Grim and Bear It

Jake

Eliza just stared at the spot Poppy left behind. She sucked in a shaky breath. "Is she..." "She's gone," I confirmed.

She shook her head. "I can't believe I never guessed. Her last name is Grim."

"Figured it was fairytale related."

"Turns out, quite the opposite."

I laughed once without humor. "Yeah."

Eliza turned her entire body to face me. "Jake, you need to stay away from her."

I jerked back. "Don't have control of that."

"How many times have you seen her?"

"Why's it matter?"

She hit the table with her palm. "We may not have personally known any reapers until now, but we've been at SHAP for a decade. People only see reapers when they're about to die, Jake."

"If I'm about to die, avoiding Poppy isn't going to help," I countered. "She's not the one who's going to kill me."

"Dammit, Jake," she hit the table again. "Take this seriously!"

"We cannot predict or stop death. We know that better than most. Poppy would tell me if I was in danger. She said I wasn't on her list and I trust her."

"How many times have you seen her then?" she asked again.

"Two and a half."

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head in confusion. "A half?"

"She dropped something at my last crime scene. I found it on the floor. I didn't see her, just something of hers."

"And the other two?"

"Beth and Isaac's wedding and tonight."

She tapped my upper arm with the back of her hand. "You saw her yesterday and you didn't tell me?"

"To avoid you overreacting." I flinched even as I said it. Foot in mouth.

"Why is it that men always say women overreact when they used to have duels and start wars?"

"You read too many historical romances. And you are overreacting."

She held up her hand. "First of all, no such thing. I'm allowed to experience my emotions. Second of all, you want to talk about overreacting, Mr. Searching My Closet?" "Calm down-"

"Calm down? Really?" She growled. "Men make me argh!"

"Good thing you also like women," I teased, trying to break the tension.

She just glared at me. "You know the rules. Reapers are a class-D supernatural."

I threw my hands up. "I don't think she's hanging around to compromise any top-secret investigations. She's not moving in with me. SHAP's class system doesn't apply to this situation."

She leaned closer. "Someone catches wind you're friends with a reaper and reports it? You're out as Daisy's mentor. They'll never let you do it in any official capacity."

I knew she was right, but it didn't make her warning any easier to take. "I'd never let that happen."

"Poppy deals in death, Jacob Michael Robinson. She's not the sixteen-year-old girl we used to know, okay? Don't let your nostalgia blind you."

"You're turning into your mother, Eliza Barbie Robinson."

She play-shoved my shoulder. "Go away. You're annoying and need sleep. In fact, you could just stay here. I'll sleep with Daisy and you can have my bed."

"I have a ghost who'll worry if I don't make it home. I'll be okay." I pushed myself up from the table, my body slowly unfolding. I wished I could just replace my entire leg. Didn't matter with what-Legos were fine. "Skip Magnolia's choir concert tomorrow and rest," Eliza ordered.

I swore. I had completely forgotten. "I promised Magnolia I'd be there. She's singing a solo."

"I'll record it. I have a fancy-ass phone." She tapped her phone on the table.

"I promised."

"You know, things like boundaries exist."

"Family first." I picked up my plate from the table. "I'll sleep tonight. I'll be okay."

She grabbed my plate and set it back on the table. "I'll clean up. Go away." She stood and wrapped me in a hug. "Text when you get home."

I kissed the top of her head. "Will do." I walked over to the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. "See you tomorrow."

Daisy ran at me and hugged me around my middle, then ran back to the television without turning her head away from the screen. Impressive. As I turned to leave, my phone buzzed.

I shouldn't have said I'd sleep tonight out loud. The universe was always listening. With a practiced smile, I followed Eliza to the door and made it to my car before reading a text from Mina.

Mina: Belphegor is stuck in the elevator shaft trying to fix it again. U around?

God, the Countryside Village Apartments had a shit landlord. It was why I lived in a condo across town. I sat heavily in my car and leaned my head back on the headrest. One slow blink, then a second. It would be so easy to go home and let the slow blinks turn into no blinks. One long sleep and I'd feel like a person again.

Mina: OMG. George just grabbed his toolbox. Reggie's trying to stall him.

