Here With Me

by Alla Kar

  I roll my eyes and place my hand on the hood. I feel it. It needs to be mine. It has to be. “Where’s your boss?”

  Cade scratches the back of his neck while he laughs. “Seriously?”

  I lift a brow. What is so hard to understand here? “Yes, seriously.”

  He gives me the craziest look and walks into the shop. When I glance back up, an older man in a mechanic T-shirt and worn black pants is walking my way. “Hi there, young lady,” he says, sticking his hand out. “I’m Dan. It’s nice to meet you.”

  I take it and smile. He eyes Cade—who is still staring at me like I’m crazy—and then runs his dirty hands through his graying hair. “Cade tells me you’re interested in Old Blue over here?”

  I shove my hands into my pockets and give him a curt nod. “Yes, sir. I am. I don’t have a vehicle right now because…” I bite my lip. “I totaled my last one, but I’m really interested. I have four thousand saved for traveling, but I really need a car. Would you be willing to set up payments?”

  I give him my hopeful look. He spits onto the ground while he strokes his scruffy chin. His thick caterpillar brows pull down in the middle. “I may be able to take you up on that offer.” His dark eyes make their way back to mine. “You’d spend your traveling money on this clunker?”

  I lift one shoulder. “I like her.”

  His grin widens, and he juts his hand outward. “I have a proposition for you.”

  Cade’s gaze drifts to Dan’s. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’ve been needing help with the bookkeeping around here. You organized?”

  I nod quickly.

  “How about you give me two thousand for the car, and work the rest off keeping my books?”

  Before I can help it, I launch myself at him and give him a hug. He chuckles deeply and pats me on the back. When I step backward he slaps his palms against his thighs. “It looks like we’ve got ourselves a new secretary.” He makes eye contact with Cade, but Cade’s glare doesn’t affect him like it does me. “And Cade is going to be the mechanic to fix it.”

  “What?” Cade yells. “The hell I am, Dan—that car needs some major TLC—”

  “And who better to give it to her than you?” Dan’s smiling when he glances back at me. “Come on in, and I’ll show you around.”

  I go to follow, but Cade grips my elbow before I can take two steps. He jerks me toward him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  His jaw is clenched tight. The sharp ridges of his face make him look scarier than he actually is—I think.

  “I’m getting myself a car,” I almost squeal.

  “Not here, you aren’t,” he argues.

  I open my mouth to ask why, and then I realize why. Because he works here. This makes me angry. Snatching my arm away from him, I tilt my chin upward. “I’m working here whether you like it or not. So tough shit.”

  Cade tightens his lips into a thin line and narrows his eyes at me. But I lift my chin up and follow Dan into the shop. After Dan introduces me to everyone, he gives me a form to fill out and sends me on my way. I’m nearly giddy when I climb into Cade’s truck. My hands are tight around my paperwork, and I start on it as soon as I shut the door.

  Cade doesn’t say a word as we get into his truck, and I don’t try to make conversation either.

  Because I have a job. My dad would never let me have one in high school. “I can take care of you. You don’t need that job—enjoy your youth.” Well that was one thing I was absolutely not doing—enjoying anything.

  Cade’s sigh draws my attention. He’s staring at his phone. I’m sure it’s some girl wanting to hook up. I don’t even give him a second glance.

  “Why do you want this job so much?”

  I should have known he would ask that. Tapping my pen to my chin, I close my eyes for a few short seconds. I think about the question and answer it honestly. “Because I want to be needed.”

  Cade stares at me for a long few minutes before turning back to face the road. “You don’t feel needed?”

  And then my wall comes up. This is not my session at the clinic, and this is not a sensitive conversation about issues. This is real life. “Don’t look too much into it,” I mumble.

  Cade chuckles and turns the radio up. I reach forward and stop his hand. His green eyes drag up my body toward my face. “Don’t tell Adam.”

  He examines my face for a few long minutes. I pray he doesn’t ask me why, and he doesn’t.

  “Okay.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Cade

  The old bastard gave the girl a job. She could have gotten a job anywhere and it just had to be at Dan’s. Dammit.

