“What can I do to make you feel comfortable? Whatever it is, I will do it. Quit my job. Leave the country. Again…” he rushes through the ideas very seriously. For some reason, that makes me laugh, because he did leave the country to get away from me.
“Don’t do that.” I manage to stop laughing. “You shouldn’t uproot your whole life just for me. I don’t want that.”
His shoulders relax, and his antennae raise. Cute. He’s cute. I hate how cute he is.
I take a deep breath. The concept of forgiving him feels much more possible today. Letting him into my life seems preferable to never seeing him again. He's so easy to talk to, and despite my better judgment, I really like him.
“What if we tried to be friends?”
“Just friends?” I ask, slightly surprised. Right, that’s the logical thing. Not date him. Not walk back to his place and fuck until I think I might go blind. Be his friend. Take it slow.
“Or even just colleagues? If that’s better for you? Polite acquaintances?” He continues, clearly misreading the expression on my face.
“No,” I interrupt him with a laugh, to stop him from lowering the relationship status any further. “Friends is good. But you have to level the playing field. You know so much about me. You have to share things with me. And not just the cute stuff, the embarrassing stuff, and the weird stuff.”
“I can do that. I will do that.” His wings flutter and his voice gets quiet. “But, you already know more about me than almost anyone else.”
“Yeah, well! I want to know it all. Okay? I want to be able to blackmail you if I have to. I need to know your embarrassing childhood crushes, what makes you cry, what kind of fanfics you read, all of it. Okay?”
“Tails,” he announces.
“What?” I ask confused.
“Tails, Sonics’ little fox sidekick. He’s probably my most embarrassing childhood crush.”
I don’t even bother trying to hold back my laugh. “That’s a really good one.”
“He could fly.” Ant smiles.
“What else?” I ask.
“Well, I can tell you about meeting my sister?” There’s a bright smile on his face that makes me want to hug him. Touch him.
“Yeah. Okay.” I grin.
Crap. I gotta find a way to fix my broken brain. My phone lights up with a text. It’s Bailey, saying she’s sorry, and offering to buy me an apology drink, yet again.
Maybe I do need to try something new? Get out of my comfort zone and meet people. Maybe one of those cryptid bars she mentioned, might help me move on.
23
PIPER
Ant is sweet. He starts texting me little embarrassing facts about himself. When he accidentally says ‘You too’ after the barista says ‘enjoy your drink’. When he flew into a tree branch in front of a group of teenaged gargoyles. When he turned too fast and his wings knocked over a whole table full of drinks at Moonshine.
It’s to easy to fall for him all over again.
So when Bailey calls me the next weekend I immediately insist that she take me out to a bar to meet strangers and be my date to Kelly’s art show after.
Bailey suggests a cryptid bar called Labyrinth. She warns me it’s a bit more intense than Moonshine, but if I want to meet another cryptid, then this is the place to do it.
I am so nervous that I manage to arrive twenty minutes early. The place isn’t my usual hang, and I’m not dressed appropriately. I grabbed my favorite dark wash jeans, pink Doc Martens, and a distressed tank top. I feel just trendy enough to hang with Kelly’s art crowd, but I don’t exactly fit in at Labyrinth. I don’t think I’d fit in here no matter what I was wearing.
Labyrinth is a classic nightclub—dim lighting, blaring music, overpriced drinks, and almost nowhere to sit. These places have always made me feel vulnerable, like I am on display.
It doesn’t feel safe and cozy like Moonshine does.
I grab a stool at the bar and pull out my phone. I’m so embarrassingly early I can’t even text Bailey to see where she is. Instead, I open my reading app. I’m right in the middle of a juicy paranormal historical romance when some women clamber up to the bar beside me, one bumps my shoulder as she releases a loud laugh.
