Chapter Nine

I move a few millimeters away from Jeanne to breathe, I am still surprised by our kisses and when I want to open my mouth and respond to Jeanne she watches me in silence, she staggers to the side and I notice how her eyes drift, in less than a second she falls to the side like an oak tree and I manage to hold his head before it hits the ground.

-Shit ...- I try by all means to wake her up again but she is still unconscious, I debate for a minute whether to call an ambulance or not until I notice how Jeanne moves slowly to the side and I can breathe again, how can I help her to get on her bed, she still doesn't open her eyes but she helps me by holding on to me, when I leave her lying down she looks at me for a couple of seconds until she whispers a "thank you" and closes her eyes again, in less than five seconds Jeanne Nizzari she falls asleep and I can stop pretending to remember that less than five minutes ago my boss's lips were on mine.

I leave the room in darkness to debate whether to go home or not, deep inside I know that there is no other solution than to sleep in a home for people without resources, I allow myself the luxury of throwing myself into the bed in the guest room of Jeanne, I tell myself that I will only sleep an hour and then I will go to spend the last night in the motel that I could pay, but after the hectic day I had and the last part of the night my eyelids begin to close, me last thought before dying in Orpheus's arms is Jeanne's lips on mine, then everything turns black.

I wake up with an annoying noise coming from the continuous room, it takes me a while to realize that I'm still in my boss's guest room, all the memories of the night before come to my head and my body tenses, Jeanne and I we kiss, in his room. I find it hard to believe that it was not just an illusion of mine, her kisses felt quite real ... There is two knocks on the door and my stomach shrinks. Could it be her? I get up as best I can and open the door, behind her is Marie who looks at me with a smile.

-Hi little one -I say smiling -How are you?

-Very good-gives me a hug- Aunt Jeanne says come down to eat, it's time for breakfast ...

-Oh ...

I let Marie go down first, getting up still wearing my dress from the night before. How will I look at Jeanne now? My boss?

I let my feet guide me up the stairs and automatically go down to the main room, my hands are shaking and my steps are unsure. Where are you, Jeanne? I walk to the next room and i first look is Marie's hair, which sway while eating, I take a few more steps and there she is, sitting in one of the corners with her elbows on the table and looking at nothing , frowning.

"Good morning," I say with a small voice and Jeanne looks up. I feel how she is piercing me, how her eyes meet mine, and I know my boss hasn't forgotten yesterday night so easily. I try that the slight tremor that advances from my legs to my chest is not noticeable, I do not want to show myself vulnerable to Jeanne, I hold her gaze, she seems confused and somewhat lost.

"Good morning," she says by way of answer, but then she doesn't say anything else and a knot forms in my stomach. "Please take a seat, you can have breakfast whatever you like Emma."

I nod my head and take a place next to Marie who starts to tell me about her morning, I try to pay attention to her but my whole body is tense, tense for Jeanne Nizzari who continues with an absent gaze and Do you remember our kisses? Have you forgotten? I don't know which of those two options scares me the most. I ask the cook for a couple of fruits for breakfast and for the next twenty minutes Jeanne remains just as quiet, I talk to Marie hiding my desire for the earth to swallow me, as quickly but before I can finish Jeanne gets up apologizing, saying that He has work to do and he doesn't look at me at any time, my body is still just as tense.

-Can you stay Emma? -Marie asks me insistently.

-Sorry little one, I have some things to do- I say by way of apology, I must put aside my anguish for last night and focus on finding a home to sleep tonight, my days in the motel are over and I no longer have any money to survive.

-What's up Emma? -Asks Marie worried.

-Oh nothing little girl... I've had some problems ...

"Problems of what?" He asks insistently.

-Problems that a girl like you should not worry about ... I must go Marie, see you on Monday, take care of yourself and your aunt ...

I leave the mansion with my mind set on only one thing, getting a place to sleep. I go back to my room at the motel and they almost kick me out of there, like a stray dog. I go with my things through the middle of the city looking for a place to sleep, I tried in one of the shelters of people without money and there were no more places, I begin to despair when the sun goes down, I will not survive the night without a place to spend it, I am finished.

I decide to go to a place that opens at twenty-four hours, I don't have any money to buy something but the owner sees me so finished that he lets me stay there until the first light of dawn, I have not been able to sleep at all, I have not eaten and it More importantly, I'm not ready to work tomorrow, I can't get to Jeanne Nizzari's great mansion in a mess, I've avoided thinking about her, on that night that ... I stop my thoughts, I need to focus on what is important, survive. I am leaving the premises as soon as I can, I thank the owner for his great heart and kindness, I am so sleepy and hungry that I can hardly walk, I go to one of the shopping centers and without further ado I throw myself into a hidden bed for sale and sleep for hours without nobody notices me, however, five hours later an employee wakes me up and says they will call security if I don't leave immediately.

