The Bear’s Secret

by Fay Walsh

  For now, he would just stay quiet, and watch from the shadows.

  Chapter 14

  Nikki sat there, trying to process all that had happened. The way that Billy had acted bothered the hell out of her. She had no idea what the hell was going on, and for a second, she felt like there was something bigger that was happening to her.

  Regardless, Nikki felt like she shouldn't get too involved. She didn’t know what was going on. She almost felt like there was something else happening here, something much bigger.

  For now, she would just do her job. Nikki found a cheap old motorcycle for sale, which she bought with the money that she brought in from the bar. Her dad wasn’t asking her for money anymore, so that meant that she had more to herself. It was very strange, but she also wasn’t complaining. It had been her dream to have one of these, especially since she had to sell her old one. She still had the Class M license for it, but she couldn't take it with her when she moved, which was a sad thing, but oh well.

  Of course, her father didn’t approve of it. But, he didn’t speak to her. The two of them had made it a habit not to talk to one another, not that she cared. She preferred it like this. Her dad was better, not bothering her, that's for sure, and she liked keeping it this way.

  After she got on her bike, she headed over to the bar, stepping in and getting ready for the night. Customer service was a good way to get her mind off things, at least that’s what she thought. She did wonder if one day her dad would kick her out for no apparent reason.

  She had no fucking clue what she would do then if that was the case.

  But at least for now, she would serve the customers, keep everything nice and simple. She continued to do this with ease, pouring drinks for those that came in to see her. But, she had a bad feeling about tonight. The door of the bar opened and a strange customer came in.

  He had on a hood, and she could barely make out the face. Immediately, her hairs on her hands stood up, prickling her skin. She could feel the foreboding atmosphere from the guy as he stepped forward, looking at her with an intense gaze. She couldn't fully see his face but she kept calm.

  She noticed that this person locked eyes with her, and when she motioned for the person to sit down, he did so, continuing to glare at her. But, what freaked her out was the fact that she could only see his eyes, which were a glowing yellow. She didn’t like the feeling of this, the fact that she was on edge from just a mere look hitting her body and making her shiver with shock as she tried her best to keep calm.

  “How may I help you?” she asked.

  The person didn’t say anything but instead motioned for a beer. She then looked at the figure once again, grabbing a beer glass and filling it to the rim. When she put the glass in front of him, he smiled.

  “That’ll be 7 dollars please,” she said.

  The person put a card down, and she took it, running a tab for him. The mysterious person ordered two more beers. The customers stuck around, not because they wanted to, but even they could tell that this was unsafe.

  Nikki knew that there was a gun in the safe under the bear, and she knew that if needed, she would grab it.

  The person finished his beer, and for a moment, there was nothing but silence.

  “Are you done?” she asked.

  She waited for an answer, feeling the nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen.

  “Well, are you done?” she asked.

  “You need to stay out of this,” the person stated.

  “Pardon?” Nikki said. What was this person talking about?

  “You need to stay out of this,” he said.

  “What are you talking about? I'm asking if you’re done so I can close your damn tab,” she said.

  “Stay out of this. Avoid talking to that damn shifter, or else we’ll have Emilia deal with you. Just continue to run your job, and nobody will get hurt,” he stated.

  “What the fuck are you talking about? I'm trying to do my job. Knock it off,” she snapped.

  Nikki didn’t like the way that this was going. Something about this was already putting her on edge. The person then stood up, and when they looked at Nikki, they then pulled their hands to their pockets, and that’s when she saw it.

  The mysterious figure brandished a knife, holding it there right in front of Nikki's face.

  “I said stay the fuck out of this,” he said.

  “Hey, don’t you be throwing knives out in a public bar,” she said.

  “Well, I need you to promise me to get the hell out of this business. You need to knock it off, and you need to stay away. This is my final warning,” the person said.

  Nikki had no idea what the hell this Emilia was doing and why there were goons being sent by her. But, Nikki wasn't going to take any goddamn chances.

  She fumbled with the safe, but when she finally got it open, she stepped back, holding up the gun and clicked the safety off.

  “Get the fuck out of my bar. Right now. I will call the cops, and if I need to use this in self-defense, then I'll do so,” she said.

  She held the gun there, with fear in her body. The person laughed and stepped out of the bar. He kept looking at Nikki, and he simply smiled.

  “You’re in for a world of pain, missy. You should know better than to draw a gun on one of us,” he said.

  “And you should know better than to come into my goddamn bar and threaten me. Now get out!” Nikki spat at the other figure.

