I enjoyed this evening too, Teddy.¡±


    ¡°We had a bit of a rough day, but things worked out in the end,¡± he wisely remarked. ¡°And I think we


    should do it again sometime.¡±


    I smiled at him, and then buried the front of my head into the pillow because my grin was bing


    much toorge for me to even fathom. There was a strange feeling at the bottom of my stomach, a


    wave of happiness that was beyondprehension. I retained my position for a little bit, trying to


    compose myself in front of Teddy. I felt childish and girly, and this was not the kind of thing I would


    normally do.


    ¡°While you areying there like that,¡± Teddy taunted with a cunning edge to his voice. ¡°Would you like


    another cup of hot chocte?¡±


    I rolled over to my left, revealing my face to Teddy atst. My wavy chestnut hair had be wild and


    untamed after lounging so long upon his pillow. I brushed it back quickly, but I could feel my cheeks


    zing with embarrassment from the look in his eyes. ¡°No, I am alright.¡± I brought my hand downwards


    and stroked my bottom lip, remembering he had not kissed me since we had lunch together. I was


    dying to ask him toe over to the couch, but I thought that would only spell trouble.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone quiet,¡± he observed, while he continued to stare at my telling visage.


    ¡°Have I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have.¡±


    I pursed my lips tightly; dark eyes darted to the ceiling as I tried to control my facial expressions. This


    would be a perfect time for a distraction, but unfortunately Luna was off somewhere fast asleep in


    Teddy¡¯s house. I let out a yawn while covering my mouth. It was clear it was time for me to go to bed. ¡°I


    think I should go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,¡± he agreed with me.


    ¡°Thanks for letting mee here.¡±


    He let out a smallugh that brightened his face. ¡°Thank you for epting my invitation,¡± he cleverly


    quipped. ¡°And for joining me for dinner. I hope you liked it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good cook.¡± He bowed his head in open approval. ¡°And pianist.¡±


    ¡°And you are,¡± he began, as he did his best to get off the narrow bench. ¡°A good gardener.¡±


    ¡°I get paid for it,¡± I taunted with a quick wink in his direction. ¡°But thank you.¡±


    He unconsciously licked his lips as he strode towards me. By the time he was standing in front of the


    couch, I could tell he was deliberating what he should do next.


    I pulled my legs inwards, providing him enough room to take a seat as well. He stared at the spot for a


    moment, but the temptation was too strong for him, and soon enough he took a seat on the small spot I


    had left for him. An arm rested over the top of the couch, and then he rxed his legs enough for it to


    be outstretched in front of him. I watched Teddy¡¯s left hand stroke the bottom of his chin, while a


    thought seemed to overtake him. ¡°When will I see you again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m free tomorrow. Unless that is too soon.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow will work for me.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It will be a nice day,¡± he sighed out in exhaustion. ¡°I am sure we could go for a trail walk. Most of them


    naturally lead to the sea, so you will be able to walk along the sandy coastline. How does that sound?¡±


    I leaned forward in my seat, drawing my arms around my bent legs. ¡°That sounds nice.¡±


    Teddy dragged the tip of his fingers along the front of his outstretched neck, and then let it rest over his


    bow-tie. ¡°We should leave,¡± he dered aloud.


    I looked past him to see the red sky darkening over the horizon, a shame really, for I should have liked


    to stay longer. My feet slid off the side of the couch and plummeted to the floor. My arms stretched


    themselves wide while I let out a short exhale in exhaustion. My body was crying out for sleep, so it


    was about time that I headed home.


    Teddy rose from thefortable couch first. A hand was offered to me in return, something I eagerly


    epted so he could pull me back upon my feet. I stood in front of him now, recognizing the stark


    differences in our height when he was so close. He made no sound, but the earnest look in his dark


    brown eyes said it all. I lowered my gaze slightly, feeling shy when we were standing so close together.


    My hand was taken up, and then a delicate kiss was pressed to the back of it. In an extremely low


    drawl, he said: ¡°Thank you foring.¡±


    I nodded my head timidly. Lips curled inwardly until my cheeks had small dimples in the center of them.


    An immense sexual tension filled the air, especially when he still had the back of my hand hovering just


    over his lips. The look in his eyes was unmistakable, but would he give in?


    ¡°We should go,¡± he uttered with some difficulty.


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    It was unfortunate that neither of us were willing to move. My lips pursed together tightly, for the energy


    radiating from him was too much to bear.


    The inside of his right cheek poked outward, for his tongue was jabbing the inside of it fiercely. I had


    never seen him so conflicted so before, so tortured by his inward thoughts. His jaw rxed, and soon


    he opened his mouth only to find that no words woulde. Distraught, he turned his eyes away and


    settled it over the fire.


    ¡°Do I make you happy, Teddy?¡± I asked in a light tone of voice.


    ¡°More than,¡± he stopped himself short. He nodded his head willingly, before uttering: ¡°More than words


    can say.¡±


    ¡°If it helps, you make me happy too. I am d I did not take other people¡¯s advice.¡± He blinked


    quizzically. ¡°To stay away from you.¡±


    ¡°And who told you that?¡± he asked with distrust.


    ¡°Daphne.¡±


    ¡°Daphne,¡± he repeated in a steely tone of voice. My hand was instantly lowered, and I found his hand


    recoiling from mine until it fell into his trouser pocket.


    ¡°I ignored her. I wanted to judge you¡­¡± I paused because the look in his eyes was quite dangerous.


    ¡°Based on your own character.¡± Teddy¡¯s jawline rxed substantially to the point that the dangerous


    look in his eyes slowly ebbed away. ¡°I don¡¯t go down to the vige for a reason. Besides, even if they


    told me the most horrible things about you,¡± I paused toy a hand over the side of his arm. ¡°I still


    wouldn¡¯t believe it. I can tell that you are a good man, Teddy.¡±


    ¡°Even the purest of men have done wrong,¡± he countered. ¡°But no, S, I have done nothing to cause


    such¡­¡± His eyebrows lowered over the hoods of his sockets. ¡°Condemnation.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you fear going down there?¡±


    The grandfather clock struck, sounding loudly enough to gather our attention. I looked down at the


    watch on Teddy¡¯s wrist, surprised to see it was eight o¡¯clock. In a matter of seconds he reached for my


    hand, and pulled me away from theforts of his living room, determined to bring me into the


    hallway. ¡°We have to go,¡± he urged. A finger was pointed to my sandals and tote bag next to the door.


    ¡°Put it on.¡±


    ¡°Why the rush?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± he begged, which was not his normal manner of speaking to me. ¡°Do as I say.¡±


    I walked away from him to slip on my sandals, deciding it was best to listen to Teddy¡¯s instructions. I


    could hear him patting the front of his trouser pockets frantically, searching for something that was out


    of sight. ¡°I need my keys,¡± he said with desperation. ¡°And wallet!¡± The back of his hand dragged over


    his brow, while he closed his eyes profusely. ¡°Where did I put it?¡±


    ¡°It could be somewhere in the kitchen,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± hemanded with a pointed finger directed to the floor. ¡°And don¡¯t


    move.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    To my surprise he jogged down the hallway, intent on getting to the kitchen as fast as he could. I stood


    there dumbstruck, wondering about the tant fear that had suddenly crossed his eyes when he


    looked at me. I could hear his feet shuffling across the floor, hard and fast with staggered movements.


