Chapter 4

Family emergency. Running late. I read the text once more, sweat starting to collect at my nape and drip down my spine. Riku and Sora weren't here yet. My mouth went dry at the cluster of people milling in front of the empty display case. They wouldn't be clocking in for another two hours and we were having a massive rush for the lunchtime commuters.

I gulped, trying to not let the overwhelming amount of cuss words spill over into the text message I was typing back. Haruto's message might have been a little bit less of a punch to the gut if it had been sent an hour ago when his shift as technically started. He needed to go. Not only had he been an increasing problem when it came to doing any of the baking but now he was making it a trend to be late. I should have-

"When will the donuts be out?" I took a breath, feeling my lips parting in a gentle smile before I could even blink. It was an expression that I was becoming more and more adept at.

The ibuprofen made a harsh clattering sound as I shoved them under the counter, my shoulder already starting to buzz with the raw pain I was becoming more and more familiar with. "Just a moment." I raised my voice quickly, drawing the attention of the people crowded in the small bakery space. "I'm a bit short-staffed today so I'll be in the back for a moment to get all the baked goods to refill the displays and then right back to ring everyone up."

I had done this before. I had worked on my own for nearly a year before I could hire another person. That was probably the only thing that kept me going, the only thing that kept the smile on my face and the false cheer to my voice. My body flew through the familiar motions of taking out fresh goods and then darting behind the register, filling to-go cups, and handing over receipts. I didn't stop to think about my wariness, didn't stop to think about the growing pain in my shoulder as it took up more and more-

"What's your excuse?" I demanded. The roar of the train was distant along with the gentle rumble of life just outside of the cramped alley that hugged the side of our building. Haruto had the face of a kicked dog, all soft boyish curves, and messy ebony hair. Most people would find him unbelievably endearing but I saw the quiet cunning in his eyes, the way that he handled tense situations in the shop. He was smart - a little too smart.

"I had a family-" he started and his hands went white as they tightened around the strap of his bag. Inside I could hear the tinker of laughter from Riku telling a joke to some customer or another. The only thing that had saved me was that Riku and Sora had been not only on time but early. Haruto had barely made it in 15 minutes after them.

"You know I can't ask you about what your emergency was." I couldn't help the snap in my voice even as I saw Haruto flinch, his face paling. I wanted to be calmer. I wanted to be more understanding - but dammit, I was tired. So bone tired. "But you have to understand the position that you put me in. The position that you put my store in. If you were simply late that would be another story but you didn't tell me until over an hour after you were supposed to be in-"

"My grandmother died," Haruto suddenly cut in and all of my words froze on the tip of my tongue. His bangs flopped across his face, eyes zeroing in on the ground as his face went a shade of cherry. Something cruel and acidic bubbled and twisted my stomach. "That's why…"

"I'm sorry," I breathed, sudden realization making my words feel slow and completely inadequate. The sound of traffic filtered in, seeming too loud in the tense space between us. How could I not think that it might be something terrible? How inconsiderate could I be? "The shop doesn't need you today. Go home and be with your family. If you need more time off message me so that I can make arrangements."

His nod was stiff, tense as he left me in tight-lipped silence. What had I just done? I had all but forced that explanation from him. My insides twisted and churned with guilt. I should have been more understanding. The skin of my hands was cold against the heated skin of my face, a splash of water against a steaming stone. How could I-

"You know he was probably lying." Water splashed up onto my leggings, chilling my leg as I spun around to face the direction that the gravel voice had been. Standing in near shadows, with his hands in his pockets was the familiar large frame of the man who had been running through my mind for the past few months. He looked unfairly dashing, a hint of shadows starting to form just beneath his piercing eyes.

My brain fogged, thoughts running around frantically in the sudden mist. "W-what?"

He stalked forward. In the space of my back alley, I could suddenly see that beneath the suit he was actually built more like an athlete than a desk worker, the tailored cut of his dreary gray suit straining against his biceps and thighs. Definitely some sort of underground hitman. I gulped, nervousness prickling at my stomach as he drew closer, his eyes running over me sharply.

His head tipped toward where Haruto had gone. "The kid. He was late wasn't he?" I stared at him. Was I supposed to say something? How had he figured that out? His eyes narrowed a fraction, taking in my wide-eyes. "That's why you were yelling at him?"

