Jace looked down at my fork as I played with my steak. “Now eat.” He smiled before shoving his food in his mouth. He somehow even managed to make that look sexy.
After eating, Jace tossed a ten-dollar bill on the table for Maple. Then I pulled out a five -dollar bill and threw it down on the table as well. Jace smiled and placed the saltshaker down on top of the money. "That's nice of you," he said.
I just shook my head before following him to the car. Maple was a sweet woman and she deserved money for her hard work. In the whole time that I had known her, I had never seen her without a smile.
After arriving back to the house, we spent the next couple of hours cleaning the house and just hanging out. It was so different from what I was used to and it felt nice. We made some small talk but I still couldn’t manage to talk about my past or my family. It was my dark little secret. A monster inside of me that I didn’t want to release.
“Thank you for today.”
Jace looked up from the loveseat and nodded his head. “Don’t thank me. Just promise to do it again someday.”
I couldn’t help but to look at his arms as he stretched them out behind him. I remembered what it felt like being close to him and my heart flipped in my chest just thinking about being in his arms again. “I’ll think about it.” I smiled at Jace before heading to my room to be alone. I needed some thinking time. Some time to be alone.
It was my 16th birthday and I was about to go on my first date. I had been crushing on Nate since the fifth grade and I was so excited that he had finally asked me out. I put on my best dress and threw my hair up in a bun. I wanted him to like me as much as I had liked him.
After I was dressed, I looked over at the clock to check the time. "Shoot!" He would be arriving any minute now. I was so nervous. Even more nervous because both of my parents had been drinking.
My heart stopped and I froze when I heard a light knock on the door. I needed to get downstairs so I could answer it before my parents. I couldn't let them ruin my first date. I was half way down the stairs when suddenly I heard a loud bang on the wall and my father mumbling to himself. Shit!
My father had the door wide open and my mother was in the background in a T-shirt and underwear. Nate stood there with a worried look on his handsome face. His blue eyes, usually so bright, were now dull and full of regret.
"Kid, do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into," My father questioned. "Look at her." He motioned back to me as I walked up behind him. My whole body shook.
My mother leaned back in her chair and let out a devilish laugh. It sent chills down my arms. My father joined her in laughter and grabbed a hold of my hair. "She's not worth your time. She's not worth anyone’s time," he said spitting in Nate’s face. "Get out while you can. Run off kid."
I yanked my head away from my father’s grip and grabbed the door. "No!" I screamed. "Nate."
Nate took one look into my eyes and I could see the fear in them. He slowly turned away and walked down the sidewalk. My heart broke with every step that he took.
"Come back, please," I cried. He didn't stop or even bother to turn around. He just left. Left me alone and broken.
I felt the anger build up inside of me and I lost it. I wasn't thinking. "Dad!" I screamed. "I hate you both."
My dad looked at me with eyes of fire. He was going to rip my head off. I had never spoken to him like that before. Even my mother froze in her chair. "You, little bitch."
I took off running toward the stairs. My legs gave out and I knew that I was dead.
I sat up in bed screaming. My whole body covered with sweat, as the tears rolled down my face. I grabbed my hair and pulled it out of my face, while glancing up to see Jace standing in my doorway shirtless. The sight startled me.
He didn’t hesitate before running inside my room and sitting on the edge of my bed. "Avery, what's wrong?" he questioned while grabbing my face. His hands were soft and warm. “Tell me.”
I stared up at him unable to speak. I felt my whole body quake as I started crying even harder. "I…I-"
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled my head against his chest. "Shh! It's okay." He ran his strong hands over my head and face and placed his head on mine. "I'm here. It's okay," he whispered.
I sat there in his arms for what felt like forever. I didn’t want to move. It was starting to become a normal routine for us. I leaned closely against his chest as he comforted me with his soft touch.
When I was finally able to collect myself and gain control, I pulled away and looked up at him. "It was just a bad dream."
