I leaned into the leather seat and threw my purse down next to me. That was when I realized that I had no idea where to even start. "I'm actually not quite sure where I'm headed yet." I frowned and looked out the window.
The driver laughed, causing me to look up at him. He didn’t seem annoyed one bit by the situation. In fact, he looked amused. “Maybe I can help.” He grinned.
I smiled back feeling a bit relieved. Other drivers had given me hard times in the past, and I didn’t expect this one to be so understanding. “I’m looking for a new job.” I looked up into his bright eyes and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. “Preferably a diner.”
He smiled wider, if that was even possible, and shifted the car into drive. “Cool. Cool. I have a few ideas.”
I exhaled and leaned back into the seat. “That’s great. Thank you.”
After a few minutes of driving, the driver suddenly pressed on the brakes and peered over his shoulder. I sat up, wondering what he was doing.
“Damn! I just remembered that I have a good friend that owns a diner. I could take you there if you’d like. We haven’t spoken in a few months, but we’re pretty close.”
Feeling a bit of hope, I leaned forward in my seat and gripped the back of the driver’s seat. If he had a friend with a diner, there would be a good chance that he could talk the person into giving me a job. "That sounds great... um… what's your name?"
"Dexter, but you can call me Dex." He smiled sweetly before pressing on the gas and taking off again.
"Alright, Dex. Tell me about this friend with a diner.”
Dex looked at me through the rearview mirror and popped a fry into his mouth. "To be honest I have no idea how the business is going, but he's got a little diner called The Indy Go. I promise that it's-"
"No," I blurted and the car went silent. I shifted in my seat a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I appreciate your help, but can we go somewhere else?"
My heart instantly started pounding in my chest and suddenly it was hard to breathe. Out of all of the people in the world, he just had to be friends with Jace.
Dex looked a little perplexed as he scratched the top his head and pulled into a small parking lot outside of a diner called Jan's Place. He shifted the car into park and leaned back to look at me. "Don't worry. I won't even ask what that was about…" He trailed off, looking out the window. “What’s your name?”
"Avery," I said softly. “And thanks for not asking.” I blew out a breath of relief.
"Avery. It's none of my business. I'm just here to help with whatever you may need," he said, matter-of-factly. "Good luck in there. I'll be out here waiting."
I nodded my head in understanding and stepped out of the taxi.
Finally, someone out there didn't ask too many questions. Everyone else in my life seemed to pry into my personal space. Stacy, Winston, Maple and even Jace.
Oh god! The thought of them brought a pain to my chest. My heart sank when I realized that I actually for once in my life had people that cared. I had Jace, Stacy, Winston and Maple. I had them all and I walked out on them.
I stumbled gripping onto the door of the diner for support. My whole body felt weak as my head spun. I hadn't even realized until then that I actually had a decent life for the first time ever and I blew it. Those people were there when I needed them and they never once judged me. People that I had known for just five short weeks cared more about me than my family ever did or could have.
I leaned against the glass door of the diner with my head in my hands, trying to pull myself together. I had too many thoughts running through my head and I had no idea what to do with them all.
I had spent the last fourteen months running from my parents and just when I thought I was in the clear, Aunt Pam showed up to ruin that. That stupid, vile bitch.
"Avery… Avery."
I snapped out of my thoughts to see Dex standing outside of the taxi with his arms crossed over his chest. He stood six feet tall with a lanky build. The look on his face was friendly, but concerned. "Are you alright?"
I shook my head and steadied myself back to my feet. I didn’t want him knowing that I was having a nervous breakdown. I needed to be strong and show the world that I could make it on my own.
"Yes," I said smoothly, trying to sound rational. "I was just trying to figure out what I was going to say to help me get the job. Thank you." I grinned.
Dex nodded his head, looking a bit skeptical. "Good." He smiled. “Just checking.”
He gave me a supportive smile as I opened the door to the diner and slipped inside. The poorly lit diner smelled of cheese and garlic, making my stomach growl as I glanced around.
The inside was a lot smaller than the outside and it held six tables that seated four people each. The small tables, which were covered with brown cloths, had one candle burning in the middle of each one, giving off a small lighting.
The whole diner was empty except for one table that had an elderly couple sharing a small pizza. The couple glanced up, smiled and returned to eating.
I jumped back when a hand suddenly gripped my shoulder. "Holy…!"
"Take it easy child."
A small elderly woman that stood about four foot nine, stood behind me with a tired smile on her aged face. Her red hair was tightly pulled back into a bun and she wore a long black dress with a brown apron over it. She looked a little lost as if she had trouble getting by on her own.
"You look familiar." I was a little surprised at first, but finally put it together. "Ahh."
Jan's Place. It was the rude old lady from Jace's diner.
My heart sped up and I lost all hope. She was a bitter old lady. I doubted that she wanted help from anyone.
She walked around me before taking a seat on a half broken stool. " What do you want? Some pizza?"
I shook my head, trying to decide whether to even bother. What choice did I really have? "I'm looking for a job."
She gave me a stern look. "You have one."