    ¡°Where is it?¡± echoed down the hallway. ¡°Where did I put it?¡±


    I took a step forward, before I recalled his stern warning to stay in front of the door. I crossed my arms


    with impatience, and looked around the empty hallway where only the old grandfather clock stood. The


    dim silhouette of the staircase could barely be perceived, mostly because that part of the hallway was


    shrouded in darkness. The crackling of wood struck the air,ing from the firece that Teddy had


    left on. I thought it would be wise to put it out, so I disobeyed his orders and made my way back to his


    study room. The room had be umonly dark now, the sun¡¯s rays were faint upon the smooth


    hardwood floor. From the open window, I could see the deathly pale crescent moon. Blinding stars of


    silvery white besieged the once blue skies, determined to blot out thest of the sunlight with their own


    source of illumination. I stepped forward a little more, noticing the creaking to the floorboard that wasn¡¯t


    there before. The curtains billowed from the tiny crack of the window, gusting forward in the greatest


    effort to touch the corner of the piano. The mes were bright as ever; almost enchanting-like. I


    stepped forward more, while clutching the corner of my dress.


    ¡°S!¡± I heard Teddy call out. His feet were pounding against the hardwood floor, determined to get to


    the front door. ¡°I thought I told you to stay where you are.¡± He stopped in front of the entrance way of


    the study room with his hands resting over his hips. ¡°Why can¡¯t you listen-?¡±


    ¡°-I was going to put out the fire,¡± I cut in. ¡°You can¡¯t let it stay like this when you are driving me home.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± he shouted out with a fling of his hand upwards. ¡°Just do it quickly. There is a poker over there.


    Yes, that one! Use it to spread out the embers.¡± Teddy turned around suddenly and yelled over his


    shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs!¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I took his advice and lifted up the bronze hued poker, feeling the full weight of it in the palm of my hand.


    I was too busy admiring the tip of it, taking in the round hilt with an image of a full moon pressed on top.


    My thumb ran over the detailed engraving that was etched into the hard material. The curtains pped


    higher, smacking together in a stronger fashion than before. There was no wind to carry it that way, but


    there it was, whipping higher as if it could reach me from whence I stood. The moon beams steamed


    through the coal ck fabric, radiating the very room into an eerie glow. The house began to creak all


    around me, like a low moan of wind on a stormy day. I swallowed hard and clutched the poker for the


    firece tighter in my hand, extending it upwards so I could grip it with my left hand as well. I could feel


    my senses be more alert, noticing the way the hairs at the back of my neck perked upwards. The


    fire zed higher than before, wood copsing heavily to strike up flickering mes. I stepped


    backwards, feeling my bare feet shuffling over the cold floor. There was something not right about this


    room- this house.


    A sharp hiss ignited in the air, and then a loud shrill that could have onlye from Luna. I ran down


    the hallway, watching her paws pad hard across the floor to get to me. I bent down quickly, wanting to


    touch her, but she bypassed my hand and fled into the music room. I followed Teddy¡¯s cat, unaware of


    how umonly silent he was upstairs when all of these events had ured. The poker rested


    loosely over my hand as I stepped into the room, observing the way Luna was shoving the front of her


    head desperately through the small crack of the window. I ran over to the window and thrust it wide


    open, startled to see her leap off the tiny ledge to get outside. Her pale white form pounced over the


    lush green grass, and before I knew it she was gone. ¡°Luna!¡± I called out in hysterics, not wanting her


    to depart from me. ¡°Luna!¡±


    The curtains of the window pped higher all around me. They twisted and contorted, scrapping over


    the sides of my body like long deathly tendrils, until I thought it was best to step away from the window


    with my poker armed high over my head. Luna had the good sense to get away from this house that


    had suddenly be alive, and so should I.


    I stepped further away from the window, noticing the fact that the mes were flickering higher and


    higher to a dangerous level. It was beyond my control now, so I sprinted out of the room and entered


    the hallway instead. ¡°Teddy!¡± I cried out, while gripping onto the poker with a deathly grip.


    I stepped down the hallway at an incredibly slow pace, searching the long, narrow hallway that was


    mysteriously quiet. I held my breath after a time, fearful of the ongoing silence. There was a faint


    crackling of fire behind me, a sound generating from the uncontroble firece that desperately


    needed to be put out by the owner of this house. Steadily I walked forward with the poker raised higher


    above my head like a baseball bat. There was something in my spirit that warned me of iing


    danger, and it was worse than I could have possibly ever imagined.


    As I approached the staircase, I could hear hush murmuringsing from upstairs. I peered into the


    darkness, wondering if I should sneak upstairs to find out the truth of the matter. Teddy¡¯s voice was


    filled with agitation, sharp and controlling-like that sounded almost unnatural to him. I could not make


    out his words however, and I knew once I went up a step it would creak loud enough for him to hear. I


    stood there patiently, trying to make out his sentences that continued to be lost to me.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Teddy shrilled out sharply. ¡°And you know it.¡±


    I took another step forward, finding my bare foot pressed against the first step of the staircase.


    ¡°I have kept my word,¡± Teddy pleaded with his voice fraught with pain. ¡°All this time, and I¡¯ll continue to


    do so.¡±


    The person that he was speaking too was not responding, and if they did, I could barely make it out.


    The sound of Teddy pacing was loud upstairs, creaking the floorboard beneath him.


    ¡°No,¡± he growled out threateningly. ¡°I will not let you do that again.¡±


    I took a step backwards, feeling terrified that he should be even speaking to someone up there. How


    many times had Teddy assured me that he was the only one in the house? How many times had he


    lied to me right to my face? I stepped away from the staircase with a lowered head. I tasted defeat as I


    acknowledged his sordid act of betrayal. All this time, everything that he had ever said was just a lie.


    The palm of my hand leaned against the wooden door frame that was connected to the hallway and the


    kitchen. The heavy poker for the firece was lowered downwards until it rested over the side of my


    frame. There was no room for escape for me, his house was miles from anywhere else. Besides, he


    had the car keys, so there was no way for me to steal his car and have a quick elusion. I looked over to


    the kitchen, wondering if I would need a weapon that was better than the iron rod. For once in my life I


    did not trust Teddy, and as his house became more vile and malevolent, I found my only option was to


    leave as soon as I could. I stepped into the kitchen, desperate to find a knife in any of his drawers. I


    pushed them open with a heavy m, trying to decipher anything long and sharp in the shadows. It


    would have been smarter to turn on the light, but time was running short and pretty soon he would


    come downstairs again. My heart was pounding so fast it was hard to focus. The curtains in the kitchen


    began to whip as well, frightening me to an unstable level as my fingers quickly brushed aside the


    cutlery to find a kniferge enough to do some damage.


