Beware The Water

Pink Clouding

Lux stared at the analog clock hanging up on the wall. It was almost noon. Lunch time. She filled her ramen cup with hot water from the fountain in the break room. Set the timer on her phone for an hour, put the notifications on DND and inserted her AirPods to listen to the next chapter from an audiobook. Every minute her eyes flicked up from her noodles and over to the clock. Soon it hit 12:15pm then 12:30pm. She continued to eat her lunch and get through a few more chapters before going back to the front desk.

Out in the parking lot Viper waited by her car, motorcycle engine humming as the minutes went by. He called Lux twice. Left a text saying to hurry. After thirty minutes, he gave up on waiting and went to Chang Dai without her. Whatever happens next was out of his and her control.

Lux had to swing by Chinatown after work to pick up a few more of her things. On her way there, the burner that was thrown into the cup holder had buzzed. Lux read the message and nearly slammed the breaks. Her tires screeched as she made a u turn.

"What is it?" She asked.

"You told the guys?" Fang's skin was pale and around her eyes were puffy like she hadn't slept.

"Just Viper..."

"I'm assuming he shared the news with Sing."
Lux gave a stiff nod. The only thing Fang could do was sigh and lean up against Lux's car.

Lux had no words. She couldn't interfere anymore. Shorter did everything he could to get her away from Chinatown and she wasn't going to continue to betray him. She couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to get rid of Kairi, or how badly she wanted to absolve Fang of lying, she had to let it go. Shorter was hers. There was nothing else Kairi could do in attempt to break them apart. Not even being the root of why three innocent guys were dead.

"I'm sorry." An apology didn't seem like nearly enough but it was the only thing Lux could muster up.

"It's not your fault. I got played and I lost. It's the life." Fang pulled out a cigarette and a lighter like she always did on any given day. She blew out a cloud of smoke and turned surprised when Lux plucked the cigarette out of her fingers and took a drag herself. Fang smiled. "This might be the last time we see each other for a while."

Lux took another hit before passing it over. She didn't like the taste of it. The only other time she had ever smoked was when she and Fang first became friends and she nearly coughed up a lung. Strangely, this time it passed through a lot smoother. "I know."

Fang looked down at her shoes, and stood back onto her heels, staring up at a plane flying by in the sky. "I'm going to tell you something, Lux. But you need to promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

They both talked. Reminisced about the day they first met. They laughed about when Fang got Lux to smoke weed for the first time and Lux having no idea what it was until she started to feel weird after a few hits and lots of coughing. That day she vowed to never smoke a single thing again but today was the exception. A goddamn Newport.

The cigarette was nothing but a bud now. Fang flicked it to the ground and crushed it with the toe of her creased chucks. "You were always good to me, Lux." Fang pulled Lux in for a hug.

Lux stared a thousand feet down the road as they embraced,  "Can you call me tonight? So I know you're okay?"

Fang gave a sad smile, "I'll try."
________________________

The time was 6pm. It was the weekend so Shorter had two afternoon shifts at the gym for the teen classes. Lux took this free time to wander around her new home and envision ways to brighten up the space. The windows were dusty and the rays of sun shined grey through the old, sheer curtains. As she walked, she stepped on a loose floor board and made a mental note to get it fixed. So many things in that house needed fixing, yet Lux smiled knowing it was something she and Shorter could rebuild together.