I tossed the phone onto the dash in frustration. George Andrews was one of Mina's neighbors, well into his retirement, who wanted to fix everything. His failing eyesight and lack of flexibility, however, had caused him to get seriously injured the last time he had attempted a repair. Belphegor, a close friend of the Andrews and the only demon allowed in Applechester, had taken pains to repair everything possible before George could hurt himself anymore.

He wouldn't give up if Belphegor was in trouble. "Dammit!" I knew it wasn't Mina's fault, but I was so tired and so tired of being in pain, that I'd blame a pebble if it got into my shoe.

Jake: Be there in 20.

It was going to be a long night.

Everything hurt worse when I didn't sleep enough, but I couldn't sleep when my pain was bad anyway. A terrible cycle usually solved by the good pain beds I kept in my nightstand. I had popped one of the few remaining pills, but with only four hours between the moment my head hit the pillow to when my alarm went off, it wasn't enough time to recover.

If seeing Poppy really meant I was going to die soon, I didn't want to waste a single moment sleeping anyway. I sat on the edge of my bed for a long time, slow blinks and big breaths racking my body. My eyes watered from exhaustion and my head felt like it was floating.

Sebastian knocked and leaned through the door. "Forgive me for overstepping, but you haven't rested in days."

I grunted. I didn't have the energy to respond aloud. Full day of work, then Magnolia's concert, then hopefully sleep. "Jacob, you need more rest."

"I just woke up from resting," I defended, my words like marbles in my mouth. Had I even remembered to brush my teeth last night? I lifted my hand to wipe my mouth and sucked in a sharp breath through my nose at the pain in my arm. I looked down at my forearm, where medical tape and gauze covered a scrape. Ah, I'd forgotten. It had taken a few hours to get Belphegor out of the elevator. My arm and Belphegor's sweater sleeve had paid the price.

Luckily Mina had a first aid kit for me, and Amber Andrews, George's spouse, who'd originally knitted Belphegor's sweater, knew how to fix the hole in his sleeve. Then she insisted on helping me fix my triangle scarf while Belphegor and Mina got into a heated argument over whether knitting or crocheting was easier. As neither of them crafted, my ears were ringing for no reason. I hadn't made it to my bed until almost three this morning. Sebastian crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Jake, I'm sure if you take a sick day-"

"Duty comes first, end of story."

"You need to come first."

"I always keep my word." We both looked over at the letter from my mom that was framed and hung on my wall. Every SHAP agent had a box with their will and letters to be given to loved ones in case of their death. My dad was in human resources at a human company, but my mom had been a SHAP agent like her parents.

I made it a point to call my grandma every few weeks, especially since she had so many stories of my mom. It was nice to get to know Mom through the memories. Combined with the letter Mom left me, I had gotten to know the woman who had given her life to save someone else.

I could recite her note by memory, a list of life lessons she couldn't personally teach. SPEAK UP WHEN SOMETHING'S WRONG. CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF. IF YOU CAN HELP, DO IT. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR WORD. SOMETIMES FAMILY ISN'T BLOOD BUT LOVE...

I hadn't spoken up loud enough when Poppy had confessed she was moving. I'd known something bigger was wrong, but I was too afraid to bring it up to my parents. I hadn't wanted to ruin their day.

Would me saying something have changed her future? Could I have prevented her death? Would we have at least been allowed to say good-bye?

My phone vibrated with a text.

Eliza: You didn't text me when you got home.

Jake: Had to work. You were sleeping.

Eliza: I'm going to kick your left knee if you show up to the concert.

I sighed, locked my cell, and pushed myself off the bed with a groan. I felt like rusted metal on a cold day. Coffee, then shower.

After filling my coffee pot, I limped to the shower and turned it on, and stopped to stare at myself in the mirror. I looked and felt like I hadn't slept in a week. Was this what would kill me? Pure exhaustion?

I glanced at the sink, which had a glob of toothpaste in the bowl and some beard trimming near the faucet. That was unacceptable. I reached into the lower cabinet and pulled out my homemade cleaning solution, sprayed down the sink and the toilet, and wiped it clean with a microfiber cloth. The floor really needed a cleaning, but there was no way I could manage that today.

My phone alarm went off, reminding me I had to leave in fifteen minutes. "Hey, Sebastian?" I shouted.

"Yes?" he responded, putting his head through the door.

"If I'm not out in five minutes, make sure I didn't fall asleep."