#sam001

With: Sam Loftgren Where: Any coffee shop

A part of Del wanted to throw her hands up and complain that it wasn’t fair that her most honest relationship – her most trusted relationship – was predicated on a lie. But that part of her fell silent, because she was the one who had built an entire foundation from nothing at all. Little truths ensconced in big lies, big truths only finding their way forward because it felt like someone else was saying them. In the last eight years, Del had found so many ways to justify herself – so many things that rang hollow, even to her.

Two weeks in Pennsylania, two weeks pretending she was still in Boulder – a place she’d never been. One month since she’d fired off the text that she was going to be in the area for work, would it be okay if she stayed in Philadelphia? Now, her name was on a lease, and she was pretending this whole situation was fair more temporary than it was. One month of learning that a moment of courage doesn’t negate a lifetime of a cowardice, and it certainly shouldn’t have been enough to send her across the country and setting her life on entirely new trajectory. It was the final thought that propelled her to send the text that she’d meant to fire off before her obscene dose of melatonin could pull her under.

Finally in the same area code – got time for that coffee tomorrow?

The message was too casual – overcompensated to hide the quiet desperation in hoping for both a yes, and praying for a no. Throwing her phone into airplane mode hadn’t stopped the text from going through – she watched in tired horror as the bubble flashed blue. Even in her first run at real honesty, she dug her heels in on another lie. She wanted to take it back – wanted to unsend the message, wanted to pack her bags and leave the state. Lena Rivers could have it, because Del Rhodes maybe was only a girl who was never going to be meant for anywhere but Hilltop, Ohio. But she didn’t. Instead, she found herself with tired eyes (the melatonin, as it turned out, had no power against the weight of her own conscience and terrible decision making) and as many shots of espresso as the barista thought she could legally give her. She was just going to scope it out, she justified. Maybe Sam wasn’t Sam, either – that notion felt both cruel, and like a relief. She’d left her phone in her car, making good on the airplane mode she should’ve utilized the night before. For someone who had spent the better part of a decade lying, she wasn’t particularly good at it – not when she had nothing to hide behind. Her eyes flickered to the door with every chime of the bell, as though she wasn’t half an hour early. Somewhere between the first and fifth patron, her mantra shifted from ‘you can do this. just be honest,’ to ‘it’s not too late to get up and walk away, no one ever has to know.’

Where: Sweet Tart Bakery

Running a bakery was no easy task, this was something Sam had learned since he opened his little business. He had hired on a baker and a few people to help run the store, but he still found himself working overtime on some days. In fact, there was nearly ever a day he truly had off. So today, he came in early to get to work, he had some cleaning and documents to take care of, just to make sure he stayed on top of things.

Within a few hours, opening time came around and he already felt himself beginning to get a little tired. Despite this, he flipped the signs and waited for customers to come in, busying himself by decorating some pastries in the back while he waited. He heard the bell of the door and made his way to the front, where he put on a broad smile, even if he didn’t feel it.

“Hi, is there anything in particular you’re looking for?” He inquires, trying to see if the person has something in mind.

Reza was no stranger to sleep deprivation, seeing he always had trouble sleeping at night. Or day, for that matter. The most he had gotten a good rest without any interruption was four to five hours maxed, and that was on good days. So this was nothing new.

But he hadn’t even got a wink of sleep ever since coming to this Godawful town. His night terrors worsened, keeping him awake most nights. The image of his uncle and the writings on the wall became so frequent that it was now permanently etched inside of his eyelids every time he closed his eyes. And he was still nowhere near to solving any of the case. If Uncle Miguel was going to terrorise him, the least he could do was give him another clue that he could follow. Throw him a bone, so to speak, God dammit.

And what’s with the vibe of this town, anyway? Reza had been to creepy towns before. Most rural towns just had that vibe about them. But this town just take it to another level? Like, seriously, what the ever loving fuck?!

“You ever wonder what it’d be like if you weren’t the eldest?” Shiloh asked, looking uncharacteristically cozy in his raggedy sweatpants and a shirt he was pretty sure used to belong to Sam. His brain did this sometimes - asked questions he didn’t want the answers to, posed hypotheticals that could only end badly. Talking them out was the only way to keep them from lingering. “Because I do.” 

"... And so I promise all of you, that I have taken and am continuing to take all the steps necessary to find whoever is responsible for the attack on our kingdom and country. And while doing so, I can assure you that I have seen no. better. unity amongst my family and my advisors and all those working tirelessly in the palace then in this difficult time now to prevent anything like the sort from happening again and to ensure the safety and the prosperity of our people for years to come, so long as I sit on that throne. I have no greater purpose than to be the king that the proud people of Athos deserve.”

There were cheers and clapping from the reporters that had flocked around the king and his guards as they passed through Paradise Square. One of the younger reporters pushed through the crowd to point a microphone in JP’s direction and ask another question: “And how is the new queen adjusting to life in the palace? Can we expect any news?” JP shot her a charming smile. “That you’ll have to ask her for, I’m afraid-” He said, looking through the crowd to see someone stop in the outskirts to watch with a look that made him uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he continued speaking. “--- Now, if you’ll excuse me, please. I hope to attend to some business. It’s been a pleasure.”