Chapter28: It's... Nice

Amethyst apologized to the customers for what had happened.

"Could that be your boyfriend?" Amanda, who came for a visit after arriving, ended up in this kind of situation, is now asking her about Slate, who was giving his testimony to the police.

Amethyst shook her hands, "No, No, he is my neighbor. We were just doing something together that is why we are with each other."

"Hoho but compared to the past years, I see that you have a brighter cmoplexion," Amanda teased her but still said after looking seriously at her face.

Amethyst touched her face after hearing this, "Do I really look that bad for the past years?"

"Yes, my child, you look horrible. Especially during the end of the year months," Amanda replied placing her hand on her shoulder.

She looked around the store before looking back at her, "I guess, you need to close for now. Mary seems to be shaken by what had happened adn you seem busy about something since you barely come."

"You've been here?" Amethyst asked.

"Yes, thrice since I have returned. I was worried that you might already be a zombie," Amanda chuckled.

Amethyst smiled, "Thank you for everything."

"Nah, you were a wonderful child. Anyway, I guess I'll just wait for when you can fully return to get my new sets of books," Amanda patted her before bidding her goodbye.

Amethyst then walked towards Mary.

"Go home and rest. I will be sending your money in your account. Just call me when you are fine, we will take care of that man," she placed her hand on Mary's shoulder as she said this.

"I'm so sorry, because of me the store..." Mary said looking around.

"Don't worry about it. I am just happy I came here and we were able to finish this in a peaceful way. I don't know how it would have ended if we didn't come on time," she said with a gentle smile.

Mary started sobbing before she jumped at Amethyst and hugged her.

She was a college student doing part time, it was broad daylight that she didn't expect for her classmate, she had rejected to actually come here and make trouble.

Amethyst just coaxed her until she calms down before sbeding her off through a cab.

Amethyst looked back at her store that was a bit of a mess.

"I guess this is what I Shall do for today," she muttered.

"You haven't answer my question a while ago," Slate walked beside her and said.

"There's nothing I can answer that, I was wrong that's all I can say," she replied looking back at him.

Slate just sighed, she wasn't stubborn as to not accept her mistake so there is no point of him berating her more.

"How's your back? I can only be harsh a while ago," he then asked.

She remembered that because he pulled her back, she ended up falling on her back.

"It is fine, I was able to hold off a bit of the force that I didn't get hurt that much. PLus, you saved me. Should I still complain about such little pain when I was saved from greater one?" she replied with a smile.

Slate didn't reply any longer and looked down at his watch, "Anyway, I will be off to the hospital. It seems you have something to do here instead. So I will leave you here."

She nodded her head, "Once again thank you, be careful on your way there."

*****

She yawned and turned her head to relive it from disomfort.

She had been moving the books and checking what was damaged for who knows how long.

"Even after what happened, you are still careless. Not even locking the door despite the night so late already."

She looked up upon hearing this voice and a cup was placed on her table.

"Slate!!" she was shock to see him here.

Slate raised his hand and tapped on his wrist watch, "I am off duty and when I passed by here I saw the lights were still on."

She furrowed her brows and when she saw the time in his wrist watch, she stood up and grabbed his arm, looking closer at his watch.

"How come it is already 11 pm?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? I left you here 11 in the morning yet it is already 11 in the evening and you are still here. Seeing the way you act, you must have missed your lunch and dinner," he said seriously.

"Wow, no wonder I feel so tired. I was so focused on what I am doing that I didn't realize the time passed by just like that."

She returned to her sitting position and looked around her shop.

Three fourths were already done and she can see that compared to a while ago, it was now in better shape.

That man actually pushed over two shelves, damaging quite a lot of books.

She needs to make all the list and compute her losses over this.

"That's hot chocolate, are you almost done?" he asked her after gesturing the cup he had placed on her table.

"Thanks. I think I can continue this tomorrow," she answered.

"Come on, there are some restaurants that are still opne," he gestured for her before walking ahead.

She blinked her eyes a few times but shrugged and started fixing before going out to lock the shop.

Slate was waiting just outside the door and when she stepped out he walked towards his car.

Well, she was lucky because she was with him this morning and didn't bring her car. Cabs during this time of the night is very few already.

Since it was that late, all they could go to was fast food restaurants.

"You go and get a seat, I will order," he then said making her just nod her head.

As she sat there and thought back to everything that happened on that day, she couldn't help but sigh.

'I really didn't have any friends because of how closed off I became. I guess this is how it feels to have a friend who would look after you. It's... nice,' she thought.

"I heard from Scarlet you plan on going to a pool resort for the part where she wants to have," he told her after sitting down.

Amethyst nodded her head, "But I still have no idea just where to go since there are lot of places."

Slate thought for a bit, "We have an outing they are trying to cover as team building. It was plain going to the pool and coming back and no one must not attend on the day they are scheduled to go. What do you think about joining us?"

"Wouldn't that be a bit..."

She didn't continue, it was their outing and she was an outsider.

"I told you it is plainly going out with the colleagues that the hospital are allowing. The others would be bringing one of their closest people. And since I have no choice but to go, why not use it as an opportunity for what Scarlet wants?"

Amethyst thought again, with the way he looks, he must have dreaded it.

"Okay, we can do that. As long as their wouldn't be any problems. At the very least we can hit two birds with one stone," she answered.

Since he was adamant on accompanying her, she can adjust to this little thing.