Chapter 58 Her gaze seemed different...

So, George got home, flipped on the lights, and flopped down on the couch. He chucked his laptop on the coffee table, plugs it in, and fired it up. The words on the screen hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Ugh," he muttered, gritting his teeth, and deletes the sentence in a flash.

Next, he pulled up the surveillance feed and, no sweat, spotted the camera hidden in that dried flower vase on the third countertop by the entryway. He yanked it out and tossed it on the coffee table, then grabbed a screwdriver and headed to the bedroom.

He shoved the electric fan aside, popped off the socket plate, and dug out the camera that's been driving him nuts. With that done, he headed back to the living room.

George wasn't in a rush to bail. He fisheed a plastic bag out of his briefcase, dropped the camera in, and stashed it back in his bag. Then he started going through the surveillance footage from the past few days.

The recordings were all about Ellie living solo at home. She'd sleep in, scramble out the door in the morning, and come back in the afternoon. She'd whip up some quick grub, then crash on the couch and binge-watch TV until she zonked out.

Sometimes she'd wake up in the middle of the night and drag herself to her room, other times she'd just sleep on the couch till morning. She'd wake up, rubbing her neck and back, and shuffle to the bathroom to freshen up.

When the stove went kaput, she tried to fix it herself, getting all frustrated before giving up and plopping down on the couch, staring at the broken stove for a bit before putting it away and heading out.

One day, she came home and the lights wouldn't turn on. Freaking out, she kept calling to find out when the power would be back.
Eventually, she changed her clothes and headed out. That night, she didn't come back; probably crashed at her parents' place.

It hit him then—she kept the lights on all day at home, in the bedroom, living room, even the TV. She'd only switch them off when she was about to leave for work.

He also saw the time he came back last, when she was lying on the bed, tossing and turning, caught between excitement and unease. And the next day, after he left, there she was, curled up on the couch, face buried in a pillow, crying her eyes out.

George felt a pang in his chest and cleared his throat. He pulled out a cigarette he got from the deputy captain and lit it with shaky hands.

He knew he was always out, leaving her to fend for herself, but he never really got it. Every time he came back, she'd gripe about his long business trips and her parents nagging about grandkids, but she never mentioned the daily grind and letdowns she faced.

If she hadn't married him, she wouldn't be dealing with busted appliances or clogged drains, or freaking out during power outages. Coming home from work, she'd have a warm, comforting dinner instead of just scraping by on her own.

George furrowed his brow, took another deep drag from his cigarette, and looked back at the surveillance footage. He thought about deleting it, but suddenly, he couldn't bring himself to do it...

It was already past 2 AM when George left the house to pick up Ellie. She was still awake, but Mr. and Mrs. Baker had already hit the sack.
George figured they were out cold and didn't want to wake them, so he called Ellie first when he got downstairs.
Ellie, who'd been waiting forever, quickly sat up and grabbed her phone.

"Hello?"

"Were you asleep?"

"No, can't sleep."

"How about your parents?"

"They crashed around ten, they're super regular... By the way, how'd it go? Did you catch the guy?"

Even though she was alone, Ellie instinctively lowered her voice, like she was afraid someone might overhear.

George smirked, "We just missed Isaac, but he won't get far. Don't worry."

"I see..."

"I'm downstairs. I'll come up and get you."

"Great! I'll be right out."

"Wait."

"What's up?"

"Leave a note for your folks so they don't freak out when they see you're gone."

Ellie, who was already at the bedside putting on her shoes, lit up at George's thoughtful suggestion.

"You always think of everything. Okay, I'll find some paper and a pen."

"Cool."

After hanging up, Ellie rummaged through her drawer and found some paper and a pen. She scribbled a note telling her parents she was out with George and would be back soon. Then she quietly slipped out of her room.

The living room was pitch dark, and when her hand brushed against the light switch near the door, the light dimmed. Suddenly, she felt like a teenager sneaking out to meet her boyfriend in the middle of the night without her parents knowing...

It was a weird feeling, but for a moment, it made her heart race and took away the restlessness that had been bugging her. She couldn't help but smile. She tiptoed through the living room, changed her shoes at the door, and carefully opened it.

There was George, already waiting for her at the entrance. The hallway lights were on.
He stood there, backlit, head slightly lowered, looking at her. The shadows made his face look even more chiseled and intense. His gaze was different, hard to pin down. There was something extra in it... It made her heart skip a beat, like a jolt of electricity.

"Did... did you wait long?"

"How could I? We just hung up a minute ago."

"..."

Why was she asking such dumb questions? Couldn't she think of anything better to say?

Ellie mentally facepalmed, but before she could say anything else, George grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. He leaned over, gently closed it, then wrapped an arm around her and led her down the hallway.

The weird vibe hung around the whole way back, making her feel all jittery and flustered. Her mind was a blank, and she was slow to respond whenever George talked to her. It was driving her nuts.

Just as she got home and was about to turn on the TV to chill out, George, who had just closed the door, suddenly hugged her from behind. Her body went stiff, and her heart skipped a beat.

Then, his warm breath brushed against her ear, feeling kinda hot...

"You've worked hard."

His low, raspy voice vibrated in her eardrums. Ellie slightly shrugged her shoulder and tilted her head, trying to dodge his breath.
But before she knew it, they were already tangled up in each other. His hands were everywhere, caressing and holding her, while his lips traced soft kisses all over her.
She could feel his touch everywhere.
Not leaving her lips for even a second, George scooped Ellie up in his strong, muscular arms and carried her to the bathroom.