    ¡°We are finished here,¡± echoed above me, seeping through the floor that was right above my head. ¡°I


    won¡¯t let you.¡±


    I found a knife while slicing the tip of my finger in the process. My hand recoiled backwards, bringing it


    up to my mouth to suck it dry. The sound of Teddy¡¯s footsteps became louder, moving over to another


    part of the house that was away from the kitchen. It was clear he was speaking to someone, and he


    was not happy with what they had just said.


    My hand dove downwards to snatch at the bread knife, knowing it wasn¡¯t the best weapon to choose,


    but I could use it anyways. The next n of action was a line of escape, so I leaned over the kitchen


    countertop and tried to pry at the windows. They were sealed shut, and not even the buttons that I used


    to utch them would prop it open. I lowered the knife down into the kitchen sink and tried multiple


    times to unlock the window, but to no avail. Trapped, I began to panic and grabbed a hold of the knife


    and poker with a defensive stance. It was just when the house fell into an eerie silence that I heard a


    ringing of a metal chain. My weapons were lowered as I turned my head to the right, realizing that


    sound could onlye from one ce - the chained up door to the cer.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    ¡°Stop.¡± The voice vibrated through the floor, through the very walls of the house. ¡°Please.¡±


    I froze with fear. Every atom in my body was frightened at the voice that seemed to breathe through


    this very house. My eyes were directed to the chained up door, hearing the metal creak and crash upon


    the hook as if it wanted to give way.


    ¡°Theo,¡± echoed throughout the room, bouncing off every surface like a torrential wind. I looked above


    me, noticing that the creaking of the floor had suddenly ceased. Where was Teddy, and why was this


    voice calling out his name?


    ¡°Theo, you are hurting me,¡± the voice wept, sounding so broken and afraid. The chain over the doorway


    began to m louder, the door to the cers resolved on opening. I stepped back slowly, lowering the


    knife since I realized I would need more than metal to defeat this demonic being. The house was


    haunted, I was certain of that now.


    The grandfather clock began to ring, but it was far too soon for it to be nine o¡¯clock already. ¡°Theo!¡± was


    screamed out at the top of the woman¡¯s lungs. The bell continued to ring, echoing down the hallway to


    where I stood. The chain was thrashed heavily, for the door was determined to be open all the way.


    The drapes whipped around faster even though there was no wind, flickering the hallowed moonbeams


    that illuminated the kitchen floor. The clock never stopped ringing down the hall, and suddenly I feared


    that the very sound would make Teddy go insane. I leaned against the countertop, wondering which


    direction I would take for a quick escape. He could being down the steps at any moment, but what


    could be worse than the thing that was on the other side of the cer, screaming out his name?


    ng, ng, pierced through the air. The chains were brandishing themselves against the hook,


    determined to push themselves off the curved metal .


    ¡°Please,¡± cried out from the depth of the floor, a sound that came directly beneath my feet. ¡°I love you,¡±


    broke out a cry. ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me.¡±


    I covered my ear once a terrible shrill struck the air, dropping my weapons entirely to block out the


    sound. It was a harrowing cry, one that you prayed to never hear in your lifetime. I found my knees


    buckling from fear, and soon I copsed upon the floor with only my hands on the back of the chair to


    brace me upwards. The ominous bell continued to ring, it was enough to make me go mad. The chain


    thrashed itself heavier, and I could hear a banging against the door as if something was desperate to


    escape.


    I stared at the door to the cer in pure horror, only to let out a breathless scream once hands sped


    me from behind. A hand covered my mouth, in which I reacted by squirming in strong arms that were


    undoubtedly Teddy¡¯s.


    ¡°Shhhh,¡± he hissed into my ears. ¡°Quiet.¡±


    I cried into his mouth while shaking uncontrobly. Everyone was right all along, I should have stayed


    away from him, but now it was toote. I tried to push him away, but Teddy was so much stronger than


    me. I felt him dragging me away from the chained up door where the chain continued to tter against


    the hook, and only when we reached the main hallway that he removed his hand from my mouth.


    Teddy violently turned me around to look at him, but with the heavy darkness that eclipsed the hallway


    it was hard to make him out, only his silhouette could be perceived. I immediately pushed at his chest


    in anger and tried to run away, heading towards the only route where I knew there was a clear escape.


    ¡°Nooo!¡± Teddy bellowed out in a furious rage, before he ran after me as fast as he could. The staircase


    to the upper levels swiftly turned to the left, leaving me on a levelled tform where I could only go


    upwards. The sound of the grandfather clock continued to ring, loud enough to block out the hurried


    footsteps of Teddy. I sprinted up thest few steps and then found myself in a long hallway without


    knowing where to go next. There were so many doors, and in the darkness I could not make out which


    one to choose.


    The grandfather suddenly stopped ringing. I turned around, too startled by the silence to realize that


    Teddy was right behind me. He bumped into me in the darkness, knocking me off bnce to the point


    that I fell upon the floor. I screamed when he grabbed at my leg and immediately used my right foot to


    jab at his moving hands.


    ¡°Stop!¡± he yelled, but I only kicked him in the top section of his thigh. ¡°S!¡± he screamed out in pain.


    He sped at my bare foot and tugged me forward, sending out a blood curdling scream that shook


    through the house. ¡°Quiet,¡± he warned in so fierce a tone, that Iid perfectly still. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt


    you,¡± he said in a breathless voice. ¡°But she will.¡±


    Iid there motionless on the floor as I took in his words. ¡°Who?¡±


    Teddy never answered me, and instead offered a hand in the shifting darkness to lift me off the floor.


    The banging of a metal chain downstairs could still be heard, but it was less threatening when we were


    so far away.


    ¡°We need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Come,¡± he warned, before he tugged on my hand to bring me to the flight of stairs. We were just about


    to reach the topnding, when we heard someone call out his name. It was faint, but noticeable enough


    to leave me frozen. ¡°Ignore it,¡± he warned. ¡°Keep moving.¡±


    I tugged on his hand in resistance. ¡°Who is up there?¡±


    ¡°Ignore it,¡± he growled in a threatening manner.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I repeated. ¡°Tell me!¡±


    Teddy responded with an aggressive tug, which sent me crashing into his frame. ¡°You need to leave


    now,¡± he warned. He stared at me hard, and under the faint lighting of the hallway I sensed that this


    was something beyond me now. I needed to trust him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered with a curt nod of my head.


    He leaned forward suddenly and kissed my lips, pressing his harshly against mine with a world of


    passion. A hand pressed against the back of my head to keep me there. His lips were firm, determined


    to kiss me enough to reassure me of his feelings. I fell into his chest freely,pletely forgetting my


    fears when his arms were so tightly grasped around me.


