Everything Comes With A Price (The Grabber Fanfiction)

The Last Stop

Albert

Albert took Susanna to the diner down the road. It had been around for as long as he could remember. Albert's mother used to take them there; Him and Max. Usually when his father was having one of his drunken fits. Now here he was years later. Susanna sitting at a booth across from him. There was a sea of room between them in the half circle booth. It was the only table he ever sat at when he came. Because it reminded him of his mother. It was far in the back corner of the diner. Away from all the other patrons. Because that's how Albert liked to live his life. Secluded from the rest of the world.

Susanna was staring down at a sundae that was almost the size of her head. She shoveled a spoon full of ice-cream into her mouth, then another, and another. She accidently smeared some fudge on the corner of her mouth. But she didn't seem to care. Perhaps it was the fact that she hadn't tasted ice-cream in the months that she had been there. It's funny what restriction does to a person. Susanna reminded him of a child sitting with their endless bag of candy on Halloween.

"Hey, hey, slow down," Albert whispered.

Albert wet his thumb with his tongue and leaned over the table. He wiped the chocolate from the corner of her lip. He cleaned his finger on a napkin beside him.

"You're going to make yourself sick." Albert shook his head. Susanna was too busy to notice. She stuffed the spoon in her mouth again. "Jesus," Albert chuckled.  "Susanna, you act like I don't feed you."

Albert took her wrist loosely in his hand. He pulled the spoon from her hands and stuck it back in the sundae. "Slow down princess."

Susanna looked up at him with wide innocent eyes. Susanna looked at the cup shamefully. She swirled the spoon around in the glass.

Susanna pouted with her head bowed down in her lap. She had the attention span of a goldfish. Susanna sat up erect in her seat. Susanna looked to the right of her. That wasn't enough. No, it wasn't nearly enough for Susanna. She wanted to see the entire diner. She turned her head so far around. That a moment went by that Albert thought her neck would simply snap.

Susanna even stretched her body to get a good look around them. And although Albert urged her to keep her head down, and her eyes forward. She looked everywhere, but at him. To see everything, she couldn't see from the secluded booth. There weren't many patrons, but she wanted so badly to watch the few that there were. She was so curious. And she wanted to take in every sight and every noise that was all around them. All the things she'd lose once he brought her back.

"No, no, no baby," Albert whispered. " Hey, eyes on me." Albert reached for her hand. Susanna absent-mindedly pulled her hand away. She didn't even look back at him.

Albert grabbed her wrist and yanked her back down. Susanna fell flat to her seat. Finally, her attention was back on him. Where he not only wanted it but where he expected it.

"What did I tell you before we came in here?" Albert raised his brows, but Susanna just stared at him with a blank expression. "You know what I said. I want your eyes on me at all times."

Susanna crossed her arms. "No one's going to recognize me," she groaned.

Albert grabbed her hand and crushed it in his. Susanna whimpered. She was about to speak. Then Albert cocked his head to the right and raised his brow at her. Susanna snapped her mouth shut.

"Come here," Albert held up his hand, his palm facing up, his fist remained clenched. While his index finger moved repeatedly in a hooking motion as he beckoned her to come.

Susanna looked hesitant at first. He patted his hand on the booth cushion next to him. Susanna scooted around the half-moon seat. Albert watched her squirm. She huffed when she finally reached her destination. Susanna sat right next to him. She was close but even that wasn't close enough. Albert rested his arm around the back of the booth. While he brushed his other hand along her cheek.