your body is a weapon → brad simpson | ✓

sixty five

I sit down at the bar in Den's Diner, smiling at Luna who was finishing her last shift for the day. It's creeping towards five in the evening and it won't be long until it closes for the night.

"Hey," Luna says, sitting next to me. I had rang her up after I'd left Aiden in the kitchen to see when I could come over and talk to her, so she was expecting me.

She places a chocolate milkshake in front of me, one that she'd freshly made at the end of her shift. I smile gratefully at her and take a sip of the cold drink.

"How've you been?" I ask with a smile. I barely speak to her unless I'm talking about my problems.

"Stressed," she sighs. "The diner goes through stages of being heavily busy, or having barely any customers at all. My dad's struggling to keep the diner open because it's so inconsistent."

I frown. I've been coming to the diner for so long, even while I was a small child. "There's got to be something we can do to help promote the diner."

"I don't know," Luna sighs. "We've tried promotion in newspapers but no one reads them anymore. Ever since that stabbing across the road last year, we've really been struggling."

Pursing my lips, I try to think of ways I could help Luna and Den. They're such nice people, almost like my family, and seeing their business shut down after having it for over two decades will be devastating for them.

She shrugs. "It's whatever, I guess. We'll try and find a way to keep it afloat for now. But what brings you here?"

"I just needed a break from Aiden," I say honestly. "I feel like I'm suffocating in that house."

"Probably because you're not happy with him," Luna reasons. "You and Brad are obviously made for each other, and being away from him is no doubt hard on you both."

I smile at her. "Yeah, it is. We spoke yesterday and we're fine again, pretty much back to normal."

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah," I nod. "Except Aiden doesn't want that to end up screwing up our engagement plans."

She purses her lips, thinking for a moment. "There's no way for you to get out of the marriage at all?"

"Not unless someone else fits Aiden's criteria as a wife."

She sighs in defeat, since we both know it's near enough impossible for that to happen.

I wish this didn't have to happen, that no gang had forced Aiden into marrying someone, that I didn't have to then be his fiancé and then Brad and I would be perfectly happy together.

"I guess both of our situations suck," she concludes. "But you shouldn't stop hanging out with Brad just because Aiden's a bit insecure about the faux relationship thing you have going on."

"Yeah," I sigh in agreement. "And I'll figure out something to help you, for the diner. I can't let my favourite diner go out of service."

She smiles gratefully at me. "Thanks, but you honestly don't have to. We can figure it out ourselves."

"I'm gonna do it," I promise her. "I'll find a way to help you."

+

"I miss you," Brad says down the phone as I sit on my bed in the guest bedroom I'm going to occupy probably for another few days.

"You saw me yesterday," I roll my eyes, though he can't see that. He decided to ring me once I'd gotten back to make sure I'm okay.

"And it's been too long since then," he argues. "You should be with me right now, not in a mansion by yourself."