Whisper✅

Chapter Two

The next day I was back in the coffee shop, sitting in my office doing paperwork. It was better being in the back all day then up with the workers, my face shouldn't be something that every customer would see.

"Hey, boss!" Someone yelled out before popping his head in, it was my little brother, Mark.

"Sup?" I asked, looking from him to the paperwork that sat in front of me.

"Someone's here to see you." Mark answered. "Says something about how he promised to stop by or something."

I smiled already knowing who it was, guess he was being serious with bringing his girl by to try the coffee. I pushed myself away from my desk before standing and following Mark out to the lobby. Jason and his soulmate, Emma I think her name was, stood at the counter ordering drinks.

"Hey man," I called out to him.

"Aley." He grinned at me, this guy was always smiling. "You look like hell sorry to say."

I shook my head; I knew I looked like hell but there was no use in dwelling over the fact. "Like hell, I look great."

Jason laughed. "Whatever helps ya sleep at night."

I stepped over to one of the coffee pots, making myself a cup of straight black coffee as my brother helped in making Jason and Emma's coffee. Once we were all settled with our drinks, the three of us walked over to sit down in a small corner tucked away in the back half of the lobby. It was enough for me to be out of the way and out of view from a lot of customers but enough for me to watch my staff.

"So, all jokes aside, how's the face and everything?" Jason asked just as the bell above the front door ran and in walked a dead person.

My eyes followed Leo to the counter, even as I found myself answering the question presented to me. "Face hurts like hell and so does everything else but hey, what can I do?"

"What started it anyway?"

"Found my soulmate," I mumbled looking back at my guests. "It just happened to be him. He didn't like it much and I somehow managed to call him a prick due to my own surprise." I looked back over to the counter, Leo was next in line and my brother was goofing off like he usually does. "Mark! Just cause you're my brother doesn't mean you can get away with shit like that. Now, serve our customers."

At my voice, Leo's eyes shot over toward me, but I was already looking back as Jason and Emma as I reached up to pull at my tie. Times like this the stupid tie would bother the living hell out of me so there was no harm in pulling it loose around my neck even as I reached my other hand for my coffee.

"Isn't that Leo over there?" Emma asked.

I nodded. "Hope he's happy knowing he did this." I gestured to myself making Emma gasp, guess Jason forgot to tell her that Leo was the one who did this to me. Why did it have to be me that was put in situations like this? "Anyway, how's the coffee? Any good, it's apparently a family recipe."

Emma gave me a soft smile. "It's amazing."

Jason nodded just as a shadow caught my eye, it was Leo moving to sit down a few tables away from us. He just pulled out his phone upon sitting down, his eyes every so often looking up to try and meet my own but I wouldn't allow it.

"Aley!" I looked over toward the counter as a panicked voice called out my name. I cringed knowing full well that it was my mother who had come for her weekly visit. "What happened to my little boy?"

I stood from my seat, excusing myself from the couple.

"Mother, I'm fine." I sighed as I walked over to kiss her cheek.

"Don't lie to me." She smacked my arm.

"Jesus mom that hurts," I whined just as Mark yelled out. "Mom, don't you think he got beat up enough? Little pussy got his ass whooped."

I shot my brother a look meant to kill. "Remember I could still kick yours if I wanted to."

"Language!" My mother scolded both of us. "You're running a coffee house not a bar, act like it."

I sighed heavily even as Mark spoke over our mother. "You could kick my ass, yes but you and your no violence bs will win over that one. No wonder you look like shit, the guy didn't even have to be tough to lay a hand on you. Not like you'd fight back anyway even if it was your damn soulmate."

I flinched just as my mother's light blue eyes landed on me. "Your soulmate did this to you?"

I smiled at her. "Yes, he did."

Her gasp was heard throughout the store. "He?"

I could feel Leo's eyes on me the whole time, I almost wanted to tell my mother that he was sitting only three tables away from where she scolded her eldest in front of a nearly vacant room.

"Mother, not now please," I growled lowly pushing away her hands. "I rather this conversation be over already, we both made it clear it wasn't meant to be."

She scolded me once more. "You both are stupid then."

"Thank you," I answered as I pushed my mother to the side gently to pass her.

"You know the curse our family has with soulmates." She reminded me.

Ah, yes, the famous Abernathy curse. So, our curse has it that once a member of the family finds his or her soulmate that if they do not accept what fate gave them they would have either a month to accept the fate or to die. It was something that nearly happened to my father and mother when they first met. My mother said it was just something about my father that she just didn't like, and he had tried everything to change his fate with her. He knew that if she were to never accept him that he was sentenced to death unless he could somehow fix it. The same thing happened to my older sister as well, but it didn't end the same way it did with my father and mother.

"I'm fine with dying," I answered her with a strong voice. "I accepted my fate the moment he told me our relationship wouldn't go anywhere and I accepted it again when I told him he was dead to me. If the Abernathy curse must take my life, then so be it." And with that said, I looked over at Leo who was gaping at me. "Hope you're happy with your decision, now get the hell out of my damn stop."

I didn't even stay to make sure he got out of my stop, I just pushed myself back to my office. It was the only safe haven available and I needed the silence, I needed the time to think of what I was doing with my life. Was I willing to give up my life in order to prove a point? Was I willing to die for love or lack thereof?

I dropped into my chair resting my elbows on top of my desk as I lay my head in between them. A soft knock caused me to jump and I barely lifted my head to yell out. "Not now." But the knocking continued so I just had to let it slide. "It's open."

My mother walked through a moment later, looking at me with sad eyes. "Are you really willing to die?" Her voice broke at the words even as she walked over to one of the chairs that sat in front of my desk. "Are you really willing to give up everything you've put into your life over some...lack of affection? Are you willing to give up a beautiful future? One with kids and growing old with the man you will come to love if not love already."

"No," I breathed. "I'm not and that's what scares me the most. I'm scared of the possibilities and of the heartache. But what scares me the most is knowing that even if I try my damn best to get him to love me back, there is still a chance that he won't and that I will die knowing I put so much effort into a wasted love."

She reached over to caress my face. "I know you may think that he doesn't love you back, but I could see it in his eyes when you turned to him. He loves you my dear son and I don't know what reason he holds for keeping that from you; but trust me when I say it may be as big if not bigger than our family curse." She stood dropping a kiss on my hair. "Just think about it at least. I love you, sweetie."

"Love you, too, mom." I breathed out as I watched her leave.

And once again I was left alone.