When he arrived at the Opera House, the others were already installed in their usual section—the fourth-floor upper balcony of a six-floor house. They always reserved the same spot on the right corner, as the view was the best according to Ben. The section was big and could host up to six people.

“Finally, you’re here. You missed the pre-drink in the lounge downstairs.”

“As long as I did not miss the show. I had to grab a coat at the flat,” Julian explained as he removed his black woolen coat, which was longer than the one he had worn earlier with Neliah. He placed it next to Karim’s, who had a similar coat but shorter than his. They had bought them in the same high-end boutique.

Julian usually wore a lot of timeless pieces, from woolen long coats to high-waisted pants, tweed jackets, cashmere crewneck sweaters, and Chelsea boots (or any boots with a vintage look). Ben was more of a trench coat and Oxford shoes guy; most of the time, he wore what was trendy and expensive. Karim mixed both of their styles but added a touch of boho-chic. He usually wore a lot of solid colours, such as black or beige, and many accessories, such as hats, scarves, rings, crystal necklaces, and bracelets. Lenny Kravitz was one of Karim’s biggest influences in terms of fashion. People often compared him to the singer due to their similar fashion.

“It’s only September . . . It’s not that cold,” Ben said. Unlike his two friends, he had come wearing only a dark grey trench coat.

“Not our fault that your hypothalamus is all messed up, buddy,” Julian said with a smile on his lips.

“He’s right; this city is cold as hell,” Karim added.

“You guys are just trying to look like cool poets from a past era,” he teased as he removed his trench coat.

“Look around you, Ben. No one is wearing short sleeves underneath their coats, except for you,” Karim said, pointing at his friend’s black shirt.

“New shirt, you like? A gift from Alika. By the way, Julian, what did you do this afternoon?”

“I went to this bookshop’s event . . . A historian was giving a lecture.”

“Sounds boring. Anyway, a client has invited us to go on his yacht tomorrow. You down?” Ben asked him.

“Can’t, meeting with Eleonore. But let’s grab coffee on Monday morning before the meeting.”

“’Ight, I’ll bring Lucas.”

Julian sighed at the mention of the boy.

“Do you really have to? He can do his work from home, you know . . . He doesn’t need to attend all our meetings.”

“He needs to for his internship. He is actually helping us a lot. I don’t want him to feel left out. You know that he read your book? He actually came to hang out with me and Alika, thinking that you would be there.”

Julian did not reply to his friend’s comment. He leaned forward with his arms on the balcony handrail to get a better view of the stage. He knew he would regret his words if he was to speak his mind. For that reason, he kept quiet. He could feel Ben’s eyes on his back. Strangely, out of nowhere, he started feeling anxious, and he had no idea why. Maybe it was because he'd always felt uncomfortable around Lucas.

He immediately remembered what Doctor Sayeed instructed him to do anytime he felt this way: Focus on something else—a sound, an image, a colour, a smell . . . anything to distract the mind from the growing heavy feeling. At this same moment, the lights went off, the music started resonating, and he immediately felt a sensation of serenity invade him as he immersed himself in the melody being played on the piano. Music had always been his haven of peace; an anchor he knew he could always rely on. He closed his eyes, visualizing the notes being played, from the instrument, from the singing . . . shapes, colours, numbers . . . It felt magical and safe.

***

The metal of his rings felt cold against his skin, so he quickly placed his hands inside his coat pockets. He was silently walking down the empty streets of Nitch City. Their area was a residential neighbourhood with a police station not too far away, which made it safer to walk at night, even for women.

After the Opera House performance, Ben had offered them a ride, but he’d declined. He needed to be alone to collect his thoughts. He had spent a great evening with them, on top of a perfect day with Neliah. As much as he enjoyed these moments with others, they also drained him. He needed to recharge for the next day.

He would get to spend time with her—Eleonore. Far from the city, far from her husband who was spying on them. He wanted to talk without worrying about bumping into the boys, Lucas, or anyone he knew. He just wanted to talk to her without having to rush or to check the door of the restaurant every time someone would walk in. They were not doing anything wrong after all, but they sometimes dived into personal family details. For that reason, he needed a quiet place, a safe space . . . and he had found it an hour from Nitch City.