Operation: One percent

Chapter 48

Ace

I hated that I couldn't buy roses for Margaret, or buy her dinner, because I had no money, no matter how stupid that notion may be. I loathed how insignificant I felt at that moment of danger, despising how the only thing that could have served as a shield was my body.

Also, the moment she said that she doesn't want to really stay in Rintalis chipped a bit at my ego. I thought that maybe, the connection we have would make her stay. However, I also figured that she might feel the same because I too wanted to stay here. 

It was a thread of thoughts, all being tangled into one messy knot, and it was all because I was a nobody here.

Margaret almost sprinted and I ran after her.

„Margaret, please...calm down."

She didn't hear me, or rather, she didn't want to. Now she treated me like I was insignificant too. Even though, I perfectly knew that she was rightfully angry. 

I caught up with her and stood in front of her.

„I am sure that woman was just frightened and she didn't really see a true risk of the situation. I know that she is ungrateful, but that is only because she doesn't have the capacity to understand what was at stake. And don't run from me ever again, I thought we were past that. "

She seemed to have calmed down a bit now.

„Of course, it hurts that she is ungrateful, but what hurts more is that people are the same everywhere I go. In the sewers, in the city, doesn't matter. How can I look forward to the afterlife knowing that these same people might end up in the same place as me?"

She was incoherent with her words, and obviously still tense.

I held out for her hand, and grabbed it tightly, with her fingers slowly lacing around mine.

„I don't know about how the afterlife would be, but I know that not everyone is the same. It took guts to save that girl."

She smiled at that.

„You are the one to talk. You were a literal sitting duck."

I smiled knowing that, for the second that they would take to shoot me, that would give a second more for her to escape.

„Yeah well, what can I say? I have a way with ladies."

I winked at her and she rolled her eyes but still smiled.

„I think we need to talk to Jett." She said.

„Yes, we should but, we might need to wait a bit for him to cool off; whatever trust he had in us must have been even more depleted."

„Or we should not. It would give him more time to overthink things."

„Let's go back in 15 minutes then to his cafe," I said.

We needed to recuperate. 

"Look Ace, you were really great out there. I mean it." She smiled lightly, as she pressed a soft hand onto my shoulders. 

"I want to talk about what you said, that you will try to move away from Rintalis." 

She nodded but waited for me to answer. 

"I just wanna tell you that I don't mind you depending on me. So what if you might need a little bit of time to stand on your feet? As if that doesn't happen all the time to everyone at one point in their lives. But I will be there, and not as someone who will hold you in contempt because of that, but as someone who you can trust."

I knew that I needed to regain my assets fast, so I can be this kind of person to her once again. After all, using my body as my shield would only work once. Margaret took in my response and listened attentively to what I had to say. After that, she places a hand on my cheek, planting a soft kiss. 

"I really don't deserve you."