The Bloody Truth

Chapter 1

 Chapter 1

“Hey gorgeous! I see you’re back in business. Thought I’d never see you again, I did.”

 Hearing the familiar southern drawl made me smile as I turned around.

“Somebody’s got to pay the bills, don’t they.”

Seeing Matt in the flesh helped reassure myself that I made the right decision in coming back. Technically, he’s my boss’s son, which makes him half my boss, but he was the closest thing to what I would consider a friend, by my self-made standards. Ever since I first met him when his dad picked me up from the streets, he’s always been there in my life somehow or the other; a silent shadow, a silent protector. Then again, that’s a story for another day.

He flicked his messy strands of blonde hair out of his face and smirked, “Oh I don’t think there’s a lack of contenders, honey.”

Though he deliberately kept his tone light, I couldn’t help but notice a hint of seriousness coming from deep underneath. Sighing inwardly, I made a non-committal grunt as I continued wiping the bar top down.

 Attica was a pretty comfortable and nice place to chill at. It wasn’t as rowdy as the usual bars, but there was just a comfortable hum in the background consisting of the murmurs from various patrons and the soothing melody playing on the overhead stereo system. What really pleased me was the location and the more than satisfactory pay.

 Located on the outskirts of town, you can say it was a pretty quiet place. It was a fifteen minute drive from the nearest town. Ironically though, it’s usually as crowded as the popular bars in town. Apparently, a bulk of people live just on the fringes of the woods surrounding the bar. The best part? They all seem to know each other.

 Weird, I know. But in a way, it makes the atmosphere around here really warm and safe. According to the limited information I acquired through somewhat reliable sources, namely Matt, this was a place built solely for them. Makes it easier to organize gatherings, which they hold around once a month.

According to Matt, his dad and the other patrons all grew up together in the same area, and their generations before that. Kind of like a tribal village. They’ve only recently moved here three years ago due to issues with the previous land owner.

Personally, I don’t really care about their history. I am, however, thankful that they’ve decided to set up camp here. After all, this place pays my rent. Who am I to complain?

Matt leaned over the bar top, his face getting dangerously close to mine, “You know I’m always willing to support you. Just say the word and I’m all yours. All yours baby.”

I grimaced at the underlying hope in his voice. It was a known fact that Matt had an interest in me, even though I did nothing to encourage it. I was, however, grateful for the attention, because that kept the others away. Nobody dared to piss off the boss’s son. As a result, I didn’t exactly discourage his attentions either. I guess that’s going to change from now on.

“Hands off the counter,” I snapped, pushing him away at the same time. “I’ve just cleaned it.”

Chuckling, he stood up straight and looked me in the eye.

 “You know it’s true. Everyone knows you’re mine. One day you’ll come to your senses and accept it already.”

 I huffed at his statement. I didn’t belong to anyone, and I certainly didn’t belong to him.

The bell chimed as the door opened, announcing a new arrival.

“There you are Emily!” Said a booming voice. “That rascal still bothering you?”

I watched with a smile as Matt’s dad, Philip walked through the doors and marched straight towards his son, giving him a resounding thwack on his head.

 Matt shook his head and cursed under his breath. Grimacing, he said, “Well I’ll see you around then. Gotta run some errands for his-royal-pain-in-the-ass-highness.”.

 Curiosity spiked within me. Wherever we went, Matt was always the leader of his group. Even the older patrons of the bar, who supposedly watched him grow up, maintained a subtle hint of respect when they were speaking to him. I’ve always attributed that to him being charismatic, which he really is. Drop dead gorgeous too, some may say, and I agreed fully. That lethal combination was what usually got him everything he wants, exactly the way he wants it, including the girls. Just not me. I’m an exception, plus I could never ever think of him that way.

Recently though, his best friend came back from studying overseas. Ever since then, I’ve never seen him much around the bar. Matt was always all over the place, running errands for him. So much so that I’ve been back for a few weeks, and this is the first time he noticed me here.

This mystery royal-pain-in-the-ass-highness was starting to intrigue me. Beneath all the grumbling and complaints, I could detect an underlying hint of respect and fondness. While polite, Matt hardly ever expressed respect for anyone. It was usually the other way, even for people much older than him. Makes me wonder who this person is to gain such trust and respect from Matt.

 As Matt trudged out of the bar sulking like a kid over the fact that his dad whacked him in front of all the patrons, my attention shifted back to Philip.

His long blonde hair was unruffled, quite unlike Matt’s. Although both father and son looked almost like a replica of each other down to their dimples and blue eyes, those who knew them would know that they were two entirely different individuals. While Matt was charming in his own messy ways, Philip was the epitome of neatness. You hardly ever caught Philip with a single strand of hair that is out of place.

“It’s getting late Cenna, better be making your way home soon!” Philip chastised me. “Familiar to the directions to your new house? Or do I need to drive you back?”

I scrunched up my nose in distaste of his use of my middle name. He was the only one who called me that, and I absolutely hated it.

“Alright alright,” I said, untying my apron at the same time. “I’m going already. Geez.” Talk about overprotective.

As I went to bed that night, I silently counted down the dates. In exactly a month, I’d be twenty. Much as I loved my job and the people, I couldn’t wait to graduate from college and skip town. There’s a ball of adventure and fun just waiting for me out there! All in good time, I told myself as my eyelids started to droop. All in good time.

 What I didn’t know then as I fell asleep, was that being twenty was going to be the start of my adventure. Yes it was, but not in the way I could ever imagine.

---

Hey guys, if you didn't read the previous note, here it is:

I know its entirely different from how the original story went, but I apologise. I totally forgot about the initial story line i was going for because I stopped for too long! Oh well. I personally thought the chapters other than the first were quite rubbish though, so you'd be pleased to note I kept the front part as it is, no edits (:

Well, I hope you like the new storyline so far! Hope its better, and I hope I get the motivation to finish it this time. :D

Vote/comment! I love reading comments :D