Morticia stood still, without a word. The rain washed away her earlier tears as her mind riled from his words. He wanted to be better for her…
The words echoed in her mind as Klaus held her close, his head buried in the crook of her neck, both of them getting soaked by the heavy rain.
“Let go,” Morticia whispered, her voice hoarse.
“I’m sorry,” Klaus repeated.
“I said let go, Klaus,” she demanded again, her voice cold. He released her, stepping back to meet her firm gaze. Concern and guilt were written all over his face.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Morticia asked, her tone sharp as Klaus’s grip on her shoulders loosened. “Do you really think we can keep going in circles with the arguments, reconciliations, and… flings?”
“They’re not flings,” Klaus interrupted.
“Oh, now they mean something to you?” Morticia shot back, her eyes landing on her diary. She snatched it away from him. “You shouldn’t have read it. It’s my diary, and I hate that you invaded my privacy,” she added, her glare icy.
Klaus knew he deserved her anger, especially after reading everything in the diary. College had been hard on her, mostly because of him.
She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm. Morticia sighed, giving him a tired look.
“Can’t you see it’s raining? I might catch a cold. Why are you still holding me?” she asked coldly.
“Uh…” For the first time, Klaus was at a loss for words. “What can I do then?”
She raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“What can I do to prove I really want to change for you?” he asked, his voice sincere making heart skipped a beat.
‘Stay strong, Morty. Remember what you promised yourself,’ Morticia thought, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again.
“Fine,” she said, nodding as an idea formed. “Stay five feet away from any other girls. I’m going inside now.” She yanked her arm free and left him standing in the rain.
Klaus stood there, thinking. “Five feet from other girls,” he muttered to himself.
“Hey, what were you thinking, going out in the rain like that?” Rhea asked as Morticia stepped inside. When she didn’t get a response, Rhea asked again, “Are you okay?”
Morticia nodded. “I’m fine… sorry I left so suddenly.”
“Did you go easy on him?” Valerie asked, her voice tinged with irritation.
“No,” Morticia mumbled. Valerie’s soft eyes flicked to the diary in Morticia’s hand but she said nothing.
“You’re drenched. Go take a warm bath, and I’ll make you some coffee.”
Morticia smiled. “Thanks.”
–
Vincent splashed water on his face, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The last two days of intense training had been exhausting, and today’s session would be lighter to avoid affecting their performance.
As the best in the group, he often had to teach his teammates new moves and tricks. He was patient, unlike their coach, and many preferred his lessons. But it drained him.
Tomorrow was the big show. Vincent felt a twinge of nervousness but knew he was ready to impress the audience.
As he stepped out, he ran into the company’s janitor.
“Mr. Will… hey,” Vincent greeted him as usual. The middle-aged man smiled. “How’s your son? I hope he’s getting better.”
“Yes, all thanks to you,” Mr. Will replied. Vincent had been a great financial help with the man’s sick son. As Vincent turned to leave, the janitor’s smile faded.
“Mr. Addams,” he called, making Vincent stop. The man hesitated, as if unsure whether to speak, which made Vincent frown.
“Is everything alright, Mr. Will?”
The janitor nodded. “Yes, everything’s fine. I just… I need to ask you something, sir.”
“Go ahead.”
Clearing his throat, the man asked, “The woman who visited two days ago… who is she to you?”
Vincent blinked, surprised by the question. Just as the janitor was about to retract his words, Vincent answered.
“Oh, you mean Sienna? The brown-haired woman, right?” Vincent smiled slightly.
“Yes, the brown-haired lady,” Mr. Will confirmed.
“She’s my girlfriend. We’ve been dating for three years now. Why do you ask?” Vincent’s tone was casual, but his curiosity was piqued.
“Three years…” Mr. Will mumbled.
“Yeah,” Vincent nodded. “I plan to marry her after I graduate.” His voice was filled with admiration.
Mr. Will sighed, his serious expression making Vincent’s smile fade.
“Actually, there’s something you need to know. I’d feel guilty if I didn’t tell you.”
Vincent’s brow furrowed. “What is it?”
Later, Vincent sat at the training ground, lost in thought. His teammates were eating breakfast, but he couldn’t shake what Mr. Will had told him. It gnawed at him, filling his mind with unsettling possibilities.
“Why aren’t you eating?” one of his friends asked, sitting beside him.
“I’ll eat later,” Vincent replied quietly, almost inaudible.
“Is something bothering you? Is it about tomorrow’s show? Come on, if you’re nervous, what are the rest of us supposed to feel?” his friend teased.
“Nah, I’m good,” Vincent forced a smile.
“Alright, guys, time to warm up!” the coach called out.
–
Valerie’s bike screeched to a halt. She removed her helmet, her short hair falling to her shoulders. Slinging her bag over one arm, she adjusted her black jacket and headed into the building.
She stopped when she saw Rhea chatting with a guy, both of them smiling.
“Who the hell is that?” Valerie muttered, but then wondered why she cared if Rhea was taling with anyone. She then waited for them to part before approaching Rhea.
“New friend?” she asked.
“Huh?” Rhea looked up, meeting Valerie’s gaze. “Who?”
“That guy,” Valerie replied.
“Oh, that’s Thane. He helped me dig into Jamie’s past.”
“Did you ask him to look into Sienna too?”
Rhea bit her lip. “It was my idea. We’re sorry, we just wanted to-”
“I’m glad you’re doing it. She’s unpredictable,” Valerie said bluntly.
Rhea nodded. “But what if she’s changed? Would you forgive her? You know what happened between you two was a long time ago.”
“It still haunts me. I can’t forgive her,” Valerie replied, turning to leave while Rhea sighed.