Standing In The Rain (mxb) | ✔ |

Chapter Four

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We walk inside. It smells sweet, but not overly sugar coated. The man at the counter looks up and smiles, the opposite of what I expected.

"Fen, long time no see!"

"Fenrick?!"

An older woman comes out from the back, a smile on her face. They greet Fenrick as if he was family and he greets them back just as enthusiastically. The lady looks up and greets me too.

"Hello, hun! How are you? Looking for anything in particular?"

She greets me with a hug too. Not wanting to be rude, I gently hug her back. Fenrick and the other man converse and the woman leads me away.

"Would you like anything to eat? Maybe an apple or some grapes?"

"B-but I have no money!"

"Nonsense, if you came with Fenrick then you can take as much as you would like. Of course, logically."

I look through some of the fruits, settling on a spiky pink fruit. The lady cuts it to reveal a grey inside with black seeds. It looks less edible than I thought.

"Don't worry, the seeds are edible."

She cuts one for herself, and scoops the grey stuff out. I hesitantly take a scoop, placing the fruit flesh in my mouth. Sweetness trickles down my throat and I almost moan from the taste. The seeds give a small crunch as the fruit itself has a distinct taste. Better than anything I've ever eaten.

"What are these called?"

"These are called dragon fruit. It's from the far away lands of Central America. It's the fruit of a cactus."

I finish the rest quickly, scraping as close to the peel as I can.

"Sorry if I'm intruding, but can you tell me more about Fenrick? You seem to know him well."

Her smile turns a little sad.

"You don't have to tell me anything! It's okay if you don't..."

I feel her clasp my hands together and she sighs.

"Fenrick is a good boy. He seems hard on the outside, but if you get to know him, he is indeed, very sweet."

She sighs, scratching the back of her neck in disappointment.

"But...he sure is a stubborn one. But it really isn't his fault. His heart's been broken. That's why he wants you gone as quickly as possible. But it's not my place to say anything. Maybe you should ask him yourself."

How can I bring up such a weird topic to him? 'Btw, what does it feel like to be heartbroken? Is that why you want me gone?' No way I could say something like that!

"Thank you ma'am."

She smiles at me before getting up.

"It's best if we join them again. Come back sometime."

"But aren't I leaving? Fenrick said that you could get me into the countryside."

"I doubt my husband will allow that. He's such a matchmaker. I keep telling him to stop, but it's hard to see Fenrick so cold to everyone besides us."

I think back to last night. Brushing my hair softly, placing me back under the blankets, helping me with the shirt...

"...I think he's kinder than we all think."

"Hmm...you may be right. I never quite caught your name."

"Evan."

"Well then Evan, I'm Emilia. I have a feeling we'll be seeing quite a lot of each other."

We meet Fenrick and the other man back at the front of the store. Fenrick seems a little frustrated.

"At least tell me when you're leaving."

"About a few weeks. The fresh produce is literally rolling into the docks so there's no need for us to leave just yet."

The man winks at me as if he's doing me a special favor. Emilia shakes her head and sighs. I think I understand what she means by "matchmaker."

"Well, we'll be here for that time being. If you need anything, just swing by."

"Thank you, Emilia, Henry."

"No worries, my boy."

We say our goodbyes and leave just as the store starts to fill with customers. The silence between us is so thick, I don't want to start a conversation.

So I have to wait to get on a boat, or train, or some other transportation to get me out of the city? Hm... I'll have to contact my sister, Naomi. I'll tell her it'll take me a while to get back home.

Suddenly, my stomach growls. I feel my face turn hot in embarrassment. I just ate. How can I be hungry again?

"Evan, would you like to go somewhere to eat?"

"Ah... I'm fine. I just ate so I think I will be-"

My stomach growls louder this time, and I'm pretty sure my face is completely red.

"If you don't want to, I can just make something at home."

"Um...can we maybe...?"

"...Hm, let's just go home then."

When we get back, Fenrick sheds his coat and tie. He takes off his gloves, and my eyes trace over his tattoos. They're elegant in their own way, I suppose. The roses are faded, covered in thorns, but the petals seem soft and delicate in the mid-morning light. The scars don't seem as harsh compared to last night.

Fenrick's opens the icebox, pulling out an assortment of produce. Tomatoes, lettuce, meat, celery, eggs, apples, and bread are spread out on the counter.

I take a seat quietly at the counter, watching him prep lunch. His hands work with the knife, slicing before I even blink. His work is silent, elegant, and skilled. Almost...deadly.

He works magic in the kitchen and in a few short minutes, a savory, open-faced sandwich plated in front of me.

Fenrick bites into him as if he eats this everyday, but this is spectacular. I haven't eaten anything this elegant since I left home.

~

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- Alex.