Favorite Poison

If I were You

"Water would be fine, please."

She gets her glass then returns to her leaning position, "Have you heard anything from Shane lately? I haven't seen him in days."

"Nope." Adella stated unbothered as she ate.

"Aren't you worried that something could've happened to him?" She asks with great concern, "It's not like him to not show up here."

"Honestly Em, I'm not. I don't wanna be in the same building with him after the shit he pulled." The farmer proclaimed bitterly.

"Adella, you don't mean that—"

"I do! He knew how much I liked Harvey, I told him multiple times to back off, told him Harvey was coming over and kisses me anyways!" Adella explains angrily then briefly pauses, "He was going to ask me to marry him, Em." She finishes feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"Oh sweetheart..." Emily frowns reaching over and starts rubbing her arm, "I-I didn't know— Adella—"

"It's fine, Emily," she sniffles and wipes her eyes, "It doesn't matter now—"

The door chimes as another patron walks in. A pit fell in Adella's stomach as if she can sense who's directly behind her. Her suspicion was confirmed hearing them call out to Emily.

"Aye! ...Look who decided to...to show her pretty face 'round here again!" Shane cheered drunkenly. He takes an empty seat next her and starts grabbing onto her waist.

"Don't touch me." She growls pushing him back onto his own stool.

He wreaked of cheap alcohol. Also looked like he hadn't seen the inside of a shower since the last time she saw him. His hair shined from the grease, clearly haven't shaved in days, his face and eyes were beet red probably from his excessive drinking. She ignores Shane as best she could to enjoy what's left of her dinner.

"Ooh touchy-touchy," he teases further before glancing at Emily, "Hey! Gimme a tall one, I'm thirsty!"

"Yeah... no. The only thing I'm serving you is this." Emily calmly tells him placing a water bottle in front of him. She motions over to Gus to keep an eye on him.

"Ugh... whatever," he swipes the bottle off the counter returning his attention back to Adella, "What's wrong farmer? Sad that you're not getting railed by four eyes anymore?" He teases touching her again, this time coping a feel.

Without thinking, she slaps him across the face. Nearly knocking him off his stool.

"That's it, you need to leave." Gus storms around the bar and escorts a disoriented Shane out of the building.

Shane puts up a weak attempt at a fight against the much larger man then resort to screaming at her as he's forcibly removed.

Gus takes his spot back behind the bar after restoring the peace, "I apologize for that, are you alright?"

Adella nods visibly upset, "Yeah... thank you." She glanced down at her officially lost her appetite.

"Your dinner's in the house tonight," he offered as he went back to cleaning dishes, "If it makes you feel safer, I can walk you back home."

"Thanks, but I think I'll be okay." She affirmed him.

"Just looking out for everybody." Gus stated as he continued to work.

Later Adella left entering into the night fallen town. She barely got off the steps when she noticed something or someone in the bushes.

"Harvey?!" She exclaims pulling him out.

He groans in pain as he's being moved. At least his not unconscious.

"Oh my Yoba, what happened to you?" She kneels down him gently placing his head on her lap.

Harvey continues to groan and mumble intelligibly. She could tell from the dim lighting that he definitely got beat up but how bad his injuries were was tough to determine.

"I gotta get you to the clinic," Adella told him slightly panicked as to what to do next, "You gotta work with me okay?"

She carefully gets him up into his feet and guides him back to the clinic.

"...Adella." He manages to mumble.

"I'm here." She holds onto him tightly, "I'm gonna take care of you."