Lonely Lullaby: Ballad of a Broken Soul Series | Book 1 Page 3

  “Please?”

  I nodded, mostly so I could escape, and accepted the umbrella. He smiled once more before releasing me. The bus driver called for me to hurry up, and I turned around swiftly to make my way off the bus.

  I peered back before I exited through the doors, though, just to get one more glimpse of Parker. He was still looking at me, the wistful expression on his face the last thing I saw before the doors closed tightly behind me.

  Quickly opening the umbrella, I noticed a design on the outside that I hadn’t earlier.

  A yellow sunflower bloomed across the waterproof surface, and a leafy vine curved below it, forming a semicolon.

  CHAPTER 3

  Saints & Sinners was a newer establishment here in downtown, and the tips were usually decent on the weekends. I hated the stench of alcohol, though. It was pretty rare for me to drink it, especially since I saw firsthand what it did to people.

  From the looks of it, we didn’t have many customers tonight. A couple guys sat in a booth at the back of the establishment, and a few stragglers enjoyed a cold beer at the bar. Daniel noticed me walk in and nodded for me to join him behind the counter.

  “It’s not busy right now, and if it doesn’t pick up, I might just let you go home for the night,” he told me as he used a rag to wipe up some spilled alcohol on the dark counter.

  “Okay.” I normally caught a ride with him since the last buses for the evening ran shortly after my shift started. Grabbing another rag and some cleaner from under the sink, I headed over to the nearest empty table. “I’ll just bus the tables for now.”

  Daniel nodded at this, his eyes darting over to the customers in the back. “Sounds good.”

  I hoped it would pick up soon. With so many hospital bills, I could use the extra cash from tips tonight to help pay them off. Sticky residue spotted the laminated wooden tables, and I began scrubbing diligently. Sportscasters recapped football games from a few TVs hanging from the bar walls, but I tuned them out.

  I was almost done with the tables when the door to the bar smacked open.

  “‘Sup, Daniel. How’ve you been, man?” a rough voice called out, and I cringed, my muscles tensing up immediately. I hated that voice.

  “Hey, Zach. What can I get for you?”

  After a short pause, Zach replied, “Nothing for now. I’ll just take a seat at one of the tables.”

  Daniel sighed deeply. “Fine, whatever.”

  I sensed Zach’s eyes on me as he made his way over to the table I was cleaning. My hands stopped scrubbing, setting the rag and cleaner on the tabletop in front of me. He trailed a thick finger across my lower back, and I shivered in disgust as he moved to sit down in front of me.

  “Hey, Tessa.” His dark eyes checked me out. “You’re lookin’ beautiful tonight.”

  I tried to hide my grimace. “Thanks.”

  If Daniel knew about Zach’s inappropriate behavior, he would have banned him from the bar by now, friend or not. Daniel was a sweetheart and wouldn’t have let anyone talk to me like Zach did.

  If Daniel wasn’t engaged, I probably would have asked him out.

  So, I’d decided long ago not to tell Daniel about Zach because I didn’t want to cause drama, especially since I could handle a douchebag here and there.

  As I moved to walk away, a heavy hand wrapped firmly around my wrist and stopped me. Nausea rolled through my stomach, and sweat broke out on my forehead.

  “Let go, Zach,” I demanded, trying to come off confident, but my voice warbled.

  Zach smiled, his dark eyes greedy as he once again leered at my body. “Why don’t you take a break and hang out with me?”

  I shook my head. I needed to get him to let go of my wrist because it was making me sick.

  “I’m working, Zach,” I pointed out, my breathing coming out heavier now. I tried yanking my hand away, but his grip tightened painfully on my wrist.

  “Daniel won’t mind. It’s not that busy. Come sit with me.” Zach pulled me forward.

  I stumbled into the table, the edge digging into my empty stomach, and I muttered a curse. “I don’t think so, Zach.” Managing to rip my arm out of his grasp, I took several steps away to create distance. “Have a good evening.”

  Spinning on my heel, I moved to walk away, but I slipped on something wet.