  The person simply laughed, heading out of there. The tension in the bar was there, and Nikki immediately realized that she almost had a fight happen in the bar, one that she would be involved with. She felt her blood start to boil at the notion of this, unsure of what to make of all of this. She then started to look at the other patrons, who were just as fearful as she was.

  “Sorry about that everyone. Seems like there was some funny business happening. Well, that’s not going to be welcomed here anymore,” she said.

  “You did well. You defended the bar, but whoever that Emilia girl is, they need to back the fuck off,” the other said.

  “You’re telling me. Even I don't know what the hell is going on. I feel like I'm just in some strange episode of some TV drama, and I have no clue how to respond to any of this. It makes no goddamn sense,” she said to him.

  “I know. You’re doing well, though. You defended up. And hopefully, their card was one that would be valid. You’d be out of some alcohol otherwise,” the person was.

  “I ran it and charged it. Didn’t bounce. So it’s legit. So that person was prepared to order drinks after harassing me as well,” she said.

  “Yeah. It’s a shame that people do that. But, crazies exist in this world too,” they said.

  “No shit. Honestly, I feel like I'm in some strange situation, one that I have no clue what is going on. But I'll be okay. Just don’t worry,” she said.

  The patrons all relaxed, all of them staying quiet after Nikki flashed them a smile of reassurance. She felt better just telling everyone that. She wanted to keep everything nice and easy here. The bar was no goddamn place for shifter talk.

  Which made her wonder if Billy knew anything about this. She wondered if Billy had any idea of how to stop what was about to happen next.

  She needed answers.

  She called Billy, but he wasn't responding. She tried three more times that night, but with no luck. When it was time to close the bar, she sighed.

  “I can’t just stay like this. I can’t just let this go on,” she uttered to herself.

  She sat there in the bar after cleaning up, unsure of what to do. Billy would be up. It’s still early, but the patrons all left early. The whole encounter probably didn’t help with the way that they felt, but she wasn’t going to get involved in all of that. For now, she needed some goddamn answers.

  She tried one last time, but nothing. She needed to go see him. She remembered the address the one time that she hung out near his place. She typed it into her map application, and as she pre
ssed the button to confirm it, she sighed.

  “I didn't want to have to do this, but this was so weird. I don't think I should be left in the dark anymore,” she said.

  She was sick of being left in the dark, not told anything but the minimum. There was something about that which infuriated her, and she wanted to get those answers and get them fast. She couldn't help but loathe being left in a mystery about all of this. She then got on her motorbike, revving the engine, and turning on Bluetooth so that she could hear the directions. She was tired of being kept at a distance.

  If Billy was going to continue this charade, she would leave right then and there.

  She knew that leaving would be something hard for both of them. She hated that Billy was forcing her like this, but in her eyes, she couldn't help but wonder what might happen to her next.

  For Nikki, she knew that hiding all of this would only make things worse, so she wanted answers. She would take her time, and she would make sure that she got what she needed. Everything was getting out of hand, and she hated that this was happening.

  In her mind, she knew that Billy had the answers, and she would stop at nothing to get them.

  Chapter 15

  Billy was at home, sitting around. He thought about calling Nikki, but he was trying to figure out what the hell was happening right now. Ever since their conversation, he’d been feeling on edge.

  He tried to ignore this feeling and try to think about something other than the state that Nikki was in, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. He wondered if this was something that would be fixed with time, but he wasn't totally sure. In all honesty, he wondered if things were about to get worse for him as well.

  He didn’t say anything to any of the other guys, but instead, he kept everyone in the dark. He wondered if there was a way to explain to them what happened without making him sound weak.

  But, over time he wondered if there was something else there. He feared what others might say if he actually told everyone about his past, about his own worries and about what happened to his parents. , But he also wanted to inform everyone.

  He sat there, mulling over his thoughts and the depression of the pain he experienced long ago. He didn’t feel this way usually, and since he met Nikki it had all but left. But, he didn’t like how things were transpiring, how life was working out, and how things were getting fishier and fishier with time.

  He hated this, that’s for sure.

  After a bit, he heard his phone ring. He jumped, realizing that he didn’t even know where he put it. He rummaged around, finally finding the small device. When he pressed the button, he heard the sound of someone speaking.

  “Hello?” he asked.

  “Hey, Billy. It’s me. Listen, I know you probably don’t want any unexpected visitors, but I'm right outside your house right now,” she said.

  Suddenly, he felt both worried and slightly angry about all of this.

  “Like, right outside where I live?” he asked.