  I roll the sleeves of my shirt to my elbows and tuck the hem deep into my pants. The sound of her blow-dryer is loud from the next room over, but not as loud as her screams from last night. I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but before I could rush to her room to see if someone had broken in, I realized it was a nightmare.

  Just to be sure, I looked through the cracked slit in her door. I watched as she wiped the tears from her face and dry swallowed a pill.

  I left when she fell back against the pillow and stilled. Obviously Jade has her problems—who the hell am I to judge?

  The blow-dryer stops, and I jerk out of my trance. I finish getting dressed and gather all of my shit. When I walk into the kitchen, Jade is shoveling scrambled eggs out of a skillet onto two plates. The slight pink in her cheeks would make an excellent excuse to distract myself by embarrassing her, but the sad shape to her smile stops me.

  I grab the plate with the most food—assuming it’s mine, she doesn’t eat worth a shit—and graze her arm before pulling back. “Are you okay?”

  She doesn’t ask how I know because she doesn’t have to.

  “I’m okay,” she says.

  ***

  “Do you think you can do that?” Dan asks.

  Jaden’s broad grin gives the answer he needs. I’ve never seen anyone so happy to have a job before in their life. I didn’t peg Jaden for a girl who would want to work. Normally when parents shower their teenage girls with everything they want, they don’t hide a job behind their parents’ backs. It only proves that she’s nuts.

  “I can do it,” she says, turning to face Dan. He hands her a name badge. Her eyes round, and she throws her arms around him—again. “Thank you! I’m so excited to start!”

  Dan chuckles almost giddily—which I’ve never heard him do—and pulls Jade in by her shoulder. He almost looks smitten. Bring in a pretty lady and Dan goes nuts. When he catches me staring, he straightens his shoulders and runs a hand through his graying hair. “Well, that’s pretty much what I need you to do. Cade, can you show her how to use the register?” He disappears before I can answer.

  “Well, now that that’s over with,” I say. “Let me show you.” It isn’t long before Jaden catches on. The skin between her eyebrows pinches as she watches me put in a few fake orders.

  “I think I have it,” she says, writing notes down on a notepad on the counter.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty easy. So let me know if you need anything.”

  “Are you going to work on my car?”

  I turn and lift an eyebrow at her. “Now? I have a fucking ton to do today, Jaden.”

  She slams a fist down on her hip. “Is it going to be like this every day? I know it’s such a pain to work with me, but I’d appreciate if you’d keep your end of the bargain.”

  A laugh escapes my mouth before I can stop it. I’ve seen her get mad but this is priceless. Her flustered look is something I’d like to see more often.

  “Stop laughing at me. I’m being serious.”

  I contain myself as I lean against the counter and bite my lip. “I may get around to it today, Jade. If I have the time I promise I will—”

  “We got a new chick?” John staggers in through the front door and grabs his timecard from the wall behind the desk.

  Jaden juts out her hand. “Jaden Baker. Nic
e to meet you.”

  John lifts a dark eyebrow, grabs her hand, and lifts it to his mouth. Something tings in my chest and, before I can stop myself, I knock his hand away from hers. He jerks back with a sleazy smile.

  “Hey man, just giving the lady a friendly hello. No harm done.” He places his palms up and walks backward into the shop, but not before he blows Jaden a kiss.

  My eyes widen, and I glance over at Jaden. She’s staring at me with her lips parted into a perfect O. Goddamn, she looks so innocent. My fingers clench into a fist. “Guy’s an asshole. You should stay away from him.”

  She nibbles nervously at her bottom lip. “Noted. I think we have a customer.” She points and faces the front before the bell dings them in.

  Most of the day goes by quickly. Jaden packed our lunches and for the first time I’m actually thrilled to eat at work. Compared to my burnt pizza stick and corndogs from the gas station, anything looks better.

  When I see Jaden clock out for lunch, I follow suit and find her sitting in the lounge area in the back, eating.