I am finished, completely finished, I have no money, a house, or food, in no way will I be able to go to work with my boss tomorrow, I cannot present myself in a mess with Jeanne. Tonight I decide to spend it at the reception of my building, I cannot enter my apartment but I told the receptionist a little lie, that I had lost my keys and if he let me spend the night on one of the reception sofas, he accepted without problems and I was able to sleep soundly until the next day, it was Monday and for the first time in a long time I would not show up for work, Jeanne would definitely say goodbye soon.

With the last of my strength I walk all over the city in search of a quick job that will give me money quickly, but the only job of that kind would be prostitution and I would never do that again. I haven't eaten anything in two days, my body is heavy and my legs are barely moving, I just have to go back to my building and beg the receptionist to let me stay the night again, which I don't think he will let me do, but I'm so desperate, that I would beg for his mercy to my last strength.

When I turn the block to get to my building, I see blond hair coming out of a car, hair too familiar to me. I advance incredulous of what my eyes see, Jeanne Nizzari is barely two meters from me and looks at me with concern.

-Emma? -She approaches and my legs wobble- Are you okay? -She asked worried and I only managed to nod and stammer an answer.

-Yes, Mrs. Nizzari, excuse me for not showing up today, I had a problem and ...- Suddenly my eyelids become too heavy to support myself, I try to take a step but I go to the side, I start to lose my vision and last I see before falling to the ground is Jeanne Nizzari approaching my position quickly.

*

I sleep too much, I hear conversations and voices somewhere, but I feel so exhausted that I just lose consciousness and continue sleeping, after what seems like an eternity I feel a heat that spreads from my stomach to all parts of my body and I start to have energy to open my eyes, when I do it the first thing I see is her hair, then her eyes, then her lips, Jeanne Nizzari is sitting on a sofa next to me, I realize that I am on a stretcher and there is a tube in my stomach, plus a cable attached to my arm.

-What's going on? I say scared and Jeanne looks at me with her eyes tinged with concern.

-You woke up ...- she says getting up and looking at me from close-up, you have fainted Emma, when I went to see you ... You hadn't eaten anything and you were in a deplorable state, I brought you to a hospital and apparently you feel better ..

"I can't afford this," I say scared and try to get up but Jeanne stops me with her hand on mine and I shudder.

-Emma don't worry about that, I'll take care of it, I just want to know why you're in this state. Has something happened to you? -She asks seriously and I look away.

-It is not something that since speaking Mrs. Nizzari, but I have had problems due to my past and ... you know, they have taken away almost everything that I got in these months.

-Oh ... I understand -She says, looking away- you have to recover Emma, you gave me a scare, you finally have a little more color in your face, you were white, totally pale ...

I shrug my shoulders in embarrassment and we were silent looking at each other, until a doctor walks

through the door and informs me of my condition.

-You have demanded more than your body can, you need to rest and especially to eat, you need rest for a couple of days, I'll give you some medicine, but Emma, you have to take care of yourself-says the worried doctor and I nod.

"Thank you very much doctor, I'll talk to you later," says Jeanne and he leaves with a nod.

-Thank you for the help Mrs. Nizzari, I'll take care of everything ...

-No way, you don't have money or a place to spend the night, I have decided that you come to my house to recover, you cannot be fluttering anywhere in this state.

"But ..." I try to avoid it but Jeanne gives me a serious look and I understand that her decision is not negotiable.

-It is not something that since speaking Mrs. Nizzari, but I have had problems due to my past and ... you know, they have taken away almost everything that I got in these months.

-Oh ... I understand -She says, looking away- you have to recover Emma, you gave me a scare, you finally have a little more color in your face, you were white, totally pale ...

I shrug my shoulders in embarrassment and we were silent looking at each other, until a doctor walks

through the door and informs me of my condition.

-You have demanded more than your body can, you need to rest and especially to eat, you need rest for a couple of days, I'll give you some medicine, but Emma, you have to take care of yourself-says the worried doctor and I nod.

"Thank you very much doctor, I'll talk to you later," says Jeanne and he leaves with a nod.

-Thank you for the help Mrs. Nizzari, I'll take care of everything ...

-No way, you don't have money or a place to spend the night, I have decided that you come to my house to recover, you cannot be fluttering anywhere in this state.

"But ..." I try to avoid it but Jeanne gives me a serious look and I understand that her decision is not negotiable.

-You will come to the mansion as soon as you are discharged, I'll take care of everything else, Emma, don't worry about the money, I can help you.

I still have a hard time processing it. Jeanne worried about me? At the level of inviting me to the mansion ...

-Marie will be happy to have you there ... and Emma, we have some things to talk about ...

Shit ...

***

Hello everyone, thank you for voting and following this novel, I would appreciate it if you could share it and comment, until the next chapter :)