He looked down into my eyes and grabbed my face. "That was one hell of a dream then. You can tell me about it," he said softly. "Please.”
I turned my face away unable to look him in the eye. "It was just a bad memory. One that I would like to forget," I whispered. "My only boyfriend, he…" I stopped.
He pulled my face toward his and rubbed my cheek. "Did he hurt you?" he questioned, his voice shaking.
My legs started shaking as he rubbed my face. "Not him. My parents." I looked down at the ground in shame. "They told him that I wasn't worth his time. He was the only guy that I ever loved," I whispered.
He shook my shoulders and looked me in the eye. He looked angry. "You listen here, don't you ever believe that you're not worth loving. Anyone would have to be crazy to not love you." He turned his head away and clenched his jaw. "I mean…this guy must have just been crazy to not love you back. He was stupid."
He threw his arms around me not even giving me a chance to speak. He leaned back in the bed pulling me down with him. He pulled me into his body and wrapped me in his arms and close to his chest, his bare legs tangled around mine. "I'm going to stay in here with you until you can fall asleep."
I attempted to pull away to look at him. "I'm fine, Jace. Really, you don't have to," I said struggling.
He pulled me tighter and kissed the top of my head. Damn his lips are soft. "Your bed is more comfortable than mine and you need to learn to share." He laughed in my ear.
Chills ran down my body as his breath tickled my ear. "Well, I guess if you put it that way," I whispered and then turned around to face him. He had a way of making things not seem so bad. His humor made me smile to myself. “Don’t get too comfortable though.”
"Thanks," he said in relief. Then he brushed my hair out of my face, wiped my face off, and pressed his lips to my forehead. "Goodnight."
His warm skin brushed against mine and I suddenly felt naked in only my bra and panties. At the moment, I just didn't seem to care. The feel of his skin made me breathless. "Goodnight, Jace," I whispered.
His lips brushed my neck in response and I fell into him even more.
Chapter 8
I rolled over and stretched as my eyes wandered over the empty mattress next to me. The warmth from Jace’s body still lingered on the sheets as I reached over, rubbing a hand over the empty spot.
He stayed the whole night! I jumped up in a panic as I attempted to take in the thought of sleeping next to Jace or any man for that matter. Running my hands through my hair, I took a deep breath, and rolled over, burying my face into the pillow.
After climbing out of bed, I calmly gathered my clothing for work, and walked to the bathroom. There was no sign of Jace in sight, so I quickly closed the door behind me and turned the lock, being sure that Jace wouldn’t walk in on me, again. The bathroom quickly filled with steam as I stripped off my clothing and jumped into the shower water. The hot water felt nice on my cool skin, helping me to relax, as I fought to calm my racing nerves. I was a nervous wreck and relaxing was one of the many things that I needed to do.
After I showered and got dressed, I walked out into the living room to find Jace sitting in his black leather chair, his hair looking messy and uncombed. His eyes looked tired and strained as if he hadn’t slept all night.
"Umm…hi," I stammered. "Get much sleep last night?" I walked over, reached for my jacket, and slipped it on. Then I
pulled the ponytail holder from off my wrist and threw my hair up so that it was out of my face.
Jace gave me a surprised look before he pushed himself to his feet and grabbed for his keys. "You can tell," he laughed. "You sure did sleep like a baby though." He grinned and reached for the door to open it. He waited for me to walk out first before he closed the door behind us and locked it. "I hope that you're ready for a busy day. It's the only day of the month that I make my special fried chicken and gravy." He licked his lips and shook his head. "It’s delicious."
The awkward look on his face made me laugh. I lightly shoved him toward the car and reached for the handle. "Oh is it? It’s so special that you can only make it once a month?" I questioned.
I shut the door in his face before he could manage to answer. He pointed at me through the window and smoothly walked to the other side and jumped in.
He glared over at me and nibbled on his lip ring. It was such a bad habit of his. "The ladies love anything that I put my hands on. I make this chicken from in here," he said pointing to his heart. His smile faded and then he quickly replaced it and started the car. "You'll love...it."
