29

Chapter 29.
Andrianne paced back and forth in her room, her mind consumed with worry and fear. She couldn’t stop thinking about the guns she saw in Steve’s closet. What could he possibly need them for? Was he in trouble? Was he involved in something dangerous?
She knew Steve was not a violent person, but the sight of those guns made her feel uneasy. Her mind raced with all the possible scenarios. Maybe he was just an enthusiast, collecting guns as a hobby. But the more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that something was not right.
She tried calling Steve, but he didn’t answer. She left a message, asking him to call her back as soon as possible. She couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease that was consuming her.
As she sat on her bed, staring blankly at the wall, her mind began to wander back to the past. She remembered the time she and Steve had spent together, how they had fallen in love, and how everything had fallen apart. She wondered if there was a connection between Steve’s past and the guns she saw in his closet.
The more she thought about it, the more her anxiety grew. She felt like she was trapped in a nightmare and couldn’t escape. She tried to distract herself by watching TV, but nothing could shake off the fear and worry that had taken hold of her.
All day, Andrianne’s mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Steve and the guns she had seen in his closet. She couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach since the previous night. As she went about her day, she found it difficult to focus on anything else. Her work suffered, and she made several mistakes that she had to go back and correct.
At lunchtime, she tried to distract herself by going to a nearby café. She ordered a sandwich and a coffee, but as she sat down to eat, her mind wandered back to Steve and the guns. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong, and she wished she had asked him about the guns when she had the chance. But now, it was too late, and she was left to wonder.
As she finished her lunch, she decided to call Steve. She needed to talk to him, to ask him about the guns and put her mind at ease. She dialed his number, and after a few rings, he picked up.
“Hello?” His voice was warm and familiar, but Andrianne couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for storming out of his house the night before.
“Hey, Steve. It’s Andrianne.” Her voice was soft, hesitant.
“Andrianne, hi. Is everything okay?” Steve’s tone was concerned, and Andrianne was grateful for it.
“Well, not really. I couldn’t help but notice those guns in your closet last night, and I just wanted to make sure everything’s okay.” Andrianne held her breath, waiting for Steve’s response.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and Andrianne’s heart raced with worry. Finally, Steve spoke. “Andrianne, I know you’re worried, but those guns are just a hobby of mine. I like to go to the shooting range sometimes, and I keep them in my closet for safety.”
Andrianne let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, okay. I’m glad to hear that. I was just really worried, you know?”
“I understand, Andrianne. And I’m sorry about the way things ended between us last night. I didn’t mean to scare you with those guns, and I definitely didn’t want you to leave like that.”
Andrianne felt a twinge of guilt for storming out of his house, but she pushed it aside. “It’s okay, Steve. I overreacted, and I’m sorry about that. I just didn’t know what to think.”
There was a moment of silence, and Andrianne wondered if Steve had anything else to say. Finally, he spoke up. “Andrianne, can we meet up later? I want to talk to you in person, if that’s okay.”
Andrianne hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine. When and where?”
“How about later tonight? There’s a nice little café down the street from my place. We could grab some dinner there.”
Andrianne thought about it for a moment before nodding again. “Sure, that sounds good. What time?”
“Seven o’clock?”
Andrianne agreed, and they hung up. She felt a sense of relief wash over her, knowing that Steve wasn’t involved in anything dangerous. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder what he wanted to talk to her about.
Lucas left his office feeling drained and disoriented. He got into his car and drove home, the whole way trying to clear his head and figure out what he was going to do about his complicated situation. When he arrived home, he took a deep breath before stepping out of his car and making his way to the front door.
As he walked up the steps to the house, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread wash over him. He knew he had to talk to Andrianne, but he didn’t know how she was going to react to him after their last encounter. He took a deep breath and knocked on her door, hoping for the best.
Lucas knocked on Andrianne’s door, but there was no response. He knocked again, a bit harder this time, but still no answer. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked. He called out her name, but there was no response. He was starting to get frustrated, wondering why she would ignore him like this.
After a few more attempts to get her attention, Lucas gave up and went back to his room. He felt a wave of anger wash over him, as he couldn’t understand why Andrianne would shut him out like this. As he entered his room, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. He wondered if she was okay or if something had happened to her.
But he pushed those thoughts aside, telling himself that she was probably just upset and needed some time alone. He tried to focus on work, but his mind kept drifting back to Andrianne and why she was ignoring him.
As the evening wore on, Lucas became increasingly worried. He decided to try again, walking back to Andrianne’s door and knocking once more. When there was still no response, he felt a surge of anger and frustration. He didn’t understand why she was shutting him out, and the more he thought about it, the more upset he became.
Finally, he gave up and retreated back to his own room, feeling hurt and confused. He couldn’t help but wonder what he had done wrong, and why Andrianne was so intent on ignoring him. The uncertainty and tension in the air were almost palpable, and he didn’t know how to fix it.