Levi should have put more thought into what his sudden vacancy from his existence would mean. People who disappear generally are noted, even if they aren’t people of particular importance.

Plugging his phone into the SUV, a lightning bolt of broken glass ran across the entire screen. He sighed, looking at his messages. Seven texts, four missed calls, three voicemails. Mark, Julia, and, of course, his boss.

Great.

Levi swerved distractedly to avoid a red compact car that seemed to think it owned the road. Didn’t they know Levi was the only one allowed to be irresponsible while driving? He figured that was common knowledge.

Levi held the cracked phone up to his ear as he drove.

“Levi,” came Julia next. “Levi, where are you? You’ve been late before, but four hours? You know you’re on thin ice already. Pick up!”

“Levi,” came Mark’s voice through the phone. “You didn’t respond to my messages yesterday and Julia says she can’t get ahold of you either. You missed your shift yesterday. What’s going on?”

“Levi,” came his manager Toby’s voice. “This is day two without notice. You’re getting written up. This is unusual behavior. You goof off sometimes, sure, but you don’t ditch. Your friends and I are worried. Call me back.”

His text messages were a similar splatter of worry, of concern, of confusion.

Levi sighed and turned his phone back off. He didn’t know how to deal with that. He’d have to call them... But not until he left town. After that? It is a bit hard to be friends when you’re running for your life.

It was a pleasant morning, an almost comical contrast to his current predicament. Temperate for Autumn, with a soft breeze sending leaves skittering across the roadway in brilliant oranges and reds. Rosa had cracked her window and the breeze blowing through played with her hair. Her breathing was even and rhythmic as she slept, a light, exhausted sleep. Levi could only imagine how tired she had to be.

He knew how tired he was, and he’d been sedated for a good chunk of time.

He pulled up to his apartment and saw Martha out in front of the building. Instead of watering her flowers, however, she was chatting with a police officer, pointing up at Levi’s apartment.

Levi cursed rather creatively as he pulled into the parking lot. A crisp light flashed into his eyes as he stepped out of the vehicle, and he squinted into the morning brightness.

“Good morning Martha!” He called once he was far enough away that he was sure he would not wake Rosa.

The old woman’s head spun around and she gasped.

“Levi!”

The police officer looked thoroughly annoyed by his appearance. All that paperwork for nothing, just an old lady being paranoid and wasting his time. Martha looked more concerned by the fact that he was shirtless and covered in scars.

“Ma’am,” the officer sighed. “Is this the missing individual you were filing the report about?” His eyes were tired and lifeless, unshaven stubble on his chin and cheeks.

“Yes!” she cried out, still staring at Levi. “Levi, where have you been? Your door was wide open, your car was gone, your friends were asking around about you...”

Levi frowned. His car. Probably still sitting in the parking lot of that hotel... Shit, he wondered what consequences were going to come along with that disaster. Forget his deposit.

Wait... His friends had been asking about him?

“Martha,” Levi asked slowly, body tensing just a touch, “who exactly was asking around about-”

“Levi!” came a familiar call from the second floor of the complex. Levi looked up, scowling.

Julia?

Julia.

Damn.

Well, better than a pack of angry werewolves he supposed. He allowed himself a little bit of relief. But only a little bit.

“Uhm... Hello there Julia,” Levi called back. Mark’s head poked out of the door to Levi’s apartment, and Levi scowled deeper. He knew he hadn’t exactly left the place locked up, but did Martha really let those people in his apartment just because they said they were looking for him? What if they had been angry werewolves?

“Aaaand hello Mark,” Levi sighed.

“Family reunion,” Arthur chimed.

Mark and Julia came jogging down the steps. Quite the feat in Mark’s case, Levi was pretty sure he’d never seen the man hurry for anything before.

Julia pulled down her scarf, unnecessary on such a pleasant morning. It was a bright mustard yellow and somehow looked perfectly normal with her polka-dot pink blouse and the long ankle-length black skirt she wore.

“Where have you been, mister?” Julia questioned, eyes narrow. “And... why do you look like you just climbed out of a pit?”

Levi rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was so tired. He wasn’t ready for this conversation. He had no idea what kind of lie to give this bunch and hadn’t had the time or the energy to put any thought into it yet.

“If we’re done here,” grunted the frustrated police officer, “I am going to get back to work.”

“Ah, y-” Martha had begun to respond but the man was already walking back towards his patrol car. Some people just don’t deserve a “thank you” Martha. Unfortunate but true.

“Look, I’m just...” Levi floundered. “Let’s go to my apartment, okay? I can explain, I promise.”