“How do I know that it's really as good as you say?" I teased. "It could taste horrible and we could be really slow today. I don't see you as being a good chicken maker." I grinned and leaned back into my seat while playing with my old ring.
Jace tilted his head and looked over at me, his eyes soft. "You'll just have to trust me," he whispered. "I know how you love chicken. I will make you love mine."
My heart skipped a beat at the word trust. How I wished that I could. “I guess we will just have to see.”
The rest of the car ride was silent until we pulled into the diner. I was surprised to see that there were already a handful of customers patiently waiting outside. It made me smile to think that these people were here for Jace. Maybe he was telling the truth after all.
Jace smiled at everyone before unlocking the door and letting Stacy, Winston, and the customers inside. “Good morning, Jan,” he said to an older red headed woman, that didn't look very pleasant. “It’s good to see you.”
Jan smiled evilly and reached out for Jace’s arm. “You just better get in there and get me my chicken ready. I’m not getting any younger. Do you see a line full of boys waiting on me? I don't think so."
Jace laughed and helped push Jan through the door. “Yes, ma’am. If there were, I would be the first one in line too.” He looked over at me and winked. “I’ll have your chicken right up.”
Jan grunted and made her way past Jace and over to the first available booth. She stopped shortly after taking notice of Stacy. She eyed her up and down before shaking her head. “Seeing you once a month is getting to be too much for me.”
Stacy's baby blues sparkled as she gathered up her things and threw on her apron. She looked amused by the old lady. “Hi, Jan. It’s good to see you too.” She grinned.
Jan pushed past Stacy and pounded her cane into the ground. “Damn, bubbly girl.” Then she scooted into her booth, while shaking her head.
Stacy ignored the old woman’s attitude and started humming to herself while smiling from ear to ear. I had to admit she was acting extra bubbly today.
"Spill it," I said.
Stacy glanced over her shoulder and attempted to hide her smile. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said with a giggle. "Can't I just be happy to work? Today Jace is making his-"
"Oh cut the crap." I smiled and leaned against the counter. She wasn't fooling me. "You're smiling so hard that its even hurting me."
She quickly stepped over and placed her hands on my shoulders. Then she started bouncing up and down like a hyped up teenage girl. I could already see where it was going. "I met a guy," she practically sang.
I couldn't help but to laugh. Some girls were just so silly and clueless when it came to men. It never lasted and no one ever truly cared. "That's great...I think," I muttered.
Stacy frowned and took her hands away from my shoulders. "Oh shoot." She slapped her forehead and shooed Winston away as he attempted to join us. "Not now, Winston. Girl talk." He tiptoed backwards and wandered back into the kitchen, trying to be invisible. "That was so careless of me. I forgot that you're single." She paused and pushed her curls from out of her face. She looked so sweet and innocent. "Tonight, me and you. We're going out." She laughed. "Girl’s night."
I threw on my apron and laughed to myself. "I don't know about that. I have something-"
"She's totally free tonight," Jace said from behind us, causing my heart to sink. "You girls should go out and have fun. You both deserve it."
He smiled and patted us both on the shoulder. "Besides, I was planning on walking around naked all night," he said winking at us as he walked away.
We both watched his back as he walked into the diner and shook hands with his waiting customers. He really was something else. I didn’t understand how he was so calm and cool about everything.
Stacy's eyes went wide as she threw her hand over her mouth. She looked back over at me and shook her head. "Oh shit! Now that image will be stuck in my head all day," she pouted. "Poor Alex won't like that."
She wasn't the only one. I was already trying to shake the image from out of my head. Damn him. I had already gotten a glimpse of him naked and I had to admit that he was damn sexy. Guess I'm stuck going now. "What time? Should I take a taxi and meet you somewhere?" I questioned.
