Chapter 49 | BENJAMIN

When he returns, Nina's back in the kitchen, and he still has his bag around his right shoulder.

Mya instantly perks up when she sees him.

I roll my eyes, finishing up my pancakes before turning to Benjamin, ignoring how Vaughn sits back down beside him and begins to eat his waffles.

"I thought you didn't like me," I state.

These people here...are somewhat strange characters, if I do say so myself. First, they're saying it's not nice to meet me; then, they're helping me out of uncomfortable situations.

No one I know really seems 'normal,' besides Nina, Hayley, and William, I suppose.

But that's it.

He shrugs, "I don't."

I raise a thick eyebrow, unlike Mya. "Then, what did you care if my personal space was being invaded or not over there?"

He shrugs again, "I was bored."

Oh. Well, that's understandable.

Nodding, I hear myself telling him that I was too, before glancing behind him for a split second.

Mya's moved over to the seat next to Vaughn, talking to him, but he appears to be ignoring her. I watch as his head lifts and turns to glance in my direction, and we make eye contact for a moment.

I watch him frown slightly before all I see is Benjamin's head, as he's moved to the seat right next to me, blocking my shared gaze with Vaughn.

Dude, if I wanted to be right next to you, I wouldn't have taken the seat over from you.

I can't believe he just blocked my view like that.

He literally just pulled a Mya...but why?

As soon as I ask myself the question, my mind flashes back to Vaughn's words about how the whole Mick thing would happen again, and I sigh silently.

Is that what's happening, then? Vaughn's prediction is coming true? If so, I must say this is so chaotic.

Or at least that's how it feels, anyway.

He leans forward, "So, where are you from, exactly?"

I look down at my hands as I fiddle with them, feeling an obnoxious blush rise because of how uncomfortable I am.

"Um, Washington."

"I've never been there. What's it like?"

I think back to the summer days spent reading outside, winter days spent reading in my room. I enjoyed walking around the neighborhood at times, though I never went far because I always walked alone. There were a few different things to do in Spokane, not that I ever did any of them, but if you were the adventurous type, it would be enjoyable, I guess.

Before I can answer, he asks, "Why are you in Alaska?"

Uh-

He guesses, "School? Work? Fam-"

"Leave her alone," a low voice interrupts.

I freeze, eyes flickering behind Benjamin to see Vaughn coolly staring straight ahead, but it's clear who he was talking to.

Oh, wow, okay.

I hide my smile as Benjamin straightens, turning to his right to look at my friend.

My friend?

Is he my friend?

"If she wanted me to leave her alone, she would have told me herself."

Well...would I really have done that, though?

Benjamin, for some reason, no longer seems intimidated by Vaughn at all, unlike when we first came in.

The man next to me is only maybe an inch taller than I am, meaning that Vaughn is still much taller than he is. So, I don't know whether to admire Benjamin for that or consider him stupid.

In the end, I settle for just staying intrigued.

Vaughn stays looking ahead, remaining dismissive of the guy sitting next to me as he replies. "No, she wouldn't because she isn't like that."

"So, what are you saying?" Benjamin asks, scoffing loudly. "That she's a pushover who needs a recluse to stand up for her every time she feels inconvenienced?"

I sigh silently. Is this guy dumb? Practically everything about Vaughn screams dominance and intimidation, yet here he is calling him a recluse to his face? He's really not afraid, huh?

Fascinating.

And, since I'm full and no longer hungry, I can fully enjoy this whole interaction. I almost feel bad, just sitting here watching this play out. But then I think back to how bored I was before when I was seated between Vaughn and Mya, and then the guilt is gone.

Vaughn looks to his left, his eyes holding an almost dark sort of emotion, showing how inconvenienced he probably feels at the moment. His eyes meet mine again for a split second, and I look away.

"No. I'm merely implying that she doesn't want or need tiny, invasive middle-aged men who look like they're on an offender registry prying into her personal space and life," he states smoothly.

Tiny? He's an inch taller than me...he's actually quite tall.

But then again, to Vaughn, everyone is probably tiny.

Silence drifts through the tavern after that, minus my quiet snickering, and Benjamin does nothing. He merely sits there like a lemon, and I internally scream at him, 'Say or do something!'

But when he finally does, I instantly wish he hadn't.

I, along with Mya, let out a loud, scared, and surprised sound, also known as a scream, as he reaches for a knife he had strapped near his boot. Grasping it, he swings towards Vaughn.

I flinch, closing my eyes as I wait for my friend's outcry.

But it never comes.

Confused, I slowly open my eyes to see Benjamin's arm twisted in a sort of 's' shaped, gooseneck wristlock manipulation in Vaughn's hand as he takes the knife from him with his other, both staring each other down.

If you can even call it 'staring each other down,' because one man looks utterly nervous and trapped as he swallows. The other looks like, well, Vaughn; his face is calm and collected as he stares at him, appearing absolutely unfazed.

I hear Mya's light sobbing as I watch Benjamin try to get out of the situation. He shifts, instantly realizing that's a bad idea because if he moves too much, his wrist twists even more.

Vaughn turns his head to the side slightly as he sets the knife down on the bar behind him, and Benjamin takes advantage of the opportunity that provides him.

With his other hand, he quickly reaches for an empty glass on the bar, but before he can hit Vaughn with it, Vaughn moves his free hand to the back of Benjamin's twisted elbow.

He pushes both hands towards each other on the uncomfortably bent elbow and twisted wrist, making Benjamin drop the glass, shattering it as he doubles over and grabs at his wrist. Crying out in pain, Vaughn then drops him dismissively, like a sack of potatoes.

