10

I took a step back from the blond and looked around, intimidated and panicked, but there was no one to be seen. It had sounded so loud and menacing that I couldn't get the image of a giant brown bear out of my head.

"Everything okay?" Ludwig asked, looking at me worried. I held one hand tight to my rapidly beating heart and took a deep breath. "Didn't you hear that?" I stammered, still turning my head in all directions. "No. What do you mean?"

He came closer and sympathetically wanted to take my hand in his, but I didn't feel like flirting anymore. The growl still echoed in my head, shaking my mind.

"I have to go." Without paying any attention to him or his hand again, I quickly made my way home. Luckily it wasn't that far and I started jogging the last two cross streets.

I didn't pay attention to my surroundings, the cars, or anything else. I just wanted some peace and quiet and to think if I was slowly losing my mind.

When I got to the front door, I frantically reached into my back pocket and pulled out the key, which I immediately dropped when I was scared to death again.

"Whose jacket are you wearing?"

The stranger with the ice-blue eyes suddenly stood right in front of me and bent down to hand me the key. I looked into his eyes in confusion and was too confused to give him an answer. He gently pushed me aside, unlocked the door and all without taking his eyes off me. I surveyed his gray hoodie but he drew my attention back to his face.

"You didn't answer my question," he repeated as he pushed the door open.

"From Louis." My voice was shaking, but he ignored my fear and gave me the derogatory look he did at the club. "You should give it back to him.", he then said and just walked into the house without permission, whereupon I followed him without a word.

"You can give them to me and I'll give them back to him." He stood in the middle of the living room with his back to me and looked around curiously. I wanted to say so many things, but I was paralyzed. My lungs frantically squeezed out the air while my heart was pounding with excitement.

"Are you alright?" he turned around, standing right in front of me. He was so close to me that his pleasant smell wafted towards me and put me in a kind of trance from which I could only free myself by turning away and taking a few steps towards the couch.

"I'll give him his jacket back myself. Oh yeah. Here's yours and thanks again." I handed his jacket back to him, trying not to meet his eyes, but he took his jacket and with the other hand my chin to lift it up and give me a good look.

He was really getting too pushy for me and even though I felt attracted to him, I turned my face away from his hand, walked past him to the front door and stood by her impatiently. "You should go now."

My voice trembled, but I looked him in the face confidently and then nodded decisively in the direction of the exit. I felt like my hands were going to tremble, so I stuffed them deep into my jacket pockets, which reminded me of the note.

While I was thinking about this piece of paper with my name on it, he came up to me with a grin, stopped short in front of me and then left the house. I immediately slammed the door and ran back into the living room to look out the window to see if he really intended to leave, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Irritated, I ran back to the front door and opened it, but he had simply disappeared, which gave me a strange feeling, because no one could escape from this dead end that quickly.

With Ludwig's jacket tight around my body, I closed the door, ran into the living room in a daze and sat down on the couch with the feeling that I couldn't think straight anymore. This whole place, the gloomy atmosphere, my grandma who was always gone, Ludwig, Chace and the stranger. Nothing seemed normal to me more than everything was a mess full of entanglements that nobody could unravel.

I slid down a bit and made myself comfortable lying down. The jacket kept me so comfortably warm and as I snuggled into it and stared at the ceiling, my eyelids grew heavier and I found my way into dreamland without wanting to.

A loud bang woke me up and I gasped in panic as sweat poured down my forehead.

"Oh, I didn't even see you.", I heard Lisbeth, who just took off her jacket and then sat down on the edge of the couch in front of me. "What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes wearily. "7 p.m. Are you hungry? I'll make us delicious pasta."

She left the living room and I got up, exhausted. First, I took off the beige jacket that was the reason I was sweating so much. Then I went to the bathroom and washed my face. The cool water made it easier for me to breathe and I immediately felt more awake. It didn't take me long to decide to undress completely and take a shower.

I enjoyed the pounding water and only noticed that my grandmother was calling me. "I'll be right there!" I called from the cabin and quickly washed the rest of the shower gel off my body, then wrapped myself in a large red towel and left the bathroom.

"What is-" I stared wide-eyed into Ludwig's brown eyes and blushed with embarrassment. He was standing right next to my grandma and they both looked me up and down with the blonde clearly enjoying himself.

"I'll be right back." I stammered and ran back into the hallway to rush up the stairs. I slammed the door behind me and took a deep breath. Of course it was nothing special for most people to be seen in a towel, but for me it was.

Only when my breathing had calmed down again did I look for a pair of black leggings and a yellow hoodie. I quickly pulled both on and styled my wet hair into a loose bun. Before I left my room, I looked out the window again. I felt like I was being watched, but that was probably just the excitement. Without thinking about it, I opened the door and padded down the stairs in my white cozy socks.

"Sorry," I murmured to the two of them, who seemed to be having a good conversation and were standing together at the coffee maker. "The towel looked good on you too." Ludwig joked and I blushed again.

"He's here because he wanted to invite you." Lisbeth said and walked towards me with a cup of coffee in her hand. "You didn't tell me anything about your adorable new boyfriend," she whispered in my ear, stepping next to me with a smile.