    A deep thump sounding from one of the rooms upstairs broke the moment, reminding me of the


    lingering dangers in the house.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± Teddy whispered close to my ear. ¡°S.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± he insisted, before he tugged at my hand to send me forward. Our feet padded lightly across


    the staircase. I kept looking back, realizing that the hallway was gradually being illuminated by the


    moonlight. Seconds ago the entire ce was eclipsed in darkness, so why should there suddenly be


    light now? I stopped in my tracks and tugged at Teddy¡¯s hand, doing my best to get his attention.


    ¡°Look!¡± I entreated, and pointed at the upper hallway that we had just escaped. ¡°There¡¯s light. I think


    someone opened a door.¡±


    ¡°Come along,¡± he urged with a nervous tremor to his voice.


    ¡°But there is light,¡± I stammered out in pure stupidity. ¡°Why?¡±


    Teddy responded with a sharp yank at my hand to bring me down the staircase with him. His name was


    being called out in the faintest voice, though it grew louder each time. His feet were stumbling down the


    staircase in fear.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you leave,¡± echoed throughout the house, turning more wicked than ever. ¡°You must stay


    here, always.¡±


    Teddy reached the lower levels of his house and yanked at my hand to send me sprinting down the


    hallway. ¡°I have the car keys, let¡¯s go,¡± he urged, once we reached the front of the door. ¡°Grab your


    purse.¡±


    I leaned downwards to snatch at my tote bag and stuffed my sandals in therge opening. Teddy took a


    hold of his own shoes, not bothering to put them on when he was visibly trembling before me.


    His voice was firm when he uttered: ¡°Come along.¡± I heard him twist the doorknob and pull it harshly,


    but a heavy sound rocked through the air when he tried to yank it open. ¡°What?¡± I watched him attempt


    it again, only to find that the door was sealed. ¡°No,¡± he moaned. ¡°No, this can¡¯t-¡± The low thump of the


    deadbolt mming against the metal lock was enough of a warning that his fate was sealed. ¡°She


    can¡¯t.¡±


    He turned around and stormed down the hallway, desperately looking for another means of escape. I


    watched him run into the music room, ignoring the zing firece to sprint over to the window. He


    attempted to open the window, but it was to no avail.


    ¡°Teddy, what¡¯s happening?¡± I demanded, but he simply ignored me. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who is up


    there?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want you to leave.¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡±


    He ignored me, and searched for something in the room with frantically moving hands. ¡°S, help me,¡±


    he begged. ¡°We need to break the ss window.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t do that.¡±


    He turned his head to look over his shoulder, and with the moonlight illuminating his face I realized he


    was absolutely terrified for my own well-being. ¡°We must,¡± he bellowed, and then waved his hand at me


    to bring myself over.


    We both searched the room, looking for something blunt and strong enough to strike against the


    window. I ran over to the light switch to flick it on, but to my surprise it was not working. The mes


    began to soar in pure mockery, licking the ruddy bricks that encased it. There was a low moaning


    down the hallway, sounding from upstairs and beneath my feet. The house hade alive by now, and


    it was intent on finding me.


    ¡°S, keep moving,¡± Teddy ordered, after he brushed back his hair from his dripping brow. ¡°Hurry!¡±


    I pointed at the piano bench. ¡°What about that?¡±


    ¡°It could work,¡± he sharply replied, before hurling it off the ground. ¡°Stand back.¡±


    He moved backwards to create distance from the window where the curtains flickered upwards in


    defiance. He was risking his life for me, but something in my heart told me that Teddy would do it


    anyways. He let out short haggard breaths that shook his entire form. ¡°Teddy,¡± I pleaded, for I feared for


    his safety if this should work. The ss would shatter everywhere and I feared for him getting hurt. He


    ignored me and ran forward, banging the heavy object into the thick ss. The bang was loud, shaking


    through the whole house. The fire began to spark outwards, sending specks of white ash throughout


    the room tond on the carpet that was close to the coffee table. I ran forward to try and press it out,


    only to realize that I had no shoes on. Frantically I searched the room for something to put it out, while


    Teddy ran forward to knock the heavy wood against the ss again.


    I could hear the ss cracking, a wee sign that we could escape this ce after all. The thin vase


    was taken up to pour water over the burning ashes that nuzzled themselves deep inside of the carpet.


    There was a limited amount of water in the vase, so I knew it would not be enough to quench it. The


    heat from the roaring firece was unbearable now, spreading across the room as the wooden floor


    directly in front of it began to burn. ¡°We need water!¡± I yelled out, but Teddy ignored me. ¡°Water!¡±


    ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± he argued back. ¡°Help me! Tear down the curtains, they keep getting in


    the way.¡±


    I ran forward, and gripped at the sturdy material to fling it down. Whatever sinister spiritual being that


    lived and died in this house fought back, making it harder to remove the fabric by clinging itself to the


    hooks. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I wailed, which brought Teddy forward. We were so focused on removing the curtains


    that continually twisted and curled within our tightened grip that we forgot about the fire that was quickly


    engulfing the carpet and the wooden floor behind us.


    Teddy¡¯s voice was haggard as he eximed, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± He pushed the bench aside


    and headed for the open door, assuming I would follow him. I sprinted after him, not wanting to be left


    alone in a room that was quickly being ignited by such inferno mes. I was just behind Teddy¡¯srge


    back when he screamed at the top of his lungs: ¡°Mother!¡±


    The grandfather clock ticking was his only answer, a sound that made his shoulders roll back


    defensively. I stood there staring at him, wondering if this spiritual being was in fact his mother all


    along.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this,¡± Teddy grumbled in a low tone of voice. ¡°You will not have me choose between


    one and another.¡± He turned around and snatched at my hand to pull me forward. ¡°Come down here,


    now.¡±

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Heavy smoke gradually filled up the hallway, which made it harder to breathe. I covered my nose and


    mouth partially while leaning into the side of Teddy¡¯s arm. He was immovable, however, perfectly still as


    he waited for the presence of this fiendish ghost. If it was in fact his mother that haunted the house, it


    would exin a lot about his behaviour over thest several days. His tiny mentions of his mother, and


    the way the house was set up in a way that would please her. I suddenly recalled the conversation that


    he must have had with her, realizing that she was defensive of me being in the house with him from the


    very start. Was she jealous of his affections for me? Or was there something darker, and more rooted


    in evil than that? Was it her voice that I heard from the cers? Was it her that was calling him from


    upstairs? I stood there absolutely bbergasted, stunned with the knowledge that a ghost had been in


    his house all along. I could picture the sketches he made in his secret book, the self-portraits of him


    throughout the room with a shaded patch of grey always beside him. Was that the reason he often


    looked over his shoulder in worry? The reason he was so determined to not have me in the house for


    too long? The very reason he feared to touch me or kiss me, because she was somewhere in the


    house the entire time?


