The Barista

Two: Moonlit

"Are you sure you don't want a ride home?"

Night had obscured the shopping plaza. Sasha was folding her coffee streaked apron over her forearm.

"Yeah, I'm good, thanks." Ivy shot her a glance and smiled tightly. It was the kind of smile that bared teeth. She felt Sasha's eyes linger on her a moment after, scrutinizing, but she was grateful when Sasha headed to her car without probing. She was a good friend - or would be, if Ivy would let her. 

Eren's silver pickup pulled up about half an hour after Sasha left. It had just started to drizzle again - Ivy had committed to sitting on the wet pavement and getting the seat of her jeans wet. It was better than the ache in her feet from standing in her work shoes. She gathered her things and headed for the passenger seat. 

"Sorry, I know I'm late. Work kept me over." Sensing Ivy's irritated silence, Eren rustled in his backpack a moment, producing a takeout box. "I got this for you."

"Oh, thanks." Guilt flooded Ivy. Eren might really be changing - he was thoughtful, apologized before she even got into the car, brought her dinner from the bar, he'd been hauling her ass around since her car broke down and hadn't complained once. The Eren she had dated wouldn't have thought twice about leaving her to sit in the rain.

"How was work?"

"The usual. Jean was a no show, so Sasha stayed late to help me close up."

"That's nice of her."

The rain was starting to pick up again. The moon's reflection quivered in dirty puddles on the road, only to be swirled and sloshed into waves as Eren's truck ploughed through them. The truck had been a gift from his father - sort of. More like his father just left it behind when he left them. Ivy still remembered the day it happened - not the day Grisha left, but the day it sunk in for Eren. It had been a year of Grisha's absence before Eren was willing to admit he wasn't coming back, he'd started another family somewhere else, made a whole second identity for himself. 

"Do you want to come back with me?"

"My apartment's fine, thanks."

She knew Eren didn't understand the separation. He'd make comments occasionally about how much money she was wasting paying rent when she could just stay with him, she could crash on the couch any time, or the bed, whatever she felt comfortable with. There was a sort of pride in being so independent from him, after years of being attached at the hip. Getting the car had been her first big step, then the apartment. Next was moving out of that shitty little town and away from him and the café forever. She had started college before, she just needed to go back and finish it. 

"You can always stay with me, you know." There it was. Ivy had one hand on the door.

"Thanks, but no."