There may be a few mistakes due to the fact that I have had no spell check on so there could be letters missing in words or whatever. I tried to get most of them though.
Lunch was quite uneventful although when one was in the presence of Skulduggery Pleasant, it could never simply remain uneventful. Skulduggery made a stupidly unfunny joke leaving Valkyrie with no other option but to shoot him a look of utter disapproval.
"Honestly, Skulduggery," she said as the waitress passed them. "You need to work on your jokes because that was horrid."
Skulduggery tilted his head, an unnecessary gesture considering he had on one of his many facades. Valkyrie was about to speak until she noticed the waitress standing at their table. Both Skulduggery and Valkyrie glanced up expectantly.
"Skulduggery?" The woman asked with distinct confusion.
"Uh," Skulduggery dragged out the word in order to stall the woman. They were in the same cafe Dexter, Valkyrie and China had met in where sorcerers were free to roam at night but had to be disguised for the mortals during the day. Mortal staff were often left on for the day and sorcerers ran the cafe at night so Skulduggery was skeptical of the woman's knowledge of him.
Valkyrie's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Excuse me?" She asked.
The waitress shot a glare at Valkyrie and turned back to Skulduggery. Valkyrie sat back and looked at Skulduggery, shooting him a look that said I am about to punch this woman in the throat. Skulduggery was too distracted to notice.
"Of course you wouldn't recognize me," she laughed but it held no humor. A cold wave swept over Valkyrie only making her anger toward the waitress increase.
Skulduggery remained silent and Valkyrie watched as recognition crossed his face. "Ann?" He asked slowly.
The woman nodded with a tight, cold smile. "I'll never forgive you," she snapped. "She was my best friend, practically my sister and you're the reason she was killed."
Skulduggery sat back and Valkyrie saw an expression on his facade she'd never seen before. It was painful to watch as is his face became pinched in agony.
"And her poor child," the waitress continued, emotion making her voice break. "You had to be everyone's enemy didn't you? And now look at what happened!" Her arms flew up and down in a frustrated manner and her angry gaze fell upon Valkyrie. "Now you've got a new one clinging to you. Have you any idea what he has done, child? He had his wife and child killed, she was my best friend and very undeserving of what came to her because of this abomination."
Valkyrie had heard enough and stood up, only to realise she towered over the woman. "Don't you dare stand here and talk to him like that. I wasn't there but neither were you. Okay, she was your best friend but just because Skulduggery is the only one here for you to blame doesn't give you any right to do so. Oh, and by the way, child, really? I'd snap you in half before you could point at Skulduggery and yell 'bloody murder'. Come on Skulduggery before I actually do something I'll regret."
Skulduggery stood though his face was expressionless and numb. However, when he put his hat on he still tipped it as a polite farewell gesture to the waitress called Ann.
Valkyrie waited beside the Bentley with a scowl. Her day had been ruined by some stupid waitress with an agenda. Skulduggery unlocked the Bentley and they both hopped in. Behind the concealed darkness of the tinted windows, Skulduggery let his facade was away and quickly wrapped the scarf around his face.
"Don't worry about that dumb woman, Skulduggery," Valkyrie said though her voice was quiet. She didn't feel strong anymore, not now that Skulduggery was hurt. "What she said was not true, she just wants somebody to blame."
"It's not what she said," he muttered. "It's the reminder that how I feel right now is wrong. I had a wife and a child and I am now, as she said it, an abomination. I've moved on from the death of my family long ago but it still doesn't change the fact that how I feel is wrong and stupid."
Valkyrie was bewildered at his cryptic comments. "What do you mean 'how you feel'? How you feel about what? What is wrong?"
As if snapped back to reality Skulduggery looked at Valkyrie. He paused and Valkyrie knew he was finding a way to bend the truth. "How I, uh, feel about the fact that I've moved on already," he lied.
Skulduggery knew Valkyrie saw through the lie but as long as she didn't know what he was really talking about then he was safe. He couldn't believe how close he'd been to accidently announcing his feelings for her but that still didn't change the feeling of it being wrong. Ann had clearly shown her disgust in Valkyrie sitting across from him, no doubt assuming they were somehow attached in a relationship more than they really were. It not only shows Skulduggery how people would react to such a thing but also the fact that he would only drag Valkyrie down with him, more than he already had.
Valkyrie sighed and stared out the window. "One day I hope you'll find the courage to trust me," she said firmly.
Skulduggery's head snapped in her direction. "If there is one thing in this world you can count on, it is the trust between us. Never forget that," he replied, frustrated at where this conversation had headed.
"I just wish you wouldn't hide some things from me but I guess I have done the same to you haven't I?" She sighed again.
"We've been under a lot of stress because of this Alistair thing," he replied. "But when it is all down how about you and sit down and talk?"
Valkyrie gave a slight smile. "That sounds perfect."
Skulduggery's grip tightened on the wheel. Maybe during this little 'talk' he can put it all out in the air and be done with it. Hopefully.