    ¡°Teddy,¡± filled the air all around us, like a soft gust of wind. ¡°You said you would protect me.¡±


    Her son stepped forward with a great heaving of his chest. ¡°And I will.¡±


    ¡°Protect me,¡± sounded from upstairs to drift down to the hallway where her son stood. The narrow


    hallway was steadily bing darker, my hand pressed tighter against my nose and mouth because


    the smoke was making it so hard for me to breathe. If Teddy and I stayed here any longer, we could


    suffocate to death.


    ¡°I will protect you,¡± Teddy reassured her, after he bravely took a step forward. ¡°But I have to live my life


    too. I can¡¯t always be here.¡±


    ¡°You must stay.¡±


    ¡°I will stay,¡± he stated with a firmness to his voice, while looking straight ahead of him as if she was in


    front of him all along. ¡°But my father is dead. He cannot harm us anymore.¡±


    The chains to the door shook heavily from the kitchen, a grave reminder that the ghost in the cer still


    wanted to be set free.


    ¡°He died,¡± Teddy articted in a clear voice. ¡°He cannot harm us. I¡¯ve done my share of protecting you


    and bringing your house back to its former glory. I¡¯ve done everything for you!¡± He stepped forward with


    more determination this time, letting go of my hand in the process. ¡°But now it is time for me to live my


    own life!¡±


    The hook next to the cer door broke free with a violent blow, following with the ttering of chains


    that crashed to the floor. Teddy stepped back defensively and immediately grabbed a hold of my hand.


    ¡°Run!¡± he yelled over his shoulder. He sprinted down the hallway with me close at his tail. I looked over


    my shoulder to see a shadowy grey form whizzing in my direction with a deafening scream. I ran as


    fast as I could into the cloud of smoke, following the ominous glow of the back of Teddy¡¯s white t-shirt


    that shined in the density of the smoke. He dove to the left, and I soon followed, crashing into his back


    immediately with a hard stop. ¡°Move!¡± he roared, and used his hand to shove me aside before I heard


    the door violently shut behind him. ¡°The window.¡± He ran over to it, and found that it was tightly shut as


    well, but that did not dissuade him. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I joined his side and grabbed the end of a wooden bench that he kept under his desk. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Hit the corner of the ss where it¡¯s weakest,¡± he instructed in a breathless voice. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He hurled himself forward and I soon followed, until we struck the heavy object into the ss. There


    was a sound of cracking instantly, a good sign since this part of the room was being filled up with


    smoke as well. ¡°Again!¡± We moved backwards slowly, for we were exhausted at this point. ¡°Now!¡± he


    yelled out, and then we ran forward to bang the hard edge of the bench into the ss yet again. The


    crack rang more clearly into the air, a hopeful sign that made a smile spread across my face. ¡°Maybe


    onest time,¡± Teddy pondered aloud. ¡°Let¡¯s move further back.¡±


    I was just stepping back even more, when I felt something wrap around my legs that made me scream.


    A hard yank seeded, sending me into the air and hard upon the floor with the flying bench just


    nearly hitting my head. ¡°Teddy!¡± I cried out in terror. Something was wrapping around my leg, growing


    tighter by the second. I looked down at my legs to see something resembling rope tightly wrapped


    around my ankles in the moonlight. ¡°Teddy!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs, because the thing


    around my leg was quickly growing in strength to the point that it was starting to hurt.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± he uttered out in disbelief, and quickly lowered his end of the bench toe over to me.


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    He was just reaching out for my hand when the rope pulled me backwards, slipping me out of his arm¡¯s


    waypletely. I screamed aloud while dragging my nails into the wood, trying to find anything to stop


    me. Teddy ran after me, hands outstretched to take a hold of my hand, but thankfully my feet mmed


    right into the studio door. I recoiled my legs upwards, bending myself enough to try and untie the rope


    around my feet. The material felt so real I was certain none of it was my imagination. Teddy took a hold


    of my waist and hoisted me off the ground, taking this small window of opportunity to pull me away from


    the door.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he urged, and ran back to his desk to my surprise. A small wooden stool was lifted above


    his head, and with all his strength he crashed it against the ss. Shards flew everywhere, scattering


    across the outsidewn to leave Teddy mostly unharmed. He tossed the stool out the window for extra


    measure, before sprinting towards me. He reached for my waist to tug me away, knowing that he


    couldn¡¯t go far before the rope would yank me back to the doorway again. He looked aghast as he


    uttered: ¡°It¡¯s rope.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s real,¡± Imented in a shaky voice.


    ¡°She used rope for a reason,¡± he hushed out with despair. ¡°It¡¯s a message for me.¡±


    ¡°For you?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to let you go,¡± he uttered from the corner of his lips. ¡°But I have a say as well.¡±


    He yanked at the rope to my surprise, fighting back with this unseen being that held the other end. ¡°Let


    her go!¡± he yelled out in anger. ¡°Please!¡±


    The rope was tugged on the other end, slipping me across the hardwood floor at a quickening pace. I


    could hear the roaring of the mes on the other side, like the deep caverns of hell that awaited to


    consume me. Charcoal grey smoke slipped through the narrow crack underneath the door, billowing its


    way over to me until my eyes began to sting.


    ¡°Please!¡± Teddy screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°You have to let me go!¡±


    The tug was so tight around my leg that I began to grit my teeth in utter anguish, it felt like she was


    trying to squeeze the life out of me.


    ¡°I am sorry I wasn¡¯t there that day,¡± Teddy bellowed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there to stop him. You were alone, and I


    know I should have been there. What could we do?¡± Teddy stepped forward to stand right in front of the


    door, letting the moonlight from the open window illuminate his tall form. ¡°He beat you,¡± Teddy spat out.


    ¡°He beat me too. What could we do? There was no one there for us. We were alone, just the two of


    us.¡± Heid a hand against the door, as if he was touching his once alive mother. ¡°Always the two of


    us,¡± he added in a broken voice. ¡°But you have to understand that I love her. I can¡¯t let you do this.¡± He


    banged his fist against the door, for rage had suddenly consumed him. ¡°She will nevere in


    between us!¡± he roared out. ¡°Please, let her go. I won¡¯t let here here anymore. She didn¡¯t know


    about you. Honestly!¡± He bent down on his knees, with his hands braced over the door that must have


    been hot in temperature because of the fire that was steadily engulfing the whole house. ¡°I never told


    her about you. I was afraid. I know you don¡¯t like others around here, but I couldn¡¯t help it¡­¡± He looked


    over his shoulder at me with glossy eyes. There was pain radiating there, a world of sorrow as if he


    feared that this would be ourst time together. ¡°Mother, please,¡± he continued, once he turned his


    head to the closed doorway. ¡°I can¡¯t live here alone with you for all my life. At some point, you have to


    let me go.¡±


    For half a second I thought his sincere pleads would be enough to save me. The rope began to loosen


    around my legs, enough to let out a relieved sigh to gather Teddy¡¯s attention.


