I was woken up by constant knocking on my door.
When I finally got out of bed, I started walking towards the door, still half asleep.
"I'm going. I'm going." I shouted as I walked.
I opened the door and found a blue head there. "You're not an early bird, are you?"
"What you want?" I ran my hands over my face.
"Since you didn't open the door for me last night, I assumed you were gone." He probably knocked when I went to the store. "I brought you leftover pizza." He held up a box I hadn't even noticed he was holding.
"I'm not your friend." I moved the box closer to his chest. "Stay away from me."
"You know, this 'mystery guy' image," he pointed at me with a circular motion of his hand, "is just calling me closer to you. This is a new city for you. Let me help you..."
"I don't need anyone's help." I jumped into his speech. "So leave me the fuck alone." I slammed the door in his face and headed back to bed.
Maybe it was a bit much, but that doesn't matter.
I want to be alone. That's why I came here.
*****
My gaze darted over the words on the menu in front of me.
I had no plans to go anywhere, but when it was seven o'clock in the evening and I was unable to breathe the air in the apartment, I had to go for fresh air.
Believe it or not, that's progress.
Usually, I would just keep suffocating.
I don't even know how long I walked. I just continued down the sidewalk and stopped in front of a random bistro. I didn't even remember its name.
I sat down at the farthest table, even though the bistro was almost empty. I'm not even surprised at half past eight in the evening.
And especially when the service is really slow.
Finally, after I had read the menu about ten times, a woman with an apron around her waist came out of the door that probably led to the kitchen.
She walked over to me with a smile, but there was something wrong. I don't know what.
Her blonde hair was tied up in a high bun, from which a few strands of hair fell out. Her skin was flawless. She had full lips of soft color and green eyes.
Her narrow waist was accentuated by a brown apron with a bistro logo. Her broad shoulders were lost in a long-sleeved white T-shirt, and her wrists were covered with bracelets.
She carried herself as if she was not in her own skin. As if she had the whole weight of the world on her shoulders.
I know this because I was the same way.
"Welcome to Joey's Bistro, have you picked yet?" She smiled again, this time showing her white teeth, the tone of her voice sweet as honey.
Something about her face seemed familiar.
It was obvious that she didn't like how long I was looking at her.
But I already know where I know her from.
I almost hit her with my car.
"You should learn how to cross the road," I spoke and, according to the name tag, Lexi, she was slightly taken aback.
"Excuse me?" She frowned, clearly confused.
"You're excused." I placed the menu in my hands on the table. "I'll have one hamburger, no tomatoes, fries, and a Coca-Cola."
She looked at me like a ghost, not moving and especially not writing down my order.
"Didn't you understand me? Am I speaking another language?" I asked annoyed.
She shook her head and snorted. "I'll be back with your order." She grabbed the menu from the table and walked back to the door she had come out of, clearly irritated.
Did I say something wrong?
Did you say something right?
Is it really that complicated to be nice?
Obviously, for some people, it is.
Like for the guy who showed up at my work and acted like an ass.
As if I didn't have enough today, he had to ruin it more.
To make matters worse, he's the same guy who almost ran me over yesterday.
He was really happy to let me know.
"You should learn how to cross the road."
Just because of the tone of his voice, I wanted to...I don't even know what to do.
I was as frustrated as I haven't been in a long time.
Yes, he had a pretty face, but so what? There are a hundred guys like him walking down the street, and I'm pretty sure at least half of them have some proper manners.
Although I haven't seen a guy like him walk into Joey's Bistro in a long time.
Even though he looked like he'd been run over by a truck, his clothes looked more expensive than my entire wardrobe.
He had dark brown hair, a sharp jaw with a bit of stubble, thick eyebrows, and I swear the only word that came to mind when I looked into his brown eyes was death. They were so dead it even hurt me. Dead and empty.
Not pleasant or nice to say about someone's eyes I know.
He had a small wound near his eyebrow that looked to be a few days old. And another scar was on his neck. But this one was much bigger and had to be deep to leave behind such a scar.
I waited for Fred, our cook, to finish his order so I could take it to him and he would eat and leave.
When the order was ready, I left the kitchen without a hint of a smile and went to the table in the corner of the bistro.
"Hamburger, no tomatoes, fries, and Coca-Cola," I told him his order and placed it in front of him. "Enjoy your meal." I wasn't even trying to be nice. If he wants to act like an ass, I'll treat him like one.
I stopped after two steps from his table.
What are you doing, Lexi? This is not you.
I exhaled heavily and turned around. "Sorry. That was not an appropriate tone." I apologized and I meant it.
He already had his hamburger in his hand and was looking at me with the most surprised expression I've ever seen.
"Enjoy your food." I tried to smile and turned to leave before he could say anything. Although I don't think he would have said anything anyway.
I waited by the bar, where there is also a window through which I often talked with Fred. But this time I started cleaning the counter before one of our regular customers got up and left with a little wave of his hand.
I walked over to his table, picked up the plate, glass, and cutlery, and took them into the kitchen to be washed.
I went back to the main part of the bistro to his table and started to wipe it.
