Brother's Betrayal

Chapter Five {Trepidation}

I held my breath. It wouldn't help when Eloise walked around the desk and noticed me curled up in a shaking ball but it made me feel slightly less panicked. Although, at the point when her feet were almost against the desk, I was sure my pulse was so loud she was able to hear it.

Her footsteps stopped. She was leaning over the desk now. If she moved forward any further, she would see me, my toes sticking out albeit my efforts to reel my foot back in. I could hear her casual breathing; I was close to suffocating. As I was contemplating whether to hand myself over - maybe she would be more forgiving if I pretended I had done something wrong - there was a brief shuffling of paper, files maybe, on the desktop, then she turned and like she did in front of me, left and pulled the door shut firmly behind her.

I gasped for breath. I didn't believe it. No way had Eloise left without realising I was there. What if she had shut the door and was still standing by it? That man must surely have tipped Eloise off on the fact a frantic girl was asking about her whereabouts, and her office no less, especially her office being locked. What if she planned on returning when she had thought I had given up my doubts?

I remained under the wood surface until it felt like the space I had was decreasing and my back was beginning to ache tremendously. I shuffled out, poking my head over the top of the desk to find that, unlike my paranoid thoughts had said, I was alone and Eloise had really left the room. Maybe it wasn't really Eloise - she could have had an assistant. My nose wrinkled up at the thought of someone having to work with, for, her.

I regained my clear head (clear enough excluding the white hot anger that still poked at me) and pried open the first drawer; nothing. There were several scattered pens, all nibbled and chewed at the ends and on several of the lids. I repeated the same process until I was forced to open the one on the desktop. It wouldn't open at first and I had to brace myself before fully yanking on it until it sprung open. There were many envelopes carelessly shoved in there and I shuffled them about, plucking out several. Each was opened and I faltered when I read the name Josie Williams. The name was handwritten in a messy scrawl with uneven letters. It was taped shut and I folded it in half, pocketing it alongside my chore timetables. Whenever I next saw Josie I would slide it to her, probably across the breakfast table like in spy movies.

Giving up, I pushed the drawer in until I heard a clang as something collided with the side of the wood. I cautiously opened it again without struggle and there, trapped underneath another letter, was my ring. The red jewel shone as I grabbed it, deciding to simply hold onto it for the time being so if I did cross paths with Eloise on my way up to my room, I wouldn't be accused of theft of my own property during that journey. After that, I would be wearing it and displaying it so obviously, she would have no choice but to accept it or pick a fight. If she threw me out, I would come back. Or I would demand my car, which brought forth the question of what did they do with it when I arrived?

My knees clicked and I groaned when I stood. I replaced each drawer and moved to the door, checking everything was in place until I caught sight of the black frame on her desk. My palms became clammy and I folded my arms, my grip on the ring tightening as I stared at the photo.

Eloise was younger. So, so much younger. Her hair was a vibrant blonde and in a plait over her shoulders, falling short just above her elbow and a baby's head, the child she was cradling in her arms. My stomach dropped and my jaw went slack. It was hard to believe Eloise had a child or had at one point. There was a small girl with incredibly vibrant green eyes wearing a frilly dress who barely stood at Eloise's hips, clinging onto her leg and her other hand was held by a giant of a man. He didn't smile; the little hair he had was brushed back and although his eyes were crinkled at the edges he looked in no way happy. I frowned. Were they his children too, or Eloise's only? Surely, in a family photo like that one, he could have found the will to smile whilst at least posing.