â been waiting long? âÂ
 were the first words out of silasâ mouth as he stepped up the small steps leading to his store, a strong brow raised as he took in the appearance of the person standing there. usually he kept the doors unlocked and wide open during the day so people could come and go as they pleased, but considering he was the only one manning the store that day, he decided to lock up for a little bit. he just didnât trust anyone in this town enough to leave it unlocked and empty, even for fifteen minutes while he went to see to something at the bank.
   â unless youâre not wanting in here, in which case iâd have to ask you to stop loitering in front of my shop. â he requested as he unlocked the tall doors, making a mental note to clean the panes of glass as he pushed them open and walked in, not bothering to listen too closely to figure out if the figure had followed in or not.Â
  Unfortunately for Jesse, he recognized the voice vaguely. A faded husk of a memory came to his mind, and the more he thought, the more he remembered the man who was currently opening the shop doors. By some miracle, maybe the shade that obscured his face, or memories lost to time, or even otherâs preoccupation with unlocking the tall doors, he wasnât immediately recognized. He coughed, voice scratchy when he replied, âAh, itâs... Not long.âÂ
  He didnât respond to the question, his answer instead was his hesitant footsteps after Silas. Silas. Well, he canât say he expected this. In fact, he was sure of the opposite of this happening. He stared after him, confused, then casually made his way to the farthest corner of the store, hoping the distance would impede the otherâs ability to identify him.Â
  While he didnât not wish to see Silas, he didnât plan on meeting Silas here. Or ever again. Actually, to be frank, he hoped he wouldnât run into him ever again. Not due to any animosity, but because... thatâs how it was. That was normal and how he liked it. But now, his chances of getting out of this interaction were slim to none, he figured as he dawdled at the back of the store, not to mention he didnât look like an upstanding character. The growing discomfort of this situation was irritating, and he did need to buy things. Bracing himself to buy then get the hell out of dodge, he sought out the horse feed he needed.Â
  .... And couldnât see it. He stepped into a slightly more visible area.Â
  âWhere do yâall keep the horse feed?âÂ