Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(16)
Author: Cambria Hebert

A pair of scuffed boots appeared in front of me, and Sam scooted a chair over and sat down directly in front of me, blocking me from view. “I got you something.”

I looked up to see him holding out a dark pink drink. It too had a big straw that measured at least half an inch. At the bottom of the clear cup were a bunch of marble sized balls. I reached out and took the drink, fiddling with the straw. “What is this?”

“It’s called Bubble Tea.” I watched him take a long pull from his own drink, which was a shade of brown. “Try it.”

He eagerly watched me, and I couldn’t help but get swept up in his fun. With a smile I tried the drink. It was sweet and creamy, tasting of strawberry. Then, one of the balls from the bottom made its way through the straw and into my mouth. It was like a big gummy bear. It made me feel like a kid.

“This is really good,” I declared, taking another drink. Then I paused. “What’s in it?”

He laughed. A deep, husky laugh that drew stares from some of the women in the shop. He didn’t seem to notice. “It’s tea mixed with cream and sugar. Yours is strawberry flavored. The balls at the bottom are called tapioca pearls.”

“What flavor is yours?”

To my surprise he held it out for me to try. The thought of my lips touching the same straw as his made me shiver. He noticed and frowned. “Are you cold? Maybe I should have gotten you coffee.”

“No. This is perfect.” Before he could pull the drink away, I took a sip. When I pulled back he had that unreadable expression on his face. “Chocolate.”

“You like?”

“Mine’s better.” I held it out for him. His eyes widened, but he leaned forward and took a sip. A little thrill went through me.

“I think you’re right,” he agreed.

“I didn’t know this place was here.”

“I found it last summer. Been coming here ever since.”

“Thanks for bringing me.”

Just then a loud group of guys walked through the door, and I automatically tensed, ducking my head. “Let’s get out of here,” Sam said, standing to return his chair.

Outside the rain had slowed to a soft drizzle. Sam pulled me close to the buildings and pulled the large hood on the sweatshirt up over my head. “Are you ready to go home?”

I shook my head.

His smile was one of relief, and it made me a little sad. There was something about him that seemed lonely, and it made me want to take it away from him. He reached out and brushed my hand with his, but then pulled back to walk beside me. I concentrated on my drink and ignored the disappointment I felt.

“Can I show you my other favorite place around here?”

“Sure.”

We walked a few blocks, not really speaking, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. Then Sam cleared his throat. “That park over there–” He pointed, then placed his hand at the small of my back. “–that’s Lincoln Park.”

In the center of the park was a fountain. It was a cute find in the middle of an urban space.

“It was created after the great fire of 1866 which burned down almost all the buildings here in Portland. The park is named after Abraham Lincoln.”

“How do you know this?”

“I read a lot, explore a lot.”

I raised an eyebrow. “About parks?”

A very faint pink spread beneath the sun kissed glow of his skin. He was embarrassed, and it was so cute. I giggled. He smiled a quick flash of straight, white teeth then he shrugged.

“I’m kind of drawn to this place. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s been here for so long. Maybe it’s because it was created after something really bad happened, and it was like a fresh start for the town…” his voice trailed off, and he cleared his throat.

“I really like it too,” I said softly, bumping my shoulder into his side.

That seemed to please him, which gave me monster-sized butterflies yet again in my belly.

A few minutes later we came to another door. “This is your favorite place?” I smiled.

“It’s not my favorite place, but I really like it.”

“A comic book store?”

He grinned and opened the door for me. Inside was bright with racks and shelves full of comic books. There was even someone dressed in a Star Wars costume walking around the store. I prayed he stayed away from me and hurried to get closer to Sam. I could tell how much he liked this place by the way he walked around taking everything in and briefly touching a few of the books.

“So why comic books?” I asked him in a hushed tone.

Without turning around he answered, “A lot of the characters are exceptional. They’re different than everyone else. They have…abilities, and they have challenges to face. But yet they’re still like everyone else too.”

“I guess I never thought much about it.”

“Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be different?”

“No.” I already knew.

He turned abruptly, and I almost ran into him again. “Heven…”

“So which one is your favorite?” I asked, ignoring his tone and gaze.

He sighed and reached for my hand to lead me to another rack. “I like all of them. But a few of my favorites are Secret Avengers, X-Men and Iron Man. Then there are the classics.”

“The classics?” He lifted a comic off the shelf and held it out. “Spider Man.” I smiled. “I’m familiar with him.” He thumbed through the comic pointing out things I never noticed about comic books.

“Thanks for bringing me here,” I said on our way out of the store. “I had fun.” For the first time in a long time.

“Me too.”

There was a loud clap of thunder above us and then lightning lit up the sky. I jumped, unable to stop my reaction. Geez, I was such a baby. But Sam didn’t laugh at my reaction or even roll his eyes. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him saying, “Let’s get you to the truck.

Once again that familiar feeling of safety enveloped me, and I smiled into his shoulder. A few fat drops of rain began falling as we approached the truck, and I spotted a trash can a few yards away to toss our empty Bubble Tea cups. I jogged the distance to the can while Sam unlocked the doors. Just in front of the trash can I was suddenly flanked by two men. They walked so close to me that their shoulders jostled me as I walked. “Excuse me,” I said low and quickened my pace to get away. They moved right along with me. I threw the cups the remaining distance into the trash and turned to run back to Sam. One of the men grabbed me around the waist and turned me back saying, “Let’s take a walk, sweet thing.”