Free Hitting the Right Notes by Elisa Jackson Page A

sounded alien to her – probably it was hoarse with so many emotions choking her. Eric strangely didn’t protest; he didn’t try to hold her back. He simply watched her dress up and walk to the front door.
    Darya opened the front door of the cottage and burst out in sudden hysterical laughter. She had forgotten they were in a tiny cottage in the countryside – in the middle of nowhere, with one rental car to share for both of them. She didn’t have the keys, as Eric was the one to drive to the supermarket in the morning. She could’ve walked until she reached some inhabited area, that was probably only a few miles away, but in the matter of minutes the weather had changed from slightly cloudy to raining cats and dogs. He did mention something about feeling the weather... Funny, that he could feel the weather, which was such a distant and uncontrollable pattern, but could not be open to the human being next to him…
    Running away was not an option. She was trapped by all means. Trapped in a tiny place with the man she didn’t want to see. Ever. Darya couldn’t stop her hysterical laughter – it was her who had come up with the brilliant idea to spend the weekend in that damned cottage, to risk staying alone with a man she had known for only two days, to trust him completely and let him betray her yet again.
    “Are you ever going to learn your lesson, Darya?” But she had no answer to her question either.
    The bathroom seemed to be the only isolated area, so she hurried to lock herself in there. She turned on the shower to silence Eric’s pleas from outside. She was not yet ready to listen to him. Sitting on the floor of the bathroom, familiar chill ran through Darya’s body. She was back to the point where she thought she’d never be again – alone, scared, and hurt.
     

Chapter 16 – Downhill
     
    Eric had lost count of time already. He had been circling the corridor, walking from the kitchenette to the bedroom and back, every time throwing a glance at the bathroom door with a vain hope that it would open.
    It had been hours.
    The double pouring sound of rain and shower blended together and had turned into constant background noise which was becoming intolerable.
    He had tried everything – to beg her to open the door, to menace breaking it, and even to place some breakfast at the door and ask her to eat something. Nothing.
    At some point he was afraid that she had fainted or that she could harm herself, but every now and then he could hear Darya walking from one wall to the other, which was only few steps in the tiny space of the bathroom, but that was an enough signal that she was alright – she simply hated him.
    Losing all the hope, he thought to turn to the only help he knew.
    Alison picked the phone at the first ring.
    “Don’t tell me you’ve already messed it up.” Even caring and sweet Ali’s voice was now angry. How did she know why he was calling?
    “Of course he has, why else would he be calling?” He could hear Margo’s voice next to her. They were both slightly out of breath and Eric assumed that they would be double angry now – firstly, as always he had interrupted them in a wrong moment and secondly, they had warned him so many times to either be completely honest or stay away from Darya.
    “Turn on the loudspeaker, babe, I want to hear what he is going to whine about now.”
    “Eric, say something, we are going mad here already,” Ali urged. Great, now they were also worried about him. Although it felt like a great idea to call them for some advice, now, the words were not coming out of his throat.
    “We can’t see you, so at least say “yes” or “no.” Is everything alright with you and Darya?” Margo was always the practical one to find an easy solution in the trickiest of situations. Could there be anything worse than heartbroken Eric?
    “No.”
    “How bad?” He could hear Alison’s worried voice. He would give everything for them to be next to him now, so that