Chapter 43 A surprise guest
CHAPTER 43: A surprise guest
Chauncey’s pov
The steady, driving riff of “Do I Wanna Know?” by the Arctic Monkeys pulsed through the studio, the bass vibrating against the soles of my unclad feet. The low-sung rhythm that usually helped me disappear into the canvas, was the only sound in the loft, sans the soft sound of the brush meeting canvas.
I stood there in a pair of old sweatpants and a tank top, the air around me thick with ease and familiarity…sharp tang of oil paint and turpentine.
Feeling deeply inspired today, just like the previous day's past, I had been up in the studio all trying to complete the painting I was working on.
Without taking my eyes off the work on the easel, I reached for the can of soda I was drinking from, and downed the rest of it.
I found myself leaning heavily into the reds tonight.
My brush kept sweeping across the fabric in deep, fiery strokes of crimson and vermilion, colors that heavily reminded me of a certain fiery redhead with a sharp tongue and a short temper it seemed...for me.
A sudden, sharp knock at the door broke my concentration.
I set the palette down with a frown, wiping a smudge of Prussian Blue off my thumb as I walked through the dimly lit loft.
Using the elastic band on my wrist, I pulled my hair into a bun as I made my way to the front door.
It was late at night, not that I was expecting anyone, but I was mildly irritated at being disturbed, especially if it turned out to be Nicole from two blocks away.
I had taken extra care to make it clear to her that I wasn't interested anymore.
When I pulled the heavy door open, I blinked in surprise. It was not Nicole from two blocks away.
It was Lily Bennett. Silas’s sister in law.
She stood in the corridor, her lower lip trapped between her teeth, a nervous smile on her face.
I frowned. “Lily?”
“Hello.”
I peered behind her and down both sides of the corridor, almost as if there would be Silas or Vera with her.
But she was alone.
“I’m alone,” she replied, with a nervous chuckle. She offered me a bright smile, her eyes dancing with amusement and curiosity as she took in my paint-splattered appearance.
“Are you going to keep staring, or are you actually going to let me in? I’m dead on my feet already.” she teased, her voice light and musical.
I shook my head to break the spell of confusion. “Pardon me. Come in,” I moved aside, gesturing for her to enter.
She breezed past, sighing softly in what I assumed to be relief.
I couldn't help but notice the small overnight bag in her hand.
A glance at both sides of the hallway again, and of course, it was still empty. I closed, wondering what Vera’s little sister was doing in my home at that time of the day.
I padded back to the living room and found her standing in the middle of the room, an appreciative look on her face as she took in the place.
She turned around and saw me, her face breaking into a smile.
“Wow. You have a very beautiful place here,” she said, sounding genuine.
I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Thank you.”
She walked further into the room, her eyes wandering over the high ceilings and the scattered canvases of my home.. “I mean it. It has a lot more…” she tilted her head, as if she was searching for the right word. “—character, than the mansion.”
“Silas will smoke from the ears if he hears that,” I joked lightly, still curious. “But I'll take it. Obviously, I'm the artsy brother.”
She chuckled.
“Can I get you anything?”
She met my gaze across the room. She blinked once. Twice.
“No…for now.”
I leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, watching her.
“So? What’s going on? What are you doing here at this time of day with luggage?”
Her smile faltered, her expression shifting into something a bit more somber.
“Silas returned from work tonight and... it was strange.” She twisted her fingers together. “He cleared out the entire mansion, ordering everyone to leave, including every member of the staff… to leave immediately.”
I straightened up, my brows knitting together. “He cleared the house? Why the hell would he do that?”
Lily sighed, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
“I really don't know.” She stepped closer.
“And your sister?”
“She’s the only one back there with him now. To be honest, I think she must have done something to really upset him. He looked absolutely pissed, Chauncey. I don't think I've ever seen him like that.”
I stared at her, a flicker of surprise in my chest.
“Why would you say that?”
She stilled almost as if she realised she had made a blunder.
“Oh nothing really,” she shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Married people problems?”
It felt odd, hearing her conclude so easily that her sister was the one at fault before she even knew the facts.
There was something about this I found disturbing.
I knew my brother. He was a man of many moods, but clearing a house was extreme.
“Hold on,” I said, feeling a prickle of unease. “I need to check on something.”
I walked toward the kitchen, pulling my phone from my pocket.
I dialed Silas’s number, but it rang through to the end. I tried again, but this time, the call was cut short.
Within seconds, the line was dead, switched off entirely.
The unease that I felt earlier was now a full sense of foreboding, settling heavily in my gut.
Silas never switched off his phone; he was always reachable. I was about to call Vera when I remembered that I didn’t have her number.
I returned to the living area where Lily was waiting. “Did you try calling Vera?”
“I did,” Lily replied, nodding. “Her line is switched off. Did you try calling Silas? Is everything okay?”
“I couldn't reach him. Switched off too.”
I looked at the bag she’d dropped by the sofa.
“I have to ask, how did you get here? Did Silas send you here? I was thinking the first option would have been Cherry’s place?”
“You're right. I was supposed to…” she said, her voice dropping into a softer, more vulnerable tone. “...go over to Cherry’s, but I called her and she told me she was on an out-of-town trip. I didn't know where else to go, so I had the driver bring me here. But if i'm intruding, then it's okay, i'll just—”
“No, it's fine.” I sighed heavily. “I guess I'm just taken by surprise by all this. You can stay the night here. But I’m taking you back in the morning. I need to find out what the hell is going on.”
She nodded. “Thank you so much, Chauncey.”
I moved forward and picked up her bag. “Come on, I'll show you to your room.”
“If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living? I can't help but notice the art pieces…and paint?”
“You won’t be wrong if you called me an artist,” I replied, arching a brow smugly.
Her eyes shone with admiration. “That's a very cool job. I bet you're good too.”
I smiled. “Thank you,” I said, leading the way to the guest bedroom. “Maybe one day you can come to an exhibition?”
“Of course, I'd love to.”
I arrived at the door, and pushed it open.
“Get some rest, Lily. Goodnight.”
“Thank you so much.”
I went back to the studio, but I couldn't seem to concentrate anymore. Lily’s arrival had disrupted the flow.
Finally, I retired to my room, but sleep was a lost cause.
I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling and redialing Silas’s number every ten minutes, only to be met by the same cold silence.
I had no idea why I was worried. Not when I was sure that my brother could not hurt Vera.
A soft, hesitant knock came from the door.
“Chauncey?”
I frowned.
I sat up and opened the door. Lily was silhouetted in the doorway, the light from the hall spilling in behind her. Her arms were wrapped around her.
She was wearing a tiny pair of shorts and an oversized shirt. It was immediately, glaringly obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra.
I quickly averted my eyes back to her face.
“Lily? What are you doing here?”
“I can’t sleep,” she whispered, stepping into the room.
I was genuinely confused and surprised. I turned around.
“I don't understand.”
She looked apologetic. “I'm so sorry for disturbing you. It's just that…i’m worried about my sister.”
I exhaled heavily from the nose. I was tired too, from all the thinking. I needed to sleep, myself.
“It's fine. You should try to get some rest, Lily. I’m sure Vera’s fine.”
She didn't listen. She turned and kept walking until she was standing at the edge of my bed, her eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that threw me completely off balance.
“I don't want to go back to that room,” she said softly. “Can I sleep with you instead?”