  The tiled floor rose up to meet me, giving me just enough time to question the unlucky streak that was my day. I managed a sharp yelp, as well as an internal huff of frustration, before my head smacked the ground and the lights snuffed out.

  You’ve got to be kidding me!

  A pulsing ache echoed in my skull, and I felt woozy once I cracked opened my eyes. I found myself flat on the hard, sticky bar floor, staring up at a face scattered with metal piercings. A pair of warm eyes peered down at me in concern, their shade that of rich soil.

  The lightheadedness increased as a faint tingle coated my senses.

  “Are you all right?”

  My eyes blinked slowly, just to see if the guy would still be there when they opened again. When he didn’t disappear, my mind began to focus on my surroundings, trying to figure out why I was on the floor.

  A lot of yelling was happening behind the man with the brown eyes, and I peeked around him to see a tall figure holding Zach roughly by the collar. I couldn’t see the man’s face, but he growled something to Zach in a low voice that made him quiet down. I watched as the stranger dragged him by the front of his shirt out the doors.

  “Can you hear me?”

  My attention returned to the man kneeling above me. He was clothed in a red T-shirt with white foreign lettering across the front. His pale jeans would probably need a good washing after coming in contact with the bar floor, but he didn’t seem concerned about it. He never took his eyes off me, and I realized he’d asked me something again.

  “Um, I’m sorry. What?” I moved to sit up.

  He reached forward to help me, and a mild zing flashed up my arm at his contact. I gasped, and he eyed me with concern and confusion.

  “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  Slowly shaking my head, I wondered what the sensation meant.

  Does it mean...?

  I peeked up at the man, taking him in with new interest as my heart fluttered. Boldly inked designs snaked down his arms from beneath the material of his red shirt, and several black characters were tattooed over the lengths of his slim fingers. Two steel barbell piercings adorned the outer edge of his left eyebrow, and a single silver ring perforated the right corner of his bottom lip.

  On the outside, he didn’t seem any different from the plethora of other tattooed and pierced patrons, but that didn’t explain the sparks from his touch.

  Maybe I was just going crazy.

  Chatter brought me back from inside my head, and I realized that, during the time I’d apparently been passed out, several new customers had arrived. Embarrassed by the many eyes glancing my way, I attempted once more to stand up.

  The guy with the facial piercings was there in an instant, a hand stretched out to me. I stared at it hesitantly, wondering if I would feel that tingle again from earlier, but his warm smile was too inviting to refuse.

  I placed my small, sticky hand in his, not at all surprised when I felt a pulse. He must have felt it too because something swept over his eyes before we were interrupted.

  “Tessa, are you okay?” Daniel came to stand beside Mocha Eyes.

  “I think so.” I massaged the back of my head and exhaled sharply when my hand came across a particularly tender spot.

  The stranger kneeling in front of me with the brown eyes noticed, and his face darkened slightly. “You don’t look okay.”

  Daniel stared around at the filling bar and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder with a sigh. “Can you take her to the break room real quick while I figure this out?”

  A kind smile lit up the man’s face as he helped me stand. “I’m Kai, Daniel’s friend.” He bopped me playfully on the nose. “But to y
ou, jagiya, I can be anything you want.”

  Huh?

  I raised my eyebrows at Kai, confused as to whether he was hitting on me right now, but a shout at something on one of the sports channels had me cradling my head as another bout of pain racketed through my skull.

  “Dan, where’s the break room?” Kai asked.

  Daniel motioned for us to follow him. Kai kept his arm around my waist for support, and I didn’t even care he was a stranger because I appreciated his help too much.

  Daniel gestured to the small break room with a few folding chairs, a plastic table, and an employee wash station. “This is all we have.”

  “This is fine.” Kai sighed, moving inside the room with me. He deposited me on one of the folding chairs before turning to Daniel. “Where’s your nearest hospital?”

  I shook my head emphatically but stopped when pain pulsed through my skull. I needed to stop doing that... “No, no hospitals.”

