Authors: Amber Garza
SEVEN
PAIGE
I
hate working the morning shift. Sure it’s nice to have my evenings free, but I’m so not a morning person, therefore when I have to get up at five A.M, I’m pretty much the biggest grouch on the planet. Ask my parents.
After pulling my hair back into a messy bun, I don my fake glasses, slip on a pair of flats and head out into the crisp morning air. That’s the only good thing about early mornings. It’s cool. By this afternoon it’s supposed to be at least a hundred. My purse thumps against my hip as I hurry to my small car. My skirt swims around my legs, and my large earrings tinkle with each movement. Accessories are my friend. I almost never go anywhere without bracelets riding up my arm and earrings lining my ears. It makes me feel like me, I guess. I like being different. The worst thing in the world would be to fit in, to look like everyone else. Ever since my talk with Colt, I can’t get his words out of my head.
Plastic people.
That’s exactly what I don’t want to be. I don’t want to fit into anyone else’s mold.
The sky is light, the sun fuzzy around the edges when I pull into the parking lot of the coffee shop. I step out of my car, eerie silence surrounding me. Jon’s car is already here, and my stomach clenches. I thought I was working with Eric this morning. Not that I like him very much either, but he’s better than Jon. He is a little bit of flake though, so I’m not surprised he isn’t here.
I push open the glass door with the palm of my hand and step inside. The familiar aroma of coffee beans wafts over me. Jon turns from where is stocking the shelves. “Hey. Eric called in, so I’m training the new guy.”
New guy, huh?
Hope stirs. Maybe he’ll be more fun than Jon and Eric. It would be cool to work with someone I enjoyed being with for a change. “Okay. I’m just going to grab my apron.” I head into the back room, and grab my apron off the hook. As I’m tying it around my middle, a guy appears in front of me. I glance up, my gaze colliding with Colt’s. My heart leaps into my throat, making it hard to breathe. I step backward, slamming my head into the wall.
“What are you doing in here?”
“I work here.” It’s then that I notice his apron matches mine. He’s not wearing his lip, ring and his hair is combed neatly. It looks funny on him.
“You’re the new guy?” I am dumbfounded.
“Yep.” He tosses me a smile, and my palms fill with moisture. It’s quite possibly the sexiest smile I’ve ever seen.
“But…does Bud know?
I mean, about the other night? Have the cops talked to you?”
His eyes darken. “I had nothing to do with the other night. And no, the cops haven’t talked to me, but when they do I’ll prove my innocence.” He looks irritated. “I thought we moved past this.”
Shame burns through me. “We have. I’m sorry. I’m just…you know…surprised. I didn’t realize you wanted to work here.”
“I didn’t.” He moves in close to me. So close his breath fans over my face.
“Until I met you.”
When he exits the back
room, I clutch my chest feeling the frantic thumping of my pulse. I take deep breaths to calm my body down, but every time I get it settled I remember the way it felt when his face neared mine. After a few minutes I realize it’s a losing battle. This guy makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. The problem is that I can’t figure out if that’s a good or bad thing.
My shift flies by. Morning shifts always do. It’s our busiest time. Colt seems to be getting the hang of things. He’s mostly been occupied by Jon, even though I do keep catching him staring at me. It shouldn’t make me as giddy as it does. When the morning rush subsides, I leave the counter to wash off the tables. As I wipe down a table with a wet rag, I feel someone beside me. I look up to find Colt staring down at me, wearing a heart stopping grin.
“Jon is taking a break. He said you could show me how to clean the tables.” He cocks a brow
, and it’s so hot it makes my stomach roll. “It sounds like a pretty tough job, so I plan to pay close attention.”
I giggle.
“Yeah. There really is a science to wiping down a table with a rag. You have to be pretty smart to figure it out.”
“So, Jon’s not good at it. Is that what you’re saying?”
The giggle turns into a flown blown laugh now. “When you’re the owner’s son, you don’t have to clean the tables.”
“Ah.” His eyes shine. “That makes sense. I thought they looked alike.”
