The knock on the car window made Elodie’s heart skip, just a small flutter, nothing more. She turned to see Harry standing there, hands in his pockets, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else but also sohow exactly where he ant to be.
Of all the places, she thought, slowly rolling down the window. The autumn air rushed in, carrying the scent of rain that hadn’t quite started yet.
"Mr. Becker." She kept her voice neutral.
His eyes searched her face, and she could practically see the assessnt happening behind them, checking for signs of damage, exhaustion, whatever he expected to find after everything that had happened. When he found nothing but her carefully composed expression, sothing flickered across his features. Relief? Disappointnt that she didn’t need rescuing?
"Is there sothing you need, Mr. Becker?"
Please say no. Please just walk away.
"I ca here for sothing," he said, shifting his weight slightly. "Saw your car, thought I’d co over and say hello."
The words hung between them, and Elodie almost laughed. They both knew he could’ve easily pretended not to see her. Could’ve walked past without this awkward dance they were doing now. But here he was, standing in the drizzle that had just started, making small talk like they were old friends instead of... whatever they were.
He helped you before, she reminded herself. And you’ll see him when you visit Daisy. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.
She nodded, aiming for polite distance. "Then you should get going, I—"
"Actually," he cut in, and she noticed how his jaw tightened slightly, like he was improvising. "I heard there’s a famous pastry shop around here. Been looking but can’t seem to find it. You wouldn’t happen to know where it is?"
Elodie blinked. Harry Becker, asking for directions to a bakery? The man who probably had three assistants who could GPS their way to the moon if he asked? But his expression was earnest enough, even if his eyes kept drifting to her hands on the steering wheel, her face, anywhere but direct eye contact.
"There is one," she said slowly, "but it’s not here. Different street, about a kiloter that way." She pointed east, watching as he nodded seriously, like she was giving him state secrets.
"Right. Thanks."
"No problem." The car ahead moved, and the scanner beeped for her turn. Perfect timing. "I should go. Goodbye, Mr. Becker."
"Goodbye, Elodie."
The way he said her na, soft, and careful, like he was trying it out, made sothing twist in her chest. But she was already pulling forward, already leaving him in her rearview mirror where he belonged.
Harry stood there for a mont after she left, rain dotting his shoulders. Of course he knew where the damn bakery was. He’d known before he asked. But watching her drive away, so composed and distant and completely fine... that was what he’d really needed to see.
Wasn’t it?
He pulled out his phone as he walked back to his car, thumb hovering over Dante’s number before scrolling past it. "Levi," he said when his friend picked up. "I’m back. Got a flight to catch later, but check if Dante’s free. If not, co with to the hospital to see Sienna."
"You’re back?" Levi’s surprise crackled through the phone. "Since when?"
Harry ignored the question, already calculating ti. "Just call Sienna, see if she’s up for visitors."
He could feel Levi wanting to ask why Harry didn’t call Dante or Sienna himself, could feel all the questions piling up. But Levi knew him well enough to let it go. For now.
Dante was busy, sothing about Pack business that couldn’t wait. No surprise there.
____________
Harry bought flowers at the hospital gift shop, the expensive ones that would last more than a day, and a fruit basket that looked properly thoughtful.
Sienna was propped up in bed when he walked in, and her whole face transford with that smile of hers, the real one, not the polite society version.
"What made you suddenly co back?" she asked, her fingers already reaching for the flowers.
"Had so matters to handle," he said, settling into the visitor’s chair like he hadn’t rearranged three etings and a conference call to be here.
"I see..." She lowered her head, breathing in the scent of the lilies, and he could see her doing the math. He hadn’t co imdiately when she’d gotten hurt, couldn’t, really, but here he was now, jet-lagged and pretending he wasn’t.
————————-
Elodie woke to the pale grey light of early morning that crept in softly and unhurried through the curtains.
She was at the Miller’s family house.
For a mont, she just lay there. Breathing. And for the first ti in longer than she could rember, that felt like relief rather than displacent.
The succulents on the windowsill caught her eye, a neat little row of them, that were green and plump and thriving. Her aunt had always been good with plants. Patient and attentive.
She pushed the thought away before it could settle, stretching her arms above her head until her spine gave a satisfying pop. Her body felt lighter today. Looser. Like she’d finally set down sothing heavy she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying.
Downstairs, the kitchen was already warm with activity. The sll of flour and sesa oil wrapped around her as she descended the creaky wooden stairs, and there was her aunt at the counter, her sleeves rolled up, her hands working dough. The two children were still asleep, Elodie could hear the quietness of the upper floor.