"I-" I really needed to learn how to form completely sentences around him. My mouth clamped shut, allowing me no other choice but to nod a jerky affirmation.

"He was lying. Kids like that will do anything to get out of work."

It took me a moment to fully take in his words, the full meaning sinking in like hot rocks forced against my skin and once they did… Anger bubbled up, something defiant squaring my shoulders and turning my wide-eyed stare into a glare. How could he -? Where did he get off -?

"How would you know that?" I bit out and his eyes widened slightly at my town, his head tipping to the side as he took in the red splatches that were sure to be appearing in my cheeks. "What give you the right to even say such a thing? Who would make such an awful excuse about their own grandmother-"

He cut me off, his shoulders tensing slightly. "A kid like him."

"You-" I didn't have the words. How did he get off coming up to me like this and talking about one of my employees. "You don't know what you're talking about."

I wasn't sure. I had never seen him smile. But the skin around his eyes was crinkling, the harsh tones of his eyes lightening to something almost playful. "I road the train with him. He got on a few stops from here."

I blinked, the news making me slightly less unsure. For a moment, I stared up at him, trying and failing to somehow get my bearings in this conversation. "What - Did he…"

I didn't entirely know how to finish that sentence. Did he act like his grandmother had just tragically passed away? That seemed… like a horrible question to voice.

Those big shoulders of his rolled. "He didn't act like someone who just lost someone. Laughing on the phone. Got on with a girlfriend or something and they were going at it in the beginning."

I didn't want to delve into the whole "going at it" part of that statement. That… didn't sound very good. But…

I sniffed, trying to force the uncertainty from my voice. "People grieve differently."

He was definitely smiling. I could see it twitching up the side of his lips, playing at amusement. "You're gullible."

"And you're a cynical grouch," I snapped right back, gasping as the words flew from my mouth without a seconds hesitation. I had just talked to a gang member like that. Dread made my skin clammy, the sudden realization of how much bigger he was than me and the lack of people - witnesses - that were around making me sick.

One tense moment passed, the silence pressing down on the instinctive urge for an apology. He deserved one didn't he? I shouldn't have called him that. Not just because he could mince me up into little pieces and take me to a nearby river.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my eyes dropping to the cobblestone just beneath my feet.

I heard a small sound leave him, something between a breath and… Was that a laugh? His breath was suddenly hot against my cheek, his body still the same distance away as he leaned down so that his lips could barely touch my skin. "Do you regularly say sorry when you don't mean it?"

My own sound of indignation and fury rang down the cramped alleyway, rebounding back to us in a series of tiny echoes as a distant car blared out a warning. What an arrogant -

I ripped myself away from him, glaring up at his handsome face with all the rage I could muster as he stared down at me with that quiet amusement, his face only hinting slightly at laughter. How in the world I could think that he was enchanting was beyond me. To think that this arrogant-

"Next time, make sure that someone's around when you handle people like that," he called just as I stormed over to the back entrance of the bakery, my hand hovering just above the doorknob. My eyes snapped to meet his, his face sudden sober. "People can do nasty things when they think their job's in danger."

I blinked, glancing down the abandoned alley. The traffic was there but distant, the area so isolated that for a moment his words had an eerie tinge to them. My eyes snapped back to him, watching as he briskly walked away, picking up a discarded bag just at the corner, where he had been standing. Had he… was it possible that he had seen me going into the back with Haruto and stopped to make sure…? I stopped that thought, the heavy backdoor creaking open as I slipped back into the steamy confines of the kitchens. Riku's ebony wig and dark dress skirted around the corner at my entrance. Upfront, Sora was talking animatedly with a customer as she rang them up.

"Did you fire that worthless piece of-"

"His grandmother died." Her mouth snapped shut, her general sneer transforming into angelic sorrow.

"We should throw together a care package." She was the picture of demure kindness, her eyes shining beneath the startling red tint of her contacts. She nodded sagely. "He deserves to be taken care of."

"Mm." The man's words blared across my mind with sudden, sharp clarity. He… he didn't seem like he was stupid. I gulped, turning around to check the proofing walk in. "Riku?"

"Hm?"

"Rearrange the schedule so that Haruto's only working 1 day a week for the next month or so." I started slowly, started moving read dough onto a cart. "He'll need time with his family."

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