Holy-

"Did- did you just break his wrist?" I choke out, stunned at what I just witnessed.

Vaughn's confused eyes meet mine, and sudden guilt fills me immediately. If I had spoken up, I could have stopped this from escalating.

"Oh, so now she speaks up," Mya remarks, sniffling, and I glare at her coldly.

She's getting irritating.

"You're still here being irrelevant, huh?" I ask her. "Y'know, you'd think you'd realize no one actually cares about your love for slaughtering animals and are all just actively ignoring you."

"I-"

I cut her off, looking at Vaughn, who I'm annoyed to see is looking the tiniest bit amused at my words. "And you! Stop looking at me like that! Where did you learn how to break someone's wrist?"

Vaughn shakes his head, "I didn't break his wrist, Mik. I just twisted two of his joints and applied a little pressure. It won't cause any permanent damage."

I pause. Mik?

And did he just suddenly turn the slightest bit red?

Almost as if he knows I'm going to bring it up and ask him about him calling me that, he keeps talking. "And to answer your question, my uncle taught me."

Of course.

What, in the utter heck, is wrong with uncles?

Mine sends me on a risky journey to Alaska, Vaughn's teaches him how to twist people's joints.

"I'm guessing he taught you how to do that before you grew to be six and a half feet tall."

The side of his mouth lifts a bit as he looks at me, more than likely trying to gauge my reaction to what just happened.

I shake my head, looking at the man who lays curled up in a fetal position on the floor, still crutching his wrist and elbow.

Well, you know what, he had it coming! He literally tried to attack him with a knife! So, yes, it's what he deserves.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I see Mya place a hand on Vaughn's shoulder nearest to her, asking him if he's okay.

Oh. So the girl's stopped crying, then. That's nice.

Without answering her, Vaughn moves his gaze down to the hand on his shoulder before returning it back to me as he looks up.

Why is he looking at me? Does he expect me to do something?

Better question: should I do something?

Deciding to stop thinking and just do, I stand, making my way over to Vaughn, who tilts his head at me in that adorably curious way as I do so.

After Mya sees he's looking at me and not her, her hand falls from his shoulder as she stands and glowers out of the tavern, making me work to fight off a smirk.

Turning my attention back to the man I'm standing in front of, I ask him if he's okay.

He smiles a bit and nods, but before any of us can say anything else, Nina and Henry finally come rushing in. One looks panicked, and the other angry.

"What happened?!" Nina says, rushing over to the man who is now sitting up and clutching at his arm.

"Did you do this?" Henry asks, standing near her and looking at me since I'm the one standing.

I scoff, shaking my head. "No, I did not."

"Is his wrist broken?" Nina questions.

"That was the wrist he used to lift glasses of whiskey he bought!"

I roll my eyes at Henry, "He has another hand, you know."

"That is what you choose to reply to?"

Nina walks over to Vaughn and me: "What happened?"

"He lunged at Vaughn with a knife and intent to harm, and in return, Vaughn acted in self-defense," I assert simply. "He didn't do anything of permanent damage."

Nina looks between us for a moment, before taking a deep breath and nodding, walking away to the kitchen.

Henry walks forward until he's right in front of me, almost invading my personal space as he looks me in the eyes.

What is his deal?

Is he trying to intimidate me?

Because it's not working.

"Henry," Vaughn says in a low, cautionary tone.

The man in front of me ignores the man beside me, "Mikaere, this happened at my tavern, which is very bad for business. So, let's hope you had nothing to do with this; otherwise, I'm afraid you won't be able to stay or work here."

Oh, so this is what this is about. Henry's just trying to find a way to get rid of me.

Too bad the only way he'd be able to do that is if he killed me.

Or turned me in to the authorities or something, I suppose.

I'm about to reply with a quip about how this is the only bar for miles when Vaughn says: "Henry, I'm fairly sure that the few people in this town will still come to the only tavern in it. Now, if you have something to say to me, you say it to me. Not her."

Henry's eyes shift to the man beside me, and without another word, we're watching him walk over to Benjamin, grabbing his uninjured left arm and lifting him to his feet.

Sending one last final glare in our direction, Benjamin then hobbles out of the tavern with Henry.

I frown, "Wait a minute..."

"Hm?"

I turn to Vaughn, "Why was he limping? He hurt his arm. That'd be like twisting your ankle and wearing a sling."

He shakes his head, "He's trying to save face."

Nodding faintly, I then ask: "So what now?"

"Now, I have to go get a motel room."

I frown, "What? Why?"

"Because now Benjamin could be angry enough to retaliate."

"Wait, what? You think he might try to hurt me?"

He nods, silent as he stares up at me, and I can't help but inwardly swoon for a second.

But then I bring myself out of that stupid, distracted state and shake my head. "No, I rarely leave the tavern. And when I do, it's just to the store. Besides, even if you did stay, what could you possibly do from the motel?"

He looks like he's about to object, so I quickly keep going. "You've been alone for eight years until I showed up, Vaughn. I feel bad taking away all of your solitude and..." I pause, thinking of the right word. "And your serenity. So, don't worry about it. Just go back to the cabin, okay?"

He still doesn't look convinced to go.

I sigh, "Vaughn, just go, okay? Thank you, but I'll be fine."

Frowning a little, he nonetheless nods hesitantly. "When are you coming back?"

"Probably Wednesday," I answer.

With that, he places some money on the counter for his food and stands, walking outside.

Now, I should probably go talk to Nina.