C16 THE CONFESSION.

Jerry was rooted to the door, his gaze fixated on the unexpected turn of events before him. It was something beyond his imagination. Not even close.

A woman, wearing one of Fred’s shirts almost inappropriately, stood half naked looking for Fred in his other room.

She didn’t seem to even notice, or maybe she just didn’t care, that Jerry was in front of her.

"Fred?" She called out, a high-pitched and indifferent voice as though Jerry wasn't standing there.

The walls felt as though they were closing in on him. The air was trapped in his throat, fists were drawn, and the heart rate increased.

What he was currently witnessing was incomprehensible.

How could Fred have someone in his room at this hour? And still, come to talk to me like he really cared? What was happening?.

“Excuse me?” Jerry’s voice was low and firm, though his body betrayed his rising anger. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?” His eyes fixed on the lady, unwilling to look away.

Her presence pissed him off more than he could admit. There was a surge of heat rising in him, anger, frustration, and something else he couldn’t quite define.

The woman barely glanced at him before she shifted her focus back to the doorway. She seemed unphased.

“Um… Jerry, hold on,” Fred’s voice cut through the tension. Jerry’s gaze snapped toward him just in time to see Fred hurriedly stand up from his bed. He quickly pulled the woman by the hand, guiding her toward the door as though Jerry were invisible.

“I thought I asked you to wait for me?” Fred’s words were soft but reproachful, his posture tense.

He glanced towards Jerry at first without any particular expression on his face, but when he was finished speaking, it seemed that a flicker of annoyance had crossed his features.

"Fred, that's hardly a gentleman-like way to behave towards a woman," the lady said as she seductively tugged at Fred's shirt and clearly enjoyed the attention. She leaned in, her face just inches from his, eyes locked with his in a clear invitation.

Jerry stared at them both. His mind was reeling, his thoughts colliding with each other. “So you had a visitor?” He asked, his voice biting, unable to keep the disgust from seeping through. “Unbelievable.”

Fred didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he led the woman further into the hallway, away from Jerry’s view.

“Jerry… let’s talk tomorrow, okay? And don’t forget what I said. Please, just let it be between us. I promise she’ll be comfortable,” Fred pleaded, his voice lowering with a sense of urgency.

“Who’s she?” The woman questioned Fred as they walked away, her voice a mixture of curiosity and impatience.

Jerry’s mind couldn’t help but buzz with thoughts of Fred’s disgusting character. He stood there, watching the pair disappear down the hallway, feeling as if the ground beneath him had just shifted.

“So, he had a lady in his room, and he had the guts to come speak about Laura?” As they walked away, Jerry couldn't help but mutter something under his breath. It was bitter to say the least.

The feeling of irritation was difficult to suppress and yet it still resided somewhere within him. He turned his back and marched into his room, this time he banged the door shut rather violently.

His thoughts returned to Laura, the woman who had consumed his mind for hours now. How was he supposed to face her after all that had happened? How would he tell her? His heart beat hard in his chest with the burden of concern and self-doubt.

Flopping down on his bed, he fixed his gaze on the ceiling in desperation, praying for stillness to come to his mind. He remembered how Laura would smile, how she would chuckle, how she would light up any space with her sheer existence.

But even her smile couldn’t stop the thoughts that swirled in his head. He turned over, sighing heavily, and closed his eyes. Within moments, sleep overtook him.

***

The next day…

Morning arrived as it always did in Inwood, bright, active and fresh with the smell of clean air and a persistent noise of the city.

Laura started awake and quickly turned to see the time displayed on the bedside clock. Apparently, she had gotten late, but it was nothing new.

She leaped out of bed and took a shower in record time before putting on her work attire and almost bolting out of the house, feeling the pressure.

But as soon as she walked out the house, the burden of her grievances came crashing down upon her.

Memories of her mother’s sickness and the incessant image of visiting her younger sibling and her mom every week in the hospital were hard to shake off.

Every other day was a task in itself to remain positive.

As she locked the door behind her, she turned around, briefly gazing at the empty house.

A pain of worry shot through her chest. “I hope everything is alright with them,” She said, so desperate to want it all back to normal. She wished that day could come when she would not have to worry sick about her loved ones.

With a small sigh, she settled the jacket around her and flagged a cab. The crisp morning air filled the city of Inwood with many busy bodies making their morning rounds.

The city’s pulse was alive, and she found a small sense of calm in its bustle.

She turned her head out of the window of the taxi and observed the fleeting surroundings. “It will be a good day today,” she said in a low voice to herself, motivating herself to distract her mind from heavy thoughts.

The cafe arrived quickly in her view as the cab turned the corner. Laure expressed her gratitude to the driver, settled him with cash and proceeded to step in.

