Escaping Duty

Chapter 12

The Café nook was quiet that night. Only a few customers sat upstairs reading. Even fewer were downstairs ordering coffees and pastries. Valentina had wanted it to be busier, so she didn't have time to think. She had wanted a distraction, but now all she had were thoughts of people's names and the people they lost.

What would she do to protect someone? Would she fight for Mateo and Phoebe? Yes, without a doubt, but would she kill? Just because you killed did that make you evil?

Aimless Valentina restocked the coffee cups and didn't notice someone walk up to the counter. Turning around she jumped seeing that it was Mason. Startled she dropped a few cups on the ground and bent to scoop them back up.

"Mason didn't think I'd see you here"

"I do still come, even when you're not working. Your friend likes to keep up a conversation - a lot" he commented, amusement crinkling the corner of his eyes.

Valentina met his smile with a small one of her own, taking in the bandages he sported on his collarbone and forearm. Fixing up the latte cups she pointed to the bandages concerned.

"Are you one of those guys who get into fights?"

"You could say it was something like that" he responded vaguely. She didn't think he'd take her joke so seriously.

"Are you alright?"

"The other guy took more damage than me," Mason said, shrugging as he looked around the store.

Valentina nodded at his comment, her mind too busy to come up with a response, and Mason looked her over slowly. He's only met her a few times now, but he had a feeling something was weighing her down.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, eyes boring into her own.

He knew to ask a stranger intrusive questions was an easy way to get them to close up, and he was trying to do the opposite. He needed her to trust him and in order to do that, he had to give her a reason to trust him.

Valentina sighed leaning on the counter across from him, and her dark brown eyes met his light ones. He sensed the mood had gotten serious and met her intent gaze.

"Do you think there's a little good in everything? Or is that naive?"

Mason took a moment thinking it over, and recalled his preconceived notions of rogues, then saw how that turned out. Looking around the shop he saw a few customers looking their way. It could've been because they were leaning close to one another, talking in hushed tones. He gestured a finger in the direction of the winding staircase for Valentina to catch.

"I'll meet you upstairs, where we can finish this in privacy," he said, as he started walking away.

"Wait, Mason, I'm working I can't just-" she started but trailed off when she saw that he wasn't listening to her anymore.

She was at work, and couldn't keep leaving her station, but then again all the guests were helped, and a Tuesday night was pretty slow. Her curiosity won the best of her, as it usually did, and taking off her barista apron she told Heather to cover the front for her.

She went upwards and searched the bookshelves and couches for him. Finally, she found him amongst the shelves holding a book in his hands. His thick eyebrows were drawn downwards as he focused on what he read. Hating to interrupt, Valentina was waiting for whatever he lead her up here to tell her.

Glancing at the book in his hands she cleared her throat pointing to it, "You're a Harry Potter fan?"

Mason didn't look up at her at first when she spoke, but when he did he looked at her confused, "What's harry potter?"