18 and 48

When Hollis picks up the receiver, he immediately knows it's Bella. Only Bella and Howard ever call this number.

It has been hours since he last saw Bella's photos, and in that time, his mind has been in utter turmoil.

On one hand, he wants to destroy the pictures and eliminate the risk of anyone else ever seeing them. On the other hand, he feels a deep, almost irresistible desire to keep them close.

But whether he keeps or destroys them doesn't change the fact that he has already memorized every detail.

The youthful emotions they awaken in him bring back not just feelings but a sharp, almost photographic memory.

Now, when he closes his eyes, he can vividly recall every little thing in the photos: the way the white dress clings to her, damp and translucent; the soft, rose-pink buds underneath; the wet, light-brown hairs under her arms; and the pale, untanned outline of her swimsuit on the skin just below her back.

Every time he thinks about it, the fiery grip of desire overtakes him.

He feels like a hypocrite, furious that she dared to take such provocative photos while secretly treasuring every detail.

His possessiveness toward Bella grows stronger by the day.

Even now, just knowing that her attention isn't focused on him stirs an uncontrollable jealousy inside him, as if he could reach out with invisible hands and pull her back to him.

The sound of fabric rustling pulls him from his thoughts, followed by Bella's cheerful voice: "Hey, old man, it's me."

She must have been covering the receiver earlier—no wonder he couldn't even hear her breathing.

Hollis pauses for a moment before responding with feigned composure, "What happened just now?"

"I don't know either," Bella complains immediately.

"Howard suddenly decided to leave today. Luckily, I made him come back. Was it you who sent him away? What's so important that it has to be him? Couldn't someone else handle it? I don't want to be left alone with strangers."

Hollis frowns.

"I didn't ask him to leave. What exactly is going on?"

Now that Howard's potential departure is no longer an issue, Bella hasn't given it much thought.

Since Hollis seems interested, she doesn't mind making the story more dramatic—she values their conversations and takes every opportunity to leave a strong impression on him.

Being a teenage girl in America, she worries that distance and time might make her seem insignificant to someone in London.

To keep his attention, she often exaggerates her experiences. For instance, after gym class, if she twists her ankle slightly, she'll sob and claim her ankle is swollen like a giant tomato, milking his concern for all it's worth.

This time is no different.

Bella spins the tale: she describes Howard's sudden departure as an act of revenge—"completely out of the blue" and "definitely because I did something to upset him."

She paints her boredom after his departure as "nearly unbearable" and insists that "even TV shows lost their appeal without him around."

Finally, she emphasizes their bond by adding, "The moment he heard I was sick, he came rushing back, drenched in sweat," and ends with, "When I asked if he's leaving again, he didn't even answer me. He's so annoying!"

After finishing her story, she mutters, "What do you think? What's wrong with him? I haven't done anything to upset him lately."

At first, Hollis doesn't pay much attention to her complaints. But gradually, something about her tone and the details she shares starts to unsettle him.