AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Tell me more,” said Vincent. “Who are you going after?”
Charlie raised her glass to her lips. “Her name is Elda. I nearly ran her over once. And I’ve loved her pretty much ever since.”
Sunlight flooded the carriage and once her vision adjusted, Charlie could see fields stretching out beyond them. She focused on the smooth grinding of the train’s wheels against the tracks and her heart rate slowed.
“We’ll be there in a couple of hours.” Vincent topped up her glass.
The time passed slowly, despite Vincent’s best efforts to entertain her. By the time her carriage pulled into the station, Charlie was already on her feet ready to disembark.
She had been to Paris as a child but hadn’t prepared herself for the noise, dirt, and attitude. The Gare du Nord spat her onto a pavement to join an impatient queue of people for taxis.
She looked at Jack’s drunken scrawl and when the driver repeated it back to her, she had no idea whether she’d end up at the right place. The car spluttered across the city, swerving across wide roads and down narrow streets. Shops were tiny and shabby, and then tall and elegant. Charlie could smell the stench of rumbling engines and the distance between shops got further. The signs got tattier, and the people looked less like tourists.
They came to a stop, and she stepped out onto the pavement. Charlie stared up at the imposing apartment block, and her heart raced. She wasn’t ready. She scurried to the nearest cluster of shops and peered into the window of a tiny café. Her skin crawled. She pushed the door open, and the warm air hit her cheeks. Blood rushed to her face. This wasn’t like her. She had to get a grip.
Charlie wasn’t sure whether to sit or queue, so she did a bit of both until a kind waiter waved at a spare stool in the window. When she was sat, the ground firmed up. Her breath steadied, and by the time the waiter returned to take an order, she was able to speak.
She started to rehearse while waiting for her coffee. She opened her lips and released a long breath.Well, this is pointless.A fun-size coffee arrived, and the door chimed as someone entered. Charlie jumped. What if Elda just turned up? Not being in control was sending her into another tailspin. Her stomach growled with anxiety, and the combined aroma of croissants and pizzas was making her sick.
She thought back to her last therapy session. She didn’t need to fix anything. She could make amends for something she had done wrong. She could apologise. But she wasn’t in charge of anyone else’s actions. Charlie had loved two people more than she thought was possible. The first was taken from her, and she had never forgiven herself. She was determined not to let the other slip away without fighting for what they had.
It was dark by the time Charlie wheeled her suitcase up and over the buckled tree roots. She was conscious of every heavy step and the noise she was making. Back at the front door, she stroked her finger up and down the list of names, until she found one that matched Jack’s scrap of paper.
“Allo.” The greeting was razor-sharp.
“Oui, bonjour. Je cherche Elda, elle est là?” Charlie cringed, and there was a buzzing sound.
“Venez, deuxième étage.”
She wasn’t sure what that meant but kept climbing until she saw an open door. The light inside was warm and music flooded the stairwell.
“You’re Charlie?” A woman poked her head out the door.
“I am. Are you Sylvie? Thank you so much for letting me in.” Charlie almost laughed at her ever-so-British introduction. “I’m looking for Elda.” Her hand raised to her chest to keep her from exploding and running down the stairs and out of the door.
“Come in.” Sylvie led the way into the kitchen.
Charlie scanned the room, looking for signs of Elda.
“She’s not here.”
Charlie’s cheeks flushed. She’d spent so long fretting over knocking on the door, she hadn’t stopped to think about Elda not being there. “When will she be back?”
“Why do you want to know? You let her come here. You didn’t stop her.”
Wait. She thinks I abandoned her.“I didn’t leave her if that’s what you’re saying. Elda was grieving and needed space. She said she needed time to be alone.” Charlie stopped talking. She had no reason to explain herself to this stranger.
“Yes, she’s been alone these past few weeks. She has lost everyone around her, except her useless mother of course,” Sylvie said and dismissed her with a wave. “She was vulnerable and needed someone to gather her up and keep her safe. But you let her pack her bags and travel alone. She was heading to Avignon after spending a day here. My God.”
Charlie retreated. “When she’s back, I’ll be happy to discuss this with Elda, but for now, perhaps it’s best if I wait outside.”
“Sit down, please.” Sylvie walked to the counter and poured two small glasses of red wine. She looked less furious. “I don’t hate you. I’m angry that Elda has been hurt.”
Charlie’s cheeks burned, and she couldn’t swallow the lump in her throat.
“She went to see Francis.”
“Really? Why?”
