Fanny often thinks about what it would be like if they let her go home.

And even if she still chooses her old house, job, and old family over this, she knows she will miss Andy dearly.


And then there's Michel.

She really doesn't want to think about whether she would lust after him if she could come home.

The affection she has for him with her understanding of who he is, who they all are, we just contradict her, Fanny simply can't cope.


"You keep reading the same book. Why?"

She looked up in surprise when she suddenly heard his voice, not because he was on the phone with someone.


Michel is actually talking to her.

Clearing her throat, she tried not to look at what he was doing but instead focused her eyes on the book in her lap.

"Actually, I'm not much of a reader. It's not because I don't like books. It's just that I never have time, work keeps me very busy..."

"You still haven't answered my question. Why are you reading the same book?"

She bit her lower lip for a few seconds before finally giving in and answering.

"It was my father's favorite book."

At her answer, Michel was silent for a moment, pausing as he just stared at her silently.

He really doesn't have much to say about this since he knows that her father is her only family.

"You worry about him." His words are a statement, not a question.

Fanny bit her lip again but she nodded.

He saw the faint trace of wetness in her eyes, but the girl in front of him was clearly trying her best not to show how heartbreaking it was to leave her father behind.

Michel himself is uncomfortable with this level of emotion, so he clears his throat and continues instead.

"So you don't do anything besides work? Since you're not a reader, I mean."

Grateful for the change of subject, Fanny placed a bookmark between the pages and gently closed the book.

"Uhm, housewares. I cooked all the meals for my dad and myself and of course, I cleaned up. But when I have time, I'll go see my best friend - Rosabella. She's also a nurse."

They fell into another silence until Michel received a text message on his phone, quickly checking it and his watch afterward.

"I have to go." He stood up and took a few steps to the coat rack in the room, where he reached for his coat.

Turning to see her placing the book back in its original position on the shelf, he paused to hesitate.

He's not sure if he should follow his urges or simply do what he needs to do.

In the end, he chose to give in only to what he wanted to try.

"Fanny." He quickly spoke while shrugging his shoulders over his long black coat.

"Go get your coat. Let's go out."

"But..."

"You've been here for three months. You haven't left yet."

He saw her bewildered and confused reaction and looked at her with a defiant expression.

Of course, he knew what surprised her so much.

She is not allowed to go out.

And he certainly doesn't want to wonder why he broke this rule.

All he knows is that he needs to get out and he doesn't want to leave her yet.

"Aren't you worried that people can see me?" She asked gently, afraid that making him aware of the truth might change his mind.

But Michel just sighed and crossed his arms, asking again.

"Do you want to leave or not? Just put on your coat, Fanny."

---

He sneaked her out of the house as they boarded a black Mercedes, and Michel sped up quickly, driving onto the highway, leaving a good distance behind.

Fanny's heart was pounding for five minutes until she slowly began to calm down, her breathing even.

Suddenly she could notice details she was too nervous to see before.

She's in a car, with Michel.

Alone.

And she didn't know where they were going.

She was surprised to find that she wasn't worried about it either.

And when she admitted that she felt safe with Michel, her heart skipped a beat before starting to beat faster.

In the car, his scent is stronger, which makes the butterflies in her belly vibrate much more strongly.

It took about forty minutes by car until Michel finally brought them to their chosen destination - a small, rural neighborhood just outside of City X.

Fanny still doesn't know where they are, but when she and Michel got out of the car, she was surprised that he just shoved a credit card into her hand.

"Here. There's a mall right across the street. You can have an hour. See me here, okay? And don't draw any attention to yourself."

Fanny hesitantly took the credit card in her hand and looked up at him questioningly.

"Where are you going to stay?"

Michel pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit a quick cigarette.

"There's some work to do. Don't think about running away. I'll find you faster than you can imagine."

Excited and before changing her mind, Fanny quickly crossed the street and entered the mall.

She doesn't really enjoy shopping, but she misses out on this independence and freedom by just strolling through the stores by herself.

A bright smile appeared on her lips when she saw her standing in front of a supermarket, immediately entered it.

Well, this is exactly what she needed and missed.

A normal level.

She pretends to go back to her old house, goes to the apples, and looks at them happily.

She always likes to spend a long time picking the perfect ones so she knows exactly that this is what she is going to do with the rest of her time.

---

As if he hadn't moved, Fanny found Michel standing in the spot where she had left him an hour earlier, smoking again.

"What do you buy?" He immediately asked without hesitation, looking at the white plastic bag she was carrying.

"Apple."

"Apple?"

"Yes."

Michel snatched the bag from her hand and opened it to find exactly what she had told him she had bought.

He looked back at her and frowned.