When the bell over the door rang, Laura's senses were enticed by the smell of coffee and baked goods, the soft sounds of people talking, and the clanking of teacups. In spite of her fears, tranquility enveloped her.

“Hey, Laura!” Jerry greeted her with a smile that made her heart skip a beat. There was something in his eyes today, something deeper than usual. She couldn’t place it, but it made her feel as if the world outside the cafe didn’t matter.

“Hi, Jerry. Good morning. Hope you had a great night?” Laura responded, her voice warm as she made her way to the counter. Leaning towards him, she wrapped her arm around him in a side hug.

"Uh… yeah sure, I did," Jerry replied, stuttering his words as he sounded anxious. She noticed the way he was rigid and it caused a little flutter in her chest which she did not expect.

“Quite a number of customers in the cafe today,” Laura observed, looking around as more people lined up.

“Yeah, sometimes it happens like that,” Jerry replied, but his gaze lingered on her longer than it should have.

She caught him staring and smiled softly, though she felt a nervous energy growing between them. There was something in the air, a charge she couldn’t quite explain.

As they continued to serve the customers, Jerry’s mind was racing. He needed to tell her. He had to. But how? And what would she say? What if he lost her? The anxiety settled in him like a lead weight, threatening to distract him. There was no retreating from this though.

“Jerry? Laura?” Their boss’s voice echoed from the back office. “Come to my office, please.”

Jerry and Laura exchanged glances before both nodded and headed toward the office.

“Sit, please,” their boss instructed once they entered. He motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk.

They sat, wondering why they had been summoned.

There were several days that passed without their boss being around, and one could cut the tension with a knife as he appeared to be looking for words.

"I, first of all, wanted to ask and understand how far you have managed to get with the work," he said leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

“I’ve been so occupied and had a lot to deal with. I hope everything’s been going well?” He looked from one to the other as his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Yeah, it’s been going well, sir,” Jerry replied quickly, glancing at Laura before adding, “Everything’s fine here too.” He wanted to impress her.

“That’s great to hear,” their boss nodded, smiling slightly. “And Laura? How’s she doing?” His tone shifted to one of genuine curiosity.

“She’s been doing great, sir. The customers love her,” Jerry said, his voice filled with pride as he glanced at Laura. She felt a warmth spread in her chest, and she offered him a grateful smile.

“Perfect!” their boss replied, clearly satisfied. “Well, it seems like everything’s going well. You can go back to work now. I have some files to sort through.”

“Okay, sir. ‘‘Thank you,’’ Laura and Jerry said together and immediately got up to go back to their work.

Active hours passed by without a count. Customers entered and exited in a constant flow, the cafe was bursting with its usual liveliness yet Jerry never ceased ruminating.

He was not able to push it away any longer. He had to tell Laura how he felt. But would she feel the same way?.

As the last of the customers left and the cafe quieted down, Jerry felt his nerves surge again. He found Laura packing her bag and felt his heart tighten in his chest.

“Laura, please… Can we talk now?” His voice was shaky, and he cursed himself for sounding so uncertain.

She turned to face him, her brow furrowing with concern. “Is everything okay?” She asked, dropping her bag to the floor.

“Sure, all is well,” Jerry quickly answered, but only for a brief second. His voice wavered; he inhaled deeply.

He reached for her hands, held them lightly and stared straight into her eyes while doing so. “There’s something that I’ve been meaning to tell you. I… it’s so overwhelming, that I cannot contain it anymore. It’s eating me up inside.”

“Okay… what is it? I’m listening,” Laura said, her voice soft.

Jerry couldn't wait anymore, he was scared he would lose her to someone else, maybe Fred. He couldn't let that happen.

“Laura, please don’t take this the wrong way, or hate me, please, it’s just that, I - I um…. Laura I” Jerry stuttered as he struggled to maintain eye contact with her and his hands began to shake on hers while he held her.

“Jerry what’s going on? You sound disturbed, talk to me please” Laura pleaded as she looked at him with a concerned look on her face. He wasn't himself and she could read it properly.

“Laura, I don't know how this started… but, I - I think I have feelings for you”. “In fact I - I don’t think, I know I have feelings for you, I love you, Laura” Jerry confessed as he looked away, he couldn't bear the tension between them at that point.

“I can't get you off my head for a second, I felt we were just friends, but after the fall yesterday, things became more complicated, and I realized I didn't just see you like a friend Laura” he continued as he stared deep into her eyes this time.

“Laura, I love you, I do, and I want you, I need you,” Jerry said as he grabbed her hands tighter and waited for her response.

The air grew tense, it was like the world paused for a moment.

Laura’s hands and legs became weak as she stared back at him. Her eyes widened, her heart raced and her lips began to shake as she struggled to arrange her words properly.