Page 48 of Infinity Chronicles 1
When he doesn’t say anything right away I peer over my shoulder, waiting for him to release me. Warmth starts to pool under his palm, and a calmness slides over me. He’s doing something to me that affects my emotions. It’s not the first time, but I’m beginning to recognize when he’s doing it. The blackness in his eyes expands cover his iris, but isn’t leeching into the whites. I shrug his palm free and narrow my eyes at him. The foreign feeling of warmth fades, but the calmness lingers, sapping the anger I want to have toward him from manipulating my feelings. “You need to stop doing that to me.” Ares’s eyes widen, the color returning to what I guess is his norm.
“It’s nothing I have control over,” he confesses, his voice low, like he hates to even admit it to himself.
“Well it’s not right, you can’t choose how I feel.” I slide out of the car, slamming the door behind me, and it’s completely unsatisfying. Instead of the harsh sound I expected, I get a low thud like the car itself denied me.Stupid fancy ass car.
The second door closing—a little gentler than mine—alerts me that Ares is following. I pick up my pace, so I’m almost jogging. He still makes it to the door before me, holding it open so I can enter. I push past the second door myself, rushing to the back where I usually put my bag. I keep my head down, I don’t want to know who’s here, and has seen us arrive together.
I tie an apron over my jeans and wash my hands in the big tub. My hair is mostly dry, hanging down my back, and I’m so discombobulated I’m lucky my pants aren’t on backwards. I tuck a few loose strands behind my ear, hoping it isn’t too much of a frizzy mess. One deep breath later, I nod my head, ready for whatever is coming my way.
As I exit the back I’m greeted with the sight of Maggie and Ares. She’s looking into his smiling face—a true smile—his eyes are alight with affection as he gazes down at her. Maggie reaches up, both of her palms covering Ares’s cheeks, pinching a little so his full lips are pursed. He shakes his head dislodging her hands but reaches down and embraces her.
I’m caught in the moment, I don’t look around at the restaurant to see if anyone needs my attention. Hell, I can’t seem to look away, even when Ares opens his eyes and finds me staring at them. I don’t look away. He pulls back from Maggie, eyes still glued to mine, and as she notices his lack of attention, she peers over her shoulder, finding me behind them.
That’s when the spell is finally broken. I shake away the tightness in my chest, the loneliness their reunion invoked, and get to work. I avoid Maggie for as long as possible, even after Ares finally leaves without saying goodbye to me. I keep telling myself the slight pang I feel in my stomach is just hunger, not sadness that he ignored me the same way I was ignoring him.
Fatigue sets in well before my shift is over, I’m grateful it’s one of the busier nights. “Have you taken a break at all Laura?” Maggie’s concerned voice catches me as I pass by the bar to get another refill.
“I will soon,” I promise over my shoulder, intending to do just that as soon as I have a second. I need food, I haven’t eaten all day. While I’m used to going hungry occasionally, my body is telling me now isn’t one of those times. It’s near closing time when I put in an order for lasagna with Gus. I’ve been craving it ever since the night I ate with the guys. There are only a few tables left, and all of them have been served their meals so I don’t feel guilty when I drop my plate and my body into the back table, which is usually reserved for rolling napkins and cleaning the plastic menus. I sigh as achiness invades my bones, I thought I was coming down with something last week, but once I slept I seemed be fine. Right now though, I feel like complete crap.
As the first bite melts on my tongue the chime above the door jingles. I close my eyes, savoring the flavor. The ‘seat yourself sign’ is posted, so I have a second before I need to get up. “Hey boys,” Maggie calls, interrupting my reprieve.
“Hey Gran,” Milo returns.
“You guys been busy tonight?” Ollie questions, sliding into the booth across from me. I take a deep breath noticing he looks about as good as I feel. His skin is pale, and his eyes are glassy. He even has a swath of darkness under his eyes. I immediately feel guilty, he must have slept on the couch last night too, not much though by the looks of it.
“Not too busy, are you feeling okay?”
