Free Web NovelChapter 129: In The Convenience Store With Yuki
When I was about to ask further, there was a sharp knock on the door. It didn’t wait for an answer. Someone pushed it open, and I saw it was Yuki. She stood there in the doorway, looking composed as always.
"Hi, Yuki," I greeted. I felt a little shift in the room’s energy.
Malo didn’t say anything at first. He just sat there, his mouth slightly open, staring at her like she was an alien that had just landed in the living room. This was his first time seeing her in the house, and I could tell his brain was working overtime trying to place her.
Yuki reminded me that I had told her we were going shopping at the convenience store earlier. I looked at the time and realized I was running late. I told her I’d be out in a minute, that I just needed to grab my jacket. She gave a small nod and said she’d wait outside to give us some space.
"What is Yuki doing in your house?" Malo asked the second the door clicked shut. He dropped his chopsticks into his noodle container with a splash.
"I did tell you and Sasha that Eriko rented his attic out,"
"Yuki lives here? In this house?"
"Yes. She moved in recently."
"You didn’t tell me it was Yuki. That’s the girl you went out to dinner with that Sunday, right? The reason Princess made me call you all day?" he asked. He was leaning over the back of the couch now, his eyes wide.
I nodded, then walked into my room to grab my jacket. I threw it on, checking my pockets for my purse. The moment I stepped back out into the living room, Malo was right there waiting for me.
"Does Princess know you have a guest called Yuki?" he asked. He had that look on his face, the one where he thinks he’s being the voice of reason.
I paused. Well... I had tried to tell her. I really did. But the problem is, whenever I’m close to Princess, the rest of the world just kind of blurs out. I forget my name, I forget my plans, and I definitely forget about the girl living in the attic. All I want to do is cuddle her and stay in that bubble. It had completely slipped my mind every single time we were together.
"No. I’ll tell her when she gets back," I said casually. I headed for the door, trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal.
"You should. Because if Princess sees Yuki here... or if someone else tells her before you do, I don’t think she’ll take it lightly," he said. He reached for the TV remote and clicked it back on, the blue light of the screen filling the room again. "She’s an Alpha, Faye. They don’t like surprises in their territory."
"Okay, first of all, I don’t have to tell Princess everything that happens around me. It’s not like we’re dating. Not officially, anyway. She doesn’t tell me anything unless I ask, so why should I be under a microscope?" I said. I felt slightly offended by the idea that I needed permission to have my idol around.
"Whatever. Always acting like you’re stronger than an Alpha. I’m just looking out for you as your bro. I don’t want to see you shredded," he muttered, his eyes back on the show. "Also, can you get donuts from the convenience store?"
I didn’t move. I just stretched out my hand and waited. He looked at me, then back at the TV.
"If you want me to get you donuts, pay up," I said.
"You have money now. You can’t buy me a box of donuts... really? After all I’ve done for you?"
"I was the one who paid for the Chinese food we just ate, so pay for your own donuts. I need to save my money. I have future babies to take care of, and they aren’t going to be cheap," I shot back.
He sighed, a long, dramatic sound. He reached into his pocket and brought out some crumpled cash, counting it out slowly before handing it over to me.
"Get chocolate glaze and cheesecake. If they have jelly-filled, add that too. Don’t skimp on the toppings," he said.
I looked at the bills in my hand. "Is that going to be enough for both of us? Because I’m getting some too."
He sighed again, louder this time, and handed me another 5 dollars.
"You know I’m not the one who knocked you up. You should tell your baby mama about your cravings instead of draining my wallet," he grumbled. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"I wasn’t even craving donuts until you started listing flavors like a menu," I said, counting the money one last time. "You should tidy the table before I get back. Eriko doesn’t need to come home to noodle containers everywhere. It smells like soy sauce in here."
I headed out the door before he could argue.
"Get the donuts right! I seriously like my donuts complete inside the box! Don’t let them slide around!" he shouted after me as the door swung shut.
We were at the convenience store a few minutes later, the bright fluorescent lights humming overhead. Yuki was moving through the aisles, picking up her necessities with a focused look on her face.
"So I see your sports car has arrived," I said. I glanced through the glass window at the sleek car parked under the streetlamp. it looked out of place in this neighborhood, like a diamond in a coal mine.
"Yes. Suzy decided to stop by today and dropped it off. She’s staying at the Kings hotel until I’m done with my business here. Also... I’m starting public school tomorrow," she said. She picked up a box of cereal, studied the nutrition facts for a second, and dropped it into the cart.
"Oh my God, you’re really coming to our school? For real?" I said. I felt a spark of excitement. Having someone else I knew there would make things a lot more interesting. My idol and I....
"Yes. Looks like Riko was quick with the admission papers. He has a way of making things happen," she said.
"Mine took a day too. I arrived on Sunday and started school on Monday," I said, remembering how fast everything moved when I first got to Oakland. Eriko had everything sorted for me and Kaye before we even unpacked our bags. freewebnoveℓ.com
Kaye was currently with Dina. The driver had picked her up earlier, and Kaye insisted on going along for the ride. Eriko said he’d pick him up later on his way home.
"Yesterday, I didn’t see you around the house. I was looking for you so I could ask about the school," Yuki said, looking at me sideways.
"Oh, I was with Malo. We went outside Oakland to get something... a project we were working on," I said. I kept my voice vague. I was definitely avoiding the real reason.
The person we sold the Mantis shrimp to had been very clear that it should stay our little secret. Besides, the website was already gone, scrubbed from the internet. We could only contact the guy through encrypted texts now.
"You went outside Oakland? I hope no one disturbed you," she said. Her voice was casual, but there was something in her tone that made me pause.
I felt a bead of sweat on my neck. Does she know about the bandits?
"Why did you ask that?"
"Because of the waiter who tried to kill you on our first date. Remember? Hexed waiter," she said.
"Oh, I totally forgot about him. With everything else going on, he just slipped my mind. Did he ever regain consciousness? Did he say why he wanted me to bleed?" I asked.
I really had forgotten about it. But now that she mentioned it, the memory of the knife and the look in his eyes came rushing back. He knew my name. Yuki had said he was hexed, like someone was pulling his strings.
"I didn’t wait to find out why. Suzy called with an emergency, so I left him there. I just thought something similar might happen again when you said you left the safety of Oakland yesterday. It’s a dangerous world for an Omega like you," she said.
"No one asked for my blood yesterday. I was totally fine. Just some bugs and a lot of walking," I said, trying to downplay the fact that my pet had eaten three people.
Then suddenly, she stepped closer. She moved into my personal space, her face getting near mine. I could smell something like vanilla and cold air on her.
"You have something on your face," she said. Her voice was a whisper. She reached out and brushed her fingers against my cheek, her touch light and cool. "Okay, it’s gone now. Your face is fresh and new again."
"Thank you..." I muttered. I felt my face heating up, and I looked down at the floor.
I turned to continue walking toward the donut case, trying to shake off the weird tension. I looked up to see if the cheesecake ones were in stock, and that’s when I saw her.
Standing by the refrigerated drinks, partially hidden by a display of chips, was someone staring right at us.
Beam.
