The Bookshop Owner

The Acclamation

Mercedes groaned when she heard the sound of his truck. It was the same sound she'd been hearing for the past year and it still annoyed her, she placed her pillow over her head trying to drown out the sound of his obnoxious music blasting. She should've known the first Sunday when he burst into the place that this was going to be a problem.

She could hear his boots stomping on the steps and readied herself for his obnoxious knock. She sat up and knew what he was doing, he was waiting to see if he could hear her rustling around. Seems Sam Evans found immense joy waking her up every Sunday morning only for him to ignore her while he worked diligently outside.

A lot had happened in the course of a year for her, she managed to integrate herself into the small town and made a few friends in the process but one thing that hadn't changed was her complete and utter disdain for Sam Evans. Especially since he tried to block her from buying the local bookshop, citing that he had every intention of renovating it.

She quickly shot out of bed and quietly ran to the door and right as his hand made contact with the door she swung it open and he fell through right on top of her.

"Jesus! Let me knock first!" He spat. Mercedes would've gloated in pride for making the asshole fall flat on his ass but he was crushing her.

She tried to push him off but the damn man was a boulder. "Get off me!" She grunted out but he didn't move, he only adjusted so both hands were on either side of her head.

"You know I could find a way to evict you for that." He said, looking her over and smirking, before standing up and walking towards the back door to the garden. "Be happy my sister refuses to let me break the contract."

Mercedes muttered about wanting to kick his ass before sitting up and glaring at the back of his head for what felt like hours. She figured any hope of her sleeping in went out the window and decided to make her some breakfast before heading to the bookshop. She surprised herself when she bought the place because it meant she couldn't just pack up and leave like she always had which scared her but also excited her.

She hadn't had a nightmare since she moved to Stowe and she wasn't complaining. She also stopped looking over her shoulder but that had a lot to do with her new friends, try as she might they kept her busy and out at all hours of the night. She had never really had any good friends before, well all except one... Quinn. She was another runaway, they met in LA when she was eighteen and managed to have somewhat of a normal life together but it changed when her parents found her.

Mercedes stared blankly out the window thinking about how terrified Quinn had been when her father showed up on their doorstep.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray! I won't ask and I'm not leaving without you." Her father said.

Quinn shook her head and slowly started backing away from the large man. "I won't go back." She quivered.

"You will and if that means me dragging you by your hair then so help me God, I will do just that." He said.

Grab. Drag. Screaming. Tire screeching.

Mercedes shuddered remembering how cold his voice was, how calm and scary his words were. He never raised his voice and never acknowledged Mercedes, it was like she was invisible and that made her feel both relieved and sad.

She blinked away the tears threatening to fall and let out a sigh, she thought about Quinn often but refused to look her up. She knew her family was connected and knew going down that rabbit hole would mean opening old wounds she let heal even if it was surface.

"Don't you have a bookstore to renovate?"

Mercedes jumped at the sound of his voice before growing annoyed. "You do realize that the agreement is for you to be in the garden and that's it, right?"