Testament by Jose Nateras

Author:Jose Nateras [Nateras, Jose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: NineStar Press, LGBT, Chicago, paranormal, supernatural, thriller, Latinx, #ownvoices
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2019-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The warmth of the coffee shop and the heat of my espresso (or maybe just the caffeine) had finally thawed out the stiffness in my joints. The thick scent of coffee grounds and reheated pastries filled the air. “Maisey, I…”

“Shut up.” After standing from her seat across from me, my friend pulled me into a hug. “Save the thank-yous for later, kay?” Glancing down at the still snoozing Shaun, she continued, “I have to get this one back to his house. Are you gonna be okay?”

The thought of being alone again gave me pause. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

“Gabe, don’t bullshit me.”

“I dunno. Being alone sounds kind of awful right now…” Before I could finish, Maisey pulled out her phone and was typing away. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think?”

“Ordering a pizza.”

“Shut up.” Almost immediately, her phone dinged. “Bryan will be outside in five.”

“Seriously?”

“What?”

“He’s working.”

“So?”

“So, it’s kinda less than convenient, don’t you think?” Though Bryan and I had been roommates for over two years, and we were definitely friends, the idea of imposing on him during his workday made me cringe. I hated the idea of being a burden. Maisey and I had the sort of well-worn friendship that made hitting her up out of the blue feel like much less of an inconvenience. “I mean, I don’t need a babysitter.”

“No. What you need is to get better at asking for what it is you really need. You don’t want to be alone at the moment. Well, we got someone for you to hang out with. He said he was just about to take a break for lunch anyways. Easy peasy.”

“Maise. He’s working.”

“Dude. He’s an Uber driver. There’s zero reason you can’t ride shotgun for a while.”

I couldn’t think of a valid argument. “Thanks.”

“That is a thank you I will allow.” Shrugging on her coat and other winter gear, Maisey glanced over to double-check that Shaun was well bundled against the cold. “I’m gonna head out.”

“’Kay.” As Maisey pushed the stroller toward the door, I followed. She opened the door to the jingle from the small bell hanging over the threshold of the coffeeshop, then paused. I stepped around her and attempted to hold the door open so she could maneuver the clumsy expensive stroller out of the shop, but Maisey didn’t move.

“Gabe…be careful. Okay? All of this…whatever is going on, I’m willing to bet things are gonna get worse before they get better.”

“Story of my life.” I tried to give her a smile. “Still waiting for the better part to come around. So, at this point, this is all just more of the same.”

She smiled back, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Here was one of my strongest friends, but just like when she was telling me the story of her grandmother’s house, I could almost see her as a little girl. Young, vulnerable. Afraid. But here and now, she wasn’t afraid for herself. She was afraid for me.

“I think…I know that you’ll be okay, Gabe. I feel it in my gut.

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