Schemes Come to Naught novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: July

Valeria came through the front door without knocking.

She was wearing a long coat over pajamas, and her face was perfectly calm.

She looked at the kitchen, at the water on the tile and on the cabinets, at my soaked sleeves.

Then she looked at Ines, who had my coat folded over her arm.

"Well," Valeria said. "Of course."

"A pipe burst," I said. "Ines texted me to shut off the water. We got it under control."

"I'm sure you did."

"Valeria..."

"My phone told me where you were," she said. "I was worried. I drove fifty minutes in the dark because I was worried about you."

Her voice was gentle.

She turned to Ines, and the gentleness went on for exactly one more second.

"You still have a key," she said.

"Nobody asked for it back," Ines said.

"It's the trust's property now."

"I know. I was shutting the water off so the trust's property wouldn't flood."

"How helpful."

Valeria stepped closer.

I saw her face change, and I realized it was the face I had never been shown.

It wasn't angry.

It was bored, and it was cold, and it was looking down at something small.

"Do you know what you are?" she said quietly. "You're a stain. He's done with you, and you keep turning up in his kitchen."

"Valeria," I said.

"You wanted to be noticed. Fine. You've been noticed. Now go home and stop making him feel guilty for something that is finished."

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