Seen (ONC 2024)

Chapter 7: When The Heart Speaks

With the heavy curtains drawn, there is no daylight to slowly wake me up. To gently rouse me from my dreams.

Instead, I only know that it's morning because when I toss over in my bed–trying to tear myself away from the images of large camera lenses that have invaded my sleep–I see on the digital alarm clock that it's already past eight.

Last night, even though the police set up a barricade, the photographers didn't go away. We couldn't see them anymore because they were forced to the end of the driveway, but they were still there. A smudge of dust beyond the trees, their conversations floating over the branches.

Did they ever go home?

I swing my legs off the bed, slip my phone into my pajama pants pocket, and trudge into the kitchen to flip on the Nespresso machine. As the water heats up, and the rich aroma of coffee fills the air, I tiptoe over to the window and look out. No one is on the lawn. But when I open it a crack, a distant roar floats in with the cool mountain breeze.

What the fuck? Did they multiply?

After adding a bit of milk to my mug, I carry my coffee into the living room and look down at my phone.

I have a text message from Daniel.

Maybe he finally responded to my accusatory text instead of having our mother do it.

Nope.

I open the notification and see that he has shared a link with me. It's a headline from a local Vermont paper: Starlight in Vermont: A-Lister's Secret Getaway Unveiled! Underneath he's written that he guesses I really was telling the truth. His message ends with a winking face.

I scoff, a bitter taste in my mouth that's not from the coffee.

As I sit, simmering over my brother's dumb humor, my eyes catch on the maroon three-ring binder that's on the coffee table. The one the owner put together with all the local attractions.

What a waste. There's no way I'm getting out of this cabin now that the world's eyes are on Aria. The exits are blocked. The property is surrounded.

Nevermind the locally made ice-cream, I can't even use the jacuzzi right outside on the patio.

Downstairs, the water turns on. The A-lister must be awake and taking a shower.

When the water turns off, I push myself up and walk back into the kitchen to make her a coffee.

It's only been two nights, and already she has me trained.

A moment later, Aria walks halfway up the stairs. "Elijah?" she calls.

"Yes?" I turn and walk to the top landing, doing my best to keep my face neutral, not to let her know how annoyed I feel.

"Is it safe for me to come up?" Her voice trembles.

Suddenly, I feel guilty for being so negative. I might be stuck in this cabin, but so is she. And this is something she always has to deal with. I'll be returning to my usual anonymity at the end of the week.

"The police are still keeping them partitioned off," I say, holding out the mug. "Come sit in the living room. No one is hiding in the bushes."

She hesitates a moment, but then listens, stepping up and taking the mug from my hands.

Together, we sit next to each other on the couch. Aria brings the hot coffee to her lips and blows, sending up a billow of steam.

"So close, yet so far away," she mutters as she takes a sip, her eyes focused on the large windows.