Like hell he could explain!

The group slowly navigated their way up to Levi’s apartments as Martha explained her state of panic.

“There was this loud commotion,” Martha rambled, bless her little heart. “Some big thump, I heard someone scream. By the time I got out here all I saw was you tear out of the parking lot!”

“I’m sorry for worrying you Martha,” Levi said as he stepped up to the second level of the complex.

“Why weren’t you picking up the phone?” Mark questioned. “Do you know how worried I have to be to actually call someone Levi?”

“I’ve been pretty busy over the past... day or two...”

“It’s been three days!” Julia said.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

Levi let out a sigh.

“I promise,” he said, “I’ll explain.”

When Levi stepped into his apartment it was... well, how he’d left it. A mess. Schrödinger sat grooming himself on the counter. He cast a baleful gaze at Levi but didn’t immediately scurry for cover for once. Apparently, he was willing to accept Levi’s presence in his domain, at least for the time being. Levi navigated his way to the center of the studio apartment and sat on the floor on one side of the coffee table. Martha, Julia, and Mark sat on his couch on the opposite side. It was a thrift-store grab, old grey leather that had been black at one point. Levi had managed to scrub the thing down enough to get it presentable.

Mostly, anyway.

The three looked expectantly at Levi and Schrödinger seemed to be taking some enjoyment in his obvious discomfort, ears pivoted forward for full attention.

“So, you see, what happened is...” Levi trailed off, staring blankly at the point in the wall between Martha and Julia.

“Levi?” Julia questioned.

“I’m thinking!” he hissed.

“Patience Julia,” Mark sighed sardonically. “You know how hard it is for him to piece a coherent thought together.”

Levi scowled at the wall, then cleared his throat.

“Something came up. Something urgent and honestly a little dangerous. I have to leave. I have to move. I’m not sure where yet.”

The trio stared at him for a moment.

“Levi, are you a gangster?” Martha asked with a gasp of horror.

“Wh-what?” Levi sputtered. “No! No, not a gangster! It’s nothing like that. It’s more like, uh,” he chewed on his bottom lip. “More like witness protection.”

“Levi’s a fed!” Mark proclaimed, standing. “I knew it!”

“I’m not- wait what, you think I’m some kind of federal-?” He cut himself off, shaking his head. “I'm not a government agent either!”

Well, not really. He contracted with the government he supposed, but that was under the table.

“What did you do?” Julia asked, eyes wide.

“I can’t really talk about it!” Levi managed. “But uh, I’m leaving. Tonight.”

“Tonight?!” Mark and Julia both asked together.

Schrödinger let out a discontented noise and hopped off the counter, displeased by the racket they were creating. He slunk somewhere in the apartment, vanishing into his kingdom.

“Well, yeah,” Levi muttered. “Obviously. I have to leave as quickly as I can. But, once I’m settled, I’ll call! I mean, I can have some contact with you guys. I just need to not... be here. Ever again.”

There was a brief silence.

“It’s just,” Julia said softly, “so sudden.”

Mark and Martha both nodded.

“Julia, take care of my cat for me,” Levi said. “I know you have a dog already, but I can’t exactly have Mark do it and I wouldn’t impose on Martha like that.”

“Hey, what’s-?” Mark began. Levi and Julia quickly cut him off with a flat stare and threw his hands in the air, surrendering.

“Well, I’ll be sorry to see you go Levi,” Martha said. “You’re one of my favorite tenants. Always so polite, so happy to see me.”

Levi offered her a sad smile. He didn’t want to go. Honest. He just... had to. Derrick couldn’t protect him anymore.

Levi cocked his head at an odd noise. Was that... running?

Everyone jolted as the door burst inwards. And then Martha, Mark, and Julia began to scream.

“You let him go you monsters! Get your paws off him!” Rosa snarled, wildly brandishing her shotgun at them.

Levi groaned and pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose for the second time since getting out of the SUV. It was like one long day that never ended.

“Well, we’ve certainly heard a lot about you,” Julia said, sipping from a mug of coffee that still steamed in her hand. “Levi’s been rambling on about you, making those eyes whenever he says your name.”

He sat on the floor, a duffel bag next to him. Inside was a small selection of clothing, one of Arthur’s old sketchbooks

“I have not been rambling,” Levi protested. He had found a shirt in his closet and tugged it over his head, a grey-green thing that advertised a band Levi had never heard of. “There’s just... a lot to talk about when it comes to Rosa.”

