Chapter 7 #2
“Wait, wait!” Sterling stepped in front of me to keep me from walking away.
“I’m sorry. I was just joking.” He rubbed my upper arm with his steady hand, and I hated how much I enjoyed his touch.
“I know this is hard for you. I got too comfortable with you and with the case, and I shouldn’t joke like that. ”
I sighed and carefully removed his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m touchy about family right now,” I said.
“I know,” he said, folding his hands behind his back.
“Jasmine is my cousin, but she’s my oldest friend too. She would never do that.”
Sterling nodded. “I know.”
I returned to the table and took my seat. “Sterling… I don’t want to know who it is.”
Sterling smiled sympathetically as he sat across from me again, but he didn’t respond. I frowned into my tea while he took a sip of his coffee. “Can I ask about your favorite childhood memory? What did Ezzila want to take?” he asked.
I sipped my tea, feeling ashamed at the answer. “It took place at Fibbersnap Inn, actually.”
“Really?” he asked with a smile. “What happened?”
I sighed, cupping my hands around the warm mug.
“It was around this time of year. Grandpa showed me how to build a snowman with… with magic.” He smiled and nodded, encouraging me to continue.
“It was my first magic lesson. He showed me how to lift snow without touching it, and then he taught me that everything you need to give a snowman its personality is out there in nature, and that good magic is resourceful magic. Afterward, we went inside, and he made me hot cocoa and wrapped me in a blanket by the fireplace, the same one where I wrapped you in a blanket,” I added with a smile.
“And he told me a legend about the forest surrounding Fibbersnap Inn.”
“What’s the legend?” Sterling asked.
“According to Grandpa, a pegasus lives in those woods, but she only shows herself to individuals with pure intentions and kind hearts. He said to make sure I was kind to all beings in the forest, because she’s watching.”
“Do you believe the legend?” Sterling asked.
I shrugged. “Maybe he just wanted me to be nice to animals, but it could be true. Pegasuses are rare, but they exist.”
“Do you think he saw her?”
“Hm…” I sipped my tea again. I had often wondered that myself. My grandpa told me he hadn’t seen her, but he was a humble man. Of course, if he had seen her, then he lied to me, which would not have been very pure of him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. What about you?”
“Me?” Sterling looked stunned at the question. “I-I’ve never seen a pegasus. Sorry.”
I sputtered a laugh. “No, what’s your favorite childhood memory?”
“Oh,” he said, laughing with me. His laughter died quickly, and his eyes wandered across the room. “I don’t know. I didn’t have a great childhood. Maybe Ezzila could see that, and that’s why she didn’t want mine.”
I set my tea down to watch him. It broke my heart to think of Sterling as a little boy having a hard time. I didn’t know what had happened to him, and I didn’t know how to ask. “I’m sorry, Sterling. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I’m here if you do.”
Sterling shook his head, avoiding eye contact. “It would just make you sad. I don’t want to do that to you.”
“Sterling,” I said in a pleading voice, hoping it would draw his eyes to mine, and he did look up. “I like learning about you. If you need to get it off your chest, I want to listen.”
“Really?” he asked, his eyebrows twitching together for a moment like he dared to hope I meant it.
I nodded, smiling at him.
“Okay…” His gaze fell, and he cleared his throat. “I, uh… My favorite memory was probably… Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He sighed. “All right. My parents were… not great people. They often disappeared for days at a time, leaving me to fend for myself. One day, our houselord arrived to collect rent, but they weren’t home.
We were several months overdue, and this was our last chance, so he kicked us out.
It was just me, though. I was on the streets, alone, hungry, and I didn’t know where my parents were.
I found a bench across from a local shop where I thought I could sleep for the night.
I stayed there all day, not knowing where else to go, and eventually, the shopkeeper came out to ask me what I was doing.
I thought I was in trouble, but she was very nice to me.
She brought me inside and gave me dinner and a bed to sleep in, and when I told her I didn’t know where my parents were, she said I could stay there as long as I liked.
I was there longer than I would have survived on my own, and there was a very brief window of time where I hoped they wouldn’t return, but…
they did. And they were angry that the shopkeeper had taken care of me, demanding she relinquish me.
She fought for me, though. She said they had no right to be parents if they abandoned their child for so long, but she had to give me back to them when they threatened to call the Force.
