Chapter 12: The Diner

Noah

Another dead night shift. I guess no one wanted fish tacos or tuna melts on a Thursday night. I leaned against the bar and sipped my coffee, staring out at teenagers walking their way down to the cove. When I was in high school, anyone that had nothing better to do would venture out to the cove to drink and hook up. Honestly, not much had changed. It was still a place to go and hang out in this small town. 

I was feeling better than usual because I snatched a couple of hours of sleep this week. Those few hours were thanks to Rain. I didn't know what the reason was, but he made me feel safe. Safe enough that when I rested my eyes, I didn't dream of the shadow. 

When I returned to the dining area with a towel to clean the tables, a customer was sitting at the bar. “Sorry, we're about to close. The only thing I can offer you is coffee or water,” I said while wiping off the counter. 

“I’ll take a coffee,” the customer said. 

I could tell from my peripherals that the customer was staring at me. Why do the  damn weirdos always show up during my shift?  Let me get this creepy guy a coffee so he can leave.

I grabbed a mug from the rack and proceeded to pour coffee for the customer. When I turned back around to face the customer, he was still staring at me. The man looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d seen him. And I honestly didn’t care. I knew he wasn’t local. Most people that came into the diner either called me by name. Or at least they asked about Maya or my uncle. 

I placed the coffee on the bar counter and went back to cleaning. The faster I cleaned and the faster I got this customer out of here I could go home and video-call Rain. 

“You know, an average persons’ hair color starts to fade after a few washes, but yours is still the same,” said the creepy customer. 

I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face the customer. I knew he looked familiar. The fucking detective from the hospital was staring at me from across the diner. His brown eyes were full of hatred. What the fuck was this guy’s problem? 

“It's been what? A week—two, since I last saw you?” Detective Owens continued. 

I never enjoyed people asking me questions about my features. It made me too aware that I didn't look human enough to some people. 

“Maybe I haven’t showered in a week,” I said, hiding the nervousness in my voice. 

“True.”

The small space between us seemed to get smaller the longer he stared at me. Being myself, I stared back at him, refusing to let this man get the best of me. 

I could hear the ticking of the clock on the far wall next to the kitchen doors. The hum of the appliances echoed through the diner. Neither of us moved. We stared without blinking, fearing that in the second that our eyes closed, the other would act. 

The sound of the diner door opening broke the silence between us. I glanced over and saw Maya, Alia, and Olivia walking in.

“You’re not done cleaning yet?” Maya sighed dramatically. “I decided to be the best older cousin and give you a ride home, but you’re not close to closing the diner.”

“Oh thank you so much for allowing me not to walk home alone. In the dark. Like I had to do all week.” I said, rolling my eyes.

“I can’t let you walk home on your birthday. That’s why I’m the best older cousin. I arrived to get you home safely.” Maya smiled as she sat at the booth that I had just finished cleaning.

“I’m glad my birth was enough to make you want to ensure my safety,” I laughed.

“I can help you finish cleaning,” Olivia said, broom and dustpan already in her hands.

“Thank you. That would help a lot,” I smiled. “Let me just deal with this creepy customer quickly.” 

“Customer?”

“Yea, the one sitting at the—”

I turned back to the place where the detective was sitting, but he was no longer there. The only thing left of his presence was a mug filled with hot coffee. “A guy was sitting there before you all showed up.”

I looked at Maya, who seemed uninterested in the customer. Olivia just shrugged, and Alia hadn’t even been listening to the conversation. She stared at her phone, mindlessly scrolling. 

I couldn’t have imagined him. I had gotten adequate sleep, so I knew for sure that it wasn’t a hallucination.

Olivia and I continued to clean the rest of the diner while Alia and Maya sat at a booth and giggled amongst themselves. I stared at the coffee cup on the counter, getting more annoyed that he ordered a coffee he wasn’t going to drink,, resulting in me having an extra dish to wash. At least he paid, I thought to myself as I picked up the money off the counter. 

After putting away all the cleaning supplies, I took off my name tag and apron to put them away for tomorrow night. When I walked into the dining room, a new person was sitting at the booth with the girls. Rain. What was he doing here? He was sitting on one side of the booth alone while the girls crowded the other side.

My attention turned to Rain as I approached the booth. The girls were interacting with him from across the table. But as usual, Rain wasn’t speaking back. He showed his responses on his phone. I wondered why he did that? He had no problem talking to me in my room two weeks ago. He also had no problem talking on the video calls. So why doesn’t he speak to the girls?

