CHAPTER 43 FIZ
FIZ
Sure enough, it’s hell in this house.
It’s been a week since everything blew up at breakfast. Elodie avoids all of us like the plague.
She only speaks to Alfie during their training sessions, which, surprisingly, she still wanted to continue.
Now The Hunt’s over, I thought she’d quit.
Alfie’s barely touched his Lego tower, only raked through the Zen garden once.
He’s fidgety and on edge, going through coffees at a speed that gives my own heart palpitations.
Elodie doesn’t join us for any meals. Alfie or Maggie takes her meals up to her. Caden’s been abnormally quiet, carrying around this horrible air of defeat. I don’t know how the fuck to fix this.
The cousins made up two days later. Alfie approached Cade and apologised, said he lost it, let his emotions get the better of him. Cade waved it off, and they went back to normal. But I still feel a rip in the stitches of our foundation. It’s awkward, it’s weird.
I roll myself a zoot and let the dogs out, trailing the small field at the front of the house as slowly as possible. This house is my sanctuary, my serenity, and at this point, I’m wondering when it’ll feel like that again.
Maybe Elodie staying isn’t such a good idea.
I want her to, more than anything, but maybe I was wrong.
Perhaps Caden really can’t handle her. Or at least confront his real feelings for her and make an effort to address them.
Denial is the biggest barrier for change.
Elodie’s no better, she could admit that there’s a little interest there.
They’re both as stubborn as each other, and I cannot take a lifetime of this misery.
The dogs circle back to me, so we return to the house.
Maggie’s laying out our plates, Alfie and Caden already sitting down.
“Morning,” I say, trying to keep my usual jovial tone.
They both say morning in the glum tones that have become their new usual.
I slump down, already feeling exhausted.
I have zero appetite, zero interest in being in this environment, and I’m about to snap and voice this when there’s a quiet shuffle of footsteps behind me.
I whip round.
There she stands. Unsure, nervous, tiny.
Just seeing her lifts my spirits. It makes the first genuine grin in a week spread across my face. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. I was beginning to forget what that pretty face looked like.”
She hugs her arm, rocks back on her feet once. “I was wondering… if I’m still welcome at the table.”
Alf waves her forward. “Of course you are.” He beams at her.
She glances at Caden, who watches her carefully. “Come on then,” he says, almost gently.
Elodie steps forward, going round the table to her normal seat.
She helps herself to the food, and I swear none of us move until she takes a bite.
Okay, this is good.
“So, how have you been?” I ask tentatively.
She presses her lips into a thin line. Takes a sip of her drink. Places the glass back down. “Bored.”
I chuckle and hold back all the comments that fly to my brain. Even I’m going to tread carefully right now. “Well, I’m glad to have you back.”
She gives me a tiny smile. “Thank you.”
This is really good. Perhaps she’ll be the bigger person in this after all.
The rest of the meal goes as smoothly as it can. We all eat, make painful small talk, Caden doesn’t participate, but it’s civil. It’s almost peaceful around this dining room.
When we’re nearly finished, Elodie clears her throat. “So, I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh-oh.”
She shoots me a hard look. I wink.
She fidgets around before speaking again. “If I’m staying here indefinitely, I was wondering if I could go and finally get some of my own clothes?” She doesn’t address this to any of us in particular, but it’s clear she’s asking Caden.
I look to him, so does Alfie.
Cade leans back in his seat, clearly savouring this request. It’s a good sign. She’s resigned to her defeat, accepted her fate. Perhaps this is a turning point. “I can take you.”
She bows her head. “I was hoping Alfie would take me.”
Shit. Turning point’s turned back around.
Caden’s fist tightens around his fork. “Alfie’s busy today.” His jaw goes taut.
Alf drops his fork onto the plate with a loud clatter and pinches the bridge of his nose. Elodie winces, and I know Cade is lapping it up. Alfie starts bobbing his leg under the table next to me.
When she doesn’t reply, Caden says, “So, I’ll happily take you.”
I resist the urge to offer myself, desperate to get this little fox alone again.
After a long moment of clear internal battle, Elodie finally says, “Fine.”
“Aw,” I say, “a man and his fiancé finally going on a date! I’m melting.”
Cade picks up a sausage and launches it at me with perfect aim, bonking me straight in the eye. I still laugh. How I wish I could be a fly on the wall for this outing.
***
Elodie goes upstairs to get ready. Cade’s already dressed to go, Sarge at his feet ready too. We all sit in the living room waiting, Bob and Bruiser also here, as if they’re anxious to see the pair off as well.
Alfie’s back on this Marvel tower, it seems now Elodie’s made her return he can focus a bit better. He’s consumed by his task while Caden fiddles with his lip piercing next to me.
“How’s the stomach?” I say.
“Fine. Better.”
He recovers from everything quicker than most, resilience has always been one of his strong points.
He doesn’t look like he’s had much sleep the past week, given the purple bags that seem to be permanently stained under his eyes, but I’ve noticed he gets through the day without clutching his middle as much.
Elodie appears in the doorway wearing one of Cade’s Sleep Token tops and a pair of black ripped jeans rolled up at the ankles. It’s definitely time to get her into some clothes that fit her slight frame.
Bob jumps up and trots over to her, Bruiser following close behind. Sarge stays by Cade. She bends down and tentatively strokes both of them.
Caden slaps his knees and gets off the sofa. “Right, ready?”
Sarge jumps up too and follows him to the front doors.
I watch Elodie carefully as she hesitates, staring at Sarge.
Caden turns around to see the hold up, and it takes him a second to cotton on. He fiddles with his snakebite, licking and wiggling it. Even Alfie looks up from his Legos to watch this weird internal battle our dear brother’s going through right now.
Finally, Caden crouches down and cups Sarge’s face. “Sorry, boy, you gotta sit this one out. I’ll be back in a bit.”
My jaw drops. I fling round to look at Alfie and see his mouth hanging open too.
Caden straightens up and jerks his head toward the door. “You coming or what?”
We both turn our heads to gawk at Elodie, who awkwardly shuffles across the room and past Sarge, jumping out the door when Sarge comes over to inspect her. She’s oblivious to what just happened.
Caden shakes his head behind her before turning back to us. Seeing our shellshocked expressions, his brow flattens. His finger comes out to point at us. “Don’t say a fucking word. Catch ya later.” Then he’s gone.
I turn back to Alfie, and we finally pick our jaws back up. “Holy shit.”
Alf nods slowly. “Leaving his best friend behind to make her feel better? That had to have been as hard as cleansing.”
I blow out a bray like a horse, still stunned. “Boy’s got it bad.”