Talia sat by the window, looking outside. She didn’t know who she should turn to for help.
She wanted to confront Axel, but she didn’t know how to go about it. If she did and this was all a dream, how would she deal with it?
At the same time, she wanted some answers. She tried to make sense of the flashbacks she had seen in the water, but none of them were coming together.
She sighed. What if everything she saw was just a dream or an illusion? Every time she tried to think more, her head hurt.
She decided to make herself some chamomile tea. It would soothe her so that she could rest.
Talia slowly got out of bed and went down to the kitchen. Switching on the lights, she was glad that everyone else was asleep.
She turned on the kettle, but got a fright when she heard a sound. She turned to see London standing there.
She exhaled the breath that she had been holding.
“Sorry if I scared you.”
“It’s fine, London. Do you want some tea?”
“Yes.”
Talia noticed that he was replying hesitantly.
“Sit,” she said, pointing at the counter.
After he sat, she brewed two cups of tea for them.
“Thank you, Talia.”
“You’re welcome.”
Talia tried to read London but she couldn’t. He seemed to be closed off.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked, catching him off-guard.
“No, I don’t.”
“Why not?”
She waited for London to reply, but he just looked at her. “I don’t know. I guess I don’t have the time.”
Talia shook her head. “There’s more to life than serving your boss, you know. You deserve it. You don’t want life to pass you by.”
London nodded. “It’s not that easy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes you can’t have her, no matter what you do.”
“Is there a reason why you can’t have her?”
London sighed. “It’s the way it was designed.”
“Then change it, London. If there’s a will, there’s a way. Go make her yours!”
London chuckled. “It’s not that simple. She has to feel the same way.”
Talia placed her hand on his, feeling sad for him. His eyes flicked to hers. The split-second of emotion she saw in his eyes had disappeared and he was back to his old self.
Talia gripped his hand harder. “It will be okay.”
She didn’t know what he was going through, but he was definitely going through it.
Talia tried to place him more accurately in her memory, but all she got was a headache.
“Are you okay?” London asked.
“No, it’s just that ever since I—”
Talia stopped herself before she could spill any more of her thoughts. She had nearly caused a huge disaster.
“Yes?” London probed.
“Nothing.”
Talia took a deep breath, grateful that London wasn’t pushing her for more information. That was considerate of him. She didn’t feel like talking, and he respected that.
“What are you two doing?”
Talia and London both turned to Axel, who was looking at her hand gripping London’s.