    ¡°She listened to me?¡± he muttered out in disbelief. His eyebrows lowered suddenly, and then he


    stepped closer to me with a look of distrust. ¡°Or did she?¡±


    The end of the rope suddenly darted at my face like a viper ready to strike, and it nearly wrapped


    around my throat before Teddy snatched it in mid-air.


    ¡°Run!¡± he ordered, which immediately sent me off the ground. I poked out thest of the shards of ss


    with the blunt end of a brassmp before tossing it to the ground as well.


    ¡°Teddy!¡± I yelled, while signalling with my hand that the area was free. He was fighting hard to be rid of


    the rope that was now trying to cling to him as well.


    ¡°Go!¡± he roared, while the end of the rope slithered across the floor like a venomous snake behind him.


    I immediately ducked forward and slipped through therge crack of the window to get out of the


    house. I fell into a flower bed where the sharp scent of gardenias instantly flooded my nose. I crawled


    out of the thick bush, brushing the glowing white flowers aside to make enough room for Teddy as well.


    I heard a deep groan once hended in the bush next to me, a painful one that made me think he was


    hurt.


    ¡°Teddy?¡±


    ¡°Keep moving,¡± he grunted, while pulling himself upwards. He was the first to rise off the floor; a slick


    wet hand reached for my arm to pull me upwards, and when I caught sight of his hand in the moonlight


    I realized it was covered in blood.


    ¡°Teddy?¡± I shrieked out in rm, for I was fearful of the amount of blood dripping down his arm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he warned, before he looked over his shoulder at the open window that still meant we were


    in danger. Steadily he walked backwards, taking in the sight of his home that was now engulfed in


    mes. Once we were at a safe distance we simply hastopped and stared, watching the wooden roof


    that was now beginning to crumble downwards. Teddy was too stunned at the sight to move any


    further. ¡°My home,¡± he uttered in pure sorrow, as the creaking of the wood signalled the end of his


    estate. ¡°My work.¡± He took a step forward, almost tempted to save it all. ¡°My mother,¡± he whispered


    under his breath, as he realized she would finally be gone forever. We stood there in silence for several


    minutes, watching Teddy¡¯s entire world crumble and burn away under the churlish mes. He


    eventually looked downwards to see his once white dress shirtpletely soaked in blood. He must


    have been cut at the side by the ss, for most of the blood was on the right side of his body.


    ¡°Teddy,¡± I hushed, which made him turn his head in my direction. ¡°You need a doctor.¡±


    He nodded his head stiffly in silent response. ¡°I¡¯ll call the firefighters,¡± I informed him, before I stepped


    away with slow, lethargic movements. It would be a long night for Teddy, and none of his haunting


    childhood memories would go away anytime soon, even if thest of it was being scorched by fire.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Soft slippers shuffled across the hardwood floor, an odd sound at such ate time of night. It was just


    after three o¡¯clock in the morning, and still I was not able to get any form of sleep. I crept around my


    dining room table to get to the counter-top, hoping a ss of water would at least ease the irritation in


    my throat. A lightmp was flickered on over my stove-top, brightening up the area enough for me to


    see more clearly. I looked over my shoulder at the couch, Teddy¡¯s swollen eyes staring back at me. He


    was outstretched upon my living room couch with a patterned butterfly nket piled over him. He


    nearlyughed when I gave him the nket tonight, but unfortunately I did not have any patterns that


    suited him. I had no idea the reasoning behind me purchasing that nket with such a childish pattern,


    but like everything in life, it seemed right at the time. I raised up a hand in greeting, which only made


    him bat tired looking eyelids at me. ¡°Hey,¡± I muttered, since I knew he was still in a sullen mood.


    ¡°Hello, S,¡± he uttered in a sad-like voice that nearly broke my heart. I bit down at my lip and then


    looked upon the floor, feeling at a loss for words to make him feel any better.


    ¡°I was- I was going to have water,¡± I stammered out. ¡°I keep coughing.¡±


    ¡°I heard you.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°In a couple more hours I¡¯ll take some more medicine for this headache. You will probably want some


    for the pain.¡±


    ¡°The doctor gave me something,¡± he softly hushed. Teddy sat up on the couch more to see more


    clearly. ¡°Have you any tea?¡±


    ¡°I have herbal tea, yeah. Is mint tea fine enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± he mouthed out slowly. I went over to the kettle to fill it up with water. The mugs shed and


    nged as I tried to find one that would suit him. Teddy had such elegant things in his home, and I


    feared my own belongings were a pitiful downgrade. Once I settled on a teal grey mug with thin white


    lines stretched across it, I set it down next to the kettle with a satisfied air. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± sounded


    behind me. ¡°You mind if you stay with me for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said over my shoulder, though I felt uneasy at the thought of it. The decision to sleep


    away from him was already hard enough, but then again our rtionship status was a little undefined at


    the moment. I knew that Teddy needed a friend, someone he could talk to, and that I would be the


    perfect person.


    I looked down at my long white nightgown with a deep V-neck at the front. I pulled up the shoulders


    more, hoping it would not be too revealing once I sat down beside him. I could feel my cheeks blush, a


    sense of shame at the amount of attraction I still felt towards him. The entire notion of me liking him


    hade upon me so suddenly, it was hard to determine when I first began to develop such strong


    feelings for him. The kettle popped, breaking me out of my deep reverie in a nonsensical way. I lifted up


    my favourite mug with a stencil of a forest around the entire cup; the tiny red fox poking its head out of


    the tree was the main instigator for me purchasing this item in the first ce.


    ¡°You don¡¯t add anything in your mint tea, do you?¡± I inquired with all politeness.


    Teddy¡¯s voice was clear as he replied: ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    Tea bags dropped inside of our mugs, and with a quick motion of my hand, hot water poured


    downwards into our medium-sized cups. The faint scent of mint filled the air, a wee fragrance after


    an extremely long night with the firefighters and then the ambnce workers that inspected the cuts


    across Teddy¡¯s waist and right arm. He even had to go to the hospital to get a certain wound stitched


    up. It was difficult to exin why we simply didn¡¯t escape the fire using the front door, but who would


    ever believe our story if we told them the truth? There was no one in the world that would believe that


    the former mistress of that house still haunted this ce, not even myself if I had not seen it with my


    own two eyes.


    Sometimeter I took a seat beside Teddy, offering him a hot cup of tea to cheer up his spirits. A tiny


    smile graced his handsome face for me, but it could not linger there for too long. ¡°Thank you,¡± he


    mumbled with a great deal of difficulty.


    Iid my mug down on the table so I could give Teddy my full attention. He watched me cross my legs


    upon the couch before I pulled the patterned butterfly nket over myself as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your


    house.¡±


    ¡°Nothing can be done,¡± he uttered in a sorrowful way.


    ¡°I know how much you loved it.¡±


    ¡°The minute I was done with boarding school, I could not wait to return there,¡± he remarked with his


    eyes fixated on the in white ceiling. ¡°I wanted to be home again, but then I didn¡¯t. I knew she was


    there waiting for me, all those years trapped inside that house.¡± He tilted his head to the left, taking in


    my side profile. ¡°You must understand that she was all I had growing up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s why she didn¡¯t want to let you go,¡± I said in aforting way.


