After getting away from his cruel father's tyranny, Randall has to learn how to live again, and accept the person he was meant to be - with a little help of a local bartender...
*****
An empty shell is all what is left of twenty-five-yea...
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-Cole-
I felt bad for asking Randall to hang out in the backroom of my bar while I worked, but I didn't want to leave him alone. I just... I was afraid he'd do something. Now I could keep an eye on him and make sure everything was all right.
And I had the feeling he didn't like to be left alone. When I'd told him I couldn't find anyone to cover for me, I could've sworn I saw something in his eyes. Something that had vanished the second I told him he could hang out in the backroom.
I'd been keeping a close eye on him ever since he came to stay with me. The first couple of days he'd seemed scared and timid and just... far from well. But now...
I peered at him through the partly open door. He was sitting on the couch, watching TV with a sleepy expression on his face. He yawed just before I turned to greet another customer, smiling.
I'd seen him go through the backroom, picking up statues and magazines to study them closely. He'd done that in his room at my place, too. Curiosity about his surroundings was a good sign, right? He seemed more aware of the things happening around him, and most of the time, his eyes stayed soft. Relaxed. There still was a lot of fear in him, but in just a few days, he seemed to have calmed a little.
I wished so damn hard it was because he felt safe in my place, and that the first session with Vaughn had gone well. And that he still trusted me... He hadn't told me much about his appointment with Vaughn, and I didn't ask, but he seemed open to the idea of seeing Vaughn again.
As much as I wanted to go keep him company in the back, I couldn't. We were a little understaffed currently with the flu season and all, and the nice weather kept us busy for the rest of the night. I still stole every second with him, making sure he was all right.
Right until he fell asleep.
I barely was able to snap my mouth shut on time when I stepped into the backroom, only to see him fast asleep on the couch. I held my breath, hoping I hadn't woken him up, but when it looked like I hadn't disturbed him, I let the air out and carefully tiptoed my way to him. I grabbed a blanket from the shelves and tucked him in before sneaking back to the door to turn off the lights.
I smiled at the sight of him sleeping soundly, then pulled the door almost closed, leaving a small gap so I could keep checking up on him.
When I turned around, my co-worker, Paulina, shot a questioning look at me.
"He's asleep..." I muttered. "Let's try not to disturb him."
"Should I turn the music off?" she asked with a chuckle.
"You could turn it down a notch," I said, not realizing she'd been joking.
"How is he doing?" Paulina asked as she made her way to the sound system.
