Twin Paranormal: Monster In The Pub

Chapter 10: Another Storage Room

 Chapter 10:

A/N: hey everyone, so sorry for the long wait! The holidays were completely insane at work and outside of it. But now things are getting back into the regular routine and i can hopefully do a little more writing. Any mistakes are my own. Let me know if you find any typos. I think I will have an epilogue after this and then start working on another story, sort of adjacent to this one. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 10: Another Storage Room

The next morning, Carenza woke as soon as the sun was up. She went to the bathroom and found a small pile of clothing, towel, and washcloth folded neatly on the back of the toilet. A note sat on top with her name written neatly in Maddy's handwriting.

She picked up the sundress covered in pink roses and white pin-dots that was obviously Maddy's, knowing she definitely couldn't wear her bloody shirt from last night to work. "Not exactly my style, but it'll do in a pinch," she thought to herself, then got in the shower.

As soon as she came out of the bathroom and into the living room, barefoot and with her hair still wet, she was greeted by an unexpected sight. Jay and Maddy were making coffee and pancakes, while Ryan, River, and Wyatt sat at the kitchen island counter, cutting oranges and squeezing them into fresh juice. Everyone had their backs to her, so they never saw Carenza's brief, wistful expression. She missed having a family, or at least someone she trusted completely.

Breathing in the delicious breakfast smells, she came forward, putting on her best 'everything is fine' expression. She knew pretending like she wasn't going to miss these guys when they left was a coping mechanism, but what else could she do? They barely knew each other. Hopefully they could at least stay in touch online.

Hearing the faint sound of her deep breath, River turned around, setting down the knife he was using to cut oranges in half. Bright blue eyes met golden brown and for a tiny moment, both of them felt like the world had come to a stand-still.

Carenza felt her face break into a genuine smile, despite herself. River slid off the stool and offered it to her, causing Ryan and Wyatt to turn around. They greeted her happily, insisting she join them at the counter. River gave her a soft tentative grin, gesturing to the seat.

She gave in and climbed up on the stool, indulging in their enthusiasm. River cut a slice of orange and handed it to her, seeming very pleased when she thanked him and ate it, getting her fingers as sticky as theirs were.

"How do you like your coffee, Ren?" Jay asked, bringing mugs down from the shelf near the sink where she stood next to Maddy, who was flipping pancakes.

"Oh, I was just gonna have juice if that's okay. I don't really like coffee. Thank you though." Carenza answered, trying to be as polite as possible to the people who had sheltered her for the night.

"You work at a coffee shop and you don't like coffee??" said Ryan incredulously.

"It doesn't make sense, I know," she laughed. "But they do have other things I like."

"Like what?" asked River, passing the cutting board full of orange halves past her to Wyatt and Ryan.

"Well, tea and hot chocolate," Carenza said, furrowing her brow in thought. "Juice, milk, and the fruity smoothies are super good."

"You're like a commercial for The Beanery," Wyatt teased.

"Yeah, I know. It's not the best or worst job I ever had, but it's a paying job and I get a discount on food, plus they let me park my van behind the store." Carenza looked up at the clock on the wall and said, "Speaking of which, I gotta be there in about 30 minutes."