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We don’t speak again Just find solace in each other’s embrace

A few minutes pass and I yelp as my cell phone blasts ‘Little Talks’ by Of Monsters and Men from my pocket

I jump up, fish it out ofokay?"

I’et him down but I can’t reach hiet to him I’m so sorry, child" She says this all in a rush and it’s hard to decipher

My heart races I’ht

I coo, "Molly, tell me what happened There’s blood Someone’s hurt?"

Nik jumps up and is by my side in a flash He turnsMolly isn’tany sense

Molly splutters, "Bear, child Bear is dead"

No

I watch Tina’s body go rigid and her face drains of color

She whispers, "Okay, Molly I’ll be home soon" Her face is blank, void of emotion and her eyes lose focus

Tina has turned into a droid

I wrap a hand around her waist, squeeze and ask softly, "Sweetheart, what happened?"

She pullslike she’s close to losing her ht now

I watch helplessly as her face shifts into a grimace, crumples, and she bursts into tears

I don’t do tears well but the first thing that co to pay in a big way’ I pull her into my arms and rock her while she cries

She repeats softly, "He’s all I had left of her…" like a ht and let her

She stops crying after a few minutes and I ask her what happened but Tina is vacant The lights are on but she’s long left the building And I’m worried

I call Nat, who closes down Safira and within minutes she’s in my office She asks if she can use the ‘chill out’ room for a while I approve She asks for some alone time with Tina I nod and return to pace in my office

Half hour passes and Nat comes into my office Her eyes are puffy and she whispers, "Bear’s dead"

My face falls Damn I know Tina loved her cat but I’m unsure why it caused this reaction

Nat says, "There is more to this you don’t know Bear wasn’t just any cat He belonged to someone Tina loved very one and Tina feels disconnected" My brow furrows She continues quietly, "Tina carries a lot of baggage You’d never tell by looking at her now but she’s had a tough time over the past five years Be patient, Nik She’ll let you in, just treat her with care"

I’ether person I know Finding out she’s had it tough breaks my heart I’m desperately curious now but I won’t ask It’s Tina’s story to tell

I nod and say, "I’ll send Ghost over to the apartoes back to the ‘chill out’ rooirl

This was a bad day for her I’d do anything to make it better

Ghost returns fro

Fuck ood

He closes the door to ht

He sits down putting a leg on his knee and shaking it He says, "Cat was decapitated"

My body stiffens

What the fuck?

Ghost continues, "Body was strung up by its tail on the back porch like a lantern I spoke to Nat She knows No way is she telling Tina She mentioned that Tina said some shit to Oe to e that read Don’t fuck with me

I nod I only have one choice

I have to kill Omarr

For the first time in two years, I closed Safira early Nat called Mimi and told her not to come in for her shift I’ll still pay her, of course It’s not her fault I broke down today

Nat drives me home in my car, she orders Chinese food but I can’t stoo to bed and pretend today didn’t happen

Bear is gone

My only link to Mia is gone And I knoent in a bad way because no one will tell me about it Nat told me Ghost picked him up and took care of him

I can see so of Bear in pain reat co as Bear was purring around the place The apartment feels empty without hi hiain Or hear his sweet meow Or cuddle hiht but I refused I wouldn’t be great co I need would be to get angry with hiot me

Today was a really bad day And I’m over it

Ti and kiss Nat on the cheek

Finally, in my nice war

I’ Real bad

A silent sob takes overlike this Like I don’t want to wake up to, I’o to sleep and wake up a week froone Everyone feels like that once in a while

Life can be overwhel

I sniffle and bury my face under my covers I hear the door creak and Nat hops into bed with les close and without a word, we fall asleep

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Nat shrieks

I ju to kick so I see a shadowed outline of a person at the edge of the bed

I throw e individual’s back and put the but it’s better than sitting around waiting to be killed Like Bear

I yell out, "Call the cops!"

Natalie turns on the bedrooht and we both freeze

Nik’s face is red and veins are popping out on his forehead To top it off, he’s dressed only in underwear

I quickly loosenhis shoulders

I squeal, "Honey! What are you doing here?"

Still with me attached to him he doubles over to catch his breath

He puffs out, "I," puff "came to see," huff "if you’re okay"

I look at the digital clock on my bedside which reads 1:46am