She reached over and slapped my arm. "Don't be silly. I'll pick you up," she giggled. "I wouldn't make you take a taxi. That’s what friends are for. I'll pick you up at seven."
"Sounds like fun," I huffed. "We better get started."
“Yes we should,” she sang. “You can start by helping Jan.” She laughed and quickly ran away before I could object.
Oh joy. I looked over toward the grouchy old woman and grunted to myself. I was definitely not a morning person and it was too early to have to deal with a woman like that.
I walked over to Jan’s booth and watched as she played with the plastic bag that covered her hair. “Nice hair piece,” I muttered.
Jan looked up at me and yanked the bag from off her hair. Then she grunted and shifted in her seat. “These damn booths are so uncomfortable.” She puffed up the curls on her head and looked behind me. “Where’s that damn bubbly waitress?”
I leaned into her table and shrugged my shoulders. “I think you scared her off. Now what would you like to drink?”
Jan smiled and puckered her lips. “Get me a damn coffee with extra creamer,” she growled. “And I do mean, extra creamer.”
I laughed under my breath and turned my head away. I had no patience to care about my actions at the moment. “One damn coffee coming up. Extra creamer."
I got ready to walk away when suddenly I felt Jan’s hand grip my arm. I glanced down, looking her in the eye. “About time they got somebody that’s not so damn bubbly around here.” She smiled and then released my arm. “I’ll take some water too.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.” I nodded and walked away. The woman wasn’t as bad as I expected. I guess old people liked it when people were mean back to them.
We worked through the lunch rush and things didn’t seem to calm down until well after two o'clock p.m.
Exhausted, I plopped down into a booth and closed my eyes. I didn’t even have energy enough to grab a drink first. I definitely didn’t know how I was going to have the energy to keep up with Stacy later tonight.
“You look hungry.”
I looked up and tilted my head. Jace stood there looking proud with a plate of food in his hand. “I am. I’m actually starving.”
“Good.” Jace set the plate down in front of me and smiled. “Don’t fall in love too much.” Then he walked away and disappeared into the kitchen.
I stifled a laugh as I watched him poke his head through the window of the kitchen and smile. Falling in love has never been a problem of mine. I won’t start now.
I
took a bite of the fried chicken, covered in white gravy and moaned. It was moist and full of flavor. Holy shit. This is delicious. I stuffed a few more bites into my mouth and attempted to hide my pleasure. I didn’t want Jace to know how much I enjoyed his chicken. He was too good and he already knew it.
I will never win with him…
~•~
Jace sat back on the couch and grinned as I reached for my jacket. Stacy would be arriving any moment and I just wanted to get the night done and over with. "What are you grinning about?" I questioned with my arms crossed.
He threw his head back and laughed. "You will see." He turned on the TV and stretched. "I'm going to have such a relaxing night. I can't wait until you leave so I can start getting rid of these damn clothes," he said tugging on his shirt.
That jerk. He's teasing me. He was enjoying every minute of my suffering. "I still have time. Maybe I will just call and cancel. Then you can keep your clothes on," I smirked. I pointed at my phone and pretended to look for Stacy's number. “Oh there it is.”
Jace glared at me and then reached for his jeans. He unbuttoned them and slipped them off before tossing them at my head. "I'm already stripping. You better hurry and leave," he teased.
I threw his jeans down and kicked them. Then I watched in surprise as he stripped his shirt off and tossed it next to his jeans. "Put those back on," I muttered. My eyes set on his firm chest as he threw his hands behind his head and leaned into the soft couch. His body was like a piece of art. It was beautiful. I hated him for that. "Put them on or I'll make you."
Jace raised an eyebrow and kicked his feet up on the table in front of him. "Nah... I'm good. I like it better this way," he breathed. "I feel so... free."
I took a deep breath, walked over, and grabbed his jeans. I attempted to pick them up, but tripped when they caught under my feet. I fell over on my side and landed with my face in his shirt. "Shit!" I screamed. It smelled of fresh body wash.
Wake Up Call Page 10