her standing there. "Oh, hey, sweetie," he whispered. "I’ll be off in a sec."
She nodded and went to pull her own phone out of her pocket when she realized she’d left it upstairs in the office. At the top of the stairs she paused, movement to the left of her catching her eye. She looked down the hallway and saw Josh’s retreating figure walking away from her. She took half a step back and leaned only her head forward, just far enough so she could see where he was going. He walked to the very end of the hallway and turned left. Sky hesitated a moment but then heard the faint sound of a door being pulled shut. She slowly walked down the hallway to the end. She stood there, pretending she was looking out the window. The door was closed, though she knew there was the chance that he could open it at any time. If she stayed right there by the window, it might be believable she was just taking in the view. But she didn’t want to stay right by the window, looking out at the magnolia trees. Her curiosity about the room was as palpable as if she was attached to a string and was slowly being reeled in. Her pulse quickened. A swirling sensation started to build in her stomach and her hands tingled. She took one step away from the window, then another, the door getting closer and closer. What would she say if he came out? What would she do if he didn’t?
She reached the door and everything was silent; it was like he wasn’t in there at all. She stood there, then took another step closer and pressed her ear against the wood. It was cool to the touch, but other than her own shallow breathing, she couldn’t hear anything. Maybe the room was not really a room but a passage to somewhere else, to some other part of the house and he was far away from her.
She lifted her head away from the door and touched the knob. It was locked. She didn’t know if she’d actually have had the nerve to open it if it hadn’t been - what if he was standing there right on the other side?
She remained rooted in place, unsure of what to do, knowing that with each passing second it became more and more likely that he would open the door and find her there, but she was unable to move. Only when she heard Conner calling her name from the first floor was she able to start moving. She backed away from the door slowly, and when she was past the window, she quickened her pace and practically ran down the hallway. It was only once she was halfway down the stairs that she remembered her real reason for going up there in the first place, and she went back to get her phone. She wanted to text her sister. She wanted to tell her all about it, ask her what she thought she should do, but Conner was talking about the dance club that he and his new boyfriend were going to and asking Sky if she’d ever been there before and she had to push any thoughts about what was in that room out of her mind, at least for the moment.
Chapter 11
It was Thursday morning and the mansion was quiet, the only sound Sky could hear was the monotonous hum of the refrigerator as she worked in the dining room, photographing an extensive collection of oil prints that the notes said Josh had won at an auction in Amsterdam.
After a few hours, she took a break, taking a walk through the long hallways, the various rooms. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to actually live in a house th is big, to have this much space and so many nice things. She thought of her own tiny apartment, how excited she was when she first got it. Yes, it was small and cramped - "cozy" had been the word the landlord used to describe it - but it was her very own, and she’d been thrilled when she signed the lease. But her apartment wasn’t even the size of the front sitting room, a room that was really no more than an afterthought in this house. It must be kind of lonely, though. Maybe Josh had a girlfriend she didn’t know about, but she didn’t think so. He lived here, by himself. All this space
She nodded and went to pull her own phone out of her pocket when she realized she’d left it upstairs in the office. At the top of the stairs she paused, movement to the left of her catching her eye. She looked down the hallway and saw Josh’s retreating figure walking away from her. She took half a step back and leaned only her head forward, just far enough so she could see where he was going. He walked to the very end of the hallway and turned left. Sky hesitated a moment but then heard the faint sound of a door being pulled shut. She slowly walked down the hallway to the end. She stood there, pretending she was looking out the window. The door was closed, though she knew there was the chance that he could open it at any time. If she stayed right there by the window, it might be believable she was just taking in the view. But she didn’t want to stay right by the window, looking out at the magnolia trees. Her curiosity about the room was as palpable as if she was attached to a string and was slowly being reeled in. Her pulse quickened. A swirling sensation started to build in her stomach and her hands tingled. She took one step away from the window, then another, the door getting closer and closer. What would she say if he came out? What would she do if he didn’t?
She reached the door and everything was silent; it was like he wasn’t in there at all. She stood there, then took another step closer and pressed her ear against the wood. It was cool to the touch, but other than her own shallow breathing, she couldn’t hear anything. Maybe the room was not really a room but a passage to somewhere else, to some other part of the house and he was far away from her.
She lifted her head away from the door and touched the knob. It was locked. She didn’t know if she’d actually have had the nerve to open it if it hadn’t been - what if he was standing there right on the other side?
She remained rooted in place, unsure of what to do, knowing that with each passing second it became more and more likely that he would open the door and find her there, but she was unable to move. Only when she heard Conner calling her name from the first floor was she able to start moving. She backed away from the door slowly, and when she was past the window, she quickened her pace and practically ran down the hallway. It was only once she was halfway down the stairs that she remembered her real reason for going up there in the first place, and she went back to get her phone. She wanted to text her sister. She wanted to tell her all about it, ask her what she thought she should do, but Conner was talking about the dance club that he and his new boyfriend were going to and asking Sky if she’d ever been there before and she had to push any thoughts about what was in that room out of her mind, at least for the moment.
Chapter 11
It was Thursday morning and the mansion was quiet, the only sound Sky could hear was the monotonous hum of the refrigerator as she worked in the dining room, photographing an extensive collection of oil prints that the notes said Josh had won at an auction in Amsterdam.
After a few hours, she took a break, taking a walk through the long hallways, the various rooms. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to actually live in a house th is big, to have this much space and so many nice things. She thought of her own tiny apartment, how excited she was when she first got it. Yes, it was small and cramped - "cozy" had been the word the landlord used to describe it - but it was her very own, and she’d been thrilled when she signed the lease. But her apartment wasn’t even the size of the front sitting room, a room that was really no more than an afterthought in this house. It must be kind of lonely, though. Maybe Josh had a girlfriend she didn’t know about, but she didn’t think so. He lived here, by himself. All this space
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