    ¡°My father was a monster, or the closest thing to it. He didn¡¯t love her.¡± He turned his attention to the


    empty coffee table where only his wallet and my newly done self-portrait rested in the center of it.


    ¡°Everyone knew he married her for money,¡± he blurted out harshly. ¡°And security, and with my mother¡¯s


    good looks, it was a tempting thing to secure for him.¡±


    ¡°And he made your life miserable,¡± I knowingly said.


    He nodded his head sharply. His soft pink lips pressed together firmly while he squinted his eyes a little


    bit. I could tell he was holding a lot of emotions back, but for once he seemed unable to control them.


    ¡°S,¡± he began. ¡°I am not my father.¡±


    ¡°I never thought you were.¡±


    ¡°After he killed her,¡± he continued. ¡°He walked all the way to the cliffs, a little ways past the area that


    you and I sat at today. And then he flung himself over.¡±


    ¡°That is why you got so mad,¡± I realized. ¡°When I had asked you about the steepness of the drop.¡±


    ¡°Memories,¡± he hushed. ¡°I can never escape them.¡±


    ¡°No one can.¡± I reached downwards and settled my hand over his upper thigh. ¡°We just find a way to


    move on from them.¡± He watched me stroke my hand from side to side, and then nced upwards to


    see the warm smile I gave only for him. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    His chin lowered to the top of his chest, a subtle gesture that revealed so much about his inner turmoil.


    ¡°I never meant to put you in harm¡¯s way,¡± he quietly revealed. ¡°All those times when you were in my


    house I knew that you were safe as long as it was daylight. My mother only reveals herself fully at


    night. That is the reason I never see Luna once the sun goes down. There are two sides of my mother,


    you see, almost two remnants of her spirit. The one upstairs whom I can reason with - the one that


    closely resembles my mother when she was still alive.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°And then there is the


    other tortured side of her¡­ the one down in the depths of the cer.¡± His lips contorted downwards


    harshly. ¡°She must have sensed you were inside the house, and then¡­¡± He shook his head grievously.


    ¡°I should have never kept you around at sote an hour.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Teddy,¡± I reassured him.


    Heid a hand on top of mine, gripping it tenderly with his thumb stroking the back of my hand. ¡°Do you


    forgive me?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°But you almost died back there,¡± he reminded me. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me breaking the ss.¡±


    ¡°And so would you,¡± I pointed out. ¡°The smoke or the fire would have gotten us in the end. But Teddy,


    why did she react that way?¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    ¡°She would never let anythinge in between us,¡± he said with a sharp shake of his head. ¡°My


    mother has a jealous nature¡­ always has.¡± He stopped the stroking of his thumb, and loosened his


    grip so his hand could slip up to my wrist. ¡°I can¡¯t ever have people around there, or even entertain the


    idea of having a romantic rtionship with someone. She fears that one day I will leave this ce,


    which would mean leaving her.¡±


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    ¡°But you had every intention to stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about leaving my home for quite some time now,¡± he revealed with a nervous quirk


    of his lips downwards. ¡°Because of the memories, and the things that my father had done to our family,


    but I stayed for her. I wanted to make her happy. To atone for my sins, or at least the things I wasn¡¯t


    able to do as a child. I kept it a secret, all those times my father beat her and eventually me. A secret


    because I feared what would happen if my father ever found out that I told anyone.¡± He removed his


    hand from my wrist andid it tly over hisp. ¡°I should have done something. He killed her in the


    end, strangled her to death with rope and pretended her hanging was a suicide attempt.¡± He stopped


    talking for a moment and simply let out a tiny exhale of air. ¡°I knew it was him all along when I returned


    that day from school. No police officer or doctor could convince me otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell anyone about your suspicions?¡±


    He shook his head violently with severely pursed lips. ¡°No,¡± came out in a haggard breath. ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    His voice significantly lowered as he added: ¡°Two dayster he killed himself. It seems he had a


    conscience after all.¡±


    Iid a hand on the back of his shoulder. ¡°And so you¡¯ve been ming yourself for keeping silent for all


    of these years.¡±


    ¡°For not speaking out for my mother,¡± he admitted. ¡°In life andter on in death.¡±


    ¡°And that is the reason that you returned home,¡± I finally realized. ¡°And the reason you put so much


    effort decorating her house - her garden.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he consented. ¡°She always loved her garden.¡±


    My hand slid down his back as I considered: ¡°Then all of it was for her.¡±


    ¡°Everything,¡± he wheezed out lifelessly.


    ¡°As a way of an apology?¡±


    ¡°Yes, S,¡± he softly concurred. He turned his gaze in my direction, and let his eyes scan my entire


    face. ¡°But I asked you to have coffee the first day we met because¡­¡± He tilted his chin upwards to


    regain some strength. ¡°Because I liked you,¡± he bluntly told me with a steady gaze.


    I fell into the side of him, smothering the side of my cheek onto his strong upper arm. The scent of


    smoke still lingered over him, probablying from his hair since he hadn¡¯t taken a shower yet. I


    rubbed my hand over the center of his back soothingly, taking my time to feel the tense muscles that


    stretched along his back. He remained perfectly still, probably enjoying my open show of affection. I


    slowly inched my head upwards and rested it over the top of his shoulder de. I could feel his hand


    cupping the side of my head, stroking his fingertips into my scalp in small circles. I let out an audible


    sigh, and then tilted my head toy my cheek over the side of his shoulder. ¡°I hope you know that you


    are wee to stay here as long as you want.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, S,¡± he hushed into my ear.


    ¡°And if you need anything-¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    A soft meow was heard on the other side of the couch that was closest to him. I gently lifted my head


    off Teddy¡¯s shoulder and wore a broad smile when I saw little Luna peering at her owner with interest. I


    watched Teddy flicker the tips of his fingers upwards, urging his cat to jump on top of the couch. We


    were lucky to find her in the dark, but I suppose all of the mayhem exhibited on the frontwn sparked


    Luna¡¯s interest. Teddy was quick to stick her in the backseat of his car, in which he expressed his


    gratitude that at least something had been saved from his house. The portrait of myself had been


    fortunately stored away in the backseat of his car as well, a secret blessing for him since he apparently


    treasured the drawing as much as I did.


    Luna was now settled over her master¡¯sp, purring loudly enough to set a fit of giggles from me. I


    brushed back my wild bedhead, suddenly realizing Teddy had seen me in my most rxed state


    possible. I tried to control the blushing of my cheeks when reaching for my cup of tea, hoping he could


    not see it from my current angle.


