Come into the Water

chapter forty

"Hey, Sofia," I greeted my boss, leaning my body against the bar. "Why is it so dead today?" I asked.

I had been on the clock for four hours and only a handful of people had been in. I had never seen the bar so vacant in the months that I had worked there. Aimi would have agreed with me, had she been working and not laid up sick in bed. She had the immune system of a newborn and she was constantly sick. It was no shock or wonder that once wintertime arrived Aimi would be hibernating to avoid any illness if she wasn't already sick by then.

"A snowstorm is coming," she said, uncrossing her arms. "You don't watch the news?" She cracked a smile.

I shook my head. "Not often, no," I mumbled. The impending snowstorm made sense with the drastic drop in temperature and bleak skies. When I left for work that night, I assumed it to be rain instead. I pursed my lips. If there was a snowstorm coming, why were we still here? "Are we closing early?"

"Samael doesn't want to," she shook her head. "It's so hard talking to that man. He's so stubborn, but it is his place. So I'm just going to put up the closed sign and hope no one bothers me. You can go."

I frowned. Why did he want to keep the place open knowing he would get no business? Right, because he was an asshole. But I still couldn't stop myself from feeling bad. "I don't want to leave you alone. Won't you get bored?"

"It's a bar, Natalia. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she gestured toward the countless bottles of alcohol on the shelves.

I laughed softly. "I guess you're right. I'm going to go then."

She nodded, settling down on one of the stools and flipping the tv on to a sports channel. I watched her take a swig of a beer, making herself comfortable as she positioned her body against the bar itself. She cranked up the volume, nearly drowning us in the sound.

I decided to stop standing and watching in awe as she enjoyed two things that I both thought were equally disgusting, beer and sports. I shook my head, going to the break room where my things were. I planned on gathering my things and then quietly slipping out. I wanted to surprise Aries and Silas, though it couldn't really be a surprise if I always came home, was it? I figured maybe I'd do something nice and make us all dinner considering we were probably going to be snowed in over the weekend.

My eyes narrowed as I thought about it thoroughly to myself. I would have to make a stop at the grocery store if I wanted to make something but I was feeling lazy. But I could push through it. I nearly gagged to myself. I loved them so much that I was going to trek through ice cold weather just to feed us all. Sixteen year old me would've been shocked and disgusted about what I turned into.

I had always been the noncommittal type, and if I was ever 'bound' to someone it was because we were having sex. Being noncommittal was a nice way to avoid getting hurt. But now it was open season because I had two people who I had learned to be vulnerable for and committed to. It was truly a bittersweet feeling.

I grabbed my jacket off of the hook, only seconds from tossing it over my shoulder before I stopped. I looked the devil right in his eyes, clutching onto my coat as if it could save me or create a barrier or protection. I tried not to gulp. I tried not to do anything that was a dead give away that I was scared that he would hurt me. I could feel my foot beginning to move to take a step back but I stood my ground.

I finally placed my jacket over my shoulders, pulling my hair out and over from under the material. I did the unthinkable and turned my back him, almost as though he wasn't there. I knew the simple act of defiance would make him feel small and anger him. It wasn't smart of me. Jasmine wasn't here to protect me again.