The Mute Mistress

The Mute Mistress: Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Mary admired the sunrise long before letting herself outside. The sky glowed vibrantly with gold and orange thawing the cool blue sheet above it. It was so beautiful; she had to capture the image and send it to her family. Sharing what she saw made her distant loved ones feel closer.

With the changing sky behind her, she followed the stone path to the mansion. But she didn't reach the top step without doing a double-take. Startled, she checked her watch.

"Good morning, Mary," he greeted dryly.

Nathan sat at the outdoor dining table, resting his elbows on the surface and his hand folded over his fist, covering his mouth. He was thinking, but about what? Naturally, it worried her. Their last exchange intercepted her thoughts often, but immediate guilt followed. She figured he felt the same when he found her an hour later and told her not to worry about his dinner, because he would go out with Karina and Chaz. It was then that she might struggle around him more when she stopped herself from telling not to go with them.

He raised two fingers to wave and cleared his throat. "I know. It's early."

She approached his end of the table. The darkness under his eyes gave away the answer, but she typed the question anyway. Did you sleep?

"No," he admitted. "Lately, I've been too restless to sleep. So I was in the gym before I came out here."

She put it down in front of him. I'm sorry. Maybe you should relax today. Try to cancel unnecessary plans and go to sleep.

Mary pulled her hair behind, raking her fingers along his scalp to tie her hair back. Her gaze fell once Nathan immediately averted from her screen and took a fleeting glance of more than just her face. She felt the shiver.

He finally read the message and smirked before he gestured they go inside. Mary ran her hand up the back of her neck as a precautionary check for loose hairs, but also to soothe her nerves from knowing she was being watched. She was just around the island when he asked, "Are you... in a relationship?"

Mary felt everything inside of her seize, but she kept moving toward the coffeemaker to allow the question to live under a causal light. Without turning her head, she shook her head to answer.

"That's surprising."

Dammit. He made it hard to keep her cool. She turned around, ready to ask if he wanted coffee, but he beat her to the punch with another question. "What about a long-term relationship?"

She turned her head up and chewed the inside of her cheek when she nodded.

"How did he fuck it up?" Nathan turned his head to the side but kept his eye on her. "Or she?"

A year passed since she and Gene were together, but the thought of him still ruptured old wounds. She wished an old love could be an afterthought she would have to dig for to remember, but it had been merely six months since she thought they were to be together for the long haul. The upside of working away from Sandy Hills meant she drastically lowered the chances of running into him. But now the thoughts of an old love lingered in a beautiful kitchen. She inevitably wondered what he would think of her living in the guest house of a mansion too big to describe in one sentence. Mary considered the judgment he felt towards the upper class, but Gene used to surprise her with an arrow of optimism.

Mary drifted before bringing Nathan back into focus. She inhaled loudly before dropping her shoulders and hooking her thumb behind her. "Coffee?"

Nathan read the wall she put up. His tone was grave. "Sure."

He situated himself on a stool at the corner of the island and directed his attention through the glass door. Mary glanced too. The sun was higher and the world brighter. After focusing on her breaths, she fiddled with the settings on the machine and watched the mug fill to the top. Mary placed his cup in front of him before adding the little jars of sugar and cream.

"Where's your cup?" He asked, glancing at his mug before gazing to the outdoors again.

Right now, caffeine was a bad idea. Mary pulled out her phone instead. A few seconds later, she placed it beside his drink. I had to prioritize my family. We spent less and less time together, and then we split up after he said he wanted to see someone else.

Nathan turned his knees toward her and murmured. "I'm sorry."

She was my friend.

Nathan flared his nostrils and rubbed his lips. He looked out into the field again. "So, what did you say to her?"

Nothing.

"Nothing?" Nathan held a puzzled look.

Mary typed again. Nathan lingered over her face before reading the screen. I simply cut both of them out. Social media, phone, all blocked. And I stopped going to social groups and stayed home if I didn't have to go to work.

He enlarged his eyes. "You didn't go out at all?"

Nathan put his hand on hers. "I know you said it's easier to just type your thoughts, but I don't mind if you try without the phone."

Mary gently removed her hand from under his. She tapped the tips of her fingers together. Nathan let a contagious grin curve his mouth and Mary raised her shoulders with a nervous smile.

Finally, she drawled as she signed and mouthed, "Difficult to be in unfamiliar places. I freeze up or worse, I panic. I knew I would fall apart if I went out and saw him with our shared friends. I stopped going to my therapy for a while because I was so scared."

He focused on her eyes as his question dragged from his lips. "Does this arrested feeling have anything to do with–" He pointed loosely at his throat.

She nodded and signed, "Selective mute."

He didn't understand, but she typed it out. I've been so since I was a kid, but that's a long story.

Nathan caught another hint and forced air from his nose. "Uh, thank you for sharing that with me. And you didn't deserve what that guy did to you."

No one does.

Nathan looked away briefly until he proposed a startling offer. "Do you want to go out with me?"

Mary's face turned bright red, and Nathan smirked, taking his time to correct himself. "Do you want to go out with me today? Maybe run some errands with me? I have to stop by the tower for 2 hours max and maybe have lunch."

What about Belle? She's got the appointment today.

He laughed and scratched his hairline. "She and I agreed a long time ago that I wouldn't join her at appointments unless it was urgent. Our definitions of 'urgent' are very different, but I don't think she likes to have me worry about her. Her friend, Ottie, will drive and assist her. And afterward, I told him to take her to the botanical garden for the rest of the afternoon."

Mary folded her brows, and Nathan laughed. "Oh yeah, she's going to be mad about the plans after the appointment, but Ottie is a long-time friend. He knows how to handle her."

She gestured over her white shirt and jeans, looking at him in question.

Nathan pushed away from the island and neared Mary. He felt the material of her cuff. "This is perfect. You look great in anything."

She widened her eyes and asked, "Breakfast?"

"Yeah, but I'll help." His eyes shined with excitement.

Nathan proved he was a pancake flipping master. He impressed Mary, but it wasn't until they got to how to dress a pancake that they entered into a light-hearted disagreement. Nathan was determined to prove blueberries were the ultimate topping, but she hated that fruit. He held his hand over his heart and feigned ultimate pain. Mary laughed her loudest, breaking him from his performance. She covered her mouth, but the grin on his face let her know she didn't have to hide it.

"Was that you, Mary?" Belle said, before raising her brows at the man holding a spatula. She shut her eyes tight before opening them again, confirming reality.

"Huomenta (Morning), Belle!" He said, beaming.

Belle swooned. "Hyvää huomenta. (Good morning.)"