  Her eyes lift to mine, and I see the excitement still there. How someone could be so excited to work is beyond me. I watch her as I heat up my subs and grab a drink from the fridge. “So, by the smile on your face I’d say you like it so far?”

  She takes another bite of her food and swallows. “I do like it.”

  I slide the chair against the tile and take a seat in front of her. A comfortable silence settles over us. A silence that’s much needed after the banging of the garage all day. When we finish, Jaden grabs my plate. I watch her carefully as she cleans the two dishes and sets them in the dish rack.

  I admire the shape of her ass and how her jeans hug the curve just right. My dick shifts in my jeans, and I readjust myself before she can see. When she turns around she leans against the counter and rolls her neck.

  “Those new working muscles hurting you over there, Princess?”

  She rubs at a certain spot on her neck. “No, I slept on it wrong.”

  Yeah, like she could sleep. Her nightmares keep me up; I know they keep her ass up. “Do you sleep well—in your new room, I mean?”

  She eyes me. “I sleep fine.”

  I nod and throw my drink into the trash. “You sure?”

  She stiffens when I stop in front of her. She’s avoiding eye contact like a six-year-old kid with permanent marker all over their face.

  “I said I was fine and that means I’m fine.”

  I grip her chin in my fingers. “Just because you tell me you’re fine, doesn’t mean you’re fine. I heard you cry last night.”

  A look of outrage crosses her face, and she jerks out of my grasp. “Our thirty minutes is up. I’ll see you after work.”

  Ah, hell.

  ***

  My phone rings as soon as I slide my timecard back into the slot at the end of the day. My mother’s number pops up on the screen. I mentally groan and swipe my thumb across the screen.

  “Hello.” I follow Jaden outside after waving bye to Dan. She stops by her Mustang and examines the backseats. “What’s up?”

  “Cade,” she says. She sounds scared to death.

  “What’s wrong, Mom? Are you okay?”

  She sniffles into the phone and then I hear rustling on her end. “I think someone is watching the house.”

  God. I wrap my hand around my keys and stop when I remember Jaden. She’s bent over looking at the tires now, like she even knows what to look for. Her dark hair falls from her ponytail as she removes her hairband, letting the strands fall down her shoulders. I don’t want anyone to meet my mom like this. I would ask John to take her, but after what happened this morning, I’m not sure it’s a good idea.

  “Cade—please,” Mom begs. “I think I’m ready to go to rehab. I can’t be alone in this house anymore. I’m scared.”

  I want to tell my mom she’s fine. Because honestly she’s probably paranoid because she’s high as a fucking kite. But on the other hand if this gets her into rehab—maybe I should go along with it.

  I bend my knees and screw my eyes shut. “Okay, Mom. I’ll be there in ten minutes. I have someone with me so please keep the melodrama to a minimum? I’ll take you to rehab.”

  I hang up before she can answer. Jaden straightens when I walk over to the car and tap my fingers against the hood. “Hey, we need to hurry. I have to go get someone.”

  She shoves her hands into her pockets and drags her gaze from her car to me. “Who?”

  I bite my lower lip and debate telling her. She lifts an eyebrow, but I don’t answer. “Come on.”

  We get into the truck and Jaden immediately pulls on her seatbelt. I guess she noticed the urgency in my voice. She pulls at the sleeves of her shirt and waves the fabric away from her skin.

  “You know, you wouldn’t be so hot if you’d wear short-sleeves. It’s not November.”

  She gives me a sidelong glance but points ahead. “Didn’t we need to hurry?”

  I roll my eyes and slam the gas to the floor. I know my mother is fine, and odds are no one is watching her…but what if, right? The old Firebird hasn’t moved since the last time and the weeds are now covering the entire tire on the right side.

  “Who lives here?” Jaden asks, sitting up higher in her seat.

  I stop my truck and turn toward her. “Stay here.”

  She huffs but obeys as I get out and walk the stairs to my mother’s house. The lights are off, so I flick them on as I go through the house. My mother’s room smells like a mixture of heavy drugs. The TV casts a faint glow over her bed, and I see the needles, Kleenex, and empty can of chili.

