Assassin In Love | Ethan Dolan

e p i l o g u e

a/n: i forgot the last uploading day was today...this book is officially completed!

Rose's POV

I was rushing out of my studio apartment which I have recently bought after renting out a disgusting room in an old townhouse somewhere south of the state for five years with my bag in hand. I have been working in the bookstore a couple blocks away to earn some money for a living.

The owner, May, was an elderly lady who loved reading with her husband. I would frequently see her reading in the back of the store with her husband where we kept new arrivals that we bought off garage sales. Some are old classics and others are newly published.   

May and Max were an ordinary elderly couple who loved each other to the moon and back. Max was such a gentleman too. Reminds me of the certain someone I think about quite often throughout the years we've been away. 

I've retired from killing. It was stupid. My education wasn't really up to par with the community colleges in town so I mildly regret being an assassin. Although a part of me is filled with regrets, another part is filled with satisfaction. I wouldn't have it any other way because I got to start over and meet new people. 

My best friend, Aspen, whom I met while I was working in the store is one of the few people I've grown to love. He taught me the importance of trust in a relationship and I will be forever grateful for having him in my life. 

Speaking of Aspen, he is currently smirking at me with his boyfriend by his side who is reading one of the new arrivals I've put up for sale yesterday as instructed by May. I saw him smirking at me all the way from across the street!

I pushed the door open and it jingles the bells that are hooked to the top of the door. I halted and waited for Aspen to scream his signature--

"ROSE DARNELLA MANCHESTER, HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS FINE MORNING?!"

Yep, he was one of those. As I was about to roll my eyes, Drake, Aspen's boyfriend smacked him upside the head and scolded, "Shut up, will you? I'm trying to read. Max is trying to sleep in the back and May is having a migraine."

Aspen pouted and apologised to Drake to which Drake responded with an eye roll. 

Drake was my other bestfriend who I met when I was trying to reach canned mushrooms which was all the way on the highest shelf in the grocery store. Set me off with the feeling of deja vu. Drake stood at an impressive 6'3 though he was rather lanky. Eventually, I found out that Drake and Aspen were a couple and I've rooted for them ever since. 

I walked by the couple who were sitting at the seats near the front of the store. I rounded the counter, walked through long aisles of books and strolled to the back of the store quietly. True enough, Max was sleeping in the single bed at the corner as May was preparing a tea for her migraine. I waved a sign of hello, afraid of speaking too loud which will end up waking up Max and triggering May's migraine.

She smiled and softly said that I could work the counter today. I nodded my head, dropped my bag and walked up front. I clocked in through the system and sat on the stool which was handy when the store wasn't busy.

I shook my legs back and forth and drummed a soft beat that only I can hear. Aspen was staring at me and I can obviously see from my peripheral as he wasn't being discreet. I shifted my gaze to him and we had an unspoken stare down. It must have been about 10 seconds before my eyes started burning and caused me blink.

Aspen fist pumped the air and quietly did his victory dance. The same dance he would dance after winning a basketball match. Aspen is talented in basketball. He started since he was 3 so it was no surprise he is darn good at the sport. He is also about an inch taller than Drake but it was basically irrelevant. My best friends are giants and they never fail to tease me about it. I wasn't very short either, I'd say that I'm standing at a pretty average 5'8.