Chapter 13

Early the next morning, I woke to the sound of Caleb leaving. A wave of relieve washed over me as I realized that was my chance of getting ready and out of here before he could return. After what happened last night, I really didn’t want to deal with him again.

I slowly opened the bedroom door, poking my head outside; to be sure, that Caleb had really gone. When there was no sign of him, I sauntered out of the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom.

I flipped on the light switch, realizing that in the whole eighteen hours that I had been at Caleb’s house that I hadn’t even bothered to use the bathroom. The sight astounded me.

It was complete with a two-headed shower, a gray granite sink, decorative mirrors that lined three of the four walls, and another Jacuzzi that sat in the back corner. The glass on the shower was crystal clear and looked as if it were brand new. It was incredibly beautiful and over the top. This is crazy!

I tiredly stared at my reflection in the mirror and frowned. Pulling my eyes away from the mirror, I slowly let out a deep breath and leaned into the sink for support. I still felt a little weak from my lack of sleep and was finding it hard to function right.

Turning on the faucet, I ran my hands through the frigid water and splashed it over my heated face. Even though it was cool in Caleb’s house, I still managed to sweat through the whole night. My skin felt hot and my stomach felt ill.

After quickly showering and dressing, I threw on my leather boots and wandered into the living room. I looked around for a few moments before sighing and walking toward the couch.

I got ready to take a seat, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed something sticking out from under the far left corner of the couch. I mindlessly bent down to reach for what appeared to be some kind of tin tray, but quickly realized that I really had no right to go through his things. I didn’t want him in my business so I certainly had no right to be in his.

Taking a deep breath, I reached for my phone and called for a taxi. As usual, they had a free driver and said that they would send one right away.

I would have at least ten minutes before the taxi would arrive and my curiosity was starting to get the best of me. As hard as I fought it, a part of me believed that there was more to Caleb than he had led on. The strange way that he acted around Kat made me nervous.

I steadily made my way back over to the couch and bent down to reach for the tray. Once my hand reached the tray, I paused for a moment to look around, even though I knew that Caleb wasn’t even home.

I carefully started sliding it toward me when suddenly I was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. I quickly pushed it back under the couch.

Caleb stared over at me, eyes wide, as he slammed the door behind him. He hastily made his way over to stand in front of me. "Avery," he hissed.  "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't go through my personal things when I'm gone."

He leaned above me and pulled my hand away from the tray, his heavy breathing brushing against my ear. "I think I hear your taxi outside. You should hurry," he said stiffly.

I pushed myself back to my feet while looking Caleb in the eye. The look on his face was scared, but vicious. I didn't like it. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't think it was such a big deal. I just thought it was garbage or something."

Caleb nodded his head, reached over to the couch, and grabbed the strap of my purse. His hand shook as he held it out to me with an apologetic smile. "I'll see you when you get back. Good luck on your search."

I grabbed my purse from out of his loose grip and threw it over my right shoulder. Then I turned and faced the door. “Thanks," I said. I gave him one last look before hurrying outside.

The taxi sat outside just as Caleb said. When I approached it, I noticed that it was a different driver. One that I had never seen before.

Sighing, I hopped into the cozy backseat of the taxi and closed the door. I just didn’t have the energy to deal with anything and didn't have much hope in finding a job.

A young man, maybe in his mid-twenties, turned around, placing his arm over the leather seat. He had light chocolate skin and big hazel eyes that seemed friendly and outgoing. He flashed me a carefree smile and lifted an eyebrow. “Where to?”

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 taxi, 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.…