Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. She turned to Darlene and asked, “Captain Benson, you keep saying ‘we.’ Who’s the ‘we’ you’re talking about?”
Before Darlene could answer, Terence’s voice sliced through the stillness of the night, startling them both.
“Halle!”
Halle barely had time to react before Terence grabbed her arm, his eyes flashing with a warning.
“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t,” he said coldly. “You don’t need to know about these things.”
Quickly, Darlene stepped forward and positioned herself between them. She shook her head gently and said, “It’s all in the past, Terence. It’s fine. Halle isn’t an outsider anyway.”
But Terence’s gaze was sharp, like an arrow tipped with barbs. The look he gave her pierced her heart, and when he finally turned away, it left a chill behind.
His message was clear: Halle was an outsider to him.
Those shared memories, the history between them—they weren’t hers to know.
The days passed quickly. Each morning, Halle buried herself in sorting through her belongings.
With only three days left before her departure, it was time to decide what to keep and what to leave behind.
Her hands then paused over a bracelet. The wooden beads shimmered faintly in the light, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She’d gotten it when she first came to Tanzania, a blessing for safety and smooth journeys.
She’d bought two, hoping the red thread connecting them would symbolize a bond. One was hers, the other she’d given to Terence.
But she’d never seen him wear it.
After a long moment of hesitation, Halle sighed and slipped the bracelet back onto her wrist.
'Forget it. I paid for it, didn’t I? I’ll wear it for the blessing, nothing more. The whole ‘red thread of fate’ thing doesn’t matter—he never wore his anyway. What difference does it make if I wear mine alone?' she decidedly concluded in her head.
Just then, a sudden memory struck her—she’d made a wish to wishing well once. Before leaving, she needed to fulfill it.
Driving to the wishing well, she was startled to see Terence there as well.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone sharp as their eyes met.
“I should be asking you that,” he replied, his brows furrowing slightly.
“I’m here to make a wish,” she snapped, brushing past him.
His hand instinctively moved to the bracelet hidden beneath his sleeve. Anxiety flickered in his chest.
“What wish?” he asked, his voice low.