"Not anymore. I need a new one and fast. Things are complicated and -"
"Have you ever cooked a pizza before?" she cut in, studying my face.
I stopped playing with my purse and a nervous smile crossed my face. "I haven't, but I am willing to learn."
She stared with curious eyes, before speaking. "I suppose I could use a young woman like you a few days a week. My hands are getting a bit fragile and it makes it hard for me to do it all on my own. It really pisses me off.”
She nodded and waved for me to follow her to the back of the diner. "Don't just stand there. Come."
I followed close behind, but still kept my distance. She'd probably snap my head off if I were to step on her.
We stepped into a tiny kitchen and Jan pointed over at the oven. It was large and stained with food. Most likely pizza sauce. "There's your new oven. Don't burn yourself. It hurts like a bitch."
My face lit up. Even though she wouldn't be very pleasant to work with, anything would be better than staying with Caleb. “I get the job?”
Jan smiled weakly and waved her arms in front of her. “If you think you can handle it.” She coughed and walked back toward the dining area. “You can, right?”
I raised my head and followed behind her, nearly stepping on her heels. I was excited, eager, and almost wanted to hug her. “Of course I can.”
I stared out into the orange and red dining area, lost in thought, until she gently placed her hand on my shoulder. "I don't have a lot that I can offer you, but I would like you here on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays from ten o’clock a.m. until around six o’clock p.m. Those are the busiest days and hours so you better move that tushy fast."
I nodded my head in agreement and brushed my hair behind my ear. Three days a week wouldn't be much, but it was a start and possibly enough to get me on my feet until I could find more. "That works just fine with me. Thank you." I turned on my heels and headed out the door with a satisfied grin.
Dex sat calmly on the trunk of the t
axi, with his phone in his hands. He looked pretty into whatever he was doing and didn't seem to notice me.
I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder with a smile. He jumped back, startled, almost dropping his phone out of his hand.
“Shit!” He laughed. “You scared the crap out of me. How did it go?” he asked, jumping off the trunk and sliding to his feet. He somehow managed to make it look smooth.
I laughed at the cheesy look on his face and followed him over to the backseat of the taxi. I smiled up at him as he opened the door for me to get in. “I got the job.”
He placed his hand on the small of my back and helped me into the taxi. He looked down at me and smiled his eyes bright with joy. “Hell yeah! That’s great. When do you start?”
I waited as he hurried to get back into the taxi before replying.
"Monday," I replied. "She said that she really only needs me on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays. It's not exactly what I was looking for, but it works for now. I really need to find an apartment now and I'll be set."
Dex looked back at me and gave me a cocky smile. He had a nice smile and his face was pretty easy on the eyes.
"What?" I questioned, as he kept looking at me.
"I think that I can be of some help there was well," he said with confidence. “
Taking a deep breath, I leaned into the seat and closed my eyes. "Take me anywhere you have in mind. It would be nice if it is closer to Jan's though."
"Sure thing."
Dex took me around to a few places, but they were either too expensive or already taken. After about two hours of searching, we stopped by a little duplex about five minutes away from Jace's house. Being so close to Jace had me feeling nervous and sick to my stomach.
The nice man who owned the place showed me around the cute little one bedroom place, but then informed me that the place wouldn't be ready for another week. He said that he would give me two days to think about it and then he was going to give it to the next person that showed interest. I really had a lot to think about.
After getting back into the taxi, I asked Dex to take me to one last place. It was the middle of the day and I was pretty positive that Jace would be at the diner, still.
"I need you to take me by Jace's house. I need to grab a few things."
Dex gave me a surprised look, but took off toward Jace's house anyways. "Did you live with Jace?" he questioned.
Biting my lip, I nervously twirled my hair around my finger. "Yeah. I'm moving out though. I will only be a few minutes. I just need to grab a few things."
My heart sank to my stomach as we pulled into Jace's driveway. His car was gone as I expected. "Thanks, Dex. I'll be right back."
Dex gave me a worried look as he watched me get out of the taxi and walk into the house.
The smell of Jace's body Old Spice body wash hit me as soon as I stepped into the door. The smell was so sweet and familiar that it made me want to just crawl into my old bed and fall asleep. I closed my eyes and sniffed the air, before running to my old room to pack.
After grabbing a bag full of my things, I walked into the living room and stared down at the leather couch. That was the first place that I fell asleep in Jace's arms and slept the whole way through. That was a very important moment to me and one that I would never be able to forget. It was one of my first happy memories.
Just as I was walking back out the door I noticed a new picture hanging on the wall. It was small and hard to see so I walked over to the wall to look.
A wave of sadness washed over me as I took in the sight of Jace and me in his car. It was taken the night that he took me bowling. We were both laughing as Jace pretended to lick my face.
He had snapped the picture of us in the car on the way home. It came out a bit blurry, but looked rather nice. Dammit, Jace. What are you thinking?
A flood of tears ran down my cheeks as I stepped outside into the cool air and slammed the door behind me. My first thought was to fall to the ground and curl up, but instead I reached up with my free hand to wipe the tears away.
