Freeing Clara

9. Fired Up

As Flint turns into the driveway of his home, he sees Clara anxiously lean forward.

"You okay?" He asks.

Clara doesnt respond. He parks and shuts off the ignition. He exits the car and goes to the other side to open her door but she already opens it.

"Follow me into the house. We dont want a repeat of last time," Flint says with a soft chuckle.

"Yea," Clara mumbles.

Clara follows Flint into the house.

"Pack for a couple of nights. We will come back by Friday. I was hoping to set up a space for you this weekend," Flint explains as he begins to climb the staircase with Clara behind him.

"A space for me?"

Flint can tell she is set off by the words. He chuckles.

"A place for you to study, a space of your own to do with as you like. One of the rooms on the second floor should do, right?"

Clara sighs with relief. "Yea, thatll be great."

Flint cant help but chuckle again.

They enter the bedroom. It looks the same as it did when they left it. Clara's shoes remain in the same place like in Vanessa's photo.

"Did you think I was gonna have you sleep in another room?" He asks. Clara cant tell if he is annoyed or amused. It was a little of both.

"If that was the case I would have asked Najeem how much rent costs for the apartment above the bar," Clara snaps suddenly. Clara goes to the bathroom to get her makeup bag and other toiletries.

Now he is annoyed. "Okay. Whats wrong? What suddenly changed on the car ride here?" He asks as he pulls a suitcase from under his bed. He places the suitcase on the bed and opens it.

"Callum said you know who broke in. He made it seem like it was something bad like he didnt want to get involved and coming from Callum that means its something really bad. I've been waiting for you to tell me and yet you act as though everything is fine!" Clara explains frustratedly. She lays the items on the bed. With the bed between them, Clara looks at Flint with a look of dissapointment wereas Flint scowls.

"You could have asked. I cant read your mind, Clara."

"But I shouldnt have to! You should be telling me these things. You are keeping things from me. Not just who broke in but other things."

Flint sighs. He knew he was keeping things from her. Unloading it all was too much right now. He needed to give her time for each omission.

"I should have told you who broke in when I found out. This morning, Jaime came in for her shift only it wasnt supposed to be her shift. She said Vanessa and her had switched and that Vanessa said she told me last night when she was at my place."

"Im confused..."

"I know, so was I. Vanessa has been telling people that she and I are involved. I told Jaime it was a lie but then she showed me a picture Vanessa had sent last night. She was waiting here in lingerie. I think shes-"

"Here! She was waiting here in our room!"

Flint smirked a little. Our room.

"Why are you smiling! Thats such an invasion of our privacy!"

Flint laughs. "You said our room. I just liked the sound if it. Calm down."

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to file a police report? You are going to fire her, right?"