Hour of the Moon

Chapter 13: Fragments

In the short amount of time spent here, I had forged a friendship with Amanda.

Although it was comforting to know that Savannah was there to help me with my every need, I couldn't relate to a married woman with children. So when I told Amanda I had a date, I needed her assistance.

I hadn't been on a date in years, and I had no idea what to expect.

" Don't overthink it," Amanda said, not looking up from her phone as I step into my living room.

" Yay or Nay?"

She looks up, her roaming over my outfit, and wolf-whistled. I wore a knee-length form-fitting burgundy velvet dress and matching heels, that were a gift from my ex.

I was battling a war with my hair and decided to put in some curling cream in to give it more definition.

" It's perfect! Before you know it, you'll be hearing wedding bells in your future."

I snorted.

" Not at all. I'm not marrying the man."

" Ahiga was really popular in high school. He was on the soccer team. Always brooding but he was and still is super hot. Has that whole lone wolf vibes going on but is close with Waya."

" They're best friends?"

" Thick as a den of thieves. Rumor has it that they're actually related, but it's all hearsay. Both of their families as some of the most prominent families in our community of Cherokee."

I didn't know how to feel about Ahiga being best buddies with Waya, considering the course of events that happened between us in my dreams.

I kept telling myself there were figments of my imagination, and I was growing closer to lunacy but I couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that was I getting closer to a truth of some sort.

Amanda drove me to the restaurant. Per Amanda's words, the Lizano family was one of the few Italian families within this area and allegedly the owner has ties to the mob.

But now that we were driving towards the restaurant, I was feeling nervous. I hardly had a relationship, and I was feeling insecure about dating again.

" You good?" Amanda asked.

" I don't know why I'm nervous. I feel like I'm in high school all over again." I was thinking of a million things that could go wrong, on top of the fact that he had such close ties with Waya.

" Hey, you got this Keiran. I think this will be nice for you. It's really not about Ahiga, while he's smokin' hot, it's about just feeling good about yourself and letting yourself live a little."

" Thanks."

We park in front of the restaurant, and I felt my stomach drop. I received a text from Ahiga that he was here and he was waiting in front of the restaurant.

Unlike his usual myriad of dark clothing, he wore a beige dress shirt, blue jeans, and a dark brown wool coat.

The brighter colors complimented him even more, and he wore his hair out.

" I take it your silence means you're not worried anymore," Amanda teased and I chuckled.

" Maybe not, now go have dinner with that man!"

" I want all the details!"

Amanda drives off, as I walk closer to the restaurants. Lizano's was a modern and chic-looking restaurant surrounded by the rustic-ness of Cherokee. The outside was made of cobblestone with a brown awning that read Lizano's in cursive.