When I was done and straightened up, I heard the bell above the door and immediately turned around.
"Jeremy." I smiled and walked up to him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and hugged him. "What are you doing here?" I pulled away.
"I came to take you home." He put his arm around my shoulders and we started walking towards the counter. "I didn't want you to walk alone in the dark."
"I would take the bus."
"That's not much better, Lexi." He let me go while I went behind the bar.
"Thank you for coming, but I can't leave until..." Before I could finish I heard the bell ring again. This time no one was coming, but leaving.
I was looking at the back of the guy who almost ran me over yesterday as he was leaving the bistro.
"Oh no." I pulled away from the bar thinking that he hadn't paid.
If he didn't pay, it will come out of my paycheck.
I ran over to his desk and breathed out relieved when I saw the money on the table.
But I didn't even tell him how much he had to pay.
I reached for the bills and almost passed out when I saw that he had paid me three times what he was supposed to.
"Everything okay Lexi?" I heard Jeremy from the counter.
"Yeah, sorry." I shook my head, put the money in my apron, and took things from the table. "But I still have to clean up and..."
"Don't worry about it." Fred appeared in the window. "I'll take care of it. Go enjoy your life, kiddo." He winked at me.
"But I can..."
"Get her out of here." Fred motioned to Jeremy who laughed and saluted.
"Sure, boss." He took the dishes from my hand and went behind the counter. He handed them to Fred, who in return gave him my bag and walked back to me. He untied my apron and placed it on the counter. "Let's go." He slung my bag over his shoulder.
"But..." I started again, but Jeremy just gave me an unpleasant look before he began to drag me out.
We stopped by his motorcycle, where he handed me a helmet and ordered me to sit.
As always, I held onto him the whole way. I know he would never drive dangerously when I'm with him, but I couldn't help it.
He parked in front of my house and took off his helmet before I got off the bike.
"Thank you, Jerr." I smiled at him and handed him the helmet.
"You want me to..." He nodded his head at the house behind me.
"No. He's asleep anyway." I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to warm myself. When did it get so cold?
"Get in before you catch a cold and I get a beating that it's my fault." He said seriously because it was quite possible that this would happen.
Lincoln would be the first to throw hands.
"See you tomorrow?" He raised an eyebrow.
"At eight at the Winters. I didn't forget." Almost.
"That's good." He laughed. "Night, Lexi."
"Night, Jerr." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and headed for the door.
It wasn't until I was inside that I heard him start up and drive off.
I quietly locked and put my bag on the shoe rack to the left of the door and the keys right next to it.
In the dark, I went into the living room, on the right side, which was lit only by the light from the TV.
I went to the table where the controller was and turned the volume down a bit. I stopped to look at my father, who was lying on the couch, snoring and fast asleep.
He had a shaved head, and if you look closely you can see the scars he has from banging on a door frame all the time.
His t-shirt was rolled up from how he must have been turning and his jeans were dirty from I don't even know what.
I took the blanket from the chair and carefully covered him with it so he wouldn't wake up.
I looked at the table where the beer bottles were, so I picked them. Two more were on the ground, which was sticky.
The beer must've fallen from his hand again as he fell asleep.
I exhaled heavily and said to myself that I would clean it up tomorrow.
I walked into the kitchen with the beer bottles in my hands and put them in the box that contained the bottles from yesterday.
I looked at the pile of dishes in the sink and the mess on the counter.
"Tomorrow," I whispered tiredly to myself.
I noticed the mail on the table, which was right next to the entrance to the kitchen. I just went through it quickly and found a reminder to pay for water and electricity.
I looked at my father on the couch and closed my eyes. Looks like it's up to me again.
I thought about leaving the money on the table so he could pay for it, but the last time I left the money on the table, he bought alcohol with it.
I threw the envelopes back on the table and crossed the living room to the front doors. I took my bag from the shoe rack and gave my father one last look before walking up the stairs.
I walked past his room, which was the first one after I went up the stairs and the bathroom. At the end of the corridor was my room and across from it was a smaller room where things were stored.
I went into my room, turned on the light, and dropped my bag on the bed. I sat down next to it and took out my phone.
Other than a few messages on the group chat where Adrian was arguing with Lincoln about who was the better football team, and Stefan trying to calm them down, nothing else.
I wrote a quick message saying that I'm home, since the last time I didn't I was in trouble. I threw my phone on the bed before I went to the bathroom.
I showered, washed my face, put on lotion, and combed my hair before going back to the room. I locked the door and went to the bed.
Finally, I lay down under the duvet and unlocked my phone.
I smiled at their messages and closed the group. I set my alarm clock and put my phone away.
I breathed a sigh of relief and pulled the duvet even higher.
But when I closed my eyes, I saw a second pair of eyes. Dead and empty just like at the bistro. They looked right at me as if they could read my mind.
And my first thought?
Yes, it might be because of the romance books I read. My imagination played with all the scenarios of how else we could talk. Sometimes I hate it.
But even though I know my head is just playing tricks on me, I still fell asleep with only one thought.
Will I see him again?