Ineffable

55 | THE REVELATION

Click ⭐ to vote

// trigger warning //
sensitive topics mentioned in this chapter. reader discretion is advised.

════════════════════════

Iris

With my eyes closed, I reach out to the side of the bed where Noah slept only to meet the other side of the duvet. I open an eye, finding the obvious indent of him that indicates he was beside me.

Still drowsy, I sit up and look around.

Noah's room here is nothing like the room back home. The keyword being nothing. His room is like a white canvas with just random things laying around. But still, I have to admire how clean it is actually—Mom would be so proud if I kept my room this clean.

"Noah?" I call out, rubbing my eyes. "Are you in the bathroom?"

When I hear no answer, I get out of the bed and check for myself. He isn't in there, given that the door is obviously unlocked. I take my cardigan and wrap myself with it as I make my way through the house.

It is very cold at night, here.

Unlike the Radcliffes' place back home, this place is comparatively smaller but definitely not too small. All I am grateful for is that I will probably not get lost in here.

When I am near the kitchen, I see Asim coming out with a big packet of chips. He looks at me and shrieks, making some chips fall on the floor. I laugh, lightly, at his delayed response as I walk towards him.

"Miss Iris, you scared me," Asim says and looks down at the fallen chips, before looking at me.

"What are you doing?" I ask him, looking at him and then the bowl of chips.

"At night, I quite enjoy watching American shows—I don't understand why I like them but I do." He explains.

"Oh."

He takes notice of my outfit. "Why are you out so late at night, Miss? Is it late-night cravings? Master Noah told me how much you love vanilla. So, I've kept a tub in the freezer. If you want—"

I smile. "Thank you—that, that is sweet. But that's not why I am out." Tightening the cardigan around me, I ask him, "Um, have you seen Noah? He wasn't beside me."

Asim looks confused but then, he slowly nods. "He's probably in the forest."

I blink. "I am sorry, did you just say forest?"

"Yeah, behind the house, there's a trail." Then, he smiles. "You've got a lot to learn, honey."

"Is that a reference from—?"

"Yes, I have an addiction to American shows—don't sue me!" He exclaims, walking away—going to a TV room, probably.

I let out a laugh, a bit surprised by his outburst, as I go towards the forest.

I have stayed here for some hours and, damn, Asim has won me over his cooking skills and gardening skills. He is not exactly formal and is very loyal to Noah's grandmother. When we came down for dinner and Noah found out his grandmother wasn't home, still, he tried asking so many questions but Asim smooth-sailed all his not-answer answers. It is a very effective skill I want to learn from him.

But not now, when Noah has vanished. I know it was his idea to come back to his homeplace but I cannot help feeling like he is being forced to talk about his past. I don't like it, even though Noah says he wants to.