River (BoyxBoy)

{ONE}

Two years later

Some days were easier than others. Sometimes I could make it through the day without the pain hitting me that I was alone. Other days were better than others, and it was something I was coming to terms with.

I worked at a boutique shop downtown in LA. It was a little shop on the main street strip that got a lot of traffic, mostly during the holidays. And it being October, we were greeted with a lot of people on vacations doing their Christmas shopping.

I was running back and forth from the front of the store to the til, and back again without much stopping, it was only Valley and me in the store, trying to meet everybody's needs. It was mostly older women that came into our shop, that was filled with charms, nick nacks, and the random sweater and scar. It was essentially a knock-off Hallmark, but people liked it more because we're locally owned and made. Or that's what they thought. Our shop came from Montanna and there were at least eight of them around the country, and I think two in Canada.

"Noah, Can you find this charm in the back for me?" Valley called across the store as I hung up a frame that someone had taken off its display.

"Sure!" I call back, sprinting into the back of the store, looking through a few small packets until I find the charm that she was holding up. I jogged back out, handing it out to her. Only for the customer to change her mind and leave with two scarfs and a card. Valley and I rolled our eyes at each other before we went back to work.

Some people would complain working in a high-stress environment, but it was something I enjoyed, I could keep my mind off of everything that haunted me when I got home, so it was nice to keep busy.

"Who's getting coffee today?" Val asked, her long brown hair half pulled behind her head, she wore a purple nose ring today, to match her purple pants and black shirt. She was more in the Halloween spirit than the Christmas spirit, which was something I could admire seeing as I ignored both holidays.

"I'll get it," I said as I pulled my winter coat over my shoulders. It wasn't that cold out actually, but it was this morning and I'd rather have a winter coat then nothing at all.

The crowd had died down, and another staff had shown up for their shift, twenty minutes late. But they still showed up. So I was free to finally take my break and run over to Coffee City a little coffee shop across the road.

I ran over, trying to avoid the hustle and bustle that was downtown Las Angeles, but it was something that couldn't be avoided, but I tried my best damn it.

Once I got into the store it was like a war zone was closed behind me. The horns honking, people talking, and once that door shut it was just calm, gentle music, guitars playing as people sang covers of songs over the speakers. The cafe was somewhere I liked to go, even when I wasn't working. It was somewhere I could just sit down with a hot drink and write for a few hours, or read a book. Or just sit there and forget about everything.

I knew all the workers, so I never had to really place my order, but today, as I looked around a, noticed a new face standing behind the counter. A man with dark, black hair his head down wearing the red apron a black shirt on underneath it, sleeves pulled half way up. I walked to the cash, knowing full and well he alone wasn't going to know my order.

"Hey, how can I help you?" He said as his head popped up from cleaning a cup at the sink beside the display case.

My breath stopped, I almost choked as I looked at him. He had gray eyes, silver. They were beautiful. Words didn't come out of my mouth, his full lips went from a smile to a worried frown as he watched me struggle. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, then shook my head. "I'm sorry." God, this was embarrassing. "I um. I wanted a large peppermint mocha and a medium steeped tea. Two cake pops and a gluten-free cookie." I stammered as come out and play by Billie Eilish started to slowly form on from the speakers. The man smiled again, wider than before as he told me the cost and then left to get it all ready.

Why was I being stupid? Why would I do that? I shook my head, then smiled as he handed me the order, and I quickly raced from the cafe and across the street to the shop. I swung open the door and raced to the back, slamming the back door shut and came face to face with Valley.

"What's up?" She asked, standing up and taking her cookie and tea. "You're looking pale."

"I just made a fool of myself. That's what's up." I groned sliding down the door. "New guy across the road. He's got amazing eyes. I froze. Call it the artist inside me, I saw them and just couldn't stop thinking about how nice they'd be on a canvas." I lied, really I just wanted to know what those eyes would look like real, real close to mine. My stomach churned Ben's face flashed across my mind's eye. It made me freeze, his face smiling at me, my eyes started to well with tears that I wouldn't let pass.

"Ah, I'll go on the run next time. Mama loves her some nice eyes." She joked, winking at me as she took a spot at the empty table.

I got up and sat with her. I bet he was just a fill in from another store. I would never see him again.

Yeah, I told myself. Yeah, you'd never see him again.