When a few seconds passed without her answering, I laughed dryly. “I can’t believe this. You were screwing him behind my back, weren’t you?”
“You weren’t serious about him,” she said, the excuse already old and worthless.
“It doesn’t matter,” I hissed. “Since when do best friends go after each other’s guys? Have I ever done anything like that to you?”
“I have to go,” she flippantly said. “I already told you I don’t have time for this. Goodbye.”
She hung up, leaving me seething and all alone. I couldn’t take it. A deep anger bubbled up from my core and escaped as a guttural yell. I threw the phone down onto the couch and buried my face in my hands.
I didn’t care about Eli. That much was true.
But Rainy had been my best friend for years. And now it felt like I didn’t even know her.
No, I didn’t care about Eli in the same way as Rainy, but I needed someone to take my anger out on, so I retrieved my phone and dialed his number.
My temples pounded as his phone rang and rang, getting dangerously close to voice mail. When his message recording finally played, I hung up on it.
“Asshole,” I muttered. “Fucking asshole.”
I was glad he hadn’t answered. I wasn’t going to waste my breath on him. Let him think I’d moved away and forgotten all about him. Then maybe he could see what it felt like to be discarded.
Standing up so fast it was a miracle I didn’t get whiplash, I marched to my room and threw my heels in the corner. Rummaging through one of the open suitcases on the floor, I found the yellow Converses I was looking for. I’d only worn them once, and only brought them in case I ended up doing some heavy hiking or, God forbid, had to climb a mountain in search of food. Hey, I had never been to North Carolina before. I didn’t know what I would be up against.
Yanking the shoes on, I tied them tight and then grabbed my sunglasses from where they hung from the neck of my shirt. I couldn’t sit still. I was going to internally combust if I did.
Grabbing my purse, I left the house and started walking, not even sure where I was going. All I knew was that I needed to move. I needed to get my feet busy so that my hands wouldn’t destroy everything in sight.
Hot, angry tears pricked my eyes and then slid down my cheeks, escaping from underneath my sunglasses. I didn’t care. The sidewalks were close to empty, with the exception of kids riding their bikes and scooters — and they weren’t likely to even notice what a random adult was doing.
I walked so fast my calves started to ache, but I kept going. I welcomed the burn. It distracted me from thoughts of the traitor I used to call my best friend.
When I ended up downtown, I didn’t recognize it at first. I’d entered the square from a street I hadn’t yet gone down. The courtyard loomed in front of me, its bell shining at the very top.
It was busier downtown, with people strolling around carrying shopping bags or holding the hands of small children. I slowed down my pace, peering into each passing store front.
There was a knitting shop, an old time hardware store, and several restaurants — none of which looked like the type of places I wanted to patronize anytime soon.
A sign swinging above a couple of small round tables caught my attention. I pulled my glasses off to read the letters. Freddy’s.
The main sign didn’t give much away, so I moved a few steps closer to read the text on the front window. Coffee & Books, it said in a pretty scrawl.
Finally, something that was up my alley.
Putting my sunglasses back on — just in case my makeup was smeared — I went inside. The front area was cozy, with a big red couch and several plush chairs. Right behind the sitting area stretched a coffee bar, and past that were two rows of bookshelves, the books stacked all the way to the ceiling.
The place was quiet, with only one customer at the counter, and I made my way to the bar.
The red haired girl finished giving the older man across from her his change, and he shuffled away with a mug of steaming coffee.
“Wow,” I said to no one in particular, watching him go. “It’s kinda hot for that.”
“I know, right?” the barista giggled, propping one of her elbows up on the counter. “But some people are really used to it. You know, in India they drink hot tea to get cool. Supposedly, your body reacts to the hot drink by bringing its temperature down.”
I set my purse on the counter. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, it’s really awesome. So, let me guess… iced coffee.”
“How about an iced latte?”
“Even better,” she practically squealed.
While she made my drink, I ran to the bathroom to check my reflection. Luckily, the tears hadn’t done irreversible damage. Even without any eye makeup on hand, I performed a more than good enough touch up.
The latte was ready when I emerged from the bathroom. I took it and settled down onto the red couch. Magazines spilled across the coffee table in front of me, but I just stared at their covers, not in the mood for reading.
Instead, I pulled out my phone and gazed at its screen. I had a crazy desire to call Eli again and cuss him out this time. Even if he didn’t answer just leaving a scathing voice mail would be satisfying enough.
The door opened and closed, and I heard people talking, but I kept my eyes trained on my phone.
I gnawed my lip, debating what to do.
The truth was, any sort of retaliation would just make me look immature. And just like Rainy had argued, it wasn’t like Eli and I had been serious.
And it wasn’t him I was so angry with.
“Now those are work shoes,” a male voice said.
Annoyed, I looked up, ready to give whatever random guy was hitting on me the stink eye. Instead of a stranger, though, Luke stood there. He gazed down at me, a paper cup of coffee in his hand.
My back instantly tensed from a mixed bag of emotions. First of all, he was being super annoying during a time I wasn’t really in the mood to talk to him. Secondly, just the sight of him was enough to make me salivate. And thirdly, I knew that I couldn’t miss an opportunity when it came to trying to win him over.
