Chapter 6
Molly
I sigh as I tug on the uniform top, scrunching my nose at the light blue that clashes with my reddish-brown hair.
I look completely ridiculous and completely out of my comfort zone, especially when I prefer jeans over dresses.
Shaking my head, I quickly tie my hair into a messy bun while trying not to flinch at the pain in my side and in my sprained wrist as I continue to eye myself in the mirror.
Yep, I look completely ridiculous, and I’m already tired.
I’ve been doing college work all morning and I have to be at the bar at seven, so I’ll go straight from the diner and change there.
Don’t get me started on the stress of the fact that I still haven’t found a stove.
I should just be grateful Ruth was out when I got back yesterday, even if it pissed me off that she didn’t actually want the food and wasted my money on purpose.
I sigh as I look down and gently tighten the splint on my wrist, making sure it isn’t tight enough to hurt but tight enough to support it.
I don’t need to make it worse, not right now, heck, I’m not even sure how I’m going to pour pints later as it is.
The bluest of eyes hit me, and my chest squeezes as I slam my eyes shut.
I’ve never had a reaction towards a man before as I did with Ace.
Then he had to go and open his goddamn mouth with the sexy lip ring, breaking the spell I was suddenly in being in his orbit, and no, it didn’t escape my notice how Abby looked at him like she’d seen him naked.
That made my stomach twist and put a big old red flag on the first guy I had a reaction with.
I look back in the mirror, my eyes look sad.
Dad used to explain that when he met Mom, she consumed him, that as soon as they locked eyes, he couldn’t look away, and his body wanted to be near hers all the time.
He explained that his heart skipped a beat and thousands of little electric sparks spread through him and he knew Mom was his.
That she was his forever and I, damn, I felt that towards a man I don’t even know but then he listened to Abby’s lies and he turned from the sudden prince in my childhood stories to a frog.
The fact he has most likely slept with Abby makes me want to run even faster.
I huff and turn away from the mirror. I need to try and figure out a way to either prove that Abby pushed me, something her friends won’t admit, because let's face it, she can be a bitch on the best of days.
That, or I need to figure out how much the damages are going to be and what exactly it will cost me to have it fixed along with replacing the stove and hiring a plumber because of course they broke two of the toilets they clogged up.
I huff. I won’t be able to last with the bar, college, constantly cleaning up after the two bitches, and working at the diner.
I grab my bag off the bed, double check my jeans and shirt for the bar are packed, then grab my keys and walk out of the spacious room. I redecorated from pink flowers covering the walls to a light gray wall behind my queen-size bed and cream for the rest.
I lock the door and rush towards the stairs, Ruth's voice already echoing, and I roll my eyes at the constant back and forth between mother and daughter.
Maybe if she’d discipline her daughter…
“What do you mean you have an STD yet again, Abby?!” she shouts, and I snort as I descend the stairs, gaining their attention.
Abby curls her lip at me like her mama didn’t just put her out there for opening her legs yet again while Ruth frowns, “Molly, what in the hell are you wearing? Get in the kitchen now. It needs cleaning, and so does my room because you clearly didn’t get to it yesterday.
Mr. Chimes is doing a house check later! ”
I snort, “Actually, Ruth, I’m now working at the diner, so you’re going to have to clean the house yourself and hope Mr. Chimes doesn’t decide to take the house from us until I graduate college.”
Her eyes widen while Abby giggles, completely missing the having the house taken off us part of my speech. I glare her way to see her eyes on my wrist, and I snap, “I don’t know what you’re finding so funny, Abby, because after your actions yesterday, you now have to clean up your own mess.”
“Fuck off, no, I haven’t, It’s your house!” she snaps back, and I smirk.
“Then get out if that's the case,” I sneer, making Abby take a step forward, and I raise my brow, daring her, but Ruth pulls her back and demands, “What the hell is going on?!”
“How about your daughter shoving me with hot trays of food you ordered but don’t even like into a brother’s bike, which is now totaled?
So now I have to work at the diner until I pay off your daughter’s debts.
If I were you, I’d get to cleaning,” I state, a hint of tremor in my voice, with how angry I am.
Ruth looks at her daughter sharply.
“She-she called me a hooker,” Abby stutters and I retort, “One I didn’t say the word, it isn’t my fault that is how you took it and two, maybe you shouldn’t dress like one.
News flash, Abby, don’t give what you can’t take back.
