A New Life: Redemption of souls

As she was about to leave, Beatrice heard the sound of water movement coming from upstairs. She frowned, thinking to herself that the tenant must have left the water running, just like he had left the TV on. She sighed and decided to go upstairs to turn off the water.

As she walked up the stairs, the sound of water grew louder. She reached the top of the stairs and saw that the door to the bathroom was slightly ajar. She pushed it open and walked in, expecting to see a sink or shower still running.

But instead, she was surprised to see Ethan standing in front of the sink, water dripping from his hair and body. Beatrice's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't feel the same level of shock and embarrassment that she might have if she were unmarried or inexperienced. After all, she was a widowed woman, and she had seen her husband naked many times before.

Still, she felt a slight flush rise to her cheeks as she quickly turned around, trying to give Ethan some privacy. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she stuttered, trying to apologize. "I didn't mean to intrude. I thought you had left the water running."

Ethan's voice was deep and smooth as he replied, "It's okay, I was just getting out of the shower. I didn't expect anyone to come in."

Beatrice's face was still slightly flushed as she stood there, trying to think of what to do next. She couldn't just stand there, staring at the wall, while Ethan was naked behind her. But at the same time, she didn't feel like she needed to rush out of the bathroom either.

"Um, I'll just go downstairs and wait for you to get dressed," she said, trying to sound calm.

Ethan's voice was amused as he replied, "Okay, sounds good. I'll be down in a minute."

Beatrice nodded, even though Ethan couldn't see her, and then she turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She walked downstairs and sat down on the couch, trying to compose herself.

As she sat there, she couldn't help but think about how strange the situation was. She had never met Ethan before, and yet here she was, waiting for him to get dressed after accidentally walking in on him in the bathroom. It was definitely a strange way to start a landlord-tenant relationship.

After a few minutes, Ethan came downstairs, dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He looked relaxed and calm, as if nothing had happened.

"Hey, sorry again about what happened upstairs," he said, as he sat down next to her on the couch.

Beatrice smiled and replied, "It's okay, I'm just sorry I walked in on you like that."

Ethan smiled back at her and said, "It's not a big deal, really. I'm just glad we could finally meet properly."

Beatrice nodded, feeling a little more at ease. "Yeah, me too."

Ethan and Beatrice sat down on the couch, and Beatrice couldn't help but bring up the topic of the music from the previous night. "So, I found out that you're a musician," she said, her voice slightly accusatory.

Ethan's eyes widened in surprise, and he cursed quietly under his breath. "Victor, you idiot," he muttered to himself. He definitely wasn't a musician, but he didn't want to contradict Beatrice. So, he just smiled and agreed. "Yeah, I'm a musician. I play the guitar and sing."

Beatrice raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed. You don't exactly seem like the musical type."

Ethan chuckled and shrugged. "Well, I guess you can't judge a book by its cover. So, can I get my speaker back? I think I left it in the living room."

Beatrice snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "You think? You're lucky I didn't throw it out the window after the racket you made last night."

Ethan frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Hey, that's not fair. I said I was sorry about the noise."

Beatrice shrugged, her expression unyielding. "Sorry isn't enough. You need to be more considerate of your neighbors."

Ethan sighed and rubbed his temples. This conversation was not going well. He decided to try and change the subject. "Hey, do you want some snacks or juice? I think I have some crackers and fruit juice in the kitchen."

Beatrice raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the offer. "Uh, no thanks. I'm fine."

But as she spoke, Beatrice felt a sudden pain in her belly. She gasped and doubled over, her hands clutching at her stomach. Ethan's eyes widened in alarm as he jumped up from the couch.

"Beatrice, what's wrong?" he exclaimed, rushing over to her side.

But Beatrice couldn't answer. The pain was too intense, and she felt herself getting dizzy. She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. She felt herself falling, and everything went black.

Ethan caught her as she fell, his arms wrapping around her to hold her up. "Beatrice, oh my god," he muttered, panic rising up in his chest. He gently laid her down on the couch, his hands shaking as he tried to call for help.

But as he looked down at Beatrice's pale face, he realized that he didn't even know her phone number, or who to call in case of an emergency. He was completely at a loss, and all he could do was stand there, frozen in panic, as Beatrice lay unconscious on the couch.

Ethan's eyes were fixed on Beatrice's pale face as he tried to think of what to do next. He had never been in a situation like this before, and he wasn't sure if he should call for an ambulance or try to wake her up.

As he stood there, frozen in indecision, he heard a faint noise coming from outside the apartment. It sounded like someone was knocking on the door. Ethan hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should answer it, but then he remembered that Beatrice was still lying unconscious on the couch.