  “Look,” he began but paused, cocking a brow. “Wait, what was your name?”

  “Tessa.”

  He nodded. “Look, Tessa, it would be smart to get checked out by a professional.”

  I almost shook my head again but stopped myself just in time. “You think I might have a concussion?”

  He shrugged. “You hit your head really hard, jagiya. It’s possible you might have one.”

  Ignoring his weird nickname, I made a mental list of the pros and cons of going to a doctor, and my fists clenched at the thought. I didn’t have insurance or the extra funds to pay out of pocket, and the money I did have needed to go toward Whitney’s medications and appointments. No, I couldn’t go to the hospital.

  “I’m fine. I don’t think I need a doctor.”

  Shouts echoed to us, and Daniel frowned as he glanced down the hall. “Hey, Tessa, are you okay if I leave you here for a second with Kai? I need to go check on—”

  I waved him away. “If you trust him, I trust him.”

  Daniel nodded. “Okay, thanks.”

  Once he was gone, Kai folded himself onto a chair and fiddled with his phone. His shirt caught my eye again, and a question came to mind. “What language is that?”

  “Hm?” Distracted, he glanced up at me with confusion before noticing me looking at his T-shirt. “Oh, it’s Korean.”

  Curiosity piqued, I studied the detailed characters. “What does it say?”

  He stood back up all the way and glanced down at his shirt. “It says, Origami Meltdown.”

  My eyebrow raised. “What's that?”

  A hint of humor filled his voice. “It’s the name of a band.”

  “Huh.” I stood from the chair and went to wash my hands at the small sink in the corner of the room, feeling leftover alcohol residue coating each palm. Facing him through the mirror, I asked, “So, you’re a fan? Are they any good?”

  His full lips twitched slightly as he grinned. “Yeah, they’re all right. Their drummer is the best part of the band, though. The most attractive, too.”

  An irrational twinge of jealousy trickled through me as I thought of the mystery drummer. Of course, it shouldn’t matter who this cute stranger found attractive, so I bit my tongue to keep myself from prying.

  Thankfully, a loud shout interrupted what could have been an embarrassing conversation, and the uproar happening outside the break room diverted our attention.

  The door opened with a bang, and a guy stood there with thick, furrowed brows. He glanced first at Kai before he turned his eyes to meet mine. His shoulders were wound tensely beneath his ivory sweater, and his large hands were fisted at his sides.

  Something melted inside me at his concerned gaze before it hit me how he had just intentionally opened an employee-only break room.

  “Sir,” Daniel bellowed from behind the tall man. He held a bottle of painkillers in one hand and a glass of water in the other as he glared at the stranger. “You can’t go in there!”

  The tall man ignored Daniel and stepped inside, making the break room appear too small with his enormous size.

  “Christian.” Kai rolled his eyes in exasperation. “We’ve gone over this. You need to knock before opening doors.”

  Christian appeared puzzled. “But I knew you were in here?” His voice held a thick accent.

  “No, that’s not the poin—” Kai took a long breath and shut his eyes for a moment. “Sorry, Daniel. He’s with me.”

  Daniel didn’t seem impressed by Christian as he stood there for a moment and sized the man up. After deciding Christian wasn’t a threat, he faced me with a tired smile. “I’m sorry, Tess. Zach’s behavior was entirely inappropriate tonight. Was this the first time he’s acted like that?” At my silence, Daniel sighed. “Well, shit. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. I already told him he’s not welcome back again.”

  “I’m sorry, Dan—”

  He shook his head, cutting off my words. “No, don’t be. I should have paid more attention.”

  “What did I miss?” Christian plucked the medicine and water out of Daniel’s hands, ignoring the bartender’s exasperated scowl, and brought them over to me.

  He handed over the water and dropped the bottle in my palm, and I swallowed the pills as I checked out Kai and Christian from under the cover of my lashes. How did he know Kai? They seemed on pretty good terms.

  After placing the bottle back on the counter, I addressed the group. “Um, I should get back to work.”

