Hi - I know there was a mistake last chapter- here is the correct one.

"Up my ass?" I repeated slowly.

"Yeah, as in all in your business. They tend to find out somehow anyways. Don't you think it's better to let them know the details straight away?" Emma smiled at me with an arched eyebrow. As if I didn't understand what she was implying. As if the "them" she was referring to wasn't herself. She was a nosey bitch and she was giving me a subtle warning about it.

But maybe I was friendship deprived because I was eating this conversation up. My mind was trying to get ahead of itself and started to plan matching bracelets and outfits with Emma already. I reeled it back in.

It was hard to have friends during university and even harder when I was working. Apart from Shar, I didn't have anyone else. I never had a girl best friend. Last, I remember was when my mother was alive and she would take us to play centres- a thoughtful attempt to normalise our hellish lives.

And after that we would get McDonalds for dinner. I loved all of the two times this had ever happened.

"I guess we can have tea and exchange both ours then?" I said back, acting nonchalant and lifting up my nails to inspect them. But inside, I could burst with happiness. Could you imagine? Sitting down and having tea with someone and just chat shit for hours? Sounded so divine that I was already salivating.

Emma's face exploded in a wide smile. "Is that a tea date?" She wriggled her eyebrows, and I nearly lost my cool and burst into laughter.

"I don't put out on the first date," I added as a joke and now we were both unable to contain our laughter. I was laughing so much that my chest started to hurt, mainly because of my bruise there. Bloody hell, I need to rest.

Claud, who was watching this exchange with boredom was now looking at me with concern. "Let me take you to your room."

It would take me a long time to see Claud being concerned for me. Even then, I knew he was only doing this for Nate. Or maybe because he cared?

"I have my own room?" I asked slowly, unsure of how to approach that. Does that mean whoever else lived here would be kicked out their room? Or did they have plenty.

Claud started to move, and I followed him. Emma was still smiling at me as she fell behind us. I walked up the stairs and I was half afraid each step would break the whole wood. This house was barely standing on its tattered feet – how could there be occupants here?

I held onto the banister and it was cold to touch. Would there be any heating here?

"It's a bit chaotic here but construction is starting soon to make this place a bit better." Emma filled In from behind. She must have read something in my body language or how else could she know what I was thinking.

Claud let out a scoff. "I half expect to see zombies appear out of nowhere whenever I'm here. Reminds me of those hideout places in the walking dead."

I wanted to ask if there was any hot water but decided to just find out myself. I was grateful to be here. If that meant I couldn't take a shower, then so be it.

But there was one thing I needed to know. "Who else is here?"

Emma cleared her throat. "There is Dante and his two little kids. But they're cats."

Each step emits a groan, and because of the three steps there was being taken, the groan was very loud in my ears until we got to the landing. The walls, showing their age, bear the marks of time with faded wallpaper peeling in some places and revealing the rough surface beneath. The colours that one adorned the walls seemed to have dulled over time, leaving the hallway in a sombre light.

There were several doors lined up and the hallway took a right, probably leading to more doors.

"There is Olive, but she tends to go out a lot. She isn't so worried for her own safety, but we do worry about the safety of others when she is around."

Claud turned and glanced at Emma. The same longing look passed crossed his face before he covered it up with his usual smirk. There was definitely a past here and I was not bothered to wait like some romance story to see it unfold. I was going to ask Emma all about it once I got her alone. "Is she going to harm Ellie?"

Emma shook her head vigorously. "Oh no. She prefers to make men pee themselves. Oscar is scared of her."

As we continued walking through the upstairs hallway, our footsteps muffled by the worn carpet, the conversation turned to a guy named Oscar.

"Who is Oscar?" asked Claud, curiosity evident in their voice.

Emma sighed softly; her gaze fixed on the floor ahead. "He's a cute one, but I fear he's a lost cause. He does not leave his room."

Claud's eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Why not? Is he unwell or injured?"

Emma shook her head. "I don't think so. It's hard to explain. He just seems... scared."

Claud's confusion deepened. "Scared? But why? What could possibly frighten him?"

A hint of uncertainty flashed across Emma's face. "Well, it's hard to say for certain, but when I first met him, I noticed something peculiar. He's actually quite large, and yet, he would walk away whenever someone he seemed scared of approached him."

Claud's mind raced to comprehend the situation. "So, you're saying he's scared of certain people? But why?"

Emma's eyes met Claud's, filled with a mix of sympathy and perplexity. "I wish I knew. Maybe he doesn't like people in general, but then again, he seems to like me plenty."

Their voices dropped to a hushed whisper, carried through the quiet hallway, as they contemplated the enigma of Oscar and his apparent fear of certain individuals. I tuned out the conversation as the pain throughout my body started to make itself apparent.

I hadn't taken painkillers for a while now and it was reminding me of it purposefully. Thankfully, Claud at a door and slowly opened it up.

As I stood in the room, a chill ran through me, causing a shiver to course down my spine. The coldness seemed to emanate from the walls themselves, wrapping around me like a ghostly embrace. My eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the details.

In the centre of the room stood a double bed, its sheets neatly arranged, inviting and comforting amidst the bleakness of the space. Two weathered wooden side tables flanked the bed, adorned with a few personal items—a dimly lit lamp, a worn book, and a small vase with dried flowers, each carrying its own hint of nostalgia.

A mixture of confusion and realization washed over me as I looked at Claud, seeking confirmation. "This is my room?" I asked, a tinge of vulnerability seeping into my voice.

He nodded gently, his gaze fixed on my face. It was evident that he could see the pain etched across my features, an understanding passing between us that went beyond mere words. His question, "Need anything?" held a deeper meaning, a silent inquiry about what I truly needed in that moment.

"Rest," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper, knowing that was the one thing I craved the most.

Claud, without hesitation, took Emma by the arm, guiding her away from the room. Her confusion briefly flickered across her face, but she complied, allowing Claud to lead her out. As the door closed behind them, a profound silence settled in the room, wrapping around me like a cocoon.

Fatigue weighed heavily upon me, my body aching for respite. With sluggish movements, I kicked off my shoes and made my way towards the beckoning bed. The world around me blurred as exhaustion overwhelmed my senses, leaving only a single thought in my mind—to surrender to the solace of darkness.

I sank into the softness of the bed, allowing its embrace to envelop me. My eyelids grew heavy, and the room faded away as sleep claimed me, granting a temporary reprieve from the pain and the uncertainty that plagued my waking hours. In the embrace of the silence, I found solace, and I surrendered to the oblivion of rest.

**

I woke up in pain, my whole body ablaze with discomfort. It had become a cruel routine, a relentless reminder of my physical struggles. I couldn't recall the last time I woke up without feeling some form of torment coursing through me, my body twitching with every movement.

"Sleep well?" a deep voice resonated beside me. I shifted my focus, noticing the dip in the side of the bed and the unmistakable warmth of a body intimately close.

Strangely, panic did not immediately consume me as my senses recognized the voice that had often lulled me to sleep during moments when tears threatened to overwhelm me because of the pain.

"Are you decent if I open my eyes?" I questioned, my voice betraying a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty.

He moved closer, his presence intensifying. "Define decent?" he replied, his whisper tinged with a hint of mischief.

Perhaps it was the temporary loss of sanity, or maybe it was the intoxicating proximity of his voice and scent, but my self-control fractured in an instant.

I opened my eyes, my gaze fixating on his captivating face. It took a brief moment to register his beauty before instinct took over. With a surge of longing, I reached for the back of his neck and pulled him towards me, drawing him into an intense, desperate kiss.