Rosa sat next to him on the ground, leaning softly on his shoulder. Her hand was on his thigh, down by his kneecap, and she squeezed it every few moments. It was a constant reminder of her presence, and it steadied him in front of the three expectant faces.

Levi was reminded of his father, a face half-frustrated, half-concerned. Stern and worried. It came from a good place, probably. It also gave Levi the mental image of three copies of his father, all in different outfits. His father in Julia’s dress was a mental image he immediately attempted to sear away.

He couldn’t unsee it!

The shotgun was on Rosa’s opposite side, in her reach. She hadn’t let it leave her side since she’d pulled it off that cabin wall.

“So, Rosa,” Mark said, leaning in with intense interest. His coffee mug was already empty, a red ceramic vessel with a large, low-resolution image of someone’s cat printed on the side of it. “Does Levi have a ten-inch cock or something?”

Levi was amazed, because he was pretty sure he’d never seen an actual spit-take before. Julia’s coffee sputtered out over his table in a brilliant cascade of sparkling droplets and Martha reached over to pat Julia's back as she coughed. The older woman then swatted Mark in the back of the head.

“Ow!” he yipped, recoiling from the woman’s strike.

Rosa let out a loud laugh that waltzed through the room. Levi gave a contented smile to nowhere in particular, pulling her tight against him. Mark didn’t seem to find it funny, apparently he’d been serious.

“I was just trying to figure out how a ten ends up with a six!” Mark declared. “I need that information, I’m a six!”

“I guess you’ll be left in ignorance then,” Rosa mused.

“You’re just gonna let him call me a six huh?” Levi said.

Julia dabbed at her mouth with her scarf, clearing her throat.

“So,” she stuttered out, “when did you two meet?”

“About three months ago,” Levi muttered, resting his head against Rosa’s. It had been a very... strenuous few months at that. But... He had Rosa. He smiled a little wider, squeezing his eyes shut and basking in the feeling of her against him. Her breathing was even and steady, and he let her smell drift through his senses, that soft rosewater that tickled at the back of his nose, the wildflowers blowing in the breeze.

“Oh he’s rather stricken, isn’t he?” Martha asked.

Julia and Mark both snickered at that.

“You have no idea,” Julia sighed.

“Quiet you. You’re just jealous because you don’t know true love,” Levi said, cracking his eyes back open.

“Levi,” Rosa laughed, “that’s not-”

“Jealous!” Levi proclaimed.

“I’m a little jealous,” Mark admitted.

Martha patted his back.

“That is because you’re awkward and a pervert and so women avoid you.”

“Hey!” Mark said. “You’ve only known me for a morning, you can’t make judgements like that.”

Levi sipped his coffee, smiling over the rim of his mug. He rubbed his thumb over the crack in the handle.

“This is like my own personal circus.” He commented.

“Maybe,” said Rosa coyly, “you won’t walk out on me at this one.”

“Ow...”

“Hah!” Mark barked. Martha swatted him on the back of the head again and he yelped. “What was that for?”

“For being rude, child.”

Julia nodded, apparently finding that acceptable justification.

“Et tu, Julia?” Mark said.

“Me three,” Rosa provided. “I think it’s funny watching you get hit. You’ve got a punchable face.”

“This,” Mark grunted, “is bullying. You’re all bullies and you should feel bad about yourselves.”

“It’s only bullying if it’s unfair,” Levi provided helpfully. “You totally deserve this.”

Mark crossed his arms and grumbled dramatically.

The conversation dragged to a stop. Levi looked anywhere except his friends’ eyes.

“So... what happens now?” Julia questioned.

“Now,” Levi said hesitantly, “I leave. I got my clothes, a few personal items... and I’m going to drop off the face of the Earth for a while.”

More silence.

Levi, slowly, climbed to his feet. He extended a hand and pulled Rosa up to hers. She hugged him, without him asking. He hadn’t realized how much he needed that hug. He wrapped his arms around her lower back and pulled her close, feeling the warmth of her presence flood his skin. Her head nestled into the crook of his neck and he sighed. After a few moments, he nodded and pulled away.

He turned to find Mark, Julia, and Martha all standing. One by one, they came up to him and hugged him. They weren’t as long as Rosa’s, but they held just as much meaning.

“I’ll call you guys,” Levi said. His voice was strained and scratchy, eyes burning. It was a very particular kind of pain, and oh how it ached.

“I’m keeping your deposit,” Martha sniffled.

Levi let out a laugh that wasn’t quite happy and nodded. Schrödinger glared at him from behind the kitchenette counter.

And then, Levi left.