The G.O.A.T.
Chapter twelve
Dex
The next morning, Dex woke to his alarm, bleary-eyed with an ache in his temple from lack of sleep.
He’d slept like shit, tossing and turning, constantly checking his phone in hopes that Cya had initiated contact.
They never did, and though he’d been tempted to reach out to them numerous times, he resisted.
He’d already crossed their boundaries, as they’d clearly pointed out, and he wanted to do better.
It didn’t lessen his worry, though, especially given the way they’d parted yesterday.
After Cya had finished crying, they’d gently, but firmly, pushed out of Dex’s embrace, avoiding eye contact as they wiped their face on his hoodie sleeves.
Awkwardness, which Dex was usually impervious to, settled heavily between them, and he didn’t know what to do or what to say to make it better.
Fortunately, Jasmyn had called him, offering a reprieve from the intense emotions and discomfort, and he’d answered her FaceTime to let her know he was running late but would be home soon.
Unfortunately, by the time he’d rang off, he’d turned around to find Cya had disappeared.
They’d used his distraction to scuttle off into the night, leaving him alone, confused, and frustrated with the lack of closure.
Back home as he’d lain in his bed, he’d stared up at the ceiling and thought about Cya. Were they crying alone in their bed? Would they ignore him tomorrow and pretend their shared vulnerability never happened? Would they ever be friends? Did he still want to be their friend?
And round and round it went, which made for a fitful, short night of sleep.
Someone shook his shoulder hard, and he jerked awake with start. Jasmyn stood over him, already dressed with her backpack on. She was signing to him, but his brain was still too groggy to grasp what she was saying.
“Slow down,” he told her, and she huffed.
“You fell back asleep; now I’m gonna be late to school.”
He checked his alarm clock and cursed. “Sorry, give me two minutes.”
“I’ll get detention.”
“I’ll call and tell them it’s my fault—”
“Just let me go alone.”
Pilfering through his dresser for clean clothes, he shook his head rigorously. “You’re not riding the tram alone. Just—”
“I’m thirteen, and school’s only fifteen minutes away. I’ll be fine.”
“No!”
“If you come to school with me, then you’ll be late to work too.” She set her shoulders stubbornly. “You can track my location in the app, and I’ll text you when I get to school. It’s fine. I will be fine.”
She added extra emphasis on the last part, then pointed to the clock again. “The tram comes in two minutes, and you’re not even wearing pants!”
He glanced down, and sure enough, he was naked. Thankfully, he was covered in fur, so he wasn’t flashing his sister his junk, but still. He lowered the t-shirt in his hand to hang in front of his hips, making Jasmyn roll her eyes.
“You text me when you’re on the tram. You text me when you get off. And you text me when you get to school, okay?” he signed firmly, and she nodded her agreement. “I’m serious.”
“I will. Now can I go?”
He hesitated for another half-second before relenting. “Okay. Go.”
With a smile, she closed the distance between them and popped onto her toes to rub her cheek against his. Then she was waving goodbye and jogging out of his room. The front door slammed shut behind her a moment later.
He opened the family app on his phone and clicked on Jasmyn’s profile so he could track her journey as he got dressed and scarfed down some cereal. He brushed his teeth and took a leak, then packed up his school and gym bags.
Catching the next tram to the train station, he watched Jasmyn’s progress until a text came through.
[Jasmyn] Made it to school without being kidnapped or molested.
[Dex] Smartass. Have a good day. See you tonight.
You too. Love you.
His heart squeezed as he typed back.
Love you too.
He made it to work with only a few minutes to spare, and he’d been so caught up in the hectic morning that he’d barely had time to worry about facing Cya. But as he pushed into the cafe, nerves flurried up his throat, lodging somewhere near his Adam’s apple.
The nerves were for naught, though, because Cya wasn’t behind the espresso machine.
Willow was. Rusty worked the register as the Dryad hectically made drinks.
Customers were lined up nearly to the door, and most of the tables in the dining area still needed to be cleared from the early morning rush.
“Shit.” Dex jogged to Quin’s office to deposit his bags. “Where’s Cya?”
Quin glanced up from her laptop. “Called off sick.”
His stomach plummeted to his toes. “Oh.”
“I need you to step up today, Dex.” She stood and rounded the desk, her blazer hanging open to reveal her growing belly. “We’re short-handed, and for some reason, everyone and their brother has decided to stop in for coffee.”
