Page 12 of Siccitas

I put some strength into lunging the cart forward, moving as quickly down the aisle as I can.

Glancing up, I see an assortment of long wooden boards all around me.

“Which one do you need?”

I cast him a dirty look. “The only thing I need is for you to go away and let me shop in peace.”

He looks taken aback and slightly stunned. His lips droop down as a mask of sadness begins to slowly descend on his face, and he shrugs in a defeated manner.

And as I watch him turn and walk away, I can’t help feeling worse than I did when I first saw Skylar sitting in her bedroom window, wiping tears from her eyes.

Chapter Eight

“My name is Jocelyn,” I offer to his back. “What’s yours?”

He glances at me over his shoulder, a small smile playing on his lips. “Levon. You can call me Von, though. That’s what my friends call me, though I don’t have many of those.”

I shake my head and wave him back to me, trying hard not to smile at the sudden pep in his step.

“Nice to meet you,” I say briskly before I turn my eyes back up toward the boards. “Do you know how to cut wood by some chance?”

“Yeah!”

I point toward the third row. “Can you grab a few of those for me? Maybe we can cut them here and then I can get going.”

He chuckles, “Nah, they won’t let you cut anything in this place. You’d have to pay them to do it.”

I sigh.

Figures.

“Well, I only live a few miles away,” he begins slowly, “I don’t mind doing it for ya if you wanna come hang out for a little bit.”

I narrow my eyes at him.

“Aw, come on, Jocelyn. I’m a good guy,” he protests, the light starting to fade from his eyes again. “I just want to help.”

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