I Love You, Always

Chapter 22

Day

Tess, June, and I begin setting out lunch. Steaming dishes of meat, vegetables, and rice start appearing on the table, making my stomach growl.

"Someone's hungry," June says from beside me. Tess is in the kitchen, leaving the two of us alone. June reaches across the table to grab a few extra forks and knives. This small action exposes her bare back, her skin a warm glow. I feel my cheeks go hot.

"Day?" June calls. She has an eyebrow raised, as if expecting something.

"Hm?" I start, rubbing the back of my neck. Could I be more obvious?

She smiles, and my focus threatens to fly out the window. "I said," June begins, "could you pass me a plate?" I silently hand her one, trying not to drown in my embarrassment. Goddy idiot.

~

Soon after that Eden arrives, beaming with pride.

"I take it the interview went well?" Tess asks.

Eden smiles. "They said I was the best one yet."

Tess envelops him in a hug. "I knew you'd do well, cousin." Eden blushes, a response I've rarely seen from him.

"Nice job," I say, ruffling his hair.

"Hey," he swats away my hand, "don't mess with this." Eden gestures towards his previously well styled hair.

~

Lunch goes by in a blur. We talk, eat, and soon after Eden and I head towards our temporary apartment in Ruby sector. I'm surprised by how much time we spent at Tess'. The sun is now setting, painting the sky in various shades of red, orange, purple, and more. Pedestrians walk by us, some recognizing me and stopping to say "hello." Compared to my time on the streets, Los Angeles is now warm, clean, and inviting.

I look around at the shops as we keep walking. A sign on a window front stops me. "Hey," I say, stopping Eden in his tracks, "look."

The sign reads, "custom jewelry available."

"June?" Eden asks me, eyebrow raised. I nod back, and push open the store door. A small bell rings announcing our entrance, and the lone employee at the cash register looks up.

"What can I do for you?" he asks enthusiastically.

I open my mouth to answer but Eden interrupts. "There's this girl you see," he begins, "and my brother over here's crazy for her." Eden finishes my pointing at me. I roll my eyes.

"A girl, hm?" The cashier winks at me. "She's a very lucky lady." I manage a smile. Damnit Eden.

"We saw your sign upfront," Eden says.

The man smiles. "Ah yes, the custom jewelry. What did you have in mind?"

Eden looks at me, waiting for my answer. What would June like? I rack my brain trying to remember something, anything, about what she may like. I don't even realize I'm absently rubbing the paperclip ring on my finger until my thumb grows hot from the friction. I glance down at it, and suddenly an idea forms.

~

Eden and I exit the the shop around a half hour later. The man inside had taken down our order and told us it would probably be here in a few days. Seeing as neither Eden nor myself would be there to give it to June, we told them to deliver our gift to her. It sucks that we won't get to see her reaction but hey, that's what you get when you're on a tight timeline, yeah?

By now the sun has almost set and the streetlights have come on. Jumbotrons run ads, so vastly different from the propaganda before. Fewer people line the streets, most of them probably enjoying dinner in their homes. As we walk back to our apartment, I look at Eden and ask, "you think she'll like it?"

Eden gives me a sideways smile. "I think she'll love it."