I heard the door of the car closing shut and I looked back to see Elisa wearing her top over head. I could see her bare chest from here.
I ran towards the house as fast as I could. I entered through the back door and ran the bedroom. Josef had his luggages out and he was packing.
“There is another one” he said without looking up.
He brought out an envelope from his pocket and threw it at my feet.
I did not pick up.
“Josef, this is hilarious”
He stopped and turned to me.
“You think this funny?”
I closed the door, the room wasn’t sound proof and his voice was high.
“I didn’t write this”
“You expect me to believe your words?”
“How can you prove that this was written by me, it’s printed, I don’t even know where the printer in this house is located?”
“It confirmed my suspicions”
I held the first note to my face.
“Chris” I said reading it out loud for him to hear how stupid it sounds. “Thank you for the time we spent together after you arrived. You showed me how have a good fuck, it was unlike anything I’ve ever had. Thank you for giving Josef those condoms, I had snuck two thinking we would only go two rounds but we ended up going there, I don’t have any regrets, it gave you an opportunity to go in raw. Hope we do it again, I miss you already ”
His face was red with rage and anger and disappointment.
“I found it under your pillow, you were going to send it to him this morning ” Josef said.
“This is fake, someone planted it there ”
“Don’t you dare lie to me” Josef yelled.
He pointed at the envelope on the floor.
“Pick it up and read it”
With shaking hands, I picked the envelope up and I opened it.
“Josef, this is a warning note, it might take a while for you to see this but, I hope you find it fast” I looked up at him and was about to speak but he shook his head and urged me to continue reading. “It is urgent and I want you to know what is going in between Kylee and her boss, Christian. They are having sex. I don’t know how long the both of you have been together but it’s happening right under your nose”
The note itself was dated to the day we arrived to the castle.
“I asked you this before and you denied it”
“I told you the truth”
“You said you two weren’t fucking”
“We aren’t, he has never even looked at me that way before”
“Tell me the truth”
“I have been telling you the truth, what else do you want to hear?”
He shook his head and continued packing his bags. He was leaving.
“I wanted to not believe the note, I tried but if you think someone planted it, which I don’t, what does the person have to gain?’
“A lot of things, Josef”
“So you still deny it?”
“It’s not the truth”
He hauled his luggage and pulled it to the doorway. He had changed his clothes but his hair was still dry, he didn’t take a bath.
“We’re done ” he said when he was standing in the hallway.
Without another glance in my direction, he left.
I closed the door and went to the bed. I shouldn’t cry over him, yet the tears came and they didn’t stop.
I hugged the pillow and threw it aside when it smelled like him, I picked the second one and cried harder when that one too smelled like him.
I loosened the band in my hai and buried my fingers in it, it was the first time in a long time I cried. I was genuinely happy for the first time in my life and now…
*****
Christian was quiet as we drove home. I suspected that the reason we didn’t stay long at his house was because he was sad.
I tried everything I could to get him out of it but nothing worked.. humour, food… Nothing. I could concluded that the best way to solve it was to leave him to sort whatever was bothering him. If he’s ready, he would come to me. He pulled up in front of the house.
I didn’t see say that we should go separate ways. He held the door of the car open for me, I walked out.
The hot air slapped me in the face, it was a huge contrast from the coldness of the car. I walked into the house, a few people were in the living room.
Mr Alexander, Regalia and my mum.
She stood up immediately she saw me.
“Where have you been?”
I greeted Mr Alexander, he watched me with predator eyes, I waved at regalia and I smiled at my mum. At least she was worried about my whereabouts.
“I got lost” I told her and and I climbed the stairs, I was surprised to see that she was following after me.
“For your birthday” she said and I halted immediately.
Was she going to give me a gift? She has never give me a birthday gift before.
“Yes?”
I have a surprise for you”
I tried to hold back my tears but failed.
“Oh baby, don’t cry ”
She said as she hugged me.
I held onto her tight.
“You got me a gift”
“I did, I did”
“Thank you”
Her face was blank when I pulled out of the hug but she smiled after a few seconds.
“You’re welcome. You don’t have to thank me, you know. It’s my job to give you gifts ” she said patting my hair.
“Well, you’ve been doing a bad job ” I said jokingly but she shook her head.
“No baby, I’ve not been doing a bad job. I’ve been keeping you safe because I have a habit of giving nasty gifts”
There was a sharp edge to her voice but she laughed. It was only a joke.
“Marcellino is not alright. He called you a porn star so Christian hit him”
“He called me a what?”
Christian didn’t tell me this.
“I’m sorry, he deserves what he got. Honey, I have news about my lover ”
“Tell me” I said nervously.
“I’m finally going to reveal him to you soon”