Chapter 4 Leo #3
“I know it’s one of our favorite places to order from, too.
We never go to their physical store, though, and that explains why we also didn’t know about this bar.
” I smile. He is easy to talk to and keeps the conversation going with ease.
He is polite and like a breath of fresh air, effortless to entertain.
If I were a different man, I would have been falling for this man.
I would have been chasing him like a lost puppy, making heart eyes, but I am not that type of man, and he is not my type.
I take another bite of my food and try to think of something to say, anything really, but the only thing I come out with is, “So Kai told me you are a hair stylist?”
He nods. “Yes I am.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed it, to be honest.” I take another bite, not thinking this through. “ You look more like an accountant to me.”
“Well, and you look like an underpaid male stripper, but you don’t hear me pointing it out.” He bites back with his words, and I laugh. That was a decent comeback and, kind of, a compliment at the same time. I would probably make more as a stripper.
“Fair.” I say with a smile. “But considering how my life was before I met Kai, I think it’s not too far-fetched.
I could easily be a male stripper if Kai didn’t come up with the plan about this bar.
” I could also easily be dead or in prison, but I choose not to say this.
The majority of kids who are released at eighteen from the juvenile system end up soon enough, in prison.
Especially those that were convicted for the crime I did.
“I am sorry.” He says quietly. “ I didn’t want to offend you.”
“You didn’t.” I say, and despite my better judgment, I decide that the guy deserves more information to understand why I said this. “Kai and I met in juvie, that’s why I said that. Before I met him, I didn’t have the best life.”
“He was in juvie?” Noah focuses on that part of the information completely, ignoring my part in it, and I am not sure if it is because he is a really good friend or he is just worried to associate with criminals.
“I promise he is not that bad.” I try to ease his worry a little, it’s not like I don’t get it.
If my best friend were Rachel, I would also be worried about her messing with Kai.
Hell, I am friends with this guy, and I still worry for the girl.
His last girlfriend had a fucking restraining order against him for stalking her.
God knows how far he will take it this time.
“I’m not judging you.” He finally says, changing the subject to me this time.
“I get that life can be hard, and you seem to have done great for yourself.” His words creep inside me, providing a warmth I didn’t expect.
They are sweet words of kindness, and what makes them so important is the fact that they are not coming from a friend or a family member.
They are coming from a stranger who has nothing to gain by being nice to me, yet here he is doing exactly that.
My own family disowned me after I was convicted, but a stranger shows kindness to me, probably because he doesn’t know the type of crime responsible for my years spent in the juvenile system.
He doesn’t seem to care, which makes me think he is either focusing on the man I am now, or he is just as crazy as his friend.
Either way, those words bring a smile to my lips, one I am unable to hide.
They make me feel seen, and that alone is a feeling I will always be grateful for.
It’s not often that someone who learns this fact about me reacts this way.
Maybe it’s a good thing Noah is so different from the people I surround myself with after all.
I take a sip of my beer. “All thanks to Kai.” I admit, and he smiles in return.
It’s not a lie. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t meet Kai.
I am pretty sure that goes both ways, too.
Kai would definitely not have been here if I wasn’t by his side protecting him from himself.
It’s as if we are two pieces of a puzzle destined to click together, helping each other navigate life.
If platonic soulmates exist, Kai is definitely mine.
He is the friend that anyone would want by his side.
The type who would kill for you, burn the world for you, help you rise from the ashes while cheering you all the way to the top.
Because he doesn’t care for himself but for the people he loves?
He would give his soul for the people he loves.
He would do anything in his power for their happiness.
You have to like a man like that, even if he is a psycho.
We continue eating mostly in silence, with the occasional joke from time to time, and for once this feels cosy enough that I could get used to it.
Not that I will have to, because people rarely stick around anyway.
Soon enough, he will leave, too; no point in getting attached to this handsome stranger.
“If you ever need to talk about that time of your life, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I know we don’t know each other, but I promise you I am a great listener.” He says, bringing back the subject subtly, and I smile at him.
“Thank you.” I don’t say anything else. I don’t say that’s the nicest thing someone said to me after hearing I was in juvie.
I don’t say that besides Kai no one has ever shown compassion about it.
I almost say the reason I was there. I almost open my mouth and blurt everything out in a word vomit of despair, but I keep myself from it at the last possible minute, and instead I lean in and kiss his cheek.
A simple gesture. It’s not romantic, or flirty, or anything close to that.
It’s a thank you wrapped in a small gesture.
It’s everything I can’t say in words. That probably means nothing to Noah, but the smile on his face means everything to me.
And just like that, in one mere moment, all of my objections about this guy vanish.
Sometimes it only takes a moment. Maybe this is a new friendship starting. Maybe this guy is here to stay.