Chapter 202
[ 1,199 words ]
Burgers and Milkshakes.
The little burger café was a patchwork of neon and nostalgia, vinyl booths, checkered floors, and a jukebox humming something old and bluesy in the corner. It’s the kind of place that smells like salt, grease, and too much sugar and somehow, it was perfect.
Dean slid into the booth opposite me, elbows propped on the table, his grin impossible to ignore. “Told you it’d smell amazing p>
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, flipping through the laminated menu mostly to avoid his stare. “I’ll give you that one p>
He leaned forward, trying to peek over the top of my menu. “You strike me as a classic burger girl, cheese, lettuce, no tomato, extra pickles p>
I lowered the menu just enough to raise a brow. “Are you psychic p>
“Maybe. Or maybe I just pay attention p>
“Creepy,” I said, though I was fighting a smile.
When the waitress came, we ordered two classic burgers, fries, and milkshakes because, apparently, Dean had decided we were going for the whole
experience.
He talked easily while we waited, his words threading through the warm hum of the diner. Stories about the places he’d lived before, the schools he’d been kicked out of for misunderstandings,” and the people he’d met. He didn’t talk like someone trying to impress me; he spoke like someone trying to make me
laugh and somehow, it worked.
“Wait,” I said, halfway through a fry, laughing harder than I had in weeks. “You actually tried to convince your teacher her laptop was haunted p>
He grinned. “I didn’t try. I succeeded. You should’ve seen her face when the screen started flashing ‘GET OUT p>
I shook my head, still smiling. “You’re a menace p>
“Thank you,” he said solemnly.
We fell into an easy rhythm of bites between stories, teasing jabs traded across the table. It felt… normal, which was strange for me. Normal wasn’t something I got often.
“So,” Dean said after a while, his tone softer, more curious. “What about you, Macey? What’s your story p>
I shrugged, tracing the condensation on my milkshake glass. “Nothing as exciting as yours. Just… pack life, family and alot of responsibility I didn’t really
ask for p>
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I get that. Family can be… complicated p>
I laughed quietly at that. “You have no idea p>
“Try me p>
I studied him for a moment, the way he looked genuinely interested, not nosy ur prying, just there “Let’s just say mine’s not the kind of family you can su up over burgers and fries p>
1e smrked, Ironing back “Chudlenge accepted. I’ll just have to keep asking until I figure it out
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Burgers and Milkshakes.
Youre persistent,” I said again, echoing my earlier words.
He pointed at me with à fry. “You remembered p>
I rolled my eyes, but the smile slipped through before I could stop it.
When the check came, he snatched it before I could argue. “Don’t even think about it,” he said, cutting me off with that same crooked grin. “Consider it a
‘welcome to my new favourite burger joint’ gift p>
I raised a brow. “Smooth p>
“Worked, didn’t it p>
I laughed under my breath, shaking my head. “You’re insufferable p>
“Yeah,” he said, standing and offering me a hand. “But I make good company p>
And annoyingly enough, he did.
The walk back was quiet at first… somewhat comfortable. The night air was cool, brushing against my skin as the streetlights flickered above us. Our
laughter from the café still lingered between us, soft and easy, like it hadn’t quite faded yet.
Dean kicked at a pebble, sending it skipping down the road. “You know,” he said, glancing sideways at me, “for someone who claims she doesn’t do fun,
you’re actually pretty good at it p>
I scoffed. “That was a burger, not a personality trait p>
He grinned. “Could’ve fooled me. You even smiled twice p>
“Don’t push your luck p>
He laughed quietly, but there was something else behind it. It wasn’t just teasing anymore. His energy shifted, he seemed calmer somehow, almost… thoughtful. We passed the old training field, and for a second, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Something rippled beneath the surface of the night that felt faint and electric. Not danger exactly, but familiar, like the air right before a storm breaks.
I slowed, glancing around. “Do you feel that p>
Dean tilted his head, pretending to listen, but his smile never faltered. “Fee what p>
“Nothing,” I said quickly, shaking it off. Maybe it was just leftover energy from the pack’s initiation magic. Maybe it was nothing
When the packhouse finally came into view with warm light spilling through the windows, part of me wished the walk had lasted a little banger. The node. the taughter, it all came rushing back as soon as I saw home.
Dean turned to me as we reached the steps. “Thanks for coming out tonight,” he said, voice lower, rougher around the edges now I had a good time p>
“Yeah, I admitted. “Me too p>
for a moment, we just stood there. His eyes searched mine and then he leaned in Instinct kicked in befure thought lid | shifted just enough that his lips loshed my check instead of my mouth.
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Burgers and Milkshakes.
him off guard, but only for a second. He pulled back smoothly, a grin returning like it had never left. “Guess I’ll see you in the morning.
“Yeah,” I said softly, my heartbeat too fast. “See you tomorrow p>
He gave a small salute and turned down the path, his figure fading into the shadows of the trees.
I let out a slow breath and turned toward the door, only to freeze. Elliot stood there. He was half in shadow, his eyes catching the faint light from the house. The bouquet I’d left on my dresser flashed in my mind, and the way he’d looked when he gave them to me, soft and hopeful. That same look was gone now, replaced with something that hollowed me out completely. Heartbreak. Pure and unguarded. Our eyes met for the briefest second before he lifted a hand, a small, helpless gesture, then the air around him fractured with dark light and he was gone. Portaled away. Back to the one place I couldn’t follow. The Underworld. No matter how badly I wanted to, I wasn’t tied to that realm. I didn’t carry Mum or Dad’s bloody, I couldn’t just slip through the veil whenever I pleased to go after him. I’d have to ask someone to take me there and that was so not a conversation I was ready to have with any of my family. So I just stood there, staring at the spot where he’d been, the night air heavy with all the things I hadn’t said. The flowers waiting on my dresser upstairs. The echo of Dean’s laughter fading down the road and the emptiness of the space Elliot had left behind.
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A person has to experience more than one affection to find what you are looking for. it just hurts to wait and watch…
7 days ago
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