To Be A Champion

Chapter 15: I Don't Want To Know

I stand and leave the room, my feet hastily taking me towards the exit. I need the fresh air. While it's not stifling like it was on Dearg, I have no desire to stay in these contained walls any longer. When I do get outside, I see that it's rather cool, and rainy, as it usually is here. The clouds cover the pink and orange sky, and I scowl at the fact that such beauty is being kept hidden from me. How I could use something pretty right about now.

I'm sure Sam could too, although I don't think he'd appreciate it if I tried to pull him out to look at a sunset even if it was visible.

The sound of quiet laughter and muffled words catch my attention. My eyebrows shoot up at the sight of two people, one of them holding an umbrella above both of their heads to shield them from the drizzling rain. The soft smile that Nicole is wearing almost makes her unrecognizable, since her common look is one that shows no emotion at all, or that snarky, sarcastic look when she knows she's gotten under our skin and is enjoying it. Rory is the one that's laughing, his entire face lit up. That kind of light makes me think I might not need a sunset.

Thankfully the rain is soft enough that I can hear what they're saying.

"I'm sorry the rain sort of ruined the picnic," Rory says, glancing down at the little basket in the hand that isn't holding the umbrella. Nicole simply shrugs.

"It turned out alright. We just had a picnic indoors."

"Yeah. Yeah. Although I probably should have chosen somewhere besides my corner shop since-"

"Since people kept trying to come in and buy something?" She finishes, and a huff of a laugh leaves her lips. "No, I think I liked that part. Meant I got to tell them to leave."

The strawberry blond quirks a brow. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Uh-huh. You know your uh, accent gets stronger when you're irritated."

She blinks. "What?"

"That's how I know you didn't really like that part. I think after the fifth guy came in you yelled at them and said the words 'ain't' and 'ya'll' in a sentence." He snickers, although if Nicole is embarrassed, she doesn't show it. "It's pretty funny."

She huffs. "That's only because you aren't used to it. When I first came to England everyone's accents sounded funny to me too."

"Do they now?"

She shakes her head, which makes me smile. "No. I've gotten used to them. It does feel weird though, since my sister's voice is the only one that sounds 'normal' to me, and her accent is thicker than mine. I miss home, sometimes."

"Do you ever plan on going back?"

"To America?"

Rory hesitates at first, as if he wants to say something else, but he simply nods.

"I hope so," She replies. "My mom is in America. She wants me to come home, but before I came to Abel, she told me she wanted me to get Callista to come home too. I can't really leave unless I can convince her to go to." She gives a half shrug and a tight-lipped smile. "Same with being here, I guess. We can't leave until we've gotten Jones and fixed Janine."

An uncomfortable silence falls over them. They don't say it, but it's there. Nicole will eventually have to leave, and with it will go whatever small romance they may have. It's sad, but six weeks isn't enough time for anything, and I know Nicole will be jumping to get away from here as soon as she can. She isn't experiencing things quite the same way I am when it comes to Dearg, but her gut is telling her the same thing mine is telling me: something isn't right.