Chapter 129: Ready To Talk
Derek Haven was back. He was back at Bee’s Diner, a place where Emily had never expected to see him again. And just the sight of him was enough to rattle her brains, throwing out all of the things that Emily had been promising herself that she would say to him, the moment that she saw him again. Looking at him, Emily struggled for a bit, trying to pull herself together. When her brain finally came back online. It did so by falling back on an old standby, she switched to her professional persona, going up to him and treating him like a regular customer, just as she had done all those times before.
The very thing that she had been admonishing herself for, the entire time that he had been gone.
It was a strange thing, to be berating yourself mentally for doing something so spineless, while at the same time, your physical body was carrying on doing the very thing that you had promised yourself that you would no longer be doing. Stop it Emily.You had promised that you would deal with him the next time you saw him.
This could be it, the final time you get a chance to get things off your chest. Do not waste it. Confront him, confront him, a part of her was saying. But Emily barely heard it. Her focus was on Derek. Horrible, horrible, and yet so wonderful, Derek Haven.
With that beard of his that did not suit him, and the dark lines under his eyes. How could she think of anything other than taking care of him when he looked so miserable? Yes, she had promised herself that she would confront him the next time that she saw him, but for now what was important was making sure that he got some food into him.
She led him to his table, feeling the eyes of the other occupants of the diner on her and knowing that they must have picked up on the fact that there was something between her and this current customer. But Emily could hardly spare them a glance, all of her attention on Derek . Just as she was about to leave him at his table, and go get his order. He grabbed her gently. His big hand going around her wrist, the hand closing over her petite limb. It was just a simple touch, but it set something deep within Emily alight.
"Emily, can we talk? "He said.
And there was something in the way he said it. Or perhaps it was the way he was looking at her, all earnest, that made Emily feel as though, even if he had asked "Emily, can we go kill someone," She would have said yes, without a second thought. But before she could give her consent on them going to talk, the doorbell jingled and she looked up, and her worst nightmare in that moment came true.
Half a dozen police officers walked in, and by the looks of them, they did not seem to be in any hurry. They were detectives, and clearly they were celebrating something, most likely a successful case.
She pulled her wrist out of his grasp, instantly feeling cold, but she ignored the strange feeling, and made her way over to the new customers. She added their orders to Derek’s and then made her way back so that she could give them to the cook. From there, the night picked up.