“Jon is pretty much just a younger version of Bud, that’s for sure,” I concede, running the rag over a small round table. The light pours in from the windows, making every swirl of the rag visible on the slick surface.
“You
’re really good at that.” Colt leans over the table, bending down until his face is inches from mine. “You’ve been cleaning tables awhile, haven’t you?” There is a teasing gleam in his eye.
“Since I was little,” I counter.
“You?”
Something flickers over his face and our teasing moment is broken.
“Yeah.” He clears his throat, pushing off the table and standing up straight.
“
Wanna try?” I thrust the rag into his hand. “Since I’m supposed to be training you.”
He shrugs, palming the towel. “I suppose I could give it a shot.”
I watch him swirl the rag over a dirty table. The muscles on his arms bulge with each movement. I’m not sure what he did prior to working here, but he’s definitely built.
“How was that?” He breaks into my staring, and I feel a little embarrassed.
“It’ll do,” I joke.
“Oh
, really?” He glances from the table I cleaned to the one he just finished. “I think mine looks better than yours.”
“I beg to differ,” I say, a light chuckle under my words.
“Take it back.” He rolls the towel in his hands, snapping it out like he’s trying to hit me with it.
“No.” I cross my arms over my chest, an amused smile on my face.
“I’m giving you one last chance.” He holds the rolled up towel between both hands.
I bite my lip to keep from squealing
, and shake my head.
He releases his tight grip on the
towel and it snaps near my leg, but misses me. I hop away and he leaps forward. A giggle escapes from between my lips.
“What is going on out here?” Jon’s voice stops us.
We both freeze. Colt wears a guilty expression. He hides the offending towel behind his back.
“Sorry,” I say. “It’s my fault. I’m not sure I was the right person to train him on cleaning the tables. I haven’t quite mastered that skill yet.”
Colt snorts beside me, and I toss him a stern look. He presses his lips together and stares hard at his feet while trying to gain composure. Jon doesn’t look amused, but he just nods as the bell on the door dings.
“Saved by the bell,” I mutter under my breath to Colt, as I take off toward the register. Just as I reach it, I see Colt watching me wearing a grin on his face. It’s the happiest I’ve seen him since we met.
“
You walking home?” I catch Colt heading out of the parking lot on foot after our shift is over.
He nods, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Wanna ride?” The minute the words leave my mouth, I regret them. I mean, what if he’s some serial rapist or something? This is the first time I’ve offered a stranger a ride. Then again, he’s not exactly a stranger. I mean, I’ve had two conversations with him, and I spent all day at work with him.
“Sure,” he says.
“Okay.” I push down the nagging doubts, and head to my car. After unlocking the doors, Colt opens the passenger door and hops inside. I slide in next to him, ignoring how much my hands tremble as I turn on the car. I’ve never been this nervous around a guy before. Maybe because I’ve never been around a guy who looks like Colt.
“Have you worked at
Bud’s
for long?” Colt asks as I pull out of the parking lot.
“Only about a month
.” I glance over at him. “Which way?”
“Oh.
Left.”
I take the turn.
“Do you like it?”
I shrug. “It’s cool. I mean, Jon’s a total jerk, but Bud’s nice. And as long as Bud likes you, then you’re golden. Jon thinks he has so much control, but he doesn’t have any.”
“Good to know,” Colt says.
I stare forward. “You can wear your piercings, by the way. Bud doesn’t care.”
“Cool. Yeah, I felt a little naked without them.”
The words draw an image in my mind that I should not be thinking. I swallow hard. “And you don’t have to fix your hair like a five
-year-old boy.”
Colt guffaws. “Is that what you think? That I look like a five
-year-old boy today?”
“Truthfully?
A little.”
“Point taken.”
When I glance over at him, he’s smiling again
, and my heart skips a beat.
“Turn right here.” He points forward.
I take the turn. “You live in the older part of town, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“I love it over here. It has a lot more character than the newer areas. When did you move here?”
“Um….just a couple of weeks ago.
This is my house right here.” He indicates a small home with a tidy yard and a few potted plants lining the porch.
