of his hands flailed off of the steering wheel as he corrected himself. Separate room or not, sleeping at my boss’s place did not sound like the best plan.
“I don’t know…”
“Harley, please? I just want ta make sure ya stay safe. That’s it.” He glanced toward me and those blue eyes pulled at me with a pleading gaze.
It’s just one night...
“Fine... if you really insist.” I said quietly.
“I do.” His tone was as serious as his expression. A few minutes later we pulled into the back of Finley’s and I gave him a questioning look as he got out.
“Wait, you live at Finley’s?”
“Yeah. Did ya think the second floor was just fer show?” Nolan grinned in amusement as he pulled open my door and offered me his outstretched arm. I hesitantly grabbed onto him and pulled myself up. My legs were still unsteady, though not nearly as bad as they had been earlier.
Nolan held his arm under mine as we went in through the back of Finley's. He walked us toward the door I had assumed was another storage closet and pulled it open. Inside, a narrow wooden staircase led up to another door. He helped me up the stairs and jingled the mass of keys on his keyring until he found the right one to unlock the second door. When he pushed it open, it was obvious that, just like the pub, he had inherited the place from his parents.
There were some older pictures up, but for the most part things were pretty barren. The walls in the living room were an odd rosy pink shade that looked like something you would find in your grandmother's house. An older beige sofa set flanked the living room in front of a big screen TV. Several gaming consoles and videogames cluttered the entertainment center. No doubt, these were Nolan’s main contributions to the overall decor.
“Is that mauve?” I couldn't help myself as he walked me to the hallway. He stopped and looked around, completely confused.
“What?”
“The pink walls.”
“Oh, I've been meanin’ ta repaint, but the pub keeps me busy.” He shrugged, then walked me down the hallway. “Ya can stay in here. Sorry it isn't much.”
He led me into a smaller bedroom with a queen-sized bed covered in a plaid comforter. The walls had a couple of old movie posters plastered to them. A desk and a set of shelves on the opposite wall were situated around a window that overlooked the street below.
Nolan let go of my arm as I leaned against the bed for balance. My vision had become a little less fuzzy on the drive back here and my balance seemed to be improving. Looking around, I realized this must have been Nolan’s old room. I turned to ask him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Oookay then.
I turned back toward the desk, looking over a few action figures that sat on the far corner until my eyes found a picture frame. In it, two teenage boys knelt on the ground in soccer uniforms covered in grass stains. Both boys had broad smiles across their dirt-smeared faces as they leaned an arm over each others’ shoulders. One of them I immediately recognized to be Nolan. His light brown hair, much longer and much wilder than its current state, was pushed back with a sweatband. Curly tendrils shot out in every direction from behind it. His face was smooth and rounded with youthfulness. He couldn’t have been more than twelve.
I studied the other boy in the picture. Though I didn't recognize him, there was something familiar about him. I picked up the small frame, looking closer at him. His hair was black and a bit more straight, though equally as untamed as Nolan's, and his eyes were a vibrant shade of green. Like the ones that had replaced mine in the mirror the other night. No, that’s ridiculous, Harley, I reassured myself as I stared down at those haunting eyes.
“What are ya doing?” Nolan's voice came from behind me. I jumped and stumbled back against him before spinning around, the frame still in my hand as I looked up at him.
“Sorry...I was just looking around. This
“I don’t know…”
“Harley, please? I just want ta make sure ya stay safe. That’s it.” He glanced toward me and those blue eyes pulled at me with a pleading gaze.
It’s just one night...
“Fine... if you really insist.” I said quietly.
“I do.” His tone was as serious as his expression. A few minutes later we pulled into the back of Finley’s and I gave him a questioning look as he got out.
“Wait, you live at Finley’s?”
“Yeah. Did ya think the second floor was just fer show?” Nolan grinned in amusement as he pulled open my door and offered me his outstretched arm. I hesitantly grabbed onto him and pulled myself up. My legs were still unsteady, though not nearly as bad as they had been earlier.
Nolan held his arm under mine as we went in through the back of Finley's. He walked us toward the door I had assumed was another storage closet and pulled it open. Inside, a narrow wooden staircase led up to another door. He helped me up the stairs and jingled the mass of keys on his keyring until he found the right one to unlock the second door. When he pushed it open, it was obvious that, just like the pub, he had inherited the place from his parents.
There were some older pictures up, but for the most part things were pretty barren. The walls in the living room were an odd rosy pink shade that looked like something you would find in your grandmother's house. An older beige sofa set flanked the living room in front of a big screen TV. Several gaming consoles and videogames cluttered the entertainment center. No doubt, these were Nolan’s main contributions to the overall decor.
“Is that mauve?” I couldn't help myself as he walked me to the hallway. He stopped and looked around, completely confused.
“What?”
“The pink walls.”
“Oh, I've been meanin’ ta repaint, but the pub keeps me busy.” He shrugged, then walked me down the hallway. “Ya can stay in here. Sorry it isn't much.”
He led me into a smaller bedroom with a queen-sized bed covered in a plaid comforter. The walls had a couple of old movie posters plastered to them. A desk and a set of shelves on the opposite wall were situated around a window that overlooked the street below.
Nolan let go of my arm as I leaned against the bed for balance. My vision had become a little less fuzzy on the drive back here and my balance seemed to be improving. Looking around, I realized this must have been Nolan’s old room. I turned to ask him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Oookay then.
I turned back toward the desk, looking over a few action figures that sat on the far corner until my eyes found a picture frame. In it, two teenage boys knelt on the ground in soccer uniforms covered in grass stains. Both boys had broad smiles across their dirt-smeared faces as they leaned an arm over each others’ shoulders. One of them I immediately recognized to be Nolan. His light brown hair, much longer and much wilder than its current state, was pushed back with a sweatband. Curly tendrils shot out in every direction from behind it. His face was smooth and rounded with youthfulness. He couldn’t have been more than twelve.
I studied the other boy in the picture. Though I didn't recognize him, there was something familiar about him. I picked up the small frame, looking closer at him. His hair was black and a bit more straight, though equally as untamed as Nolan's, and his eyes were a vibrant shade of green. Like the ones that had replaced mine in the mirror the other night. No, that’s ridiculous, Harley, I reassured myself as I stared down at those haunting eyes.
“What are ya doing?” Nolan's voice came from behind me. I jumped and stumbled back against him before spinning around, the frame still in my hand as I looked up at him.
“Sorry...I was just looking around. This
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