Last time I checked, I was the one who walked away and because I didn’t bite to your nasty words, you took advantage of the fact my hands were full and shoved me hard into the bike! ”
Ruth slaps Abby across the face as soon as I stop talking, and I shake my head because Abby didn’t even flinch as she starts, “She was being a bitch, Mama, come on!”
I ignore her pathetic excuses and walk out the door without looking back as Ruth says, “I don’t care, now we have to clean up the mess we made, hoping she’d attack us!”
Am I shocked that was her plan? Not really, I already figured it out. They just didn’t expect how much I refuse to lose my family home to them.
Once I graduate, I’ll probably sell it, even if it does hurt, but there is no point keeping it if I don’t plan on staying in Wincher.
***
Ten minutes later, I’m parked in front of the diner and swallow hard. I see it’s packed before my eyes land on Ace who is sat at the counter, hunched over a laptop, his hair messy like he has run his hand through it several times.
My chest tightens again, and I swallow the disappointment I feel running through me, knowing the feelings that want to consume me won’t go anywhere.
I get that I knocked his bike over but it wasn’t exactly my fault, and instead of getting both sides of the story, he snapped at me. Now I’m the one facing the brunt of the situation, not Abby.
He’s a prick, plain and simple.
Shaking my head, I grab my bag and carefully climb out of my car, not ready to face the music and knowing my luck, Abby will most likely show up to rub salt into the wounds she fricking caused.
I take a deep breath and gingerly walk towards the diner before opening the door, the bell ringing above me, and Ace looks up .
I watch as he slowly takes in my uniform—the one he had arranged for someone to give to Lea, who had helped me despite her being Abby’s friend and had offered to deliver it to me. Then his gaze shifts to my wrist in the splint, he curls his lip and lets his eyes linger there for a moment.
“Hey there, Molly,” a voice says, breaking my focus on the man who sends tingles throughout my whole body, and I smile slightly noticing Shaun.
“Hey Shaun,” I mumble and walk towards him, which unfortunately means walking to where Ace is.
When I stop before them, Shaun says, “My cousin is in love with you,” and I snort. I can’t help it.
“Which one?” I ask, knowing full well he’s talking about the twins who managed to ace the paper from the notes I sent them, something I don’t do much.
“Both,” he chuckles, “well, Kay especially, though he did mention that you owed him one for the notes anyhow…”
I wince, “He slept with Abby.”
Ace looks between Shaun and me with a frown while Shaun shudders and denies, “No way he’d do that…”
“Oh, he did, then instantly regretted it because he caught chlamydia from her. The idiot didn’t use a condom,” I confess, and Shaun drops the cloth between us in shock, and I wince again.
“As I said, I did owe him one, and the fact that he passed the essay is a bonus,” I say as I place my bag on the counter.
Shaun nods to my wrist, “Did you do that yesterday?”
I hum, side-eyeing Ace, making Shaun wince.
I’ve known the man basically all my life.
He was in every class during my school years and I helped his little cousin Shyla with schoolwork before she went missing last year.
He knows full well I wouldn’t purposely knock over a brother's bike, especially knowing their reputation.
But somehow, I doubt the man sitting beside me, who smells absolutely divine I might add, will believe me.
He and Abby have history, that much is obvious, that and she gloated about how big he was last night to Lea when she dropped the uniform off, meaning he probably also has the clap.
Trust that the first guy I’ve ever felt anything towards turns out to be a jackass who prefers my step-sister.
Sighing, I look towards Ace and raise a brow, waiting for orders while the waitress who served me yesterday curls her lip at me, but I ignore her.
I can see Ace’s jaw physically tick as he looks between me and Shaun, who has gone to the next customer, and I reluctantly ask, “Where do you want me?”
“The toilets need cleaning. AJ will show you where the cleaning shit is!” he snaps.
Wow, someone’s grumpy.
I try to hold in my flinch at his harsh tone as I grab my bag and I raise a brow at the woman I’m guessing is AJ, who looks at me like I’m dirt beneath her shoe and sneers, “This way, bitch!”
Well, working here is going to be fun.
I roll my eyes at Shaun, who chuckles, and squeezes my arm as I walk past and follow the woman to the back.
Good thing I have plenty of experience cleaning bathrooms. Maybe he’ll keep me there the whole time so I don’t have to see him.
I sigh. He may be pretty, but he is a prick and that is such a waste.
***