Bar Red's Redemption ✔

c h a p t e r. 41

“Oh, monsters are scared," said Lettie. "That's why they're monsters.”
― Neil Gaiman

chapter 41

Knocking on Bar's door roused him from his dreamless, unsatisfying sleep.

Everything seemed unsatisfying lately.

With a scowl on his lips, dark bags under his eyes, no shirt and wrinkled pajama pants, Bar made his way out of bed. He quickly brushed his teeth but didn't bother to fix his messy hair and made his way to the door, swearing when another set of three rather soft, impatient knocks came from the other side.

Law and Gus had been there the day before and the day before that, too.

When were they going to get that he just wanted to be alone?

That he deserved to be alone.

"Law, I swear to fuck," Bar's voice was deeper than usual and husky from sleep. "I already promised I wouldn't try to k—"

The words were frozen in his mouth as Bar threw the door open and his eyes instantly locked into a pair of haunting, minty ones.

Clementine stood there, in the door of his apartment, wearing a sweatshirt she stole from him and leggings. Her hair was slightly damp from the rain that hadn't let up for the last three days and her cheeks were a light hue of pink.

She looked beautiful.

Painfully beautiful.

Bar's head swam, and drowned underneath his tidal wave of thoughts. What was she doing here? Is she okay? Did something happen? Was breaking up not enough, is she going to cut him out of her life, too? Did she miss him? Was that even possible— who could miss a beast? A monster? Who could love someone like that?

Not her. Not someone so... kind, so pure.

Bar stared at Clementine, unsure of what to do. Unsure of what to say.

Should he invite her in? Should he ask if she was okay?

Bar opened his mouth to say something but couldn't get anything out, her words ringing in his ears.

Please, she had said, don't speak to me again.

His mouth slammed close.

He couldn't speak to her, she didn't want him to. She said so herself.

So why was the little goddess here?

"I-I," Clementine swallowed hard. "I'm having a, a really b-bad day and I didn't, I didn't have a-anyone else I could go to."

So he's the last resort? Bar didn't know what else to expect.

He blinked once, nodded, then opened his door wider and moved out of the way, silently inviting her to come into his apartment.

Clementine seemed to sigh a breath of relief and came into the entryway.

Bar, never feeling more awkward in his life, shuffled towards his living room slowly, the exhaustion of not even getting two hours of sleep for the last couple of days getting the best of him.

Clementine followed, he could hear her soft footsteps. He wanted to ask what was wrong, why her day was bad, but couldn't.

He wanted to hold her.

To kiss her.

To be allowed to love her again.

But he couldn't do any of those either.