Their Pet (MxM)

Chapter 22:

The week happened like nothing had changed, so I assumed Rome had fallen asleep, and I was rambling to myself. I was a little relieved, to be honest. I was ready, but I knew how hard it would be to explain everything. The emotions I would feel, the embarrassment.

But in my heart, I knew I could trust Rome. But my head was telling me not to.

I stacked cans, mindlessly enjoying my first task on the first day of my first job! Well, since I was kidnapped. It was a mouthful, but it had a charm to it.

I woke up bright and early the day before and even had time to spare. So I ate breakfast and chatted with Rome, who insisted he stayed up with me, even though I told him to get his sleep.

It was a little surprising just how well we got along. He was undeniably understanding, and without realizing it, I began looking forward to a future with this family. Everything felt right.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up, caught off guard by a grinning Gloria. She held the shopping basket in her hand and she smiled excitedly.

"First day! I had to come and see how you were doing!" She chirped, her voice low to not gain any attention.

I shared her smile and stood up. "It's been so much fun! I've always wanted to work at a place like this!"

Gloria's eyes softened and she placed a warm hand on my cheek. "Good. I'm glad you're happy. Remember to be on time for dinner. I'm cooking tonight! You can tell everyone about your first day!" Her soft voice could work wonders. The way it calmed me down, and made all my worries whither away.

It made me feel like I had a mother.

She gave me a thumbs-up and walked over to the cash register. I watched her go, my smile slowly fading. I got back to work, humming to the song that was playing all over the store.

________

I picked up all the plates and carried them over to the sink. Gloria stood up to help me, but I refused to accept it. She needed the rest after working all day.

She finally gave up, and thanked me while I got to work.

"And then, we saw a tiger! It had babies, and they were sooo cute!" Julian rambled, his eyes wide and sparkling.

He had gone on a filed trip with his school yesterday, and he still wasn't done talking about it.

"Yeah, we heard Julian. Was there any penguins?" Rome asked. Julian looked at him, annoyed, but continued.

"And there was a giraffe! That was my first time seeing a giraffe!"

Rome rolled his eyes and turned to me. "Hey, my friend is having a birthday party, wanna come? It's next Saturday."

My eyes went wide and I stared into his, completely lost. I wasn't sure why, but the thought scared me.

"How much people would be there?" I hesitantly asked, my voice shaking.

Rome stared at me, confused before answering. "It's pretty small, like, 25 people?"

I shook my head rapidly. "That's not small! Uh, I'll just stay home." I answered, hoping my behavior wasn't off putting.

"That's fine. Do you need Julian go stay with you while I'm gone?" He asked, comforting me. I slowly shook my head. "I- I can manage. Can I just watch T.V?"

He gave me a quick nod and I felt relieved.

"Just make sure you get an early rest. You do work now." Gloria reminded. I nodded understandingly.