Ollie’s lips thin as I examine him.
“Oh yeah, I’m good.” He looks away from me and pushes himself back in the bench, sitting up a little straighter.
“Well I feel horrid. I was feeling off last week. Nothing too bad, but I think it finally caught up to me. Sorry if I gave you my cold.” Ollie’s hand reaches across the table and he snags my breadstick, taking a big bite from the end. Without thought I reach over and snatch it right back shoving the next bite in my mouth. His lips round in surprise before a chuckle leaves his chest.
He glances up behind me. “Remind me not to steal her food, she’s kinda greedy.” The words are spoken lightly, but I feel a tinge of embarrassment anyway.
“I’m sorry, here.” I try to hand him the breadstick, my eyes on the table. Arm still outstretched, I scoot over when someone bends into the booth next to me.
I feel a hand on my wrist, gently pushing. “Laura, I was just kidding, eat.” Ollie doesn’t sound affronted, he sounds genuine. I peek up at him, and I notice his eyes are brighter and he has a slight flush to his cheeks.
I feel an arm lift and land on the back of the bench behind me. Turning my head, I see Milo, his hair is disheveled and he’s wearing a threadbare green t-shirt. Is he getting sick too?
I swirl my fork in the red sauce on the plate, still hungry, but a little self-conscious to eat when they aren’t. “Eat Laura, we already had dinner,” Milo tells me like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. I take a quick look over my shoulder, making sure no one needs anything before scooping up my next bite. Within minutes I’m already feeling better. I need to make sure I’m eating regularly or I really will end up sick.
Ollie jumps up with much more pep in his step as he swaggers up to the counter. I track him as he hops over the bar. “Oliver,” Maggie scolds, catching him in the act as she returns from the kitchen.
Unabashed, Ollie grabs a cloth from the bleach bucket and makes a point of walking all the way around to the booth that was just vacated by an older couple. He drops the damp towel on the table before gathering the mugs and plates left behind, taking them to the kitchen. My cheeks heat, will Maggie think he’s doing my job? I turn to Milo to ask him to let me up, but he just nods down to my half-full plate of food. “He’s just cleaning up one table Laura, this is probably your first break?” I nod my head confirming his assumption. “Just eat while we finish up so we can get out of here.” I open my mouth to argue, but Milo surprises me. He slowly trails his finger from my cupid’s bow and down over both of my lips, effectively halting my refusal. “Before you argue, it’s for selfish reasons. Everyone is waiting at home.”
Suddenly, Milo’s out of the seat and taking up where Ollie left off, taking the dishes into the back. I eat as much as I’m comfortable with, grabbing a small takeaway box without meeting Maggie’s eyes. She’s been in the back for the most part, but there’s no way she didn’t know the guys were helping me get ready to end my shift.
Maggie kicks us out about twenty minutes earlier than usual, with three of us closing up everything was done quicker than I’m used to. She gives each of the boys a short hug, and then makes her way over to me. Wrapping her arms around me she whispers in my ear, “I knew you were coming.” I stiffen in her arms wondering what she means. She holds on as I try to pull back. “Your journey hasn’t been an easy one. I wish I could tell you all of that will change now, but I won’t lie to you.” Finally, she pulls back, still holding my shoulders. “They’ll come for your power.” Maggie’s eyes cloud over in white as her head lulls back on her neck.
“Maggie?” My panicked tone has Milo rushing over to his grandma. Her grip on my arms tightens and she flinches.
“Gran?” Milo calls sternly as her head lifts and she looks over in his direction, eyes still milky white. “Be ready son, all of you need to be ready.” Maggie wilts into Milo’s arms, finally releasing me. I cross my arms, rubbing the places her hands were. Ollie comes up behind me, pulling me into his chest.
Maggie opens her eyes to reveal the soft blue I’m used to. Her face scrunches. “Oh damn, that was a bad one.” She looks from me, to Ollie, then to Milo who is still next to her.
“Do you remember anything Gran?” Milo grabs her hand, staring between her eyes.
