“You fixed it?” She beamed, moving closer.
“No,” he sighed. “It’s not the amount of gas it had; the light indicated it was the motor. It can still drive but from the look of it, it’ll shut down any minute. I don’t want you driving it anymore.”
“Well, that sucks,” she muttered. “I had this whole thing planned with the flowers and everything.”
“I know, but I basically got it for free so we can’t be too mad about it.” Betty shrugged at his words, likely thinking he was right. “I’ll drive it over to the parking lot, then have it removed tomorrow.”
I had an idea, but I needed to see the inside first. “Can I, um, look in the back before you move it?” They looked confused but Jerry nodded. I opened the back doors and saw the inside was empty except for one cardboard box. This would work.
“Can I have it?” I asked. “I’ll pay for it with my first paycheck,” I quickly added.
“Why do you want it, hon? Do you know how to fix it?” Betty asked.
I shook my head. “No, if I did, I would’ve helped out before. I was thinking of living in it.” I was smiling, getting more used to the idea as I pictured a mattress and some insulation. I could get it donebefore the winter if I saved up all my money. I could eat once a day and work on improving the van in my free time.
“Oh,” Jerry said, looking inside it, too. “I hadn’t even thought about that. I guess with some changes it could be livable.” I smiled at them, feeling excited. I had a job and a home! And it was only my first day on Sutiner.
Chapter 4
Xarius
It had taken all my willpower to stay at the charity event with Julie. My soulmatch was on Sutiner and I was dying to meet them. I still had no idea if it was a woman or man, having always been attracted to both. The thought of my person being so close, but yet so far away, had me impatiently rocking in place as we sat through the tedious dinner.
Thankfully, Declan had left Julie alone and hadn’t greeted us. She felt like it was rude, but I’d appreciated it. Everyone would’vebeen uncomfortable and Julie didn’t deserve any more pain caused by that spineless bastard.
Speaking of Julie… “You’re going where?!” she asked, accusingly. I should’ve probably started this conversation differently, but I hadn’t had my morning coffee yet and customers would start arriving soon.
“I have to find a friend,” I continued. “And I don’t know where they are exactly. So, I can’t work until I’ve found them.” She looked so confused and a little hurt.
“Why haven’t you ever spoken about them? For five years I’ve been by your side, and I’ve never once heard you talk about any friends, and now you’re planning on just leaving?” I understood why she was hurt. She thought I had been keeping this “friend” from her, even though I actually hadn’t. I tried to calm myself and say the closest thing to the truth as I could.
“I’ve been waiting for my friend to turn up. And in all the time you and I have known each other, I’ve waited. It wasn’t until yesterday that I knew they were close, or at least in the country.” I couldn’t say on Sutiner, so country worked alright. Fuck, what if my soulmatch wasn’t in this country? I would have to get a passportmade. We got birth certificates and other necessary things from the council when they booted us out of our home, but a passport I needed to get myself.
“So, they were the ones who called you yesterday at the charity event?” she asked. I’d just played along with her first question yesterday and said that yes, the glowing weird light was just my phone.
I nodded. “Yes, they said they were finally here, and now I have to find them.”
“No wonder you were so out of it afterwards,” she said, shaking her head. I’d run out of the room to watch the locket in private, needing to see the proof that my soulmatch truly was here. When I’d returned, I’d acted like nothing was amiss even though my insides were jittery with nerves.
She gave me an odd look. “You’re safe, right? This isn’t some kind of thing wherebad people are looking for you, so now you need to run, kind of thing?” I laughed, pleased that she wasn’t mad but worried for me instead.
“I promise you; I’ll be okay. The biggest problem is finding them and I have no clue how long that’ll take,” I admitted, glad I could share a little bit with her. I’d been looking forward to them comingto Sutiner ever since I arrived myself, saving up for travelling to find them, and to give them a better start with more money between us. Living in a van and using my money to make it a home, I’d been ready for years.
“It makes sense,” Julie said. “Do you have anything to go on? Tracking or last known location? Are they in danger?”
I shook my head. “Not in danger as far as I know and I have some kind of tracking device I can use, but not a perfect one. I just know the sooner I get to them, the better for us both.”
She nodded. “And I guess you can’t tell me more about it than that?”
“If I could I would’ve told you years ago,” I admitted. She softened further at hearing that. “You’re my best friend Jules, always there to help me out. I wouldn’t keep anything from you if I had the choice.”
She hugged me then, tightly. “I know. Just stay safe and call me once in a while, okay? I need to hear your voice and know you’re okay.” I gave a quick nod. I could do that. Iwoulddo that.
I left Julie inside the shop and moved out back towards my van. I wasn’t working today, but I still felt guilty over leaving herwithout help on those days I usually worked. She could easily hire someone new to take my place, and I’d told her to do that, unsure if I could get it back once I returned.IfI returned. I had a suspicion we would spend most of our time on the road, finding the other shunned mages and helping them out, too. And once that was done… Sutiner wouldn’t be my home anymore.
Shaking the thoughts of my future away, I unlocked my van and crawled inside looking through my things. I would stock up on some food and shower in the back of the coffeeshop before leaving. I wanted to get on the road as early as possible, but I still needed to refuel and stock up on that, too, just in case I found myself somewhere rural without gas stations nearby.
I had been dumped in a field of hay when I arrived. It hadn’t been fun trying to find my way towards a town. I hoped to never do that again. Ever. I could feel the spiky hay rub against me sometimes, like a haunting memory from my past.
