Hadis

Chapter Twenty-Six: Confessions

Glasses clinked as Travis moved behind the counter. His skilled hands easily mixed multiple drinks and slid them across the slick counter to the hands of the eager customers. He followed behind the glasses with his usual rag, clearing the condensation.

"Nixon." Travis slid another glass. "Jakub, Alfie." He followed with two more.

Nixon chuckled. "You still got it."

"Did you doubt it?" Travis raised an eyebrow and drank from his own glass. 

Nixon shook his head. "I can't say I wasn't hoping for a little mess up entertainment."

Travis glared at him and then turned to the boys. "To the cult," he raised his glass and clinked it with three other.s

"Cheers." Jakub fired back his shot.

Alfie took a drink of whiskey. "Cheers."

"I have to admit, Nixon," Travis tipped his glass towards NIxon who had a sly grin patched on his face. "I did doubt you and that cult."

Nixon shrugged. "I thought I was a goner."

"So did we," Alfie spoke up with a laugh. "If you went down, we all did."

Jakub raised another shot. "To survival!" He drank and held the glass out to Travis.

"Not too fast," Travis denied him. "It's just past noon."

"It's the right time somewhere." Jakub grumbled.

Nixon laughed. He genuinely laughed. He looked over at Alfie and Jakub, taking in their presence. Alfie was slapping Jakub's hand away every time he would try and reach for the empty shot glass. He looked across the counter at Travis who just stood there with an amused smile on his face from the bickering boys. To think, I could've missed all this.

He finished his drink and rested the glass back on the counter.

"Another?" Travis offered.

Nixon shook his head. "I have to get going. I'll catch up with you guys later." He pointed to the two boys while he spoke to Travis. "Keep an eye on them."

Travis chuckled. "I'll call them a cab when they leave."

Nixon nodded once and made his way out the front entrance. He walked down the road a little ways before turning down the narrow path where his car was parked.

He stopped in his tracks when his eyes locked onto Jeanette who was leaning against the side of his car.

"What are you doing here?" Nixon asked, approaching her with caution.

Jeanette smiled, not budging as he got closer. Instead, she reached up and locked her arms around his neck, embracing him in a hug. 

"It's alright," she assured him. Jeanette felt his stiff body relax at her confirmation.

He looked down at her, waiting for some explanation as to why she was there.

"I wanted to talk." She answered his silence.

Nixon raised a brow. "About what? I was going to be home in a minute."

"It couldn't wait." She admitted, her fingers locked together so she was still wrapped around him. "I needed to tell you something." Jeanette fixed her gaze with Nixon's watching as his eyes told many stories before her. "It's okay," she told him simply.

"It's okay?" Nixon tilted his head slightly, waiting for her to continue further.

Jeanette nodded. "Yes, it's okay. It's all okay." She smiled. "You deserve to be loved, Nixon. You're not a monster, you're just something I don't understand. But I want to," she insisted, "I want to understand what you are. I want to know your past, your friends and enemies. I want to know you, and I promise to love all of it." 

Nixon held her gaze, seeing her eyes prove her words. He shook his head, "How? How can you make a decision like--"

Nixon was interupted when Jeanette reached up and kissed him. The gesture caught him by surprise but he didn't dare move away. Instead, he let his arms wrap down around her back, helping her up to reach him.

Nixon didn't know what would happen. He wasn't sure how human relationships worked but he was positive that he wanted to learn. In that moment, with Jeanette in his arms and her mind spoken, he felt truly connected. He felt a connection that couldn't be broken.