Page 36 of Rules to Love By

“Don’t be sorry for being right,” Marcus whispered back.

He swallowed convulsively a few times before he could say anything else.

Then he didn’t say anything, because honestly, he’d said it all. He didn’t understand these people. He wasn’t like them. And he didn’t know how to make his life work without someone guiding it. How could he go back to the city, even think about fighting for the diner, if it meant leaving a place where, if there were no rules, at least there were people who seemed willing to prop him up?

It was impossible to go back.

But he couldn’t stay living off their generosity forever, either.

CHAPTEREIGHT

“You’re very quiet today.” Eli watched Marcus’s long fingers fly over the computer keys, only slightly envious of the ease with which he could make the letters do his bidding.

“Not much to say, I suppose.”

“Is that because—”

“Because what?” Marcus’s hands stilled, and he lifted his gaze. “Because of what?”

“Nothing.” Eli turned back to the box he was sifting through, separating the contents by type, using the colours and logos on their labels to make his piles.

“The ones with the blue logo on the gold label and the ones with just the gold logo are the same thing,” Marcus said, quietly and much less aggressively.

“Oh.” He shoved the two piles into one. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

For a minute, Eli worked in silence, aware Marcus had not gone back to typing. When he came across another bottle with the same logo in varying shades of gold, he held it up.

“That’s hair mask. The others are straightener. The pink one is moisturizing oil.”

“Thanks.”

Marcus set the computer aside and leaned his elbows on his knees. “What made you decide to go to university?”

“You thinking about it?”

“God no. Even if I could afford it—”

“OSAP?”

“No, thanks. Not interested in a debt to pay back, but also, not interested in school, really. It was a struggle. I’m still not sure if I liked the diner because I liked the diner, or because it wasn’t school.”

Eli nodded as he sorted bottles.

“So? What made you decide? I mean, you knew it was going to be hard, right? So why do it?”

“Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing.”

“Sounds like something Aunt Iris would say.”

“Something my dad likes to say too.”

“So what? You did it to prove you could?”

“Maybe? I thought so at first.”

“And now?”

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