Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

Fifty One

     The smell of fresh brewed coffee wafted toward Link, drawing him out of his fitful slumber. He was up every hour the entire evening, thinking about everything that had happened. Especially the argument he had with Rhett the night before.

     He opened his mouth in an elongated yawn and rubbed his eyes.  The moment he and Rhett walked into work, he knew they were going to be bombarded with questions. It was evident in Link's tired and bruised eyes that he'd seen and experienced more than an average person. The only problem with that was Link wasn't average. Not like they thought. 

     Throwing a quick glance at Christy sleeping beside him, he longed to curl up beside her and fall back to sleep. He pursed his lips, knowing he had to get ready to head to the studio. He removed the covers and the moment his feet touched the floor, his heart stuttered in his chest. 

     A whispered gasp escaped his lips as he held his hand over his chest, closing his eyes. He took a few deep breaths, concentrating on the beating of his heart. It beat erratically for several seconds and began slowing with each deep breath he took. 

     He stood with a groan, trudging toward the door. He slowly made his way down the hall, feeling his heart beginning to accelerate in pace again. He held on to the railing of the stairs as he took one at a time, his head feeling fuzzy. 

     Rhett peered at him over his coffee. "Good Morning, sleeping beauty," he said, slowly setting his mug onto the table. Link grabbed for a mug out of the cupboard, then poured steaming coffee before joining Rhett at the table. He sat gingerly, looking about as if he was expecting something to happen. Rhett arched an eyebrow. "How'd you sleep last night?"

     "Not well. I could't stop thinking about everything that's happened, man. I think it's giving me anxiety. Are you still mad at me?" Link swallowed, and he lowered his eyes to his shaky hands. He couldn't hold his mug without coffee spilling over the edges. Rhett took another sip, contemplation rolling over his features.

     "No man, I'm not mad. Mad isn't the right word, and I apologize for acting mad. I'm concerned. Very concerned. I gave it some thought and I think this was meant to happen." He gave a nod of his head.

     Link gave him a look. "What do you mean? I didn't ask for this."

     "Think about it. Adventure always seems to find us. It followed us all the way from North Carolina," Rhett started. Link smiled a tight lipped smile, hugging the warm mug with his hands. "Maybe we can use your ability to our advantage, like you had said last night. We find her sister, we find out what it is you have. It could be a lot of fun!" 

     Relieved, Link realized he wasn't shaking anymore. His heart had slowed to its normal pace and he found himself able to show some teeth. "I think I'm ready for a normal day of Good Mythical Morning."

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     The guys pulled up to Mythical Entertainment and Link's stomach turned like he'd eaten a sour grape, and his legs wobbled. He didn't want to relive the weekend by telling the story to their crew, so he was going to leave that up to Rhett. Rhett was the better storyteller of the two anyway. 

     They walked up to the door, Link's hands tucked in his pockets and his head lowered as Rhett opened the door. Link lifted his head and took Rhett by the sleeve, dragging him toward the dressing room. 

     Alex and Mike looked up as they moved down the hall, shooting each other a glance before shrugging their shoulders. They completed the setup for the day's episode while Rhett and Link prepped.