Ravens of the Mist Book 1: Endless Love

Beth

Oh, God! I can’t believe I’ve been this dumb.

He’s probably thinking I’ve lost my mind. I’ll have to clear things up with him tomorrow.

I don’t even know his name, yet I asked him for a job.

This has to be a first. An employer and employee who don’t even know each other’s names.

I can’t figure out why I was so insistent on him hiring me. All I know is that something inside me was driving me to act that way.

It’s like I couldn’t stand the thought of being away from him.

I’m so embarrassed! I think to myself, burying my face in my hands.

After using the bathroom, I practice in front of the mirror, rehearsing what I’ll say to him the next time we meet.

“Hello, sir. Um, well, you see. We don’t know each other's names.”

What was that? ~No. No. Try again.

“Hello, sir. My name is Beth. What’s yours?”

Oh, my God, Beth! Is that the best you can come up with?

Maybe it’s best to sleep on it and deal with this in the morning. Let future Beth handle this.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. What the hell is wrong with me?

As I’m getting ready to sleep in my clothes because I have nothing else to wear, there’s a knock on the door.

I open it immediately, hoping to see him. But instead, I find a paper bag on the floor. I pick it up with a sigh.

Inside the bag, I find fresh clothes and pajamas for the night.

When did he find the time to do this? How did he know my size?

Oh my God, he even included underwear and bras.

He said he’d provide anything I needed. But this is way more than I expected.

If you ask me? It’s too much.

I shake my head. How am I going to face him tomorrow?

If I want my stuff back, I have no choice but to go to my apartment. While I’m there, I’ll tell the landlord that I’m moving out.

I decide to take a shower, and it’s the best decision I’ve made. It’s been so long since I felt hot water cascading over my body.

When I wake up, I’m not sure what he expects me to do today. I look for him around the house, but he’s nowhere to be found.

I should go get my stuff from my apartment. Quit my job.

But before I do any of that, I’ll wash my uniform to return it.

As I’m ready to leave, I’ve done my research to find out where and when the next bus will pass.

Let’s get this over with so I can move on with my life and put all this behind me.

“Hello, my name is Beth Shade. I’d like to speak with Mr. Gordon, the supervisor. I want to give him my resignation,” I tell the lady behind her desk.

“And you are?”

Is she serious? I just told her.

“Beth Shade. I work the night shift. I’d like to speak with Mr. Gordon, the supervisor. I want to give him my resignation.”

She looks me up and down like she’s judging me.

“Right.” She clears her throat. “Go right ahead. He’s in his office.”

As I walk into his office, I see he’s busy.

You can do this, Beth!

I stand in front of his desk. “Hello, Mr. Gordon. I’m sorry to interrupt. I’m here to return my uniform and resign.”

“Just like that, you’re not even giving me two weeks’ notice?” He’s clearly not pleased, which I totally get.

“The last room I cleaned was the final straw for me. You didn’t see the mess in there. There was broken glass on the floor. The bed was flipped over. The worst part was cleaning shit off the walls.”

I try to explain as best I can.

“Which room was this?” He asks.

I clear my throat. “206 on the second floor.”

“OK, thank you for your time here. You can go now.”

“Just like that?”

He nods. “Just like that. Unless there’s something else you want to say.”

I shake my head. “No sir. Goodbye, sir.”

Well, that went better than I expected. Now I have to deal with my landlord.

“So you’re telling me I don’t have to listen to you whine about not having enough money to pay for this week's notice? If you hadn’t come to get your things today, I would have thrown them out myself. I was done with you, anyway. Good riddance, I say.”

Mrs. Baxter leaves me alone in my old apartment to gather my things.

She knew I worked nights. She would always make noise during the day to disrupt my sleep.

Dany, who lives next door, brought home different women every night. The couple who lives above me were always fighting.

I take one last look around before leaving, relieved that I’ll never have to live here again.

As I step out of the building, something catches my eye. A black Toyota pulls up across the street.

Where have I seen that car before?

Then it hits me, and my stomach flips with fear. It’s the same Toyota I saw when I found Paul with two strangers in our house.

Don’t be silly, Beth. It can’t be them. You’re just imagining things.

I try to calm myself down. Last night’s events must have affected me more than I thought.

Even though I try to reason with myself, a small voice inside me tells me to walk away as fast as I can.

I’m relieved when I finally step onto the bus, surrounded by other people.

I pull the cord, signaling the driver to stop the bus.

As I get off, I see the same black Toyota not far from me. It takes my breath away as I stare at it.

Damn it! They've tracked me down. And just as the sun is starting to set.

My new home isn't too far from here. If I can just make it there, I'll be safe.

I sprint, my heart pounding in my chest, the car trailing ominously behind me.

What on earth do they want with me?

As I round the next corner, the car edges closer. Fear seizes me, and I stumble, falling hard onto the pavement. I wince as I see blood seeping from my hand, a casualty of my failed attempt to break my fall.

Thankfully, the bag I'm carrying absorbs most of the impact.

Before I can scramble to my feet, I sense someone behind me. I should be terrified, but I'm not.

Without even turning around, I know it's him. That same warmth I felt yesterday washes over me.

He's here to rescue me again!

His gaze is locked on the driver, a threatening glare that would make anyone else quake in their boots. But not me. To me, he's my knight in shining armor.

Deep down, I know I have nothing to fear from him.

The driver doesn't stick around for long, quickly making a U-turn and speeding off in the direction he came from.

I push myself up off the ground and step closer to him. I can hardly believe he's here. I feel incredibly lucky, even if he is my new boss.

Without thinking, I extend my hand towards him, blood smeared across my palm.

“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!” He roars, not even sparing me a glance.

I flinch, taking a step back.

Seeing my reaction, he immediately regrets his outburst. He mouths a silent sorry to me before disappearing down the same road the car had just vacated.

As I stand there, staring after him, it hits me that we still haven't formally introduced ourselves.