Chapter 98: Holly And Clara…Together
The bell above the entrance slowly settled back into silence.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody seemed capable of it.
Mrs. Walbury’s hand remained lightly against David’s cheek for another heartbeat before she realized neither of them was alone anymore.
She slowly lowered it.
David’s hand slipped away from her waist just as quietly.
Neither of them hurried to create distance.
They simply stood there.
Looking toward the entrance.
Holly hadn’t moved.
Her bag still hung loosely from her shoulder, one hand wrapped around the strap so tightly her knuckles had turned pale.
Her eyes drifted from David...
To Mrs. Walbury...
Then back again.
"...David?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
David met her eyes.
"...Morning."
The simple greeting only made the silence that followed feel heavier.
Holly opened her mouth.
Closed it again.
She looked toward Mrs. Walbury as if waiting for someone to tell her she’d misunderstood what she’d just seen.
"...Mrs. Walbury..."
"...What..."
The words refused to come.
Mrs. Walbury’s expression softened.
Of course she’d be shocked.
Anyone would be.
Especially Holly.
She knew.
She knew Mrs. Walbury was married.
This wasn’t how she’d wanted anyone to find out.
Not like this.
"Holly..."
Mrs. Walbury took a careful step forward.
"I know how this must look."
Holly instinctively took half a step back.
The movement was small.
Almost unnoticeable.
But it was enough to make Mrs. Walbury stop where she was.
"It’s..."
Mrs. Walbury searched for the right words.
"...It’s more complicated than it seems."
Holly stared at her.
Then looked back at David.
Her eyes lingered on him for only a second before she looked away again.
"I..."
She swallowed.
"...I think..."
Another pause.
"...I just need a minute."
Without waiting for either of them to answer, she turned and walked toward the staff hallway.
Her footsteps echoed softly across the empty gym.
Click.
The staff room door closed.
Silence settled over the reception area once more.
Mrs. Walbury stared after her, worry immediately replacing the warmth that had been on her face only moments earlier.
"...I need to talk to her."
She started toward the hallway.
David’s eyes followed Holly’s closed door.
Something about the way she’d looked at him...
Made him pause.
He frowned ever so slightly.
’...Wait.’
Mrs. Walbury looked toward the hallway once more.
"...I still have to talk to her."
David’s gaze followed hers.
His expression remained calm.
But something inside him told him that letting Mrs. Walbury walk through that door now...
Would only make things worse.
He looked toward the hallway once more.
Then quietly opened his mouth.
"...Mrs. Walbury."
She stopped.
Turning back to him.
"Hm?"
David hesitated.
His thoughts refused to settle.
’Think.’
’If she talks to Holly now...’
’...’
’What exactly am I trying to stop?’
He frowned slightly.
The answer was right there.
He could feel it.
Yet every time he tried to put it into words...
They slipped away.
Mrs. Walbury waited patiently.
"...David?"
He let out a slow breath.
"...Never mind."
For a brief moment, she searched his face.
As though trying to understand what he’d almost said.
Then she offered him a small, apologetic smile.
"I’m sorry."
"I can’t leave her alone."
Without waiting for another response, she turned and headed toward the staff hallway.
David watched her go.
His feet remained where they were.
"..."
Something still didn’t sit right.
Mrs. Walbury stopped outside the staff room door.
She raised her hand.
Knock.
"Holly?"
Silence.
She waited.
Nothing.
She knocked again.
"Holly..."
"I know this probably isn’t how you wanted your morning to start."
"...But please."
"Can we talk?"
No answer came from the other side.
She reached for the handle.
Twisted it gently.
Locked.
Mrs. Walbury lowered her hand.
"...Holly?"
"If you just need some time..."
"I understand."
"...But at least let me know you’re alright."
The room remained silent.
Not even the sound of movement came from inside.
Mrs. Walbury’s shoulders sank ever so slightly.
Behind her...
Soft footsteps approached.
David stopped a short distance away.
His eyes drifted from the closed door...
To Mrs. Walbury.
"...It’s locked."
She gave a small nod.
"I know."
For reasons he couldn’t quite explain...
A quiet sense of relief settled over him.
’...Good.’
The thought surprised him.
’At least...’
’Not yet.’
Mrs. Walbury remained facing the door.
Her fingers rested lightly against the handle before slowly slipping away.
"I don’t know what to do."
David stayed quiet.
His eyes lingered on the door.
His thoughts slowly began retracing everything that had happened over the past day.
Holly insisting he stay.
The way she’d smiled during breakfast.
The disappointment she’d tried to hide whenever he talked about leaving.
Then...
The look she’d given him just now.
Not Mrs. Walbury.
Him.
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
’...She still doesn’t know.’
Mrs. Walbury thought Holly was upset because she’d discovered a married woman kissing another man.
