Page 41 of Lucy
“That’s out of line, Lauren,” Nora frowned, standing beside me. “You don’t understand their relationship and it’s not for you. I think you need to go now. In a minute, Lucy isn’t going to be the only one dragging you.” Lauren slammed the door behind her with a frustrated scream leaving me, Nora, and Abel.
The Waters kids.
The way it should have been.
**
I spent the entire day with Nora and Abel. I hadn’t been that happy in a long time. I didn’t even clock into work drunk. I breezed through the break room and past Hush.
“You’re not drunk today,” he smirked.
“And you’re speaking in complete sentences. Someone might catch you, Hush.” I stared into his glowing eyes and he laughed. It lit his entire face up and I had to look away because I melted a little.
“Nah, my secret is safe with you, Lucy.” He winked at me and I hit his arm. I don’t know why but it was the only thing I could think of to do. When he said my name it made me feel weird but definitely not a bad weird.
Is that the way friendship felt?
He left the break room and I stood there like an idiot, smiling. Treasure walked past the room then backed up and looked inside at me. “Why the hell are you standing there like that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I was thinking about something. Let me get out here and get to work.” I planned to have another great night of tips. I declared it to myself in the bathroom mirror and I firmly believed that whenever you declared something with positive intent, the universe made it happen. I made a declaration that I would let Abel be my brother and not my man anymore too. I shut my eyes and pushed out a soft breath before killing it all night behind the bar.
“Treasure, I’m gonna take fifteen,” I spoke in her ear so she could hear me over the loud music.
“Okay.” I knew she wouldn’t mind because it meant she would get all my tips. I went into the break room, grabbed a soda, and fell over onto the couch. Hush came in after me and shoved me over so he could sit down.
“You’re so rude. You could have asked me to move. Nobody else is in here,” I looked around like I didn’t know we were alone.
“Nah,” he shrugged.
“Let’s hang out tonight, Hush.” I knew Nora would be sleeping and I still had plenty of energy to burn. I was a night owl.
“No,” he frowned at me then broke into a smile. “Sure, Lucy.” He tousled my hair and made me feel like a little kid.
“You’re such an asshole. I like you though.” I laid my head on his shoulder and he tensed. “What? You act like I have Ebola.”
“Move,” he sighed, shoving my head.
“Hush, your shoulders are like five feet across, I can’t lay on them?”
“No.”
“Fine then. If I can’t lay on your shoulder, you’re treating tonight when we eat.”
“Deal.” He shook my hand and I rolled my eyes. I was new to having real friendships but so far so good.
**
“What did you make?” Hush walked up behind me in the break room while I counted out tips and I jumped, clutching my chest.
“Jesus, you scared me. Not only are you huge and mute, you’re like a ninja.”
“I’m not mute,” he scowled.
“Well everyone else doesn’t need to know that, weirdo.”
“Crazy.” He taunted me right back and the corners of my lips burned with a smile that wanted to be much bigger than it was.
“I resent that. I’m not crazy. I’m misunderstood.”