“Don’t worry, Mama. I got this,” he declared confidently, deflating slightly when she arched a reprimanding eyebrow. “I’m gonna walk that mama-comment right on back. I thought it was cute because of your baby bump, but I see now it was the wrong call.”
Her mouth twitched, like she was fighting a smile, and he relaxed. “Don’t worry about a thing, Quin. Dex is here to save the day.”
With a soft chuckle, she clapped his shoulder. “Good man. Now get out there before Rusty has a meltdown and mauls a customer.”
“Roger that.” He saluted, but before he left the office completely, he ducked his head back in and asked, “Did they say what was wrong?”
“Who?” Quin asked absently, already sifting through a pile of papers that looked like job applications.
“Never mind,” he mumbled as he shut the door behind him.
The first few hours of his shift were just as hectic and stressful as the start to his morning had been, but by eleven, the flow of customers slowed. Rusty cleared the dining area as Dex wiped down behind the counter and helped Willow restock the dairy and mood syrups.
“You’re really good at making coffee,” Dex said as he rinsed out the used blenders.
Willow smiled sweetly at him, rubbing a rough, bark-like hand on his biceps. “Thanks. It’s not my favorite task, but I was Gem’s back-up before Oliver joined us, so I’m most familiar with the espresso machine.”
“I could learn,” he offered hesitantly. “I might not be very good at it, but if we need more people to know how to make drinks, then I’ll give it my best shot.”
“Like anything, it just takes practice. I’m sure you’d be wonderful at it,” the Dryad said in her breezy voice. “I know Quin’s trying to fast-track some new hires, but not a lot of people want to work in Purgatory. Too long of a commute.”
That made sense. Even Dex had questioned taking the job for precisely that reason.
But the flexible hours and competitive pay made it worth the travel, especially with his public transportation student discount.
Plus, he’d had a good gut feeling, and since destiny had never steered him wrong before, he’d trusted it.
Thinking of destiny made him think of Cya, and he pulled out his phone, opening their text chain.
He stopped himself from typing, battling with himself.
He just wanted to make sure they were okay, but he didn’t want to force his friendship on them any more than he already had.
It was clearly not welcome, and he deserved to have friends who wanted to be his friend too, right?
“Hey, Willow, can I ask your advice about something?”
The Dyrad brushed her ivy-vined hair behind her back and nodded. “Of course.”
“So, let’s say someone tells you they don’t want to be your friend, but then they kinda act like they do want to be your friend.
Like, they choose to hang out with you when they don’t have to, and they get the lift in your building fixed so that you don’t have to climb six flights of stairs.
But they’re also not always nice to you, and you’re pretty sure they don’t actually mean it, but it still isn’t nice.
“And then they show up to class really upset, but when you try to ask them what’s wrong, they just blow up at you, even though you didn’t do anything wrong.
And they’re all, ‘Dex, stop being a doormat. You shouldn’t let me be so mean to you.
’ So you get mad at them back and say things that are kinda true but also kinda mean, especially when you’re shouting it at them.
And then they cry, and you feel really bad about it.
“But then your sister calls and distracts you, and when you turn around, they’re gone.
So then it’s like, okay, cool. Zero closure.
Love that for me. And then they don’t come to work the next day, so I’m left feeling guilty, like it’s my fault somehow.
But I can’t ask them, because they said they don’t want to be friends, and I’ve already crossed their boundaries before, so I don’t want to do it again. ”
He finally stopped talking so he could suck in a lungful of air, grimacing at Willow’s wide green eyes. “So what would you do? You know, hypothetically.”
She blinked a few times, before she hummed to herself, reaching out to place her hands on Dex’s shoulders. “That sounds like a lot for any one person to carry.”
He shrugged. “I’m a strong guy.”
With a soft laugh, she nodded. “You are. But it’s also not your responsibility to carry everything for everybody. You can’t be there for everyone, especially not when they don’t want you to be.”
Well, that wasn’t the answer he was hoping for, but he nodded all the same. “I know. I just thought… They’re lonely, even though they act like they’re not. And sometimes I get lonely too. Figured we could be lonely together.”
Willow’s eyes flooded with tears as her hands slid up his neck to cup his face. “Life can be very lonely, and it is easier and lighter when we share the load. But you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. It’s not healthy for either of you, and your well-being is just as important.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but her fingers pressed harder to his cheeks. When he closed his mouth, she smiled wetly at him and continued.