  My stomach rolls at the thought of her eating it cold. How fucking high do you have to be? I find her cowering in the corner beside her bed with a blanket on top of her head.

  “Mom?”

  She snatches the cover off, and I sink backward. She looks worse than the last time. Her tangled hair is stuck to the side of her face with blood. “What happened to you?” I bend down in front of her.

  She begins to shake and claw at her forearm. Ah, she’s out of dope. “You’re strung out.”

  She jerks her hand up and scratches at her cheek. “Please, Cade. Take me to rehab. I hurt. Everywhere.”

  The sight of my mother curled into a ball on her bedroom floor makes my stomach turn. “Let’s get you washed up first.” Carefully, I lift her into my arms. I hear her soft sobs as I sit her on the toilet seat.

  “We need to hurry. I have someone waiting outside. Take a quick shower. I’ll be in the kitchen when you get finished.”

  I wait until I hear the water turn on before I walk down the hallway and into the living room. The blinds are halfway broken behind the couch, but I carefully pull them down anyway. Jaden is still in the truck. Not that I thought she would go anywhere, but this isn’t the best part of town.

  I pick up random things and wash a few dirty dishes in the sink. Mom doesn’t eat much so there really isn’t much to clean. Only a ragged kitchen with holey walls.

  Mom walks into the room several minutes later. Her clothes hang off her, but they’re clean, and it’s a step in the right direction. Her natural dark roots have grown down to her ears. I can’t remember the last time she went to get a haircut.

  “Thank you for cleaning up,” she says.

  I nod and grab my keys but stop. I don’t know why, but I’m hesitant to bring her with us. I don’t care what Jaden thinks—I just don’t want to deal with her pity.

  “Mom, look,” I say, scratching the back of my neck. “I have someone in the car with me.”

  She grabs her purse off of the counter and lifts an eyebrow at me. “You’ve said. A girl?”

  God. Digging my keys from my pocket, I give her a don’t go there look. “Yes, she’s one of my roommates and works at the garage with me.”

  Mom slides her arm through her purse and places the other one on her hip. “And why do you look like you’re about to shit bricks if she’s just a girl?”


  I grind my back molars together. “I’m not. Just…let’s get this over with.”

  She holds up her shaky hands and follows me outside. Jaden’s head is leaned back against the seat. She looks up when I open my door. Her gaze moves to the back door as it opens as well.

  I watch as she eyes my mother and then me.

  “Hi,” Mom says, jutting her shaking hand between the two of us. “I’m Cade’s mom.”

  Jaden gives her a sweet smile. “I’m Jaden, Cade’s roommate. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Once I start the truck I watch my mom in the review mirror. She looks Jaden up and down with a small smirk. It almost makes me smile, but then I remember why we’re here. Another try at rehab.

  “So, are you in college, Jaden?” my mom asks from the backseat, her legs jerking erratically.

  Of course. I ask her not to talk to Jaden and what does she do? Jaden nods. “Yes, ma’am. It’s my first year.”

  “Well, congratulations, sweetie. It’s a big step to go to school. I’m glad my Cade did as well.”

  I swear to God my cheeks better not be red. I give Jaden a sideways glance, and I see the small smile curling the side of her mouth. “Thank you,” she says.

  “So, are you and my son dating?”

  Goddammit! I slam my hand down on the steering wheel and glare at her in the review mirror. “Mom.”

  She scowls at me, scratching the crease of her arm. “Calm down, Cade. It was just a question—that you didn’t answer.”

  “No,” Jaden says from the passenger seat. Her neck is inclined just enough to show my mom that she’s looking at her. “We’re not dating. Just roommates and co-workers. Nothing more.” She whips her head back around without a glance in my direction.

  Something tingly starts happening in my chest, and I do my best to block it out. We drive the rest of the way to the rehab facility in silence. My mouth is dry when we pull into the parking lot.

  The faded paint from last year hasn’t been fixed. The building isn’t in the best condition, but it’s the only tax-paid facility in town. There is no way in hell I’d be able to pay for her stay. Not when she’s just going to leave anyway.