I pull up along the curb. The minute I do, he reaches for the door handle and pushes it open. “Thanks for the ride.” He doesn’t even look at me, as he closes the door and heads toward the house.
I stare at him, confused. One minute he seems so nice and the next he completely shuts down. It’s the strangest thing. As I drive away from his house, I wonder if Colt will always be a mystery to me.
EIGHT
COLT
“H
ow was your first day of work?” Aunt Callie asks the minute I step inside the house.
“Good.” I kick off my shoes near the door and then step into the family room where Aunt Callie sits on the couch, wearing sweats, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.
It’s quiet. Too quiet. I glance around, panic taking root in my stomach. “Where are Zander and Bristol?”
“They’re napping
.” Her blue eyes crinkle. “They’re fine, Colt.”
I nod, allowing my chest to expand as I exhale. Then I sink down onto the couch next to her. The scent of coffee beans clings to my skin. It’s foreign and reminds me of how much I’m changing here.
“You don’t need to worry about them so much. You’re only a teenager yourself,” Callie says softly, her hand dropping onto my arm.
I shake it off, not used to the affection. My skin crawls. “It’s fine. Not everyone gets a normal childhood, you know?”
“Yeah, I do.” And I know that Callie does. All too well. “But I’m not going to drop you guys. I’m here for you. You can trust me.”
I want to believe her, but I’ve heard it all before. Pushing myself off the couch, I stand up. I don’t want to sit here and let her plant seeds of hope in my heart. If I allow them to bloom, it’ll hurt worse when she lets me down. Better to not hope at all. “I’m beat. If the other kids ar
e napping, I think I'll take one too.”
She
nods, her face sad. She speaks when I reach the hallway. “Hey, Colt?”
I crane my neck.
“Yeah?”
“I’m proud of you.” She pauses, picking at a thread on the couch.
“Just thought you should know that.”
A lump rises in my throat, but I swallow it down. Nodding, I turn quickly and hurry down the hallway. I get to the room that I stay in and step inside. It’s not decorated, and it never will be. Decorating means staying, it means putting down roots, it means permanent. I won’t trick myself that way. Nowhere is permanent. Even though this room has a dresser, it’s empty. I keep my clothes in a bag. So when we do have to leave unexpectedly, it will be like I expected it all along.
Aunt Callie gave me my own room when we first moved in, saying that at my age I should have a space that’s all my own. I was so happy initially. It’s the first time I’ve had my own space, after all. Now I feel like it’s a curse. I never knew how great it was to have my own room. Now I do, so it’ll be harder to let it go. That’s another reason I don’t personalize anything in here.
I pull off my shirt and toss it in the hamper in the corner.
Then I lie on top of the bed. It’s too hot to put on the thick comforter, so I just lie on the top of the bed staring at the ceiling.
Paige’s face emerges in my mind. It was a mistake to let her drive me to Callie’s. Once we got here I realized how impractical this whole thing is. At
Bud’s,
there were moments when I foolishly imagined what it would be like to have a relationship with her. But when she pulled up here, it hit me how stupid and impractical I’m being. My life isn’t stable. I’m not the kind of guy who can have a normal relationship.
Sure, it might be fun to pretend I’m someone different than I am for a little while. But it won’t last. She’ll figure out who I really am. They all will. And then it will be over. The same way it always is, and I’ll be left to pick up the pieces the same way I always do.
It’s way too early to be up, and I wonder how long I’ll be able to keep up with these crazy work hours. I’m careful not to make any noise when I get ready. The kids and Aunt Callie are all sleeping and I don’t want to wake any of them, especially not Bristol. After putting my piercings
back in and slipping on my old pair of black Converse, I head outside.
I close the door and glance
up, my breath hitching in my throat. Paige’s car is parked along the curb and she stands outside, leaning against the side of it.
“Good morning.” She smiles, and I realize that her smile is becoming my favorite thing in the world.
“What are you doing here?” I run a hand over my messy hair, agitated.
“We were both on the schedule for this morning, so I thought I’d swing by and get you.
