Chapter 90: Isn’t that kind of the whole point, anyway?

"Yeah." Felix nodded. "I took this job partly so I’d have a reason to see her again."

She settled back down against him, fingers finding his, and lacing through slowly. "Do you love her?"

He didn’t pull away from the question. "I’m responsible for her."

"You’re really changing, Felix." She let out a soft breath. "I envy you."

"You’ve changed too, you know." He offered a faint smile. "Two years ago, you’d have killed me for less than what I just said."

"Don’t tempt me." She rolled off to his side, propping her head on one hand. "Now tell me about this job."

"There’s this guy, Hakimi Morrow. Big shot, I’ll tell you that much." Felix let out a short laugh. "Personal knight to the Duke’s daughter, Diana. Someone’s out here using his name, causing all kinds of trouble. He’s also the one who ended up saving me back there, took Dune with him after. Told me to finish this job first, then I get to see her."

Lara nodded slowly, turning it over. "I’ve actually heard that name before. Always throwing his weight around over the smallest things, acting like the whole town owes him something. Hard to forget a name like that once it’s crossed your path a few times."

"How often’s he actually come by here?"

"Over the last month, pretty often. Down to once or twice a week now, though." She thought a moment. "Picks someone at random, spends maybe an hour, then comes storming out arguing with the manager. Doesn’t pay half the time either, from what I’ve heard." She shrugged. "Never picked me, though."

"Maybe he knows he can’t handle you."

"Oh, look at you talking. I remember clearly how you were shitting on your pants the first time. You drank all day and came crying to me." Lara burst into laughter. "Lara, am I doing this right? Lara, it hurts. Lara, can you slow down a little—"

"Shut up." Felix buried his face in both hands, mortified. "We had an agreement. We don’t talk about that. Ever."

"You said we don’t talk about it in front of other people." She grinned wider. "It’s just the two of us right now."

"Forget it. I’m leaving." He sat up fast, already pulling his shirt back on.

"What, already?" Lara pouted.

"Yeah, we’ve burned enough time as it is. Your manager was already giving me looks downstairs. Push it any further and she’ll be breaking that door down herself."

"When are you actually coming back?"

"Soon. Won’t drag it out like last time." He stood, turning toward the door. "Promise."

"Fine, then." She reached for her blouse, pulling it back on. "But next time, leave the wife talk at the door."

"We’ll see about that." Felix dug a gold coin out of his pocket and tossed it lightly into her lap.

"What’s this for? We didn’t even do anything."

"For your time. And your manager’s going to have a fit if you walk out there empty-handed."

"Fair enough, if that’s how you want it."

They stepped out of the room together and made their way downstairs. The hall had filled out considerably by now, every corner buzzing with low laughter and murmured negotiations. Felix caught sight of the boy from earlier, still stationed near the counter, mid-argument with the fat manager, gesturing with both hands like he was trying to talk his way out of something. Felix smiled faintly and stopped near the exit.

"See you around, then."

"Yeah, see you next time." Lara waved, already turning back toward the counter herself.

Felix pushed through the front door and out into the cool night air, and a shout rang out behind him before he’d made it more than a few steps.

"Boss! Boss!" The kid caught up fast, breathless. "You done too?"

"Yeah." Felix kept walking, the boy falling in step beside him easily. "You were right, by the way. Told her exactly what you said, just let her take the lead the whole way through. Worked out fine. Hurt like hell, though."

"Told you it would." The kid grinned, then hesitated slightly. "So did you actually figure it out? How you’re supposed to face your friends tomorrow, I mean."

The boy chewed on that a moment, brow furrowing in real thought this time. "Didn’t, actually. But I don’t feel scared of them the way I did before either. If they want to laugh, let them laugh. I don’t really have anything left to prove to any of them." He glanced sideways at Felix, almost testing the words out loud for the first time. "Isn’t that kind of the whole point, anyway?"

...

Diana sat with a book open in her lap, hadn’t turned a page in minutes. Nicole sat across from her, a tray of tea between them, untouched. Barbara stood near the hedges, close enough to hear, pretending not to.

"You’ve been on the same page a while," Nicole’s voice stayed gentle.

"Have I?" Diana glanced down at it. "Guess I have."

"You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to." He poured her a fresh cup, sliding it across.

"That’s fine of you to say."

"I mean it. Most days I’m listening to people who want something from me. It’s nice sitting with someone who doesn’t."

"That’s a strange thing to enjoy."

"Is it?" He shrugged. "What are you reading, anyway?"

She turned the cover toward him. "The Hollow Roads."

"Verrian’s last one, right? Before he stopped writing entirely." Nicole’s brow lifted slightly. "Didn’t expect you to have picked that up."

"You’ve read it?"

"Twice. Terrible ending. Everyone says so."

"Everyone’s wrong, then." Diana sat up a little straighter. "The ending’s the only part that actually makes sense."

"Explain that to me."

"He spends the whole book looking for something to fix everything, and there isn’t one. That’s the point. People just wanted him to win."

"So you don’t think he should have won?"

"I think wanting to win and actually deserving to are two different things." She caught herself, glancing down at the tea. "Sorry. I get worked up about this book."

"Don’t apologize. It’s the first real thing you’ve said all afternoon." Nicole leaned back. "You yelled at someone yesterday, didn’t you."

Diana’s head snapped up. "How do you know that?"

"I don’t, actually. You just told me." He smiled faintly. "Did it help?"

"No."

"Sometimes it doesn’t. Still needs saying, though."

"I didn’t say I regretted it."

"No," he agreed easily. "You didn’t."

Diana looked back down at her book, quiet a moment. "You’re easy to talk to."

"I try to be." He refilled her cup without being asked. "For what it’s worth, I don’t think less of you for yelling. Sounds like you had a reason."

She didn’t answer that, just drank her tea, and behind them Barbara’s eyes lingered a beat too long before she turned back toward the hedges.

Felix arrived at the marketplace when the sun was still shining high up in the sky, dodging around carriage horses moving along the narrow street and the regular hustle and bustle caused by people bartering. Felix halted in front of Alam’s stall selling bread.

Alam shooed away the flies flying around his wares and turned to look at Felix. "Hello, young Felix. What have you been up to in the market lately?"

"Nothing much." Felix leaned on the counter. "I have some questions for you."

Alam seemed not to hear that; his gaze wandered past Felix. "Where’s young Dune?"