"Elodie." Her aunt looked up, and her face softened into sothing knowing. "You look different this morning."
Elodie crossed to the counter, reaching for the spare apron hanging on its hook. "Different how?"
"Lighter." Her aunt tilted her head, studying her. "Like you actually slept."
"I did, actually." Elodie tied the apron strings behind her back and moved to help with the dough. The texture was familiar under her palms. "First ti in a while."
They worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. When her aunt finally set a steaming bowl of noodles in front of her, Elodie’s stomach growled audibly.
She picked up her chopsticks. The first bite was perfect, the broth was rich and warming, the noodles exactly the right texture. She was reaching for a second mouthful when her phone buzzed against the wooden table.
The screen lit up and revealed it was Dante.
Elodie looked at the na. Just looked at it.
She set her chopsticks down slowly, watching the phone vibrate its way across the worn wood. Once. Twice. Three tis. Then silence.
Her aunt glanced over but said nothing.
Elodie picked up her chopsticks again.
The phone started buzzing almost imdiately. This ti it was Liora.
This ti, Elodie didn’t even pause her eating. She watched the na flash and pulse, demanding attention, demanding response, demanding that she drop everything and answer the way she always had. The way she’d trained herself to, because being a good mother ant being available. Being a good wife ant picking up.
But she’s not his wife anymore.
The call ended. Started again. Ended. Started again.
Without a word, Elodie reached over and held down the power button. The screen went dark and silent.
She went back to her noodles.
"Trouble?" her aunt asked mildly.
"Nothing I need to deal with right now."
Her aunt humd and poured her a cup of tea.
---
Across the city, in the master bedroom of the Bellini estate, Liora stood with her phone clutched in both hands, staring at the screen like it had personally betrayed her.
‘The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable.’
She tried again. Sa ssage. Again. Nothing.
The door to her father’s bathroom was open, steam curling out from his shower. Liora marched over and stopped just outside, with her arms crossed, her lower lip jutting out in that particular way she’d perfected at age four and never quite outgrown.
"Dad."
Dante erged a mont later, a towel around his waist, his hair still damp from his morning run and the shower that followed. He took one look at her face and paused.
"What happened?"
"Mom won’t answer." Liora held up her phone like evidence. "I called her yesterday, and she didn’t pick up. I called her this morning twice and now it says her phone is off. Off, Dad. Like, completely unreachable."
Dante reached for his shirt, pulling it on with unhurried movents. "She probably turned it off."
"Why would she do that?" Liora’s voice pitched higher. "What if sothing happened? What if she’s hurt? What if—"
"Liora." His voice was calm. Too calm. "Your mother is fine. She likely just wanted so quietness."
"But I wanted to go skiing today," Liora pressed on, apparently unconvinced by his reassurances. "She promised she’d take if she had ti. I was going to stay with Aunt Sienna at the hospital, but now that she’s feeling better and doesn’t need company, I thought—"
"Try again in half an hour," Dante interrupted gently. "She’ll have her phone back on by then."
Liora huffed, but her shoulders dropped slightly. "Fine. But if she doesn’t answer, you’re taking . You promised last ti."
"I’ll take you," Dante agreed, because it was easier than explaining that her mother’s silence wasn’t about dead batteries or poor reception.
——————-
Elodie finished her noodles slowly, savoring each bite like she had nowhere to be. Because she didn’t.
After helping her aunt clean up, wiping down counters, stacking dishes, she wandered into the small sunroom at the back of the house. The morning light was stronger now, slanting through the windows in golden bars.
She sat in the worn armchair by the window, pulled her phone out, and turned it back on.
The screen flooded imdiately with missed calls. Text ssages. Voicemails.
Dante. Dante. Liora. Dante. Liora. Dante.
And then, further down: Johnny. Paul.
She smiled at those nas.
She typed a quick ssage to Johnny first: At my aunt’s. I’m okay. Call when you’re free.
Then she looked at Dante’s texts.
‘Where are you?’
‘Liora is trying to reach you.’
‘Call when you get this.’
Elodie didn’t reply. She just sat there, her phone in hand, feeling the sun warm her face through the glass. She wondered how long it would take before he realized that she wasn’t going to co running back just because he called. That the leash he’d never known he was holding had finally slipped from his fingers.
Exactly forty-three seconds after her phone reconnected to the network, it rang.
Elodie watched the screen flash with Liora’s number.
Reviews
All reviews (0)