Andreas took a moment to catch his breath after vomiting. He rested his hands on his knees, breathing deeply before wiping his mouth with his sleeve. A slight shiver ran down his spine as his body was still recovering from the adrenaline.
—God… I’m never doing that again… —he muttered with a disgusted expression as he staggered toward Dedrick and the girl.
Still feeling a bit dizzy, Andreas cleared his throat and looked at her, trying to regain his composure.
—S-so… you’ll be staying with us for now? —he asked, trying to sound friendly, but noticing that his voice trembled slightly.
The girl, who had remained silent until that moment, glanced at him with a neutral expression. She didn’t respond immediately, but after a few seconds, she simply nodded without saying a word and walked away calmly toward the living room.
Andreas watched in silence as she sank into the couch and turned on the TV as if nothing had happened. She acted as if the situation wasn’t a big deal, as if she hadn’t just escaped from hell.
Dedrick let out a small chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief.
—So now we have a new companion —he commented with amusement as he watched her get comfortable on the couch—. Do you know her name?
Andreas shook his head, crossing his arms.
—No… she’s been very quiet since I got her out of there. She barely responds when I talk to her.
—That’s not surprising —Dedrick shrugged—. After what happened, trusting anyone must be hard.
—Yeah, I know… —Andreas sighed and glanced at the girl again, who seemed completely detached from their conversation—. Although… there are moments when she seems more expressive.
Dedrick raised an eyebrow and leaned slightly toward him with interest.
—Oh yeah? When?
—Well… when she stole my car and forced me to ride on top —Andreas said with a half-smile—. At least she talked more then than now.
Dedrick burst into laughter, taking a drag from his cigarette before exhaling the smoke with an amused grin.
—Damn, so she does have some character. That’s a good sign.
Andreas smiled slightly, but then his expression turned more thoughtful. Something about the girl’s attitude unsettled him.
—Even so… I feel like there’s something more. I don’t know if she’s in shock or if she just doesn’t want to connect with us.
—Give her time —Dedrick said, patting him on the back—. She’ll talk eventually.
Andreas nodded. Pressuring people for answers wasn’t his style. If she wanted to stay, she would do it in her own way and at her own pace.
Deciding to leave her be for the moment, they headed to the kitchen. Andreas sank into one of the chairs, flipped his hand to reveal a holographic screen, and started scrolling through his social media, though his mind kept circling back to the situation.
Meanwhile, Dedrick walked over to his car, opened one of the doors, and pulled out the safe, letting it drop onto the floor with a metallic thud that echoed through the room.
Andreas got up from his chair and walked over to Dedrick, eyeing the safe with curiosity.
—Do you know how to open it? —Andreas asked, noticing Dedrick’s pensive expression.
—I think I have an idea —Dedrick replied with a mischievous smile.
—What are you planning? —Andreas insisted, suspecting he wouldn’t like the answer.
—Pass me your… uh… didn’t you have a shotgun?
Andreas blinked a couple of times before letting out a nervous laugh.
—Uh… yeah… it flew off when I was hanging onto the car… hehe —he replied, giving a sheepish grin—. Besides, I think there’s a better way than using a gun. There’s a chance whatever’s inside could burn or get destroyed.
—You’re right… Okay, new plan. Go to a hardware store and buy a blowtorch, the bridges are still open at this hour —Dedrick added, still staring at the safe with determination.
—Ehhh… I don’t know…
—Tell the girl to go with you if you’re feeling shy —Dedrick added teasingly, nudging him with an elbow.
—Ughh… uh… whatever, I’ll go —Andreas replied after thinking for a moment. He walked over to the couch where the girl was sitting, feeling a bit awkward—. Hey… umm… would you… um… want to go out? I need to buy something… and… I was wondering if you’d come with me… —he said, almost stammering, awkwardly trying to hide his embarrassment.
The girl stared at him for a few moments, then looked away as if considering the offer. Andreas started to think he had said something wrong, but finally, the girl nodded with a noticeable hesitation on her face, similar to his own.
—O-okay then… let’s go —Andreas said, heading toward the door they had entered through. He let the girl go first, then waved at Dedrick before leaving.
They approached the elevator and pressed the button, watching as the doors slid open with a mechanical sound. Both stepped inside, and Andreas pressed the button to go down to the first floor. The doors closed, and the elevator began to descend.
Andreas leaned against the wall, trying to stay calm. He noticed that the girl was simply staring at the floor with a noticeably uncomfortable expression.
—So… what’s your name? —Andreas asked, trying to break the silence. The girl lifted her gaze with a surprised look.
She remained silent for a moment as if debating internally.
—I know you’re shy, but I kindly ask you to tell me… can you? —Andreas said, giving her a friendly smile to reassure her. His intention was clear: he didn’t want to hurt her or take advantage of her vulnerability. Even so, the girl seemed hesitant, remembering all the fake smiles she had seen throughout her life while being held captive by Kraft. But this time… something about Andreas’s expression felt different.
Finally, she took a deep breath and decided to speak.
—Maddie… Maddie Brooks —she replied nervously, revealing her name.
Andreas repeated the name in his mind several times, savoring it as if trying to memorize it instantly.
—That’s… a really nice name… —he commented with a sincere smile.
Maddie felt a bit uncomfortable at the compliment, still trapped in the shadows of her memories. However, a small flicker of happiness sparked inside her. She wasn’t used to receiving genuine compliments. She turned her gaze away, hiding a tiny smile.
—T-thanks… —she whispered, almost inaudibly.