The Tenth Night
Edwin Stunntis
If there was one thing Edwin hated the most, it was when Veronica was angry. There was a difference between when she got annoyed with him and when she was completely angry, and he could deal with her irritation. Her anger, however, scared him. It would scare any sane person, he assumed. But when she decided to come around to his place fuming mad, he just wanted to sink into his sofa.
"If I ever get my hands on that bitch, she will pay," the older woman snapped, pacing the length of his sitting room. "And if she thinks I will let all my hard work go to waste, she has another thing coming. This is my year - I have waited so long for this day to come, and she thinks reporting a threat against his life will deter me? Ha!"
He knew better than to interrupt her. He'd had years of experience to know when he was expected to talk and when he was expected to listen, and considering it was the middle of the night, he knew this wasn't a social call.
"And instead of facing the rest of us like a decent person, she hides like a coward. When she makes a mistake - and I know she will - I will make her wish that she had never been born." Veronica stopped pacing and looked at him, a hard look in her eyes before she shook her head and walked over to the window.
Edwin fiddled with his fingers, wanting to get up and reassure her that everything was going to turn out fine, but knew he'd just make it worse if he did that. She didn't look for comfort, and he knew she certainly wouldn't seek it with him. But it pained him to just sit and watch as she let out all her rage. It made him feel useless.
"You know what? I have to go," she said after a few moments of silence, making him jolt in his seat.
He sprung to his feet and hurried over to her, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you have to? You could stay, if you wanted," he suggested.
She turned and looked at him. "I left my husband in bed. How on earth could I stay here when he expects me to wake up beside him? Honestly, Edwin," she snapped.
"B-but, I, I-I--"
"Save your stuttering. You know how I feel about that." She looked him up and down before giving him a brief peck on the lips and leaving the house. He went up to the window and watched as she drove away, leaving him alone once again.
He sat back on the sofa and put his head in his hands, muttering under his breath. He had never felt this nervous in all the years they had been doing this. There was just something about this year that had put them all on edge, even before Eriko's vanishing act. The police being involved with his uncle didn't help his nerves, and Veronica finding herself riled up didn't help him either. He knew he was the one out of the group that would have been most likely to become a coward if he didn't have Veronica keeping him functioning, but now it seemed he wasn't the one who was threatening all of their identities.
He stayed in that position until the sun came up. The cramp in his neck only became noticeable when he went to sit up straight and winced at the ache. He shouldn't have sat in that position, but it was too late now. He glanced at the clock and knew it was time for him to get going. He didn't bother changing from his clothes before he grabbed his keys and slinked out into the morning.
The level of anxiety he was feeling was higher than he'd experienced before, and he had to duck into an alley to regain his composure before he could continue his journey. When he reached his destination, he stopped and just looked at the door. He didn't have to do this, he could just turn around and save himself all the anxiety. No one had to know that he had left his house, and he wouldn't mention it to anyone either. Part of him wanted to turn around and act like he had not just broken his routine of hiding away in his home, but the bigger part knew that was not something he could do.
He had to do this. So he took a shaky breath, stepped up to the door and knocked.
"If I ever get my hands on that bitch, she will pay," the older woman snapped, pacing the length of his sitting room. "And if she thinks I will let all my hard work go to waste, she has another thing coming. This is my year - I have waited so long for this day to come, and she thinks reporting a threat against his life will deter me? Ha!"
He knew better than to interrupt her. He'd had years of experience to know when he was expected to talk and when he was expected to listen, and considering it was the middle of the night, he knew this wasn't a social call.
"And instead of facing the rest of us like a decent person, she hides like a coward. When she makes a mistake - and I know she will - I will make her wish that she had never been born." Veronica stopped pacing and looked at him, a hard look in her eyes before she shook her head and walked over to the window.
Edwin fiddled with his fingers, wanting to get up and reassure her that everything was going to turn out fine, but knew he'd just make it worse if he did that. She didn't look for comfort, and he knew she certainly wouldn't seek it with him. But it pained him to just sit and watch as she let out all her rage. It made him feel useless.
"You know what? I have to go," she said after a few moments of silence, making him jolt in his seat.
He sprung to his feet and hurried over to her, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you have to? You could stay, if you wanted," he suggested.
She turned and looked at him. "I left my husband in bed. How on earth could I stay here when he expects me to wake up beside him? Honestly, Edwin," she snapped.
"B-but, I, I-I--"
"Save your stuttering. You know how I feel about that." She looked him up and down before giving him a brief peck on the lips and leaving the house. He went up to the window and watched as she drove away, leaving him alone once again.
He sat back on the sofa and put his head in his hands, muttering under his breath. He had never felt this nervous in all the years they had been doing this. There was just something about this year that had put them all on edge, even before Eriko's vanishing act. The police being involved with his uncle didn't help his nerves, and Veronica finding herself riled up didn't help him either. He knew he was the one out of the group that would have been most likely to become a coward if he didn't have Veronica keeping him functioning, but now it seemed he wasn't the one who was threatening all of their identities.
He stayed in that position until the sun came up. The cramp in his neck only became noticeable when he went to sit up straight and winced at the ache. He shouldn't have sat in that position, but it was too late now. He glanced at the clock and knew it was time for him to get going. He didn't bother changing from his clothes before he grabbed his keys and slinked out into the morning.
The level of anxiety he was feeling was higher than he'd experienced before, and he had to duck into an alley to regain his composure before he could continue his journey. When he reached his destination, he stopped and just looked at the door. He didn't have to do this, he could just turn around and save himself all the anxiety. No one had to know that he had left his house, and he wouldn't mention it to anyone either. Part of him wanted to turn around and act like he had not just broken his routine of hiding away in his home, but the bigger part knew that was not something he could do.
He had to do this. So he took a shaky breath, stepped up to the door and knocked.