Unless you’d rather walk?” She shoves off her car, giving me a challenging look.
I laugh, realizing I’m being silly. It was a nice, friendly gesture. That’s all. “No. That’s cool.”
“That’s what I thought.” She skips around the side of the vehicle and slides in.
I follow suit. When I sit down her woodsy scent washes over me. “Thanks for doing this,” I say, still shocked by how kind she is.
“No problem. My best friend Hadley doesn’t have her own car either. I’ve been giving her rides everywhere for the past year. I don’t mind it.”
“And here I thought I was special.” I settle into the seat as she turns the engine. It rumbles to life. She clicks her seatbelt into place and then glances over at me, a question in her eyes.
“No seatbelt?”
I huff. “Call me a rebel.”
“Suit yourself, but once you’ve ridden with me a few more times you won’t be forgetting your seatbelt.”
“Is that a threat?”
“A warning.” A smile flickers over her lips as she pulls away from the curb.
“Are you trying to te
ll me you’re a bad driver?”
“According to Hadley I am.” She turns the corner, her gaze trained out the front window. I study her profile – her pert nose, her defined cheekbones, her long lashes.
“Maybe she’s wrong,” I offer.
Paige giggles. “Well, okay. The truth is she’s not the only one who thinks it
, even though I tell her she is. My parents think it, and so does my sister. And, okay, it may have taken me multiple tries to get my license.” She takes the next corner a little fast, and I grip the seat.
“
I’ll take my chances,” I say. I’ve been in very scary situations, so riding a few miles in the car with a girl who isn’t the best driver in the world doesn’t faze me in the least.
“How come you don’t have a car? Do you have to share with your mom or something? That’s what Hadley has to do.”
I shift in my seat. “Um…no. I live with my aunt.”
“Oh.” Paige is quiet for a minute. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Yeah.” A smile breaks out on my face. “Two. A younger brother Zander. He’s eight. And a baby sister Bristol. She’s a pain. Cries all the time. It’s a good thing she’s so damn cute.”
Paige smiles, glancing at me.
A car pulls out of a driveway in front of us, but she doesn’t notice it.
“Paige!”
“Shit.” She slams on her brakes. “See. This is what I was talking about.”
The car pulls out onto the street and drives in front of us. Paige lets her foot off the gas
, and we slowly drive forward.
“It might help if you kept your eyes on the road,” I say.
Her cheeks color slightly. “Now you sound like Hadley.”
“Is she like you?” I ask, curious about what kind of friends Paige has.
“What do you mean?” Paige peers over at me, her eyebrows knit together. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a splash of brake lights.
“Look forward,” I command
, rethinking my seatbelt situation. “Man, maybe we should talk after we get to work.”
Paige giggles, staring out the front window. “
You’re gonna be reaching for that seatbelt any minute, aren’t you?”
“You read my mind,” I say honestly.
“Okay, okay, I’ll focus. I won’t make you give up your rebel status,” she says. “You were asking if Hadley’s like me. That’s a tough one. In some ways we’re a lot alike, but for the most part we’re opposites. I mean, Hadley dresses kind of preppy. She’s quiet and unassuming. We like totally different music and movies.”
“What makes you friends then?” I’m totally confused.
The coffee shop comes into view. “Well, on the surface we’re nothing alike and our interests are different. But at the core of who we are, we’re exactly alike. We have the same morals, the same character, similar dreams. Honestly, I couldn’t have found a better best friend than her.”
I scratch the top of my arm, feeling super uncomfortable. A deep loneliness and longing sink into the pit of my stomach. I’ve never had anyone like that in my life. It seems so foreign to me, so
unattainable, really. Paige doesn’t realize how lucky she is.
“Here we are.” She cuts the engine and turns to me, her bright pink lips turned up at the edges.
“Ready for another exciting day?”
I nod. And the truth is
, I am ready. I don’t know how many days I have of this life, this one at Aunt Callie’s, this one that includes Paige. But while I have it, I’m going to enjoy every minute. I’m going to glean every ounce of happiness I can until it’s ripped away from me.