Now that I know better, I wish they had.
Anyway… That’s my favorite memory. I saw what normal was for one quiet week. ”
A silence passed while I processed his story. My heart ached for young Sterling, who deserved so much better. I didn’t want him to feel that pain again. “Never give that memory up, Sterling,” I said, smiling at him. “That woman deserves to be remembered for taking care of you when you needed her.”
Sterling wouldn’t look at me, but he smiled wistfully. “That woman is the reason I strive to help people. It meant everything to me that she went out of her way to care for me. She probably doesn’t remember me, but she was a very important part of my life.”
“She remembers you. Did you ever try to find her?” I asked.
“I didn’t want to bother her.”
“You should seek her out.” I didn’t know he felt so unimportant. He needed to know he deserved more than the neglect he was raised with. I reached across the table to squeeze his hand, and he looked up with surprise in his pretty gray eyes. “It wasn’t your fault. You know that, right?”
He furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”
“Your parents neglecting you. It wasn’t your fault. You deserve the love and kindness the shopkeeper showed you. You deserve a lifetime of love and happiness.”
“So do you, Cassian,” he said, brushing his thumb along my hand. My instinct told me to pull away, but I didn’t. “I’ve never met anyone as kind as you.”
Maybe I was wrong about Sterling. I was afraid he’d use me and leave me like everyone else, but he clearly knew how bad it felt to be left behind. I wanted to apologize for pushing him away, but I didn’t know how to say it.
The moment passed before I found the words. Sterling released my hand to eat his pastry, and I watched him. It had been a while since I had been this enamored by someone. I never knew the sight of a man eating a cinnamon bun could be so fascinating, but everything he did was interesting to me.
“What?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow at me.
“Sorry,” I said, returning to my raspberry tart to keep myself from staring.
“Cassian…” He waited until I looked up to continue speaking. “You obviously like me, and I like you too. Why are you suddenly so distant?” he asked.
I appreciated the straightforward question, because I didn’t know how to address it myself. “It scares me how much I like you, Sterling. The last time I felt this way about someone, he disappeared after the first night we spent together.”
“That guy was an idiot,” Sterling said. “Did he have any idea what he was walking away from?”
I smiled against my will, looking away as my cheeks warmed. “Do you have any idea? I’m a mess,” I said.
“You heard my favorite childhood memory, didn’t you?” he asked.
I laughed. “That doesn’t make you a mess.”
He shrugged. “Well, I’m not perfect, and I don’t expect you to be either, no matter how perfect you seem.”
I couldn’t hide my smile from him. “I’ll try not to be so distant.”
“Good, because I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
I just had to trust that he wasn’t lying.
STERLING
When we arrived at the inn that afternoon, Cassian and I got back to work. He relieved Jasmine of counter duty while I wandered to the kitchen to chat with Olive.
“Sterling!” Olive beamed at me while she scrubbed a tub full of dirty dishes. “How was Dreckle?”
“Lovely. Dreckle is very charming. Has it been busy?” I asked.
Olive shrugged. “It’s slowing down a bit, but we could use a break.” She dried her hands off on a dish towel and turned to face me. “Can I help you with something? Are you hungry?”
“I’m fine, thank you. I wanted to ask a few questions about Boris. May I?” I asked.
“Sure, sweetheart,” she said, rounding the center counter to stand nearer. “What would you like to know?”
“Did he ever talk about how the inn was doing, or did he keep that to himself?” I asked.
Olive dusted off her apron. “He talked about it sometimes, but Griffin and I never really asked. That was his business.”
“Did you know Boris had a will?” I asked.
Olive parted her lips but hesitated to speak. “It’s a normal thing to expect from someone of his age.”
“Did you know?” I asked again.
“Why are you asking me this, Sterling? Am I a suspect?” Olive asked. Griffin must have told her I wasn’t just here to break the curse.
“I’m just gathering information. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but it’s hard to ask Cassian and Jasmine.
All these questions about their grandfather seem to be getting to them.
Do you mind helping me out?” I asked, realizing I had come on a little too strong.
I needed to ease back on my questioning, but her response seemed strange.
“Yeah, I knew he had a will, Sterling. Sure I did,” she answered.
“What did he tell you about it?” I asked.