He was the only person I saw. His eyes were red, so either he was tired or he just finished crying. I hoped it wasn’t the latter. I slid into the booth next to him, trying to stay as calm as possible. My mind was buzzed just being in the same room as him.

I was positive that Maya was talking to me, but all my thoughts concentrated on how close I was to Rain. Being in the same room as him was ten times better than just seeing him through my phone screen. The more I looked at him, the more the memory of our kiss filled my mind. He was wearing his staple black shirt, but this one was long-sleeved. It was nicely fitted as well. I could see the faint outline of his chest and arm muscles, the indentation of his collar bone. My brain was starting to short circuit. 

Rain’s hands retreated from the table as he wiped his palms on his pants, which I guessed were probably getting sweaty from being around so many people. I watched his movements with interest. His hands were resting on the booth seat and I placed my hand next to his. The small gap between our hands felt like a mile long. I cautiously inched my hand on top of his. I paused there and waited for Rain to respond to my touch. Slowly our fingers became intertwined. Our palms pressed together. It seemed as though I waited months for this moment. Rain's hand was warm. His thumb made a small circular motion on top of mine. It was an electric sensation. 

I memorized the feeling of his fingers laced with mine. Each tiny movement they made. Each rotation his thumb made on mine. I wondered how this moment would be if we were alone. Would I stare into his eyes as he touched me? As we touched each other?  

Suddenly I was robbed of my thoughts when someone called my name.

“Hellooooo Noah. Did you want to come?” Alia asked. 

“C-Come? What?” I stuttered, my thoughts still clouded with Rain’s touch. 

“Did you want to come to the party with us?” 

“It’s at Sammy’s house, by the way,” Maya said.

“Who the fuck is Sammy?” I asked, getting annoyed that this conversation was dissolving my thoughts of how I wanted Rain to touch me.

“Do you not remember anyone from high school? Anyway, she works at the liquor store, so you know the party is going to have the best drinks,” Maya said. 

“No one in high school was worth remembering.”

“Not even Aiden?” Alia teased.

At that moment, I swore, Rain turned two shades paler. Why bring up Aiden now? His fingers gently unlaced themselves from mine. My hand felt lonely without his. Empty. Now I was actually annoyed. I wished I was alone with Rain where we wouldn’t get interrupted. 

“It’s over between us,” I snapped. Hoping Rain understood. 

Alia gave Olivia a look, and I didn’t know what to make of it. It was suspicious, but I was more worried about Rain. I didn’t want him to think I was playing with his feelings. Whatever feelings I had for Rain were more intense than anything I felt with Aiden. 

“So are you coming to the party with us?” Olivia said softly.

I shook my head. “I think I’m just going to chill at home. Maybe watch a few movies.”

Maya looked at me with worry. An unspoken Are you sleeping well? I gave her a thumbs up to calm her worries. 

“Lame. I guess if that’s how you want to spend your birthday. Have fun with your movie,” Alia said, motioning for Olivia to leave the booth as she stood up. “You want to come, Rain?”

He quickly shook his head, and I failed to hold back a smile. He didn’t seem like the type to thrive at a party. 

Alia shrugged and started walking toward the door with Olivia. Maya lingered a bit at the booth.

“Try and get some sleep,” she said, nudging my shoulder with her fist.

“I will,” I said, standing to give her a quick hug.

Once everyone was out of the diner, I locked the doors. The girls walked toward the direction of Maya’s car, and I was left standing on the boardwalk with Rain. 

There was a slight breeze blowing Rain’s hair in his face. He pushed his hand through his hair, and I was mesmerized by his beauty: his imperfect, perfect nose, his round lips, the shape of his eyes. Everything was symmetrical. Like his face was made just for him. 

I stepped closer to him. The redness from his eyes was fading as the red in his face became more apparent. We stared into each other’s eyes.

“Your eyes are red. Are you okay?” I asked. 

Rain gently pressed his palms into his eyes. “I’m okay now.” I watched his eyes study my face. “I’m somewhere safe.” 

Rain’s eyes shifted to the dark waters beyond the boardwalk and the cove. Nothing but the reflection of the moon on the surface. He appeared to be thinking about something. 

“Can I see?” Rain whispered.

He took a step closer to me, and I could feel the heat from his body. He reached up, cradling my head, and placed his thumbs just below my eyes. His touch was electric, soft, and warm. I reveled in it. My eyes shut. I wasn’t expecting my body to yearn for more of Rain’s touch. 

“Can I see you?” He asked again. 

I leaned into his touch. I would give him anything if he continued to hold me like this. “I’ll show you.”