Little Lamb

49 ❦ wish you were here

༺❦༻

The bar buzzed with life, It was chaos, but I thrived on it. Something about the energy made me feel alive. And working with Lara? That was always a bonus.

"Heyyy!" Lara's voice cut through the noise as she clocked in, her blonde curls bouncing as she slid behind the bar. Her green eyes sparkled as she leaned over to kiss my cheek.

"Hey, babe," I said, pouring a whiskey neat for one of the regulars.

She smirked, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. "How's it been so far? Anyone interesting yet, or just the usual suspects?"

I shrugged, my eyes flicking to a group of guys at the far end of the bar. "Nothing too exciting. Although..."

Lara followed my gaze, narrowing her eyes as she took them in. "Ohhh, they're new and oh my, they're also big."

"Yeah, never seen them before," I said, grabbing a fresh glass to make a margarita. "They've been watching me for a while, though."

"Of course, they have," Lara teased, giving me a nudge. "You're hot, and you know it. Plus, that shirt? Killer."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hold back the small smile tugging at my lips. "Shut up and help me with table eight."

As Lara turned to grab a tray, one of the guys broke off from the group and made his way to the bar. He was tall, broad shouldered, with dark hair and a mustache. A scar cut across his left eyebrow.

"Hey," he said, leaning casually against the counter. "What's a guy gotta do to buy you a drink?"

I blinked, caught off guard, before pulling it together. "Sorry, I don't drink on the job."

"That's alright," he said. "What's your name?"

"Rosa." I lied, my voice softer than I meant it to be.

He tilted his head, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Rosa. That's a pretty name."

Heat crept up my neck, and I quickly turned to grab another bottle, needing something to do with my hands. "Thank you."

"Denver. Nice to meet you." he said.

I just blinked at him. "Are you guys just passing through? Haven't seen you around before."

He nodded, those grey eyes never leaving me. "Yeah. Just stopping through for a bit."

There was something about the way he watched me. He wasn't like the other guys who flirted with me at the bar, all too eager and obvious. He was... different. And it made my skin prickle.

"Well," I said, clearing my throat, "Hope you enjoy your time here."

"Oh, I think I will," he said, his lips quirking up.

As he turned back to his group, I realized I'd been holding my breath and let it out slowly.

"Who was that?" Lara asked, suddenly appearing beside me with a knowing grin.

"No idea," I muttered, grabbing a rag to wipe the counter.

"Well, he's fucking hot as hell," she said, giving me a playful nudge. "And clearly into you."

"Yeah, well, I'm not into guys like that," I said, trying to sound convincing.

But as I glanced back at him, laughing with his friends, I couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't just some random drifters passing through.

—

Paranoid. That's what I was. Losing it, completely unraveling. The last few days, I'd been hearing weird shit inside my house, footsteps when no one should be here, whispers just faint enough to make me question myself. Like a damn ghost had moved in.