Chapter 13 Long Lonely Days
I stayed on the bed for a while, just staring at the ceiling. My phone was beside me, but I didn’t feel like picking it up, the silence in the house was the kind that made your chest feel heavy like something was about to happen, which I can't really figure out. I remained positive hoping for the day to go smoothly with no drama.
Around 6 PM, I heard the front door open, it was Carson, he just came back.
I sat up quickly, my heart doing that stupid fast-beating thing again. I didn’t even know why I was nervous, maybe it's because I still didn’t understand him. Or maybe because he was the only one who had the power to make my world spin without doing much.
I walked slowly to the table where he was already sitting. The food was there, everything was nicely arranged. He didn’t look at me or say anything. I pulled out the chair across from him and sat down quietly. For a few seconds, I just sat there, not touching anything. I looked at him, focusing on his food like I wasn’t even there.
I thought of what to do to get his attention so I cleared my throat a little, just to make a sound but he still didn't look up.
“Did you eat anything all day?” I asked, just to start something.
He gave a small nod. “I grabbed something earlier,”He said.
“Oh... okay,” I said, trying to hide how awkward I felt.
I looked down at my plate. I wasn’t even hungry, but I didn’t want to just sit there staring at him. I picked up my fork and started moving the food around.
He finally spoke again.
“Did you go out today?”He said.
“Yeah,” I said. “Went to a coffee shop. Walked around for a bit.”I added.
He nodded without looking at me. “Good.”He said.
I looked up at him. “Can we talk?”
He finally looked at me. His eyes didn’t show much.
“About what?”He asked.
“About us. This. Everything,” I said. “I just… I don’t know where I stand. You barely speak to me, Carson,”I added.
He sighed and set his fork down slowly.
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk. I’m just not used to this.”He said.
“Used to what?”I asked.
“This kind of... arrangement,”He replied.
I stared at him. “Then why agree to it?”I asked curiously.
He didn’t answer right away. He looked away like he was thinking.
“Because I thought it would be easier,”He said.
“Easier for who?” I asked softly.
He looked at me again. “For both of us.”He said.
I shook my head slowly.
“It doesn’t feel easy. It feels like I’m living with someone I barely know, someone who doesn’t want me here,”I said.
“I don’t hate you, Annabelle,” he said quietly.
“I didn’t say you hated me. But you don’t treat me like I matter either.”I answered back sharply.
“Maybe I don’t know how.”He said.
“Then try,” I said.
“Talk to me. Ask me about my day. Tell me something about yours. Just… don’t sit across from me like I’m invisible.”I added.
He kept quiet, picked up his fork and started eating again.
“I’ll try,” he said without looking up.
And even though it wasn’t much, it was the first honest thing I’d heard from him in days.
I stared at him, waiting for more questions, but he said nothing further.
Afterward, I went upstairs, while he stayed behind. I didn’t know what he did with his nights, I didn't even know if he slept in the same house. That’s how much of a stranger he still was.
The next morning, I woke up feeling odd. The room was darker than usual.
I stood, stretched, and walked to the door... but when I tried the handle, it didn’t budge. I tried and tried again but its still the same.
I knocked.
“Hello?”I said from inside.
No answer.
I knocked again. “Cynthia? Carson?”I shouted more, but still no sound.
I stepped back, confused. The door wasn’t locked from the inside, that meant someone had locked it from outside.
“Why?”I asked myself, expecting an answer from no one.
I paced the room, trying not to panic. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe something was wrong with the lock.
I sat on the bed, grabbed my phone, and tried calling Carson, but he wasn't picking up.
I dropped the phone and leaned back. I wasn’t sure how long I sat like that before I heard a soft knock.
The door creaked open. Cynthia stepped in, holding a small tray.
“Breakfast,” she said.
I stared at her. “You locked the door?”I asked surprised.
“I didn’t, ma. It wasn’t me,”She said.
“Well, someone did,”I said .
She looked around, uncomfortable.
“Sometimes Mr. Carson asks for... quiet mornings.”She said.
I frowned.
“So that means locking me in?”I asked.
She didn’t reply, she just placed the tray on the table.
I stood up. “Cynthia, can I ask you something?”I asked.
She looked nervous but nodded. “Yes, ma.”She said.
“What’s the deal with him? Why does he act so cold?”I asked.
She hesitated. “He’s not cold, ma. He’s just... careful,”She replied.
“Careful of what? Me?”I asked.
“Of everyone,” she said softly.
“He’s been through things, so he doesn’t trust easily.”She said.
I looked at her.
“Has he done this before? Married someone he barely talks to?”I asked.
Cynthia looked down. “It’s not my place to say, ma.”She said.
That answer told me everything and nothing.
I sighed.
“Do you like working here?”I asked.
She nodded. “Yes, ma.”She said.
“Do you trust him?”I asked again.
She looked at me again.
“He’s not what people think. He’s just... different.”She said and ran off.
The rest of the day passed slowly. Carson didn’t come to my room.
Later that night, I was finally able to leave the room. I walked downstairs, hoping to catch him. Maybe talk.
But the house was quiet again.
Only one dim light was on in the hallway.
I stood there for a few seconds, unsure of what I wanted anymore. To talk? To run? To scream?
Or maybe just to understand.
Whatever this was, whatever kind of life I had walked into… it was lonelier than I ever expected.
And somehow, that scared me more than anything else.