Chapter 10

From Louisa's point of view

It had been a while since I heard anything from Will. I really missed his company. I guess I really got used to those unexpected coincidences of running into each other. Meanwhile, my life had taken a turn for the worse. The manager at the Buttered Bun had told me that they had decided to shut down the place. My only source of income had ceased, landing me and my family in great peril. So, for the next few days I found myself going to many jobcenters asking for any kind of jobs according to my humble qualifications. The sad truth was that most of them were too queer for my taste or they required a minimun of two years of diploma which I just did not have on my resume.

So on one fine evening, I found myself walking to the same park I met Will about a month ago. The gentle breeze blowing in the park was doing a very good job of my brown strands tickling my face and my nose. I stood before the bench I had a heart-to heart with Will and flopped down on

it, slumping my shoulders and hopelessly drowned in my miseries. I just had to get a job by hook or by crook. I just could not afford to sit idle at home; hoping for something miraculous to happen. I had to get my life back on track.

I just did not notice someone sitting beside me because I was too engrossed in all the thousand possible ways of getting myself employed. It was probably a guy because of the way he cleared his throat. The same honey-laced voice snapped me out of my reverie

"What is wrong, Clarke?"

I turned my head side-ways to find myself looking into those hauntingly beautiful blue-green eyes of Will Traynor that I missed over these past weeks. I tried to keep myself calm and collected. My voice cracked when I mouthed "Nothing". Will shook his head and asked me again

"What is wrong, Clarke?"

"I can it in your eyes that you are upset about something."

"Did Patrick do anything to hurt you?"

"No, it is not Patrick."

"I lost my job at the Buttered Bun, " I replied, my voice cracking at the end.

" I have been hunting down for jobs for the past few days without any success, " I told him. Hearing this, he extended out his hands and placed them in my lap. My fingers closed around his when he told me

"My castle at Pembroke needs a person for maintenance."

"I would be very happy if I hired you because the castle is so big."

"I think you are the perfect person for it."

I looked at him not sure what to say after this offer and questioned

"Are you sure about this?"

"I can't go around accepting jobs offered to me out of pity, " I answered, letting him know that I was not the kind of girl who needed sympathy or favors

"No, I believe you will do a great job looking after it."

"I have seen you work at the Buttered Bun."

"You put all your heart into your job, " I said, withdrawing my hands, giving her the space she needed to think about my offer.

"Oh Will, I don't know how to thank you, " I cried out, not knowing what came over me to wrap both my arms around him in a bone-crushing hug. Without any ounce of hesitation, Will placed both his hands on my back, holding me in place. He rubbed soothing circles on my back that did summersaults in the lower portion of my belly.

I entangled myself from him and shifted away from him when he said \

"No problem, Clarke."