16
986 Words
Pearl Gem
“Oh, please! I have already said my piece, Valley. I have no money to give you. Why would I offer a loan to an Omega? That’s stupid of you to even believe!” Mr. Landmark yelled, chasing me off like a thief. “Get out now before I scream you are stealing from me. Maybe I’d be doing you a favor, joining your convict brother in jail.”
Without a word, I stepped off the porch and slowly walked toward the exit. My eyes were dry, but my heart bled. If ever I have the power, I will make the Landmarks pay first.
Seven days had passed since I confronted Kade King Majesty and begged him to stay away. He had listened. After that day, all I saw of him was in the news and on billboards, working tirelessly. He never called. And I didn’t call him either, even though, in the deepest corner of my heart, I yearned to hear his voice again.
That morning, under the scorching sun, I walked to the Valley Flower Shop, the one my mother once owned, where she sold flowers as a florist. I was tired when I arrived.
“Pearl, you are here early today,” Mrs. Marshall greeted from her shop next door. I forced a smile through the heaviness in my chest.
“Yes, ma. Good morning.”
“Good morning, child.” She smiled warmly. “I made too much breakfast. Once you are done setting up your flowers, come have some.”
“All right, ma.”
I opened the shop and began cleaning. The flowers were just as I left them. Vibrant and fragrant, their scent swirling gently around me. After tidying the flower stands, I moved to the shoe section.
When my parents abandoned the shop, I took it upon myself to honor them by keeping it alive. Despite the many menial jobs I have done, this was the one that mattered most. People often wondered how I could craft shoes as perfectly as my father. The truth was simple. I listened to him, every instruction, every detail. I watched and learned.
Sales moved steadily that day, and later, I joined Mrs. Marshall for cookies and creamy tea. She was from the Servan Clan, my mother’s friend, and had loved me like a daughter from the very beginning.
Toward evening, just as I finished helping my last customer, a car pulled up in front of the shop.
Royce’s.
A smile stretched across my face as he stepped out and walked toward me. I waved goodbye to the buyer and turned to him.
“I’d like a bouquet of roses, dear beautiful florist,” He said playfully.
“For your lover or a friend?” I asked, giggling, expecting him to laugh too. But he paused and looked directly into my eyes, gaze softening.
I’d caught Royce looking at me like this before. Sideways glances, lingering stares. It made me feel strange. Conflicted. Things I didn’t want to name.
“For a best friend,” He finally said, lowering his eyes and swallowing hard. He stood there silently for a moment, like he was steadying himself. When he looked up again, the emotion had vanished from his face.
He was fast at hiding his feelings. But then again, we all were. Omegas learned to wear peace and joy like armor.
“I was driving by and saw you were still open,” He said.
I sighed.
“Yes.”
“You should have closed an hour ago. The usual time. Mrs. Marshall already left.”
I nodded slowly, not wanting to admit the truth about the unpaid week of work, or the loan denied by the Landmarks. So I said,
“I just… felt like staying out late today.”
He looked at me, quiet, his piercing eyes searching mine until I had to look away.
“Let’s pack up and go home. It’s getting dark.”
“Royce…”
“I know you can take care of yourself, Pearl. But I won’t let you be out here alone.”
He waited for my answer like he always did. And as always, I nodded, letting him worry for the trillionth time since we became friends.
Together we packed up the goods. I stood aside while he locked the shop and handed me the key, which I dropped into my bag. Quietly, under the night sky, he led me to his car and opened the passenger door.
It didn’t take more than ten minutes before we reached the Omega Fortress. Relief washed over me as we pulled up to my father’s house.
“My mom’s making dinner. You should come over after freshening up,” Royce offered.
“What’s for dinner?”
“I won’t know until I get in,” He replied with a soft grin.
“I can’t wait. I’m starving.”
I stepped out of the car and headed into my house while Royce drove off toward the Yallas’ home. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, breathing in deeply. Home. As poor and broken as it was, it was still my haven.
I dropped my bag on the tired couch, kicked off my shoes, and headed for my room. I had just started to undress when a soft knock came at the door.
I assumed it was Royce, maybe he forgot something, but when I opened the door, my heart dropped to my stomach.
It wasn’t Royce.
It was him.
Kade King Majesty.
I had thought he was good at following orders. That when I told him to stay away, he would. But I was wrong.
He wasn’t just a man. He is a King. Words like mine did little against a body armored in power.
Whether I liked it or not, he would do what he wanted.
And now the question was… what did he want?
- Writer