  Daniel shook his head. “Nah, it’s slow enough that you don’t need to be here. I think you should take it easy the rest of the night. Do you have someone who can come pick you up?”

  If I wasn’t in so much pain, I would have smiled because of his thoughtfulness. I could probably contact Samantha and see if she could come get me. The buses would’ve stopped their routes by now.

  “Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Daniel.”

  Standing, Kai addressed me. “I was actually going to see if Tessa here wanted to grab a bite to eat with us since, apparently, she won’t go to the hospital.”

  His brown eyes roamed over my face and body, most likely noting my sallow skin and unnaturally skinny frame. His assessment wasn’t one of checking me out but one of concern. I hated that look; people gave it to me more often than I liked, and I didn’t want their pity.

  Kai met my eyes once more. “I think some food would be good for you before you turn in for the night.”

  With raised eyebrows, Daniel stared at his friend in confusion, then whispered something in Kai’s ear. Kai raised his pierced brows, but Daniel ignored him and faced me. “If you don’t want to, you don’t need to go eat. I know you might like to get home. But just know Kai’s about as dangerous as a bunny.”

  Laughing, I covered my mouth. “That’s not comforting. I’ve been bitten by a bunny before.”

  Kai winked at me, causing a blush to rise to my cheeks.

  Daniel chuckled. “You good, then?”

  I gave him a thumbs-up and watched as he left the room to go man the counter. Kai and Christian hovered by the door, waiting for my answer.

  Wishing my life wasn’t so crazy so I could accept their invitation, I smiled at them. “Thanks for your offer, but I’m not really up for hanging out tonight. Have a nice evening.”

  My head still throbbed as I grabbed my bag so I could find my phone. My outdated phone couldn’t hold a charge for more than a few hours, but at least it was paid off.

  My backpack hung loosely on my back as I waved goodbye to Daniel and headed outside to call Samantha. I figured the fresh air from outside would help alleviate some of the pain in my head.

  I exited out the front door with my new umbrella, hiding under the slight awning from the rain. It wasn’t terrible enough to need the umbrella’s protection, so I kept it by my side while I made my call.

  CHAPTER 4

  I frowned as I checked my cell signal and found it almost nonexistent, even outside. It also didn’t help that I opted for the cheapest cellular provider or else I probably wouldn’t have such
a hard time getting service.

  I dialed Sam’s number over and over in the hope she would still be up, but with no answer, I knew she must be asleep.

  My head still ached even with the pain medication, but at least the pain was ebbing. It just wasn’t going away fast enough for my preference. Rubbing at my tender head, I debated what I should do next.

  I supposed I would just have to wait for Daniel to get off work, then.

  “Hey, do you need a ride?”

  Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn’t noticed Kai had popped his head out the door.

  His brown hair teased his ears and fell in scattered chaos over his forehead. The brown of his eyes was expressive, almost like I could tell everything going on in his mind as he looked me over. A couple stains now adorned his jeans from kneeling earlier, and I felt bad seeing them. He wouldn’t have gotten any if he hadn’t helped me.

  “Huh? A ride?” I slowly shook my head. “No, I’m okay. Thanks, though.”

  He frowned as Christian shoved him out the door and into the rain. He didn’t wear a jacket, and the water droplets splattered over his red shirt. Scowling at Christian, he ducked back under the awning.

  Running his fingers through the brown locks now sticking to his forehead, he turned back to me. “Are you sure? It wouldn’t be a big deal.”

  I watched the rain, contemplating his offer. Even though he seemed nice and everything, I didn’t know him. The only reason I considered it was because he was a friend of Daniel’s and he trusted him.

  “Look”—Christian held up his phone for me to see he’d pulled up the cab company— “we can call you a cab or something if you’d rather. Would that work for you?”

  I quickly glanced through the bar windows, noting how crowded it had gotten in the past hour. Daniel probably wouldn’t be done anytime soon. But there was still my monetary issue. “I don’t really have money for a cab.”

  They both frowned. Kai pulled his wallet out of his front pocket and began taking out a stack of bills, which had me immediately opening my mouth to protest.