CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER-35. (TWO DAYS FROM NOW).

By the time we reached home, the sky had already turned a dull shade of orange, dragging the weight of the day with it.

Dave didn’t bother saying anything after that conversation. He worked for most of the day while I wrote my story. I tried to.

But my brain was already occupied with all the things happened. First, Dave almost dragging me with him to his work, then the meeting with Beck, and like the last nail on the coffin. Nicole’s sudden appearance.

When we reached home, he didn’t even spare me a glance. He just walked straight to his room, shutting the door hard. Too hard, as if he was shutting the entire world out.

Typical.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

After getting into my room, I put the bag on my desk. I also felt guilty that I could not progress in my story, but was it my fault?

Somehow, I knew that Dave would go to the Sunday brunch as it was Grandpa Albert who invited him.

And I also got a hunch that he would drag me too for some stupid reason, which I would not be able to know.

Stripping myself, I took a quick hot shower.

This time I did not forget to lock my room’s door.

Though it was nearly impossible that he would barge in when he was in his emotions to figure out, I could not take any chances.

Slipping into my comfy pajamas, I got my laptop and jumped onto my comfy bed. First and all, I opened my mail application and checked for a reply from the Silver Fox.

And there it was.

Highlighted at the top of my inbox.

I could almost hear my heart hammering against my ribs. My overthinking mind kept thinking various versions of the answer they replied with.

My fingers trembled as I clicked on the mail.

The whole mail spread out on the white screen, and there it was.

My eyes scanned every word, taking my sweet time comprehending the meaning of the words written on the screen.

I read the mail again, slower this time, making sure my brain wasn’t inventing things.

"We would like to meet with you this Friday to discuss your submission and the opportunities it may open for you. Please confirm your availability."

Friday.

This Friday.

As in, two days from now.

I blinked. My brain refused to function for a solid thirty seconds.

Friday was practically tomorrow. Okay, not literally, but close enough.

I have not told Dave about this offer, and if by any means he found out, which my dramatic fate would make sure of it, then it would be another mess to clean.

I massaged the temple with my fingers when a knock echoed from the other making me jump from the bed.

Holy cow, my heart almost fell out of my mouth.

"Elena?" Linda’s voice floated through, calm and warm. Thank God it wasn’t him.

"Y-yeah?" I croaked, quickly minimizing the mail like I was hiding state secrets.

"Dinner’s ready. Do you want me to bring a plate up, or will you come down?"

I hesitated. For a moment, I thought about refusing, hiding here, replaying Silver Fox’s words in my head until I memorized every single comma.

But then my stomach growled loud enough to betray me.

"I’ll come down," I sighed.

"Alright, sweetheart," she said gently, footsteps retreating.

I closed the laptop, sliding it carefully under my pillow like some priceless jewel, and forced myself off the bed.

Dinner. Normal. Casual. Nothing to stress about.

Except... of course it wasn’t.

Because when I walked into the dining area, the first thing I noticed was that his chair was empty. Dave wasn’t there.

Linda was setting plates with a strange quietness in the surroundings.

She was a loud person and could not even survive in silence for two minutes. And here she was all quiet and...sad?

There was a faint crease between her brows. Guessing what could have been bothering her, I asked.

"He’s not eating?" My voice was barely audible even in this awkward silence.

Linda shook her head, lips pressed tight. "He said he’s not hungry."

Not hungry. Right. Because brooding fed him better than actual food.

I rolled my eyes, plopping into my chair. "Does he ever eat? Or does he just feed on his own misery?"

"Ele," Linda warned softly, though her lips twitched like she wanted to smile but stopped herself.

I stabbed a piece of broccoli a little too aggressively. "I’m serious. He’s going to starve himself one day, and we’ll just find a dramatic note at the end of it."

It was supposed to be a light joke and not expected to be taken seriously, but the joke fell flat.

Linda’s silence told me otherwise. I hated how I managed to ruin the little good mood she was finally starting to have.

I sighed, tossing the fork down. "Okay, that was a bad joke. Don’t give me that look."

Her eyes softened, but she still didn’t say anything right away.

She just kept cleaning the same plate a if this work suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world.

I hated to see her like that. When she retreated into herself, like she had words but wasn’t sure if she should share them.

"Linda," I leaned forward, resting my chin on my palm. "What is it? You’re clearly hiding something. Just spit it out already."

She hesitated, chewing her lower lip. "It’s not my place to say..."

"Please. You basically raised him for half his life. If anyone gets to say something, it’s you," I pressed, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

Her eyes flickered to mine, and for a second, I thought she might just drop the topic altogether. But then she exhaled slowly, like she’d been holding that breath for years.

"There’s a reason Dave acts the way he does," she said finally, her voice low, almost conspiratorial. "It goes back to when he was a child. Around his eighth birthday."

That caught me off guard. I sat up straighter, frowning. "His... eighth birthday?"

She nodded. "That was the first time Walter brought him to their house. With Vivian."