The problem with the third point was I really wasn’t in the mood to attempt to impress him. After the sour exchange with him at the food pantry and then the crushing phone call with Rainy, I was beaten to a pulp.
Instead of answering, I just looked out the window. Let him think I was a callous bitch. I would get back to my mission tomorrow.
I waited for him to leave. Instead, the couch sagged as he sat down next to me. Slowly, I turned to look at him. He set his coffee on the table and turned slightly to face me. Every hair on my body stood up, and I worked to keep my breathing even.
“I’m sorry if I was too hard on you today.”
I stared at him. “Really?”
He nodded slowly and rubbed his palms together. “Yeah.”
I lifted a shoulder, seeing an opportunity. “Thank you. I understand, of course.” I looked down at the floor. “I’m sure your opinion about me still hasn’t changed.”
He didn’t say anything.
Damn it. You’re supposed to say it has changed!
He shifted his weight on the couch. “Can I ask you something?”
I looked back up at him. “All right.”
“It won’t be the most tasteful of questions.”
“I would imagine not.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I bit my tongue. I really needed to be more careful.
“I heard that your dad owns a big pet store chain.”
Crap. Here it came. How much was I going to admit to? If I told Luke that my family had lost its entire livelihood and was now essentially broke, I ran the risk of him seeing straight through to my plan.
“Yeah.”
His eyes didn’t waver, and suddenly, I was the one shifting uncomfortably. Something about Luke made the prospect of lying to him horribly painful.
He went on. “I hear
d that he lost the company.” He licked his lips. “Is that true? You don’t have to answer, of course.”
Well, at least Luke knew how tacky the question was. So he’d been raised with some sense of manners. Although he’d hardly displayed them in the last two interactions we’d had.
I quickly looked away, desperate for the sight of anything but his eyes. My gaze fell on a photograph on the opposite wall. In it, a mom and tow haired baby laughed in the middle of a green field.
The moment stretched on, and I still wasn’t sure whether or not it was in my best interest to answer.
“Forget about it,” Luke finally said.
Tough luck. No doubt, in my silence, he’d gotten the “yes” he expected to hear.
I set my latte on the table. The cold glass had begun to numb my fingers minutes ago.
“Brie liked you,” Luke said, the tone of his voice flat.
I eyed him. “But you don’t.”
He opened his mouth, then shut it.
“Forget about it,” I said, doing my best to imitate the timber of his voice.
He laughed and the sound of it was so beautiful I joined in. For a few seconds, we were just two regular people, enjoying coffee and a laugh together.
His chuckled faded and the moment ended. Abruptly, he stood.
“I need to go.”
“Yeah, me too,” I said, knowing how pathetic it sounded. No doubt he knew I was just trying to come across as busy myself. Truthfully, the only thing I had to do was go back to the house and catch up on my reality TV.
He headed for the door and, too soon, disappeared. Grabbing my iced latte, I slumped back against the couch. My eyes drifted towards the back of the shop, to where the bookstore section sat.
Hm. I wonder if there are any books with tips on how to catch a man.
Standing, I headed for the books. The counter was clear of customers, with no one but the auburn haired barista. She peeked curiously around the side of the espresso machine at me.
“Hey,” she said.
“Uh, hi.”
She grinned. “Who was that guy you were talking to? Your boyfriend?”
I guffawed. “Hardly. Maybe in an alternate universe.”
Her face wrinkled. “Aw. Too bad. You guys looked really good together.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, her compliment actually making me feel worse.
“You gonna look at the books?”
“Yeah…” I glanced over at the shelves and then back at her. “You don’t have, like, a dating section do you? Or like a relationship section? I guess that’s what you would really call it.”
“Oh, hell yeah we do. And we just expanded it. It used to be, like, half a shelf. But now it’s a whole bookcase.” She came around to the end of the coffee bar. “Come on. I’ll show you. Are you looking to catch a man?”
I laughed. I liked this girl. For some reason, her straight forwardness put me oddly at ease.
“How did you know?”
CHAPTER TEN
Grace
“How was your first day at the food pantry?”
Those were the first words out of Uncle Joe’s mouth as the three of us sat down to dinner. I swallowed my too-large bite of casserole and considered the answer.
I settled on, “Good.”
“That reminds me,” Aunt Ginger said. “I heard back from my friend. You know, the one who has the terrier. She still needs someone to come and walk him during the day while she’s at work. I told her you’re volunteering at the food pantry now, but you could do it after you leave there, since you’re only there a few hours each day. How does that sound?”
“Good,” I repeated, plastering a smile on my face.
At least walking dogs would be easy. Heck, I was already getting pretty used to walking anyway, thanks to being stranded without a car.
Which reminded me… maybe if I called my dad and got really emotional he would find it in his heart to buy me a car. Nothing fancy, of course. At that point, I would have taken the cheapest used car on any lot, as long as it ran.
Dad and I spoke every few days, but the conversations were always stilted and awkward. I knew he was sorry, and he knew I was unhappy, and we both knew there was nothing either of us could do about it.
