I went home with that knowledge plaguing the recesses of my brain. There was no way I knew the descendant of Lunarius but there was something about him that just felt very familiar.
Grandma was waiting for us when we returned and tasked me with making dinner. I started to refuse but she gave me a choice between dinner and mowing the lawn, which was Chris’ job, so I decided on dinner.
I finished within two hours and took my food to my room. From the way she pursed her lips, I could tell that she didn’t like that but one thing I knew about grandma was that she knew how to pick her battles and she decided this one was not worth fighting.
I took out my phone and debated calling my friends from the city. I wouldn’t exactly call them friends seeing as they were just co-workers and abandoned me the moment I lost my job. I hovered over their contacts and at the last minute, I decided to delete it. If they called to check up on me, then fine, if they didn’t then I wasn’t going to spend another second worrying about them.
I let out a groan and laid my head against the bed when I heard a knock on the door. I stayed silent hoping the person would take the hint and leave but the door creaked open and I saw Chris walk into the room. He looked around like he hadn’t been in there for a while and I honestly wouldn’t have been shocked if that was true.
“Grandma said I should come because you need company,” he said and I was not surprised because it was something she could do.
“Since she requested, who are we to refuse?” I gestured for him to take a seat at the edge of the bed and he did not hesitate to do so.
“It hasn’t changed,” he said slowly. “Was living here so bad that you had to leave?”
I sighed because I wasn’t sure how to answer the question without sounding like a complete asshole. I hated that I had hurt him but I needed to do it and there was no way I could explain that because his feelings were valid. I had left him and that was the truth.
“I was dying, Chris,” I said softly. “I needed something different, I needed life. I needed the city to reignite that spark inside of me. I’m sorry for leaving you but I’m not sorry for leaving.”
He smiled ruefully. “I know you aren’t. It doesn’t matter anyway. Tell me about the city?”
“What do you want to know?”
“Anything,” he said.
So I told him everything I could remember. I told him about the busy streets and the nightlife. I told him about all the terrible jobs I had to do to make ends meet and my shoebox of an apartment. He laughed when I told him about the crazy clients and the crazy people I met. While I spoke, I watched him and his eyes had a light that I recognized. It was a light that I had- he wanted to explore.
I don’t know how long we stayed up but we were loud and Grandma didn’t tell us to go to sleep. I heard the door to her room shut quietly but we still spoke far into the night. I spoke until my voice got hoarse and we lay on the bed quietly.
“Can I stay here?” Chris asked once I was done speaking and I didn’t have the heart to refuse.
The last time we slept in the same room was right after the funeral. He had said it helped to drive away the monsters. I figured there were entirely different monsters to drive away tonight so instead of responding, I simply scooted to the side and tapped the open side of the bed.
I saw relief fill his features as he settled in. He drifted off to sleep before me and as I watched him, I realized that things might get better.
Chris was gone when I woke up the next morning. I had forgotten to set my alarm before I fell asleep and woke up an hour later than I should have. I muttered a small curse as I tried to get myself ready on time but I failed woefully and I knew it.
By the time I got out of the room, it was already eight thirty. I knew Mr. Hemming would be pissed; the bookstore was his entire life’s work and he was not going to tolerate any lateness. I wanted to leave immediately but grandma was adamant that I drop her off at a yoga class. I was so frustrated but I had no choice but to do as she had asked.
Her yoga class was on the other side of town and by the time I had dropped her, it was already nine. I drove as fast as I could to the bookstore and I knew that I was breaking every speed limit and road rule available but I didn’t care. I needed the job and the last thing I needed was to be fired within my first month of working.
By the time I got there, Mr. Hemming was manning the counter and he looked pissed. His brows were furrowed and his jaw was clenched. When I walked in, he refused to look up or acknowledge my presence and I knew I had severely messed up.
“I am so sorry,” I began but he held up a hand to silence me.
I was shocked by his hostility and stopped directly in my tracks. He finally looked up at me and I saw the annoyance swirling in his irises. I wanted to apologize once more but somehow, I knew it would only do more harm than good so I remained quiet.
“What time is it?” he asked and I swallowed as I glanced at the clock on the wall.
“I know it’s late.” Late was an understatement. It was almost ten o’clock. “Some things came up very early this morning and I know it is not an excuse but I am very sorry.”
“You’re right, it is not an excuse and if this happens again then you are fired. I only gave you this job as a favor for your grandmother. No favor is worth having an employee with zero work ethic.”
I bristled at the insult and if he were anyone else, I would have handed his ass to him but he was my boss and whether I liked it or not, I needed the job so I swallowed down my pride and nodded. I couldn’t help but feel like there was something else at play that was responsible for his attitude towards me but I knew it was neither the right time nor place.
Throughout my entire day at work, Mr. Hemming had an attitude. It was getting a lot harder to keep my tongue and to not lash out at him but I managed to do it. By the time five rolled around and I was supposed to leave, he refused to let me go.
“What do you mean I can’t leave?” I asked when he told me and he pretended not to hear me and went back to arranging books on the shelf. “I’m supposed to work from nine until five. It is already five and I have to pick up Chris from the training field?”
“You are supposed to work eight hours a day and you have only worked for seven. When you work your extra hour then you can leave.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I mumbled under my breath. “What happens if I decide to just leave?”
“If you leave then you don’t get paid for today.”
He was not being fair and we both knew it. There was nothing I had done to deserve that kind of treatment from him. He just wanted to exert his dominance for no particular reason. It was like the longer I spent in this town, the more I desperately wanted to leave. Was I wrong for coming late? Yes. Was he wrong for trying to keep me longer? Absolutely,
I muttered a small curse under my breath and was about to go back into the shop because we had argued at the entrance when a familiar bike pulled up. Darius Lunar took off his helmet and he ran his hands through his long hair as he took Mr. Hemming and me in.
“Is there a problem here?” he asked and before I could answer, Mr. Hemming shook his head.
“I was just about to close the shop.”
Before I could say anything, Mr. Hemming all but pushed me out of the shop to close it. I was so shocked by the exchange that all I could do was stand and stare in confusion. In less than five minutes, Mr. Hemming had grabbed his bags and ran like someone lit a fire underneath his as.
“Are you okay?” Darius asked and I nodded. “You should get home, it’s late.”
Before I could respond to him or thank him, he started his bike and rode off.