When I'm with you

Worry

He handed her a Cup of coffee. She smiled wearily and took the drink, stroking his hand gently.
"I called to the nanny," said Babbington, sitting down at a table next to his wife, "she and the children are in the Park, then going to the beach."
"That's better", she answered, "I need a little time to recover from what I've learned."
" I understand," he replied, "I'm sorry I didn't trust you, just…"
" Just with your place it looks like very differently", finished for him, Esther and took a scalding SIP of the drink, "it's okay, Will. It's my own fault, I should have told you right away. To be honest, I didn't know how you would have felt about meeting Edward and me, or if he would have said anything in front of you."
" Yes ... I under stand", repeated Babbington.
She sighed heavily and put her still-icy hand on his arm.
"Will, I 'm" she began.
"It's really okay", interrupted her husband, "because of everything that happened, I realized how much I love you and how afraid I am of losing you."
"You won't lose me, I promise," Esther replied in a barely audible voice, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Forgive me. I feel like such a fool, such an idiot. I could have lost everything I hold dear just because I was stupid. Just because I couldn't believe that my brother was capable of such baseness, I tried to believe to the last that it wasn't so and there was some mistake…"
She paused, covering her face with her hand. William understood how much pain, doubt, and frustration she was feeling right now because of Edward. Without a word, he put his other hand on hers and patted it gently.
"What are you going to do with Edward?"  finally, asked Babbington.
She raised her tearful eyes and looked at him.
" I don't know ...", she replied, "but, Will they have to pay for what they did."
" In fact, we have nothing against them", he calmly replied, "this video gave you an idea, but this is not evidence for the court, you understand?"
"Yes, but Edward ..." said Esther, " he told me everything ... he confessed ... but.. he really has a child…how about him?
"Are you sure he won't go back on what he said when it comes to trial, if at all?" asked Babbington, "Esther, it's not even about Edward and Campion, are you sure you're ready to throw yourself into this mess with Sidney and Charlotte? Do you really want Stringer to go through all that hell again?"
"But he must know, Will!" she protested.
"To know and understand that the people responsible for the death of his father were and will remain unpunished?", he asked, " do you think that's what he wants? Our friends are doing well for once. Why stir it up again?"
"What do you suggest I do?", in the hearts asked Esther, "just forget about it?"
"Nothing," he said calmly, " at least not yet. Until we learn something new and will not be able to prove their involvement."
She looked at her husband carefully, knowing in her heart that he was right. She should step back, at least for a while, and think about what to do next. Any rash action of hers could lead to collapse and cause pain to those close to her.
" Well", finally, said Esther, "you're right, it's probably better now."
He smiled and gently took her hands in his.
"Anyway, I'm with you whatever you decide," William said.

Georgie dialed the number again, the long beeps she'd been listening to all morning starting to irritate her. She was angry at herself, at William, at Esther, and now at Crowe, who, like everyone else, was stubbornly refusing to answer the phone. Since the strange Babbington 's call had been more than two hours, but Georgie had not been able to contact either of the couple. This infuriated and frightened her at the same time. She was almost certain that something terrible had happened and that her friends needed help.
She dialed the number again and listened for sounds outside the door. The phone was ringing like crazy, playing the song "Troublemaker" by Olly Murs And Flo Rida, but Francis was in no hurry to answer the call.
"What a bastard," she muttered to herself, appreciating the irony of Crowe, knowing full well that he has some boring classics on his other calls.
She turned the handle carefully and, after making sure the door wasn't closed, went into the room, intending to catch Francis off guard. She wanted to give him a hard time, but she didn't think she would tell anyone the real reason she wanted to do that. She looked around. The room with the huge bed was empty. The bed is made. Crowe's things are neatly stacked on the chair, his polished shoes are next to him, and his books are on the coffee table. This was not how she had imagined his home. She saw dirty, crumpled things scattered carelessly on the floor, a pile of empty bottles, the smell of alcohol that did not fade. It was different here. And it's not about cleaning hotel rooms. A completely different person lived here. Georgie realized that she really didn't know much about the real Francis Crowe.
The phone finally stopped ringing, and Georgie could tell from the noise coming from the next room why Francis hadn't picked it up. He was in the shower. After a moment's hesitation, she opened the bathroom door and looked inside.
Georgie's breath caught in her throat. Directly in front of her, in the transparent shower stall, Francis stood with his back to her. He raised his head, exposing his face to the hot water. Despite the fog on the walls, she could make out Crowe's slender body. She'd always thought of him as skinny and weak, until the moment he'd grabbed her and kissed her in Esther's office. Then she felt that there was a great power within him. And what she saw now confirmed her feelings. The taut muscles of her back and arms, without any hint of fat, the broad shoulders, the slim waist, the narrow hips, all caught Georgie's attention. She felt that her heart, beating an incredibly fast rhythm, was about to burst out of her chest. Miss lamb closed her eyes, not knowing whether to run or pretend that nothing supernatural was happening." Run" , she thought. But before Georgie had gone more than a couple of steps, Crowe finally noticed her presence.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing here?"  he exclaimed in surprise, turning off the water.
"I'm ... Why the hell aren't you picking up the phone?", she exclaime in answer, "I've been calling you for half an hour."
"I was in the shower" , said Francis, getting out of the cab", Yes, in honor of what do I have to justify myself to you? Why are you here?"
He stood on the Mat and looked at her intently, and she swallowed, unconsciously watching the last drops of water trickle down his body.
"Maybe you should cover up", she murmured as she handed him a large Terry towel.
"Why should I?", he asked, "actually, I'm in my room and I can do whatever I want."
Georgie was momentarily speechless with embarrassment, but her concern for Esther and Babbington got the better of her.
"Take the fucking towel! I don't have time to fight you!", she exclaime, "Something has happened to Esther and Babbington! We have to find them! Turn it off, finally, your much-vaunted mode of the goat and help me!"
He obeyed in silence, dried himself quickly, and wrapped a towel around his thighs. He followed her into the room and began to put on the clothes he had carefully placed on the chair.
Georgie sat down on the bed with her back to him.
" Tell me what happened", said Crowe, hastily pulling on his trousers.
"I can't reach the Babbingtons," Georgie said.
"Is that all?"  Francis asked, buttoning up his shirt and putting on his shoes, "maybe they don't want to talk or did the two of them escape to a desert island? Or do they sleep until lunch?"
"No" said Georgie confidently, " it's something else, something serious. The nanny said Will didn't look like himself when he left the house, didn't even have Breakfast. And then this call from him immediately seemed strange to me ... he was looking for Esther and was sure that she was with me..."
"Did babbers call you?", marvelled Crowe, "so early?"
She nodded.
Crowe walked over to her and held out his hand to Georgie, lifting her lightly off the bed.
" Let's go, tell us everything on the way", he said.
She gave him a tight smile and went out the door.