I couldn't let Dex see me crying after just leaving Jace's house. I wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea.
As I opened the door to the taxi Dex quickly fumbled with his phone until he finally dropped it down in his lap. He looked up with a guilty look, but quickly covered it with a smile. "Ready to go?"
I hesitated whether or not to ask him what he was doing, but decided against it, jumping back into the safety of the taxi. "Yeah. I just need to get out of here."
I can't let Jace find me looking so weak....
Chapter 13
He stared me in the eye, walked me backwards, and softly pushed me onto the edge of my bed. He slowly laid down on top of me, spreading my legs, as he rubbed his hand up my right arm.
The feel of him sent a shiver up my spine and caused my legs to shake as he placed his body between my open legs. His jaw clenched as he leaned in, placing his lips back to mine.
His body pressed into me even more, causing us both to moan into each other’s mouths. Then with shaky hands, he reached under my skirt and gripped my thong in his hand. "I want you so bad," he whispered.
"Shit!"
I sat up in Caleb's bed and threw my hands over my sweaty face. It was then that I realized just how rapidly my heart was beating. It always managed to beat that way whenever I thought about Jace and only then.
Slowly placing my feet on the floor, I pushed myself out of the bed and reached over to the table in search of my ponytail holder. I threw my hair up so that it was out of my sticky face and quietly crept over to the door. I was surprised when I heard not only Caleb's voice, but also the voice of another man. It had to of been at least four o'clock a.m.
I carefully pressed my face against the door, being sure to be as quiet as possible and took a deep breath. The other voice sounded angry, almost enough to scare me.
"I told you that you had one week. One fucking week." The other man growled.
"And I will have it in two days." Caleb paused for a moment and I leaned further into the door. "I ran into a little difficultly, but it will be taken care of soon. Trust me."
It was silent for a moment before the other voice spoke. When he did, it sent chills down my spine.
"It better be. I'll be back in two days. Two days," he hissed. "If your little problem isn't taken care of, then I will take care of it myself."
I pressed my body against the door and waited for what sounded like the front door opening and then closing. Then I shook off the chill of the conversation and pulled open the door to let myself out. As much as I didn't want to see Caleb, I really had to use the bathroom and knew that I couldn't wait much longer.
Caleb was pacing the kitchen as I stepped out and carefully shut the door behind me. I tried my best to creep down the hall unnoticed, but was unsuccessful. Caleb's voice stopped me dead in my tracks.
"Avery."
I turned on my heels, but kept my head down toward the hardwood flooring. I couldn't bear to look Caleb in the eye at the moment.
Truthfully, I almost felt scared. Scared of what Caleb would do if he knew that I overheard his conversation. "I'm just using the bathroom, Caleb."
The room was silent as I waited for Caleb to respond.
"Look. Whatever it is that you heard-"
"I didn't hear anything. I don't know what you're talking about." I ran my hand through my hair and yawned. "I just woke up because I had to use the bathroom."
Without another word, I took off down the hall and closed myself inside the bathroom. My head was still spinning from the conversation and I had no idea what the two of them were even talking about. Could it of been possible that he meant me? "No," I mumbled to myself, not wanting to believe it.
I leaned into the sink and took a few deep breaths. Finally, I understood why I always said no to Caleb when he wanted me to stay at his house. I always knew there was something a little off about him. He always took it so well that I wanted nothing mo
re than a sexual relationship from him, but there was always that look in his eyes that said he wanted to do something about it.
I waited for a few minutes before I left the bathroom in hopes that Caleb would go to bed so that I wouldn't have to see him again for the night. I had nothing to say to him. All that I wanted was to make it through the night so that I could wake up early and go looking for an apartment.
To my luck, the kitchen was empty, meaning that Caleb must've decided to go to bed.
I walked quietly into the bedroom and shut the door behind me. I got ready to walk over to the bed when I noticed a shadow in the corner of the dim room. I jumped.
"Caleb," I muttered, scared half to death.
I blindly reached over and flipped on the switch to see Caleb leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his bare chest. He gave me a friendly smile and walked over to stand at the foot of the bed.
"I just thought maybe you could use some company." He pointed down at the bed and grinned. "Come here. I'm not really tired and the couch is a little stiff." He rolled his shoulder as if it hurt.
The thought of Caleb in bed with me angered me. I didn't want to be anywhere near him.
"No," I said firmly. "If you want to take your bed back then you can. I don't think I can sleep anymore tonight anyways." I reached for my leather jacket and slipped it on.
Caleb hurried over and reached for my purse at the same time as I did. "Where are you going?" He kept his eyes on mine, not loosening his grip on my purse.
I snatched my purse from out of his hand and threw it over my shoulder. I didn't have to explain myself to him and I wouldn't. "I'll just be back," I muttered.
His eyes studied my every movement, sending chills up my spine as I opened the door and dashed through the house to get outside and into the early morning air.
It was still dark outside, but somehow I managed to feel safer outside than I did inside the house with Caleb. I had to get out of there and fast.
Wake Up Call Page 17
