Page 10 of Hawk

“I’m gonna worry about you, so shut up. You’re my friend and I will always worry. We’re gonna be old fucking saggy ladies and I’m still going to worry about you.”

I smiled and laughed when I got an odd sensation. It was like the energy in the diner changed; like the temperature dropped and somebody dumped a bucket of ice on me. Even my patrons dropped their heads and became silent.

Turning around, I saw Lloyd standing in the diner door with an angry scowl on his face. His arms were crossed against his perfectly pressed dress shirt. He looked so out of place with everybody else in the diner.

He stalked over to me and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me near the empty side of the diner. I could see Bambi and Lilah in the corner of my eye getting up and walking toward us. Lloyd grabbed my face in his hands, turning my face to look at him.

“What the fuck is she talking about, Savannah? What house?”

I ripped my face away from him and tucked the stray hairs behind my ear.

“Girls’ night at Bambi’s before the babies are born. That’s all.”

Lloyd sarcastically laughed. “Then what the fuck is she worried about?”

I shrugged. “Me not getting out enough. They’re my friends, Lloyd.”

“Well, I don’t fucking like them.”

Bambi stormed over and got right in Lloyd’s face.

“Listen here, fuckface. You may push Sav around, but you sure as fuck aren’t going to shit talk me while I’m right here. I swear to god if I wasn’t pregnant I would-”

Bambi was pushed out of the way before she could finish and Moose stood in her place. He pointed back to the booth where Lilah was sitting with the kids. Without another word, Bambi sulked back toward the table.

Moose turned to Lloyd while Bambi slowly waddled back over to the table, mumbling under her breath.

“You will not come into my diner and put your hands on my waitress. If I ever catch you putting your hands on another woman again, I will put you six fucking feet under. Are we clear?”

Lloyd scoffed at him as he backed up to the door. “Whatever. You’re all fucking trash.” He turned to me and pointed in my face. “This job of yours is over. I don’t want you around this trash. They’re filling your head with lies. Be home tonight or you won’t have a place to sleep. We’ll talk when you get home.”

He stormed out the door, leaving us all to just stand there speechless. I sighed and turned to see Moose looking down at me.

“Table. Now.”

I walked over to Lilah and Bambi and sat down next to them. Moose sighed and leaned onto the table.

“Savannah. Why the fuck do you stay with him? And don’t tell me you have nowhere to go because that’s bullshit. You have all of us, no matter how much you protest. We are bigger than him in this town.”

I just shook my head. “You wouldn’t understand, Moose. It’s not that easy. There’s so much more.”

“I’m not fighting about this today. But Lloyd can’t be coming into the diner and making a scene anymore. We’re gonna lose business and I’m not cool with that.”

“Okay.”

Moose stood and stretched his arms behind his head. “Next time I’m gonna fucking knock him on his ass and it won’t be pretty.”

He walked away, and I turned to see Bambi with a few tears in her eyes. I took her hand in mine and she sighed.

“I love you, Sav. I just don’t wanna see anything happen to you anymore.”

“I know. I’ll be okay.”

She just shook her head and wiped away the tears.

“Please, just come to the house tonight. Please.”

I picked at a straw wrapper and then shoved it in my pocket, standing up and wiping my hands on my apron.

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