“You see people, Dex, and it is a marvelous thing. But some people have had to learn to be invisible because that’s what keeps them safe. So to be seen, so clearly, by you can feel like a threat.
“It doesn’t mean you should give up on people, or dismiss them. You can still extend love and acceptance and patience, but never at the expense of yourself. To protect yourself, sometimes it does mean letting go and walking away.”
“But,” Dex said, throat tightening. “But if I’m not needed, then maybe I won’t be wanted anymore.”
At that, Willow’s expression crumpled, and several tears dripped down her rough cheeks. He wanted to apologize for making her so sad, but he was having trouble making his vocal chords work.
“Oh, Dex,” she said, and when she smiled at him, it was so fond and lovely. “I can confidently say that that is not true. You are wanted because you are wholly wonderful.”
“I’m not all that smart,” he admitted. “And I know I can be loud and annoying and—”
“There are so many ways to measure intelligence, and no one fits all of them. You are smart. You are intuitive, and from what I’ve seen, you’re very emotionally aware and intelligent. You are so much more than meets the eye, so many layers.”
“Like a cake,” he said seriously. “I told my friend that, but she didn’t get it.”
Giggling through her tears, Willow nodded. “Yes, Dex, like a cake. The gooiest, stickiest, most scrumptious cake. Not everyone will recognize that, but that doesn’t make it untrue.”
Dex sniffled. “Thanks, Willow. You’re really good at this.”
“I think so too. Thank you for recognizing it. I feel very seen.” Her thumbs smoothed over the short fur on his cheeks. “Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?”
Nodding enthusiastically, he stepped into her open arms and fisted his hands in the back of her sundress. Her body was sturdy and unyielding, but her touch was gentle. Dex closed his eyes and tucked his face in her shoulder, breathing in her earthy, green scent.
She rubbed his back, lowering her voice to a whisper near his ear. “Between you and me, the people with the hardest exteriors possess the softest insides. It’s why they have to protect themselves so thoroughly. But you can’t break through by force. You have to wait for them to invite you in.”
“What if they never do?” he whispered back, and she sighed sadly.
“Then we have to let go.” She squeezed him extra tight before releasing him and stepping back. “Give them time. And remember to take care of yourself. If your own cup is empty, how can you possibly pour into anyone else?”
“Yeah, okay. That makes sense.” He scrubbed a hand between his ears, feeling naked without one of his hats. “I think I’m used to people relying on me, and I like feeling needed because I like helping people. But maybe I don’t always help myself.”
“It’s so important to take care of each other, but it’s also important to have boundaries for yourself. It doesn’t mean you can’t help others. Just make sure Dex is taken care of first.”
Lifting his hand, he grinned and said, “Self-care high-five?”
“Self-care high-five,” she said primly, slapping her palm to his.
“Boom!” he crowed, and Willow laughed.
“What a delight you are. Thank you for sharing your gooey layers with me.”
“Gross. I definitely came into this conversation at the wrong time,” Rusty said from behind him.
Dex spun on his heels and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Bro, Willow is, like, the absolute G.O.A.T. Did you know that?”
Rusty’s right ear twitched, but when his pale pink eyes landed on Willow, the corner of his mouth quirked. “Yeah, she’s pretty great.”
With a choked sound, Willow burst into tears, though she was smiling ear-to-ear. “This day started very stressful, but it’s turned into something beautiful. I feel very appreciated and loved.”
“Girl, we got you,” Dex said, flashing finger-guns.
At first, Rusty said nothing, so Dex frowned down at him and jerked his head significantly at the weeping Dryad. Rusty chittered uncomfortably, then slowly lifted finger-guns to mirror Dex.
“Yeah, what Dex said.”
Mopping at her tears with a tea towel, Willow beamed at them both, then she reinstated the hug, one arm around Dex’s shoulders as the other reached for Rusty.
“Nah, I’m good—ah, come on, guys,” the Pyclon whined but didn’t actually struggle as Dex grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him into the embrace. “Okay, this is happening.”
“Shh, just give in,” Dex whispered.
Rusty huffed, but he did give in, hugging Dex and Willow back, pink-striped tail fluffing up. Rumbling happily in his chest, Dex rubbed his cheek against Willow’s shoulder and scratched his thumb behind Rusty’s ear. To absorb a little of their scents. To leave some of his own behind.
Not enough to mark them as pack, but almost.
Almost.