Beneath The Crescent Moon {TMT #3}

Chapter 8

Urgh. I winced when I felt the effects of the alcohol shimmer and finally dissipate from within my system.

I never had it in mind to be a drinker - even before I'd realized that I wouldn't get to experience alcohol's full effects - but there were times that I wished that I could use that to ease at least some of the tension I constantly harboured.

Sighing, I gently shoved the emptied glass away from me. Rather than give in and hurl the bloody thing across the bar counter, I poised my elbows on the counter's smooth surface and buried my face in my hands, letting the previous night's events finally sink in.

All this time when I'd stupidly thought that I had finally found a place where Et Kar would never dream to look for me, it didn't even occur once that he literally was the freaking shadows.

Which meant that everywhere I went, as long as there was a shadow lingering in any corner or a seemingly harmless layer of darkness either seen or unseen, he would always find me.

I was sure, that even as I sat, either he or his goons could be watching me right now in the dim lighting of the bar.

Damn it! I immediately wished the glass was still in my hands so that I could have something to fully exert my frustration on.

The barman, Cleo, caught sight of my curling fists when he returned from serving his customers and immediately grabbed the glass completely out of reach, promptly narrowing his eyes.

"Don't worry," I shook my head to try and clear away the disturbing thoughts whilst staring down at my apparently not-so-delicate palms, "I'm not going to break anything."

"I hope not," he grunted, stocking the glass away. "Otherwise I'd be forced to transport your sorry backside to the sheriff's station."

My lips quirked before I could help it. I looked up, glancing past his casual wear and growing stubble. "I could always use my eyes on you."

"I dare you to try." He shrugged his shoulders twice, as if to accentuate his muscular physique. "I'd maim you before you could even flash those worthless shades off."

A small laugh escaped my lips, though it felt kind of strange to utter out a genuine one. "I don't doubt that at all, Soldier."

He rolled his eyes in reply before taking out another order to serve. "Don't leave yet, I'll be back," he said before walking away.

Cleo was the only adult in this whole town that didn't see me as an outsider. It certainly hadn't been that way at first, but after my frequent visits to the bar and little civil conversations here and there, the big, burly and slightly hairy man opened up to me.

In his forties, he wasn't nearly as judgemental as the others, so it wasn't that hard to break through his resolve. We weren't close since we had just got to know each other, but I was kind of glad that we weren't enemies either.

Left alone once again, I turned my attention back to my hands, vaguely listening to the slight murmurings and drunken laughter of the seated men.

Inwardly, I somehow felt bad for Cleo. He'd used to have more customers than there were now. However, ever since people started grasping the fact that I'd be visiting here quite frequently, most stopped coming altogether.

Bastards.

Out of habit, I tucked my hair behind my ear when a strand fell towards my right eye. Though for some weird reason, I let my fingers linger, out of the blue remembering the queer feelings a certain stranger managed to erupt within me with just a single touch...