What's A Little Crime Among Friends: Len x OC

4: Eggs: the Best Breakfast to Bond Over

(This story will be over soon enough! For now, let's continue...)

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"Do you want me to keep going?" Len asked, eyes darting from the page to me. The bags and empty boxes of food were littered across the floor by my bed and I was fiddling with my fork.

"Only if you want," I said, "It's getting late, and I don't want to ruin whatever potential sleep you've still got time for."

He shivered. "This stuff is terrifying."

"That's what I love," I mumbled. He stared at me.

"A-About the book. About Dracula," my words stumbled out of my mouth.

He nodded with a grin and handed the book to me, "I know that."

I yawned and folded the page that we had stopped on. "I'm getting sleepy."

"Your yawning is catching," Len said, also yawning, "I'll be going now."

"Goodnight," I smiled as he got off of the bed. He nodded, left hand hovering over my bare right shoulder but not touching. I took his left with my right and squeezed it gently.

"Goodnight, Em."

***

The next morning, I left my room and stepped out into the common area that the family shared. A few of the members were sitting around the dank and rotting dining table, eating eggs, smoking, and playing cards.

Sunlight dripped through the cracks in between the murky windows and curtains and spilled onto the old wooden floor. My shadow danced across the light as I walked from one end of the place to the other, passing a dimly lit hallway that led to a closed wooden door.

That door led to Len's room. I slowed my pace slightly as I passed. I was considering thanking him for the meal last night. Maybe he was in there.

"Is Len inside?" I asked the men on the table. They looked at me.

"He hasn't come out," one of the men said, tugging at his fedora and tossing a card onto the table, "Probably in there, but also probably still asleep."

I nodded and looked down at my shirt to make sure that it was buttoned up properly. Sometimes I'd mess up the buttons and it would look like a child did up my shirt.

"I'm going in," I mumbled. The men nodded indifferently. My heart nodded, not so indifferently.

I stepped down the hall and brushed the tips of my fingers against the spherical doorknob. This was stupid, I know, but I was just going to thank him for last night.

For the food, I told myself, don't drag it out; just say thanks for the food.

The door wasn't locked, so I just turned the knob and opened it and then my jaw pretty much dropped to the floor with a clanking sound. I'm pretty sure the sound of my heart shattering was much, much louder.

Len was sitting on the edge of his bed with a woman in his lap. They were kissing madly, eyes closed, hands in each other's hair. I huffed and stepped back out, slamming the door shut and hurrying back to my room.

Way to go, Em. Told you that you were setting yourself up for heartbreak.

"Hey, Emily, you alright?" One of the members called after me as I stepped into my room.

"I'm fine!" I yelled, not turning to look at him. I didn't want him to see my tears. I didn't want to see them myself, either. I stood in front of the mirror and looked at the pathetic expression on my face.