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"Thanks Ru." I told Ruby with a smile as she set down the mocha frappe on the counter and smiled back.
"No problem. It's my job." She chuckled, "Oh, uh, how's finding a place to stay going on?" She asked with a frown.
"We found a place. Mary Margaret offered us a room. So, yeah, we don't have to sleep in the car now. I was starting to get serious neck cramps because of that." I massaged my neck softly with a sigh and Ruby stared at me in guilt.
"I'm so sorry. Regina is so powerful, no one dares to go against her." Ruby said.
"It's alright. We found place to stay either way so it's fine, really. And how long has it been? Of Regina being the mayor of this town?" I asked her and she frowned again.
A short silence passed as I kept my gaze on her. Her frowned deepened as she muttered, "I...I don't know. She's been the mayor for a long time. As long as I could remember."
I nodded with a frown of my own. That was weird but who was I to complain? I shrugged and drank my mocha frappe.
"Sheriff! The usual?" I heard Ruby and groaned internally. I didn't want to see Graham after our last conversation.
"Yes, Ruby, the usual. Thank you." He said and sat next to me. I rolled my eyes and sipped my drink, ignoring him. "Miss Holt." He greeted me and I tilted my head slightly, sparing him a glance. "Sheriff." I gave him a nod.
An awkward silence passed. No one said anything. After a while, Graham broke the silence, "Look, I...I apologize. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just...well everything you said about Madam Mayor, even if there is some part of me that agrees to it — to your words, there is a large part that is afraid of what she'd do. And the fact that I am the Sheriff because of her doesn't help. At all. It just makes me feel oblige to defend her."
"...And she wants exactly that. You are the next powerful figure after her so it's natural for her to want to have you by her side. No one dares to question the mayor and the Sheriff. They just blindly follow her. And despite knowing that, you let it happen. Because you are afraid. Scared that she'll strip you off your current power. You are a coward." I spat and slammed the money on the counter. I didn't notice Ruby listening in on our conversation nor did I notice Graham's wide eyes filled with regret as I left the diner without looking back.
I heard a sigh. And then strong footsteps following me. I rolled my eyes again when I heard Graham speaking.
"Wait, Miss Holt! Look I'm trying, alright? It's so hard to get your attention." He muttered.
"Well try harder. Since it doesn't seem to work." I snapped and he chuckled, fastening his pace to walk beside me. I didn't even spare him a glance.
"I thank you for your help finding that coma patient. We all owe you a debt of gratitude." He said, ignoring my sigh of annoyance.