Actually, I would have liked to ask him about my grandmother's paintings, but I was too curious about what he wanted me to do. "I wanted to ask you if you would like to have dinner with me."

He spoke so confidently and easily that only the slight blush on his otherwise pale face showed me that he too was nervous. Before I could reply, my Lili elbowed me lightly in the side and raised her eyebrows in encouragement. At this absurd sight of my matchmaker I had to laugh and nodded happily to the blond. "Yes. I would like to have dinner with you."

He gave me a warm smile and his eyes lit up with joy. "I'm just putting my shoes on." I ran out of the kitchen into the hallway and only heard him call out behind me. "Don't forget your jacket."

I shook my head in amusement and ran upstairs in my black sneakers to put on my new black vest. "We can." I called as I marched down the stairs and the blonde was already at the door. My grandma came out of the living room and handed him his jacket while I looked at his white shirt and black trousers.

"I wish you a lot of fun." She winked and held the door open for us with a smile. "Thanks, coupler." I threw at her with narrowed eyes and then looked over at Ludwig again, who was watching us with amusement. "See you later.", I waved to her and we walked together down the cul-de-sac, which was slowly getting dark, causing the lanterns to start throwing the warm light across the sidewalk.

We were silent for a while, during which I kept catching him looking over at me until he broke the silence. "What would you like? We have a good Italian here, a small bistro with delicious baguettes or a good chip shop with delicious chicken."

I could barely concentrate as he spoke as Chace and the stranger walked towards us, but instead of just saying hello like normal people, they crossed the street and just stared at me coldly. "So?" Ludwig pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked ahead again. "Chip shop sounds good.", I spoke quickly and turned around again, but the two were already far away and had their backs to me.

"Don't pay any attention to the two. They think they're better." I turned to him in confusion at his words. The exact same words Chace had used to describe him. They really don't seem to want each other, but I didn't know why, but I wanted to find out.

When we arrived at the market square after a few minutes, it was once again busy, as if people were just waiting for the sun to disappear to enjoy the darkness. I looked around curiously, but of course didn't recognize anyone.

"It's over there.", Ludwig pointed to a small snack bar in front of which were a few brown bar tables where several girls were talking excitedly and looking in our direction.

"We should go somewhere else.", I mumbled and felt very uncomfortable, but Ludwig took my hand. "They're just staring at me," he grinned, pulling me further behind him to the diner. How could you disagree with him and his beautiful smile. I sighed at that thought and he ordered something to eat for both of us.

In front of me was an untouched plate full of chicken and fries, while next to me was a pretty blonde enjoying it. I kept glancing over at the other tables, where the girls were almost drooling as they watched Ludwig make his every move.

I shuddered in dislike towards them and looked over at him who, to my amazement, only had eyes for me.

He must have noticed my discomfort and pushed his plate towards me so that only he was visible to me and the drooling vultures could only see his back. I triumphantly put a fries in my mouth and then enjoyed it.

When I was halfway through, I slowly got fed up and started a serious conversation with the blonde. "May I ask you something?" He looked at me from his plate and picked up his bottle of Coke. "To you," he joked and I rolled my eyes, grinning.

"I mean it Ernst Luddi.", I looked deep into his eyes and then started laughing. "Luddi? You're not serious.", he laughed and once again attracted the attention of all the girls. "Come with me.", I pulled his sleeve with me annoyed. I wasn't annoyed by him, I was annoyed by those submissive zombies.

"You want me to yourself?" he grinned as I pulled him into a dark side alley and stood in the shadows. "No. I wanted to ask you who that guy with the ice blue eyes is."

His gaze changed. There was no more flirting or amusement. Rather, devaluation and anger reflected in his otherwise so warm eyes. "I hardly know him. He's just not a good person." He turned away from me and walked a few steps further into the dark alley, which was so narrow that even a car could not have fit in.

"I'm sorry. I certainly didn't mean to put you in a bad mood." I apologized to him and cautiously walked towards him. "You don't need to apologize, Chiara. He and his crew are just... I don't know how to describe it, but arrogance and hubris are at the top of their list."

He leaned his back against a wall and looked at me in dismay, as if I were someone to feel sorry for. I wondered why he was looking at me like that, but before I could finish the thought, Ludwig came close to take my hand in his and take my breath away.

"Do you want to go out for a drink or do you want me to take you home?"

I knew I should go home. The last night in this club had not ended well. But I wanted to spend time with Ludwig, I wanted to drink to get rid of the negative thoughts and I wanted to see the stranger to confront him. A couple of tequilas would give me the courage I needed, I thought, and then nodded happily to Ludwig.

"Let's go have a drink."

I was glad his mood had improved again, but I still wondered why they didn't like each other. It was either about rivalry or about women and from the looks of them it was certainly about the latter.

We walked hand in hand to the Wialtrama as if we were a couple who had been together for ages and only when the Wialtrama could be seen with its colorful lights did Ludwig let go of my hand, which was fine with me.

"Hi Eddie." He greeted the one I knew and we disappeared past him through the black double doors.