(42) Trevor Wallace – Dhampir

Del looks up at me. “Why did you show up here anyway? I thought you wanted nothing more to do with me.” 

“Now did I say that?”

He nods. “As much as. Trev, you know what I do…did for a living. And you threw it in my face.”

“Whoa, back up. You really did quit? That chick wasn’t lying to me then.”

“That chick? Oh, the girl next door, which she’s far from.” Del chuckles. “No, it’s true I did quit. And,” he’s grinning now. “I have a real job. Not anything special, just being a waiter, but still it’s legit.”

“Hot damn Del.” I grab him. Hug him. “That’s great.” Let him go. Frowning. “Do you have a decent place to stay?”

“Oh yeah.” He tells me. About the apartment. How he ended up there.

By now we’re close to a good place to eat. I tell him we’re stopping. He gives me a look.

“Pretty bossy, aren’t you?” But he’s smiling.

I shrug. “I have my moments. We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Don’t back down, Trev. I kind of like you bossy, sometimes. Just don’t make a habit of it.  And what you did back at the shop… I’d never have had the nerve to talk to the clerk that way.”

“That’s what you have me…” Stopping. Here I go again. Assuming he really wants me around.

He links his hand in mine. Tugs me into the courtyard of the restaurant. Saying, “I have you around because we’re friends, Trev. I don’t have many of those and I think you have even less than me. So let’s eat and you—you stop being so unsure about us. You can’t be bossy and uncertain at the same time and I think I need the bossy part of you at times. Got that?”

“Got it.” Smiling.

“Good. And Trev.” He looks up at me. Squeezes my hand. “Thank you. If you hadn’t said what you did that night, I’d probably still be doing what I used to but now I have the start of a new life, I hope. So I owe you big time.”

“We’ve been through this before.” Kissing his forehead. “Friends help friends, though I sure went about it the wrong way. But I was pissed. It worked though which is what counts. So, no one owes anyone anything.”

Del laughs. “I know. Tit for tat. Now we have to get you moved out of that rat-trap of a place too. So…”

Things are back to normal between us. I think. I hope.