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“Murder in the first degree,” Avraam says, his voice void of any shame. “I served twenty-five years.”
“Holy shit,” I whisper, unable to contain my shock any longer.
“I know, it can be a bit jarring. To me, it’s just another day in my life, but for everyone else it’s a huge surprise. That’s why I don’t like talking about it. People judge.”
His voice is soft and non-threatening, and I feel a little sorry for him. It’s not right to kill someone, but having to drag around that burden even after serving his time is cruel. I guess life never really goes back to normal after something like that. There’s no way to start over unless you want to hide your past and pray nobody discovers you lied to them.
Considering that, I’m thankful he came clean. I don’t want to be lied to either, and this isn’t going to make me write him off as a person. Unless he killed someone in a way that feels unforgivable, I’m willing to give him the chance he deserves.
“Like, I don’t want to pry, but was it just… murder? I mean, why did you do something like that? Was it an accident?” I ask, trying not to jump to the worst conclusions.
“No,” he says, his lips moving like he’s hiding a smile. Maybe he’s just nervous. This is a big admission. “I killed my rival, but he would’ve done the same to me. The State was originally going to charge me with racketeering, but they dropped that and just went for the murder charge. Probably better that way, or I’d still be in prison.”
“Fuck, that must’ve been scary.”
He shrugs. “I knew it was coming, so I prepared for it. Just got my head right and made sure I’d have something to come back to when I got out. I couldn’t save the house, though. That’s how you ended up with it.” He laughs, but I hear the sorrow in his voice. Not only did he lose half his life to the state, but he also lost his home.
Guilt rises in my stomach, but I push it down. I’m not the one who is responsible for what he did, and the house hasn’t been his for decades.
“Well, I’m glad you’re doing alright now,” I say, trying desperately to avoid bringing that guilty feeling back.
“Thank you,” he says with a thin smile. “And you? Did running off to Montana solve your problems?”
Back to the accusations, I see.
I clear my throat, straightening up in my chair and pulling my shoulders back. “I don’t have problems, actually. I was just looking for a new job and I found one. It happened to coincide with my ex-boyfriend getting locked up for attacking a woman while high on meth, but that’s not really the reason I left.”
He laughs. “Oh God, your story is almost as bad as mine.”
“Not really,” I say, gritting my teeth. “I’m not guilty of anything, but I do attract drama, as I mentioned earlier.”
“A lot of it,” he says, laughing with his eyes. “You’re the biggest drama queen of them all. The ruler of drama land.”
“That’s a bit of a stretch. So, I have one crazy ex. That’s not that bad.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Want to make it two?”
His words have a way of striking me. The confession of murder first, and now the suggestion that he could become my ex. We’re not even dating… unless?
“You can’t be my boyfriend and my boss,” I say, crossing my arms. “You need to choose.”
“Oh, so I get to make the choice?” he asks, looking amused. “That’s easy enough. I choose both.”
I roll my eyes. “Okay, so you’re just my boss. Got it.”
“Boss in the streets but boyfriend in the sheets.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. “Jesus, Avraam, you’re such an idiot.”
“I thought it was funny.”
“Now isn’t really the time to make jokes,” I say, trying to hide a giggle. “Just tell me what you really want. What’s more important to you.”
“I already said it. I want both.”
“Choose.”
“I choose both.”
