Queen POV
Another hour passed.
The diner slowed to a near crawl. Just a few lingering tables. The hum of the fridge is louder now that the noise has faded.
Jessica untied her apron with a long sigh. "I'm about to head out."
"Must be nice," I muttered, wiping down the table.
"Girl, I've been here since six this morning."
"I've been here since eight."
"And whose fault is that?"
I rolled my eyes. "You really about to leave me alone with them?"
She glanced toward Manny's table, her expression tightening slightly.
"You gonna be okay?"
"I ain't scared of them, just irritated." I scoffed.
She nodded, looking back at me. "Text me when you get home."
"I will."
"Promise."
"I promise."
She grabbed her bag, pausing at the door. "Lock up good."
"I always do."
The bell jingled as she left. And just like that—It was quieter. Too quiet.
I finished wiping tables, stacking chairs, counting the register. Normal. Routine. But my attention kept drifting back to the corner. He was still there. Plate empty now. One hand around a glass of water. Hat still low. Waiting? Or just watching? I couldn't tell. I closed the register with a soft click. Almost done. That's when I felt it.
"Damn, you really gonna keep ignoring me all night?" My body stiffened. Manny was right behind me.
I turned slowly. "I'm closing."
"And I'm talking."
"You can talk from over there." I said pointedly, gesturing to the booth where tweedle dee and tweedle dumb sat watching.
He stepped closer anyway. Too close.
"Why you always act like you better than everybody?" he said with a low sneer.
"I don't think I'm better than anybody. I just don't want you touching me."
He chuckled. Then his hand landed on my waist, fingers curled inward, pressing into the fabric. My breath hitched.
"Move your hand." I said through clenched teeth.
He didn't.
"If you don't—"
"Everything alright over here?"
The voice cut clean through the tension.
Manny's hand dropped instantly.
The cowboy stood a few feet away now, posture relaxed, fingers tucked into belt loops—but his eyes?
Not relaxed at all. Locked. Sharp.
Manny scoffed, stepping back. "Mind your business."
The cowboy tilted his head slightly, a gleam in his green eyes. "Looks like I am."
Silence stretched and the air felt thick, heavy. Manny glanced at his friends—but they weren't backing him up. Tuh as expected.
"C'mon," he muttered. "Ain't worth it."
They all moved toward the door, but as he passed me—
"This ain't over, pretty."
The bell jingled. Cold air rushed in—Then it was gone. I let out a breath slowly.
"Thank you," I said, turning. "But I had it handled."
One corner of his mouth lifted. "Looked like it."
I rolled my eyes. "I don't need saving."
"Didn't say you did." His tone wasn't cocky. Just steady. That threw me off more than anything.
"Then why step in?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Didn't like the way he was standing."
I blinked. That answer… wasn't what I expected.
He pulled out cash, setting it on the counter. "For the food." I looked at the wad of cash on the counter and blinked again.
"You overpaid."
"Keep it."
"I can't just—"
But he was already turning away.
"Have a good night, Queen."
I paused, a crinkle in my brow.
"How do you—?"
He stopped, turned and nodded at my name tag. That same perfect lilt to the side of his lips. Oh, right. My cheeks heated with embarrassment but if he noticed he didn't give any indication. He tipped his hat slightly with gentlemanly grace….and then walked out. Just like that.
******************
By the time I finished the books and shut down the register, the diner was completely silent. No people. No music. Just the faint buzz of the overhead lights and the low hum of the fridge. I turned them off one by one, the room dimming until only the glow from outside filtered in through the windows. My feet ached. My back ached. My patience? Long gone.
I grabbed my coat, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed for the door. Locked it. Checked it. Checked it again. Because tonight felt… off.
I stepped outside and the cold hit sharper than before, biting at my skin as I pulled my coat on tight around me. The parking lot was empty now—no cars, no movement, just quiet. Too quiet. I started walking toward the trees, toward the dirt path in front of me. The woods were faster. They always had been.
Leaves crunched under my shoes as I made my way down the familiar path, the trees stretching tall and dark around me. The wind blew through the branches, brushing against my ears like it was trying to say something I couldn't quite hear. I shoved my hands into my pockets.
"You're fine," I muttered. "It's just a walk."
But that feeling…It didn't go away. It got stronger. Like I was being watched. I slowed slightly, glancing over my shoulder. Nothing. Just darkness. I let out a breath and kept walking. Faster this time. A branch snapped. My heart jumped. I froze. Slowly…I turned. At first, I didn't see anything. Just shadows. Then—movement. A figure stepped out from between the trees.
"Hey, Queenie."
My stomach dropped. Manny.
He leaned against a tree like he'd been there for a while. Waiting. My grip tightened on my bag. Before I could say anything—another shape moved behind me. Then another. His friends. Blocking the path. My way back. My way forward. Gone. I went still.
"Funny," Manny said, pushing off the tree slowly, "how you always take this way home."
The air shifted. Heavy. Wrong. I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay steady.
"What do you want?"
He smiled. Not the sloppy, drunk grin from the diner. Something colder. "You already know."
My heart started to pound. Loud. Fast. And for the first time that night, I realized—I wasn't getting home easy.