Page 5 of Breaking Point

“You little minx. All this for me?” His devilish grin is enough to make every worry melt away.

Two warm brown eyes and wrinkled brown skin form Ricky’s familiar face. His clothes are tattered and worn, and I notice one of his boots is missing today, but I say nothing of it. He’s licking his lips before I even offer him one of the croissants.

“You know how much I love these things!”

“That’s why I get them.” I laugh when he grumbles a quick ‘thank you’before scarfing down a few bites.

“You’re the sweetest angel to ever walk this earth, Ms. Livia. The sweetest.”

When he flips over a bucket for me to sit on, I practically fall onto it. “How was today? Didn’t get into too much trouble?” I tease.

“I always get into trouble. It’s the only way to live. The question is, did you?”

I tap my chin in thought as he finishes the last of his food. “Well… I talked an almost-runaway-bride into walking down the aisle today. And there’s another wedding tomorrow too. So I’d say yes.”

“Why’s she gettin’ married if she’s having second thoughts?”

“Well…” I start, but the question is valid. I’m reminded of Emily on the brink of a breakdown earlier. Somehow what I’d said had been enough. “It’s complicated. But it keeps the bills paid.”

“Gotta keep your swanky apartment somehow.”

“It is pretty swanky, isn’t it?”

It isn’t often Ricky’s been up to my flat, but in the years he’s lived in the alley beside the apartment, we’ve gotten to know each other well. I’ve let him upstairs to shower or have dinner occasionally. It’s the least I can do without giving him a real place to stay. Most nights go like this though: I bring him something on my trip from work. We will check in, chat and do it all again tomorrow.

I tap his foot with my heel, quirking a brow. “People stealing your boots now?”

“Hey!” he defends, but the mischievous glint in his eye tells me it’s all fun. “They only got one before I got ‘em back. And I got ‘em good.”

I shake my head as he laughs. I don’t want to know how that story goes. I only care that he’s still here to tell the tale. Theft is at an all-time high, and it’s bad enough that he has to worry about it.

“I hope you did.”

Ricky licks his fingers and sighs contentedly, leaning against the wall. “You seem… different, Ms. Livia. These past months, you’ve been quiet.”

Something in my chest tightens at the words, and suddenly, all the tiredness and exhaustion and grief comes hurtling back.

The past year has sucked- for reasons more than one. It was only two months ago that my father was in the hospital after getting mugged at the train station.

At least, that’s the story he’s telling. That same week, my best friend Charlotte- who I hadn’t heard from since she disappeared last year- was in the hospital herself. We haven’t spoken since… Which is my fault. Despite Charlotte reaching out, I’ve been content to let the distance sour.

Work has been my haven, and I’ve thrown myself into it. But the truth is that I’m barely staying afloat. The fact that Ricky’s noticed makes me feel all the worse for it. So I build an imaginary wall up- a shield protecting myself from the sudden onslaught of emotion.

I offer a smile, squeezing his shoulder as I stand. “I appreciate you noticing. I’ve been a little tired. But I’m toughing it out. I’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

What makes a good liar?The thought makes the lump in my throat a bit harder to swallow.

“Normal’s overrated, if you ask me,” he shrugs. “I know what people must say about me, Ms. Livia. But I don’t ever wanna be normal.”

I cock a smile. “You’ve always been special to me, Ricky Abbot.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a flirt, Ms. Livia.”

I blow a kiss, swiping my card over my apartment door. “Have a good night.”

“Have a safe night,” he corrects with a wave.

The door blows closed behind me, and the sight of the five flights of stairs ahead drags a sigh out of me as I trudge toward my apartment.

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