I’d checked my bank account after I’d gotten home from Freddy’s earlier, and things were not looking good, monetarily speaking. My dad usually automatically deposited funds in there at the beginning of each month, but he’d already made it clear the next deposit was never coming. All I had to sustain me for the foreseeable future was July’s allowance. Would he automatically dismiss my need for transportation so easily? I sighed. Probably.
“You know what,” I said, perking up. “That does sound really good.”
It wasn’t like Luke and I were running off to elope any time soon. Having some spending money wouldn’t be bad.
“Great,” Aunt Ginger replied. “I’ll give you Bethany’s number, and you can call her back.”
“What’s the pantry like?” Uncle Joe asked his plate.
“Small.” I struggled for more adjectives. “Um, clean, I guess.”
“It’s such a great thing that young man has done,” Aunt Ginger sighed. “He’s a real gift to the town.”
He had his pros and cons, sure. If he could stop being so judgmental, he would turn into the perfect man.
“How many people go there for food?” she asked.
“Brie — the lady who works there — told me there are about three hundred families on the list right now.”
Aunt Ginger made a murmuring sound. “That’s a lot.”
“I only met one of them today. I was in the back the rest of the time.”
“They must be so grateful,” Aunt Ginger said.
“I don’t know.” I took a sip of water. “The lady I met didn’t seem it. I was trying to talk to her, and she was totally cold.”
“She was probably embarrassed,” Uncle Joe said.
I fiddled with my fork. I hadn’t really thought about that possibility.
“Imagine if you had to go to a food pantry,” he went on.
The very idea made my stomach churn. Just moving to North Carolina had been bad enough. Having to completely live off the charity of strangers?
A shudder traveled through my body. I would rather be dead than have everyone back in L.A. know just how far I would have fallen.
“Also,” Uncle Joe continued. “You don’t know what the woman’s going through. People usually end up at food pantries because they’re desperate. They’ve got nowhere to go.”
His words were starting to develop into a lecture, and I didn’t like it. I nodded and looked away, hoping he was done.
“Anything else happen today?” Aunt Ginger asked.
I barked out a laugh. “Where do I begin?”
I started cutting up my green beans into bite sized pieces. After a moment, I realized how quiet the room had become. Slowly, I looked up.
Aunt Ginger and Uncle Joe were both looking at me, waiting for me to go on. They were truly curious about my day.
“Uh, well…” I trailed off and swallowed hard. God, I wanted to unload about what happened with Rainy. I was afraid if I so much as mentioned it, though, I might dissolve into an emotional mess.
“Have you talked to any of your friends back home?” Aunt Ginger asked.
If that wasn’t a sign, I don’t know what is.
“Yeah,” I croaked. “I talked to my best friend, Rainy.”
“What kind of name is Rainy?” Uncle Joe interrupted.
Aunt Ginger glared at him.
“I know,” I agreed. “It’s kind of stupid. Her dad’s an actor, and her mom used to be a model.”
“Ah,” Aunt Ginger said, though I’m not sure she actually got how that explained everything.
“An actor?” Uncle Joe asked, laughing over his words. “So he’s a waiter?”
“No, he’s actually Dwayne DeFavre.”
Uncle Joe’s eyes went
wide. “No shit.”
I laughed out loud. It was the first time I’d ever heard my uncle cuss.
“But what about Rainy?” Aunt Ginger asked.
“Oh. Right.” The dark cloud was back, hovering right over my head. “It turns out she’s anything but my best friend. She’s, uh, been seeing this guy I like behind my back.” I gripped my fork tighter. “Actually, I don’t just like him. He and I kind of had a thing going.”
“You’d gone out with him before?” Aunt Ginger asked.
“Yeah.” Something like that.
Aunt Ginger frowned. “That’s not very nice. But Rainy told you what was happening?”
“Yeah, after I forced it out of her.”
“I’m sorry, Grace,” Aunt Ginger murmured. “I had the same thing happen to me in high school. My best friend Amy started going out with this guy I had a crush on. He was the cutest boy in school too and on the football team.”
“What happened?”
Aunt Ginger pursed her lips. “We stopped talking. In the long run, I realized the boy wasn’t a big deal. They come and go, you know. But what Amy did by going behind my back showed just what kind of a person she was, so I made new friends. Maybe that’s what you should be doing. You’re here in Crystal Brook now, anyway. There are lots of nice young people around.”
I didn’t know how to respond. Somehow I felt it would be near impossible to find anyone in Crystal Brook who shared my interests.
“But what about Dwayne?” Uncle Joe asked. “Can you still get me his autograph?”
I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was being serious.
Yep, he was.
“Joe,” Aunt Ginger softly reprimanded him.
*
I set my alarm for two hours early the next morning, making sure to give myself more than enough time to get ready for my second shift at Community First. The night before, I’d run over my interaction with Luke in the coffee shop a dozen times.
Had it been wishful thinking, or was he actually warming up to me? Despite everything he said, of course.
The arches of my feet ached from doing so much walking in heels the day before, so I wore ballet flats. Just to make sure Luke didn’t think I was dressing down on his behalf, I pulled on a tight leopard printed skirt and a low cut tank top.
Wrecked (Crystal Book Billionaires) Page 9