Because if he’d wanted to, he could have overcome any obstacle. But he didn’t.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Halle was startled. She quickly turned and pretended to search through the drawers.
But before she could open one, Terence stormed in, blocking her path and grabbing her wrist.
“What are you doing?” he snapped, his face a mix of shock and anger. “Who gave you permission to go through my things? Get out!”
His sudden outburst stunned Halle. Her throat tightened, and she swallowed back the tears threatening to spill. Without a word, she turned and stormed out of the room.
Darlene, watching the scene unfold, hurried after her. “Halle!”
In no time, Darlene found Halle by a small pond, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
One advantage of living in Tanzania was that when you needed to cry, you could run off into the wilderness. Out there, no one would see your tears.
Third Person's POV
This was Halle's go-to move, and it always worked—until today, when Darlene finally found her.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Halle turned toward the sound and saw Darlene walking toward her, holding a compass. Their eyes met, and Halle saw a flash of relief on Darlene’s face.
As Darlene got closer, Halle’s gaze shifted to the object in her hand. Her breath caught. That compass—it was identical to hers.
Instinctively, Halle touched the one hanging around her neck, but it was still there.
As realization dawned on her, a bitter laugh escaped her lips, her thoughts heavy with self-mockery. 'So it wasn’t one of a kind,' she figured.
Darlene reached her, ruffled her hair, and sat down beside her like she was comforting a child.
“Don’t cry anymore,” Darlene said softly. “Terence’s temper hasn’t changed in ten years.”
Her voice was calm, almost nostalgic. “But it’s that sharp, relentless nature of his that’s gotten him to where he is today.”
Halle blinked in surprise. 'Ten years?'
She hadn’t known they’d known each other for that long. She thought Darlene had only rejoined the team last year, brought in as a newly appointed officer. She hadn’t realized she was an old friend of Terence’s.
The silence between them lingered as Halle’s thoughts raced. Her eyes wandered to Darlene, who was staring at the compass in her hand, lost in thought.