Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 2641

As they walked down the steps together, Jenny offered a sweet smile. "Thanks for talking with me. Getting all that off my chest really helped."

"You know, you could always tell him," Sylvia encouraged gently.

Jenny considered it for a moment before shaking her head.

Sylvia didn't press the issue. "Good night, then."

"Sweet dreams!" Jenny waved, her smile bright, then turned and headed toward her villa.

Sylvia started back to her own room, but as she passed Gabriel’s villa, she saw him sitting in a wicker chair on his balcony. He hadn't been there when she’d left earlier. What was he doing out here now?

She hesitated, wondering if she should say hello, but by then she was already right below his balcony. A small smile touched her lips, and she opened her mouth to speak, but the man merely shot her a glance before standing up, turning his back, and disappearing inside.

Sylvia’s smile froze, her hand hovering awkwardly in mid-air. She stood there for a moment, completely flustered. After a beat, she finally lowered her hand, glanced at the drawn curtains of his room, and continued on her way.

Back upstairs, she finished packing her suitcase. It was already two in the morning. She slipped into bed, and exhaustion quickly pulled her into a deep sleep.

Sometime in the dead of night, a flash of white light tore through her eyelids. She opened them just as a deafening clap of thunder exploded right outside. She hadn't closed her curtains, and another jagged bolt of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating her room as bright as day. It was followed by a series of thunderous booms that sounded like they were trying to crack the heavens open.

Sylvia lay there, her heart pounding in her chest. It took a long moment for her breathing to even out.

She got up and walked to the balcony. A torrential downpour had begun, with raindrops the size of marbles hammering against the roof. Lightning and thunder struck in relentless succession. In the distance, she saw a brilliant flash strike one of the mountains, the impact so fierce it looked like it might split the peak in two.

She hadn't even been worried about that, but his words were instantly calming. She nodded again. "I'm going back to bed. You should get some sleep, too."

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how silly they sounded. It was the middle of the night; it was far too late to be telling someone to get to bed early.

But he didn't correct her. He just gave a soft "Mm," looked down, and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a flick of his thumb.

A thought suddenly struck Sylvia. Had he even been to sleep at all? Back in Tripe, his sleep schedule had always been erratic. Maybe he still hadn't adjusted to a normal life.

She pushed the thought aside and turned back to her room.