But...
If David was right...
That wasn’t what Holly had walked away from.
He looked at Mrs. Walbury.
She was still staring at the closed door.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Completely unaware of the possibility that had only just occurred to him.
David drew a slow breath.
"...Mrs. Walbury..."
She turned toward him once more.
Waiting quietly for whatever he was about to say.
David met her eyes.
He remained silent for another moment.
Organizing his thoughts.
"...I don’t think she walked away because of you."
Mrs. Walbury blinked.
"...What?"
"You think she’s upset because you’re married."
"...Isn’t she?"
David looked back toward the closed staff room door.
"I don’t think that’s what bothered her."
Mrs. Walbury frowned slightly.
Confusion slowly settled across her face.
"David..."
"What are you trying to say?"
He let out a slow breath.
"...I’m not completely sure."
"But..."
He paused.
Choosing his words carefully.
"...When she looked at us..."
"It wasn’t you she couldn’t look at."
Mrs. Walbury stared at him.
"...What do you mean?"
David didn’t answer immediately.
Instead...
His mind wandered back once more.
Breakfast.
Her smile.
The way she’d asked if he would stay another night.
The comfortable conversations.
The disappointment she’d tried to hide whenever he mentioned leaving.
One memory quietly connected to the next.
Until...
The answer no longer felt like a guess.
He looked back at Mrs. Walbury.
"...I think..."
"...She likes me."
Silence.
Mrs. Walbury simply stared at him.
For a long moment...
She didn’t react at all.
"...What?"
The word escaped almost automatically.
David gave a small shake of his head.
"I could be wrong."
"But..."
"I don’t think I am."
Mrs. Walbury looked back toward the closed staff room door.
Her thoughts began retracing the past few days.
Holly insisting David stay over.
The little smiles she’d worn around him.
The way she’d spoken about him.
How naturally she’d invited him into her apartment.
One memory after another surfaced.
"...Oh..."
She slowly lifted a hand to her mouth.
"I..."
"I never..."
She stopped herself.
She really hadn’t noticed.
Not once.
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
Mrs. Walbury’s gaze remained fixed on the staff room door.
"...Then I need to explain."
She took a small step forward.
David quietly called after her.
"...I don’t think you should."
She stopped.
Turning back toward him.
"...Why?"
David looked toward the closed door.
"If I’m right..."
"...Then talking to her now won’t help."
Mrs. Walbury frowned.
"I don’t understand."
"You’ll explain why we kissed."
She nodded slowly.
"...Yes."
"But..."
David’s voice remained calm.
"...I don’t think that’s the question she’s trying to answer."
Mrs. Walbury was quiet.
She searched his face.
Trying to understand what he meant.
David looked toward the door once more.
"If she really feels that way..."
"...Then explaining us..."
"...Won’t change what she saw."
Mrs. Walbury slowly lowered her eyes.
For the first time that morning...
She found herself unsure of what the right thing to do actually was.
The hallway fell silent once again.
Neither of them noticed...
The faint sound of movement from behind the staff room door.
She let out a slow breath.
"...You’re right."
David glanced at her.
She managed a small smile.
It didn’t quite reach her eyes.
"I don’t even know if I’d be answering the question she’s asking."
David remained quiet.
Mrs. Walbury looked at the closed door for another long moment before lowering her gaze.
"...I’ll give her some time."
She turned away from the hallway.
The two of them walked back toward the reception area without another word.
The gym suddenly felt much larger than it had only minutes earlier.
The distance between the entrance...
The counter...
The hallway...
Somehow seemed longer.
Mrs. Walbury stopped beside the front door.
"...I don’t think lunch is happening today."
David nodded once.
"...Probably not."
She let out a quiet laugh.
One without much happiness behind it.
"I was looking forward to it."
"I know."
"I’ll try talking to her later."
"...When she’s ready."
David didn’t comment.
Neither of them knew when that would be.
Mrs. Walbury adjusted the strap of her handbag before looking at him one last time.
"...Take care of yourself."
"You too."
She offered him one final smile before stepping outside.
The bell above the entrance chimed softly.
Ding.
The door slowly closed behind her.
Silence returned to the gym.
David remained where he was.
His eyes drifted toward the hallway one last time.
The staff room door remained shut.
"..."
After another few seconds...
He quietly picked up his gym bag.
There wasn’t anything more he could do here.
He switched off the reception lights, locked the front door behind him, and stepped out into the afternoon air.
The walk back to his apartment passed in near silence.
Normally...
His thoughts would have wandered toward training.
The System.
The next dungeon.
Anything.
Today...
They refused to leave the gym.
Mrs. Walbury.
Holly.
The look on Holly’s face when she’d opened the door.
"..."
He unlocked his apartment.
Stepped inside.
And closed the door behind him.