    ¡°You think there is an apartment room to rent across the hall from you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask thendowner.¡±


    Teddy turned his attention to the front door, silently contemting something for a moment. I thought


    he looked like a wounded bird with his right arm tightly bandaged up. He encountered some scrapes on


    his upper inner arm, but the ones along the sides of his waist were apparently the worst. It was nice to


    see him wearing one of my baggy ck jumpers, for I thought him wearing casual street clothes was


    somewhat bewildering to me. He would have to start his life over again, since all of his artwork had


    been destroyed by the fire. It would be a long, hard journey for him, but I knew things would turn right in


    the end.


    ¡°The tea is good,¡± he noted after he took a quiet sip.


    ¡°Yes, I like the taste of mint.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± he murmured. ¡°So do I.¡±


    A telling smirk crossed both of our faces at the same time. It was clear we would get along very well if


    Teddy did decide to stay with me.


    ¡°Hello Luna,¡± he cooed out softly. The small cat¡¯s purring was incredibly loud; her paws outstretched


    themselves across Teddy¡¯sp to press against the soft fabric of my nket that rested over the top of


    my right knee. ¡°We have to buy you cat food.¡±


    ¡°A dish for her food and water.¡±


    Teddy regrettably added: ¡°A litter box.¡±


    ¡°And cat treats!¡±


    ¡°Possibly a scratch post. I don¡¯t know what she will do locked up in this t all the time. She is used to


    being outdoors. Aren¡¯t you, Luna?¡±


    ¡°It will be a hard adjustment,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°But we are thankful all the same.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡± Iid a hand over Luna and stroked her side softly. Her purring had subsided, and


    interestingly enough she looked like she was ready to fall asleep. ¡°Teddy? Once things settle down, do


    you ever think you will rebuild your home?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he briskly replied. ¡°I intend to be rid of my memories. I will go away somewhere - somewhere far.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he pondered aloud. ¡°But I know I can make just about a living anywhere as an artist.


    Should I go to Rome, do you think?¡± Iughed at his statement, for his eyes shined at the prospect of it.


    ¡°I always wanted to go to Spain.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, some of my friends from boarding school ended up moving to Madrid. It would be nice to see them


    again. Although, if I was really clever I would buy a house close to where my guardian used to live. The


    area is fine there, and¡­¡± He suddenly stopped midway, and then turned his gaze to me. ¡°Where would


    you like to live, S?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± He nodded his head quickly, with a sneaky little smile gradually crossing over his face. ¡°Well, I


    am content where I am at the moment,¡± I replied with utter honesty. ¡°I am not too far from my parents,


    and my friends live around this area. I think it would be nice for you to meet them. Do you mind that?¡±


    ¡°No, I would love to,¡± he cheerily replied.


    I patted him on the back in a reassuring way. ¡°Okay, we can do that then.¡± I smiled at him, but for some


    reason Teddy did not smile back. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry about my past. I wish it could have been better.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°Because when I meet your parents and your friends,¡± he tried to exin. ¡°They will start to ask


    questions and¡­ you know how I am.¡±


    ¡°You will have to be honest.¡± My hand shifted upwards to rest over the back of his shoulder that was


    furthest from me. ¡°It will be horrifying I know, but if I am willing to ept your past, then they will too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s because you are different!¡± Teddy pointed out with a curious quirk of his right eyebrow.


    ¡°And so are my parents,¡± I reassured him. ¡°And my friends. You did nothing wrong, Teddy. They will not


    treat you like the people in the vige. There won¡¯t be any judgment or fearful looks whenever you are


    around. And besides, you cannot hide behind the shadow of your father all your life.¡±


    ¡°I always have,¡± he stammered out. ¡°It¡¯s even in my name¡­ Teddy.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to call you Theo?¡± He shook his head in a nervous gesture. ¡°Then we stick with your


    nickname name then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    I tapped him on his upper arm yfully. ¡°Then, Teddy it is.¡±


    ¡°I think I deserve a kiss for that.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡± He carefully slipped Luna off hisp to ce her upon the floor. ¡°You will have to be


    careful because I am all bandaged up.¡± I shook my head at him but he tantly ignored it. ¡°But I think I


    deserve it, considering I almost risked my life trying to save you.¡±


    ¡°From your mother,¡± Iughed, since it was rather funny after the fact. ¡°Talk about a terrible mother-in-


    law.¡± Teddy responded with a chaste kiss upon my lips, keeping it there for a moment before he


    withdrew from me. ¡°I think this living situation will be quite difficult.¡±


    ¡°For whom?¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± I admitted while my cheeks were turning a bright shade of pink before him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep sleeping on the couch, S,¡± he whispered right in front of my lips. ¡°I am a gentleman after


    all.¡±


    ¡°We will see how long that willst.¡± He grunted in front of me while shaking his head. I stopped his


    movements with a hand cupping the bottom of his chin; my fingers curled over to feel the length of his


    strong jawline that was ever so tempting to touch. He closed his eyes to the wandering movements of


    my hand. It felt right to caress his face this way, to be this close to him that our chests were nearly


    touching. ¡°Teddy,¡± I whispered out. ¡°I want you to stay.¡±


    ¡°Then I will,¡± he promised me, before sealing it with a meaningful kiss. ¡°For a little while, at least.¡±


    ¡°Teddy.¡± His name was hushed lightly after our lips parted. ¡°I¡­¡± My hand moved upwards to brace itself


    against his chest. ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Yes, S?¡± he asked me in a husky voice.


    ¡°I know it sounds quite silly, but I want you to stay forever.¡±


    His smile wasrge before me, allowing his eyes to shine with such brilliant wonder that it nearly took


    my breath away. ¡°I could do that,¡± he assured me, before he drew my hand to slide down thest of his


    chest, cleverly creating enough room for him to lean forward and steal another heartfelt kiss from my


    lips.


    For Teddy, most of his life was something akin to a tragedy; the past had haunted him like a deathly


    gue, darkening his mind and spirit. He was feared by the people in the town because of the


    nightmarish events that surrounded him as a child, and by all ounts the suspicious suicide


    committed by his mother and then his father plummeting into the icy sea would have given rise to a


    great deal of gossip. Some may think he is an off-spring of the devil, or the child that was the means of


    driving his parents insane. In reality, Theodore Woven the second, was simply a small self-conscious


    child that was attached to his mother¡¯s hip. He suffered through horrors that no child should encounter,


    and in the end he was, as he so wisely phrased it: ¡°A wounded bird.¡± Cast off from society, he did


    everything he could to appease his mother by returning home, hoping to make amends for the silence


    that cost him everything. And so, guilt-stricken and alone, Teddy had no choice but to suffer in silence.


    In silence he did suffer until one day, a young gardener stepped upon his doorstep, and with her


    sweetness of temper and youthful innocence that he had once lost and loved, it felt right for him to try


    and know her better.


    The tragedy is over, the curtains have been pulled, and now Teddy Woven has one more chance to live


    his life again. As he leaned against the couch with the woman he loved in his arms, the woman that


    saved him from a life of loneliness and despair, it felt perfectly natural to kiss her lips longingly in the


    tenderest of ways. For he truly loved her, and he knew that deep down inside, S felt the exact same


    way about him.


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