  “Yes. I cut the motor on my wheels and put it a block away so nobody heard me, but I need to talk to you,” she said.

  “You do realize that it’s the middle of the night, it’s dangerous, and you’re supposed to let me know when you show up, right?” he said.

  “Don't worry about that bullshit right now Billy. I know that you’re trying to protect me, but something happened tonight. I can’t hold back any longer. I'm not going to stay in the dark on any of this anymore,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” he said.

  “I'll tell you when I get inside. Just let me in, please?” she asked.

  He sighed, standing up and heading towards the doorway.

  Billy opened the door, looking at Nikki with annoyance.

  “You sure you didn’t park out front?” he asked.

  “Yes. I have my bike anyway,” she snapped.

  “Sorry, I'm just trying to make sure nobody finds us. And the last thing I want is you fucking that one up,” he muttered.

  “Gee, aren’t you peachy. I won’t. In fact, I'm here to talk to you about something important. I didn’t just come here for my own sake,” Nikki said.

  Billy nodded. “I need you to be careful Nikki. There is something happening, and I don't know what the hell it is. I just… I don’t want you to get in trouble,” he said.

  “I think we’re a little too late for that,” she muttered.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Well, I had something super bizarre happen today at the bar,” she said.

  He paused, with a worried look on his face.

  “I see. What happened? I guess it was that same guy from before?”

  “No. It was a woman. She told me that she was there to warn me because of someone named Emilia. Listen, Billy, I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I want answers,” she said.

  Billy paused his face in that of shock at the words that she uttered.

  “Are you sure she said Emilia?” he asked, trying his best to keep himself together.

  “Yes. Who is she? I was at the bar, serving customers when this woman came in. She seemed… off, in a sense. I didn’t like it, and then she just plain attacked me. I don't know what the hell I did wrong, but I want some damn answers. I'm not leaving ‘till I get something,” she said to him.

  He looked at her, his body shaking. He didn’t know how to tell Nikki the truth. He wanted to, but his fear that she might run away when he had revealed everything to her made him worry.

  “What’s the matter? Do you know Emilia?” she demanded.

  How could he tell her everything? How could he tell her the truth? He feared the response, but then, he sighed, knowing that he had no other choice.

  “I do know her. But tell me first, what did this person do?”

  “She came into the bar and acted really strange. I tried to make friendly conversation with her. She then just attacked me randomly. I don’t even know why! They told me to watch myself, and I… I didn’t know what to think. I actually have a gun hidden in the bar for moments like these, even though I didn’t think I would ever have to use it. Like ever,” she said.

  Billy listened intently to this, trying to figure out what to say to Nikki. Did he tell her everything, such as why she got attacked, and what this would mean?

  “You’re not going to run away after I tell you everything, right?” he said.

  “No. I won’t. I swear by it,” she said to him.

  Billy was shaking with the anxiety and fear that was growing within him. He feared that he would scare her away.

  “But I don’t want you to get involved. You shouldn’t be a part of this, Nikki,” he pleaded.

  “You’re too late on that one,” she said with a laugh.

  He looked down ashamed. He realized that he had no other choice. Still, the hesitation was taking over him.

  “I don't want you to get hurt. I just-”

  “Don’t leave me out of this Billy. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you say that it’s nothing when it’s clearly something. You’re full of shit,” she said.

  He tensed up as he listened to her.

  “If you want us to be something serious, you've got to open up to me. Don’t keep in the dark anymore! I promise I won't leave… no matter how bad this may be,” she told him with a blush.

  Billy listened to this, feeling his muscles grow tense. He wondered if she would leave when she finally learned the whole truth. But, one look at her assured him that she would stay, as she had accepted his bear.

  “You're serious about this, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “Dead serious Billy, don’t leave me away from any of this. I'm not going to run away. I don't want to run away. I want to be there for you. I know that you are hesitant for some reason, but I'm going to stick around here, and I'm going to make this work,” she told him.

  “Alright. If you say so, I just don’t want you to be scared.”

  “Billy, I've been attacked by this mysterious person
multiple times since you came around. I'm not going to leave so easily,” she said.

  “Fair enough. Well, I guess I can’t hide it from you much longer,” he said to her.

  “You can’t. Not if you want the two of us to be something,” she said.

  Nikki was sick of hiding from the truth. She needed to know. She could tell that for Billy this was the scariest thing to reveal, and she understood that he must feel just as lost as she did. But, she wanted to be happy with him. He then took a deep breath, sighing as he heard the words that came out of his mouth.