Chapter 2 #2
Dark eyes watched him closely, but the kid didn’t say anything.
He seemed to be studying Seth, clocking every inch of him.
Seth was suddenly overly conscious of his own appearance.
Of his untamed hair and the soft pants he was wearing—the ones that were comfortable to work and stand in for hours—his ugly waterproof coat, the headband hanging around his neck, and the apron slung over the crook of his arm.
Seth would have guessed the stranger to be somewhere in his late teens or early twenties, but it was hard to say. His face was pretty in an almost boyish way, but his eyes…
Those eyes were deep and soulful and older than any easily estimated years.
Plus, Seth knew a thing or two about being baby-faced. People always thought he was younger than he was. It was the round cheeks paired with the slender build—it threw people off.
Was this kid living on the streets? Was that why he kept showing up at odd hours?
His clothes looked clean, but that didn’t necessarily indicate anything.
Plenty of people kept themselves neat and tidy while they struggled with housing.
The kid actually had a bit of dirt smudged on one cheekbone, but somehow it only looked charming.
“Are you hungry?” Seth asked. Maybe that was why this stranger was standing outside the bakery. Maybe he was hoping Seth would toss out some more day-olds.
After a moment, the kid gave a small, jerky nod.
“If you come back at six, I’ll have fresh pastries, hot from the oven and everything.” Seth cocked his head. “Did you like what you tried last night?”
Another pause. Another jerky nod.
Maybe he didn’t speak? But no, he’d spoken last night, unless Seth had been imagining it.
I want to eat you. I want to eat you more than anything.
Seth couldn’t square those words with what he was seeing now in front of him, this seemingly shy kid who wasn’t speaking a word. Still, just remembering it sent a little shiver through him.
The kid cocked his head, his gaze darting over Seth like he’d noticed the tremble. He stepped to the side, away from the door.
Seth took advantage and walked confidently forward—fake it till you make it—managing to get the keys into the lock after only one misguided attempt.
The movement put the quiet stranger a little behind him, and the hairs on the back of Seth’s neck stood at attention, as if in warning. Do not turn your back on this one.
There was a stir of air, and the light, breathy sound of an inhale.
Had Seth just been sniffed?
He glanced over his shoulder, but the kid was right where Seth had left him, his hands tucked in his pockets now, his gaze unerringly focused on Seth. There was a stillness to him that was unnerving, and yet Seth still couldn’t summon any real fear.
He opened the door quickly but paused there, one foot inside. “Come back at six, okay?” something had Seth saying. “I’ll give you something to eat.”
There was no response, not even a nod. Only that same rapt attention. Seth considered asking, Why did you knock me over last night? But decided against it. The kid seemed skittish, and maybe mostly nonverbal. And he wasn’t knocking Seth over now, so why not let bygones be bygones?
“Are you going to be okay out here?” he asked instead.
He received another nod this time.
Not sure what else to do or say, Seth went inside, closing and locking the door behind him.
He felt oddly cruel in doing so. But that was ridiculous.
It would have been insane to ask the stranger inside.
The bakery wasn’t open, and Seth still had pastries to make.
What was he going to do—work with the kid lurking behind him, watching Seth’s every move with those ancient dark eyes?
Another strange, internal shudder ran through him.
Seth wasn’t sure if it was the good kind or bad kind, but he wasn’t going to overanalyze it.
The gray weather was doing weird things to him, like it was giving a spooky edge to everything.
Next thing Seth knew, he’d be wearing all black and trying to commune with ghosts or cast spells with his cinnamon sticks.
Seth got some coffee started and his music going, selecting one of his favorite morning playlists, all low and moody and lyrical. He pulled his headband up to push his hair back and washed his hands thoroughly in the sink, donning his gloves afterward.
He was making a smaller selection of pastries today, keeping his supply low until business picked up. It was easy to get lost in the act of creating food, even the basic scones and muffins he’d made a million times over, with different flavors and twists based on Seth’s mood that day.
So Seth was focused. It was only every now and then his mind drifted back to a certain pretty face and probing dark eyes.
And when six o’clock rolled around, Seth went to the front with his heart lodged strangely in his throat. He unlocked the front door and turned his sign over to “Open” with hands that weren’t quite steady.
He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous, but it turned out it didn’t matter either way. The kid didn’t show up at six. He didn’t show up that day at all.
Or the next. Or the next one after that.
For all Seth knew, he was gone for good.