Chapter 13
Thirteen
GIA
“Order’s up!” The bell chimed, and Gia groaned as she rushed to retrieve the next order.
It had been an exhausting day. She had forgotten what it was like to work at the restaurant.
Even with Minh there and splitting the workload, it had been a crazy day.
It was great for the restaurant but terrible for her poor feet.
And her back. She’d need to book an appointment with a massage therapist to get the kinks out of her legs.
It would definitely be necessary if she had to do this all week.
Despite the discomfort, Gia had to admit it felt nice to feel useful. Needed. It had been so easy to slip back into her role at The Lotus. Natural. Almost as if she had never left at all. If she had been doing this job for a while, she speculated her muscles wouldn’t be aching so much now.
If I had never fled town all those years ago, is this what my life would be like?
When her mother had knocked on the door that morning, waking her up from a sound sleep, Gia had groaned and covered her face with a pillow, which was promptly ripped off her.
“Lazy girl, get dressed. You’re going to the restaurant today.” Her mother’s tone meant business. Gia knew better than to argue with her.
After rolling out of the creaky old bed, the smell of freshly brewed Vietnamese coffee lured her out of the bedroom.
Moving slightly faster than the pace of a sloth, she yanked a cup out of the cupboard and filled it to the brim.
The smell had been heavenly and made her sigh with contentment.
Taking a sip, she winced when the hot liquid burned her tongue.
Worth it, she thought as the delicious taste infiltrated her sleepy brain.
“Gia, we’re leaving in five minutes. You want to walk or you want a ride?” Mom’s voice pulled her out of her coffee-induced stupor.
“Ugh. Fine. Be ready in four.” They both knew she was lying.
In a record-breaking thirteen minutes, Gia was flying down the stairs.
Her father was waiting for her by the door.
He glanced up from his phone with a slight smile before opening the door for her.
Slipping into her shoes, she headed to the minivan.
Her mother was already waiting with her sunglasses on, an irritated expression on her face. Mom hated being late.
The automatic doors slid open as she approached them.
Climbing in, she found a to-go cup of coffee waiting for her in the cupholder.
Her lips pressed tightly together as a swell of emotion threatened to overtake her.
Her eyes blurred, despite her attempts to stay composed.
She pretended it was because she was happy to see coffee, but really, she was grateful everything felt so… normal.
It had been so long since she’d felt this way.
It was not grand gestures or expensive dinners or lavish parties, but the small things her family did for her that made her feel seen. To know, despite her absence from their lives, she was still welcome home. She felt loved and worthy.
Begrudgingly, she had to admit Jake had played a part in making her feel the same way. Despite their tense reunion the first night, it felt… nice.
Well, no. That’s not the right word.
Every time she was around Jake, fire crackled beneath her skin, waiting for the moment to ignite like a barely contained wildfire. His proximity made her feel feverish and delirious. His tantalizing scent teased her senses. Her body craved his touch.
He made her want to be reckless, even as her mind fought to remind her of the danger he represented.
It was a perplexing dichotomy.
Being around Jake made her feel alive.
But getting close to Jake was a dangerous endeavor. One she did not have the luxury to indulge in. Being with Jake threatened to undo all of her hard work. He was a risk—always pushing her boundaries. It was too easy to slip back into unhealthy habits and behaviors.
She was older and a little wiser now. Sadly, she knew all too well firsthand what the fallout was of being merely a notch on his bedpost.
Besides, Jake didn’t deserve that part of her anymore.
Truthfully, he didn’t deserve any part of her life.
Though a part of her was thankful Jake had stepped in and helped take care of her family in her absence.
From the many times the girls talked about their “favorite uncle Jake,” and how often her mom and sister brought him up in casual conversation, it felt like he was a permanent fixture of their family.
And she was a stranger. The guest who was staying with them.
Even though nobody ever made her feel unwelcome, everyone had more to say about Jake than they did about her.
Things had been less tense recently, but she knew everyone was still walking on eggshells around her.
Either they were waiting for her to break or leave town again—she wasn’t certain.
But Jake? Even when he wasn’t around, he always seemed to be around. He was on every corner of her family home. It was infuriating when she was trying desperately to avoid the stupidly handsome man who used to be her best friend.
And the person she lost her virginity to.
“This was a mistake.”
Shaking her head free of the past, she resolved never to make the same mistake again.
After a short drive, they pulled up at The Lotus.
It was going to be a long day, but she had nothing better to do.
Glancing up at the ominous clouds looming over the horizon, she didn’t feel like being caught in another rainstorm.
Nor did she think she’d have any time weeding the garden with the threat of a storm on the horizon.
So really, what else would she do? Might as well be useful while she was in town.
Besides, her mother would never let her laze about the house like a ghost haunting the premises.
She’d said as much last night when Gia had been climbing into bed after playing with the girls.
Her mom was not one to be defied. Old habits die hard, and apparently, following her mother’s rules was one thing that hadn’t changed.
Climbing out of the van with her precious coffee in one hand, she trailed behind her parents as they approached the entrance.
Right as they unlocked it, another familiar car pulled into the parking lot.
Minh had dropped off Th?y Mai at school and Tuy?t Mai at the small daycare center down the street.
Her parents had already entered the restaurant, but Gia waited for Minh at the entrance.
“Hey, sis,” Minh called out to her as she grabbed her purse from the back seat.
Gia managed a small smile in greeting. It probably looked more like a grimace.
They had seen each other the night before when the girls asked Gia to tuck them into bed.
Minh “supervised” to make sure the girls behaved and didn’t sneak in any more playtime.
As she was leaving their bedroom, Minh offered her a grateful smile, eyes misted with emotions Gia didn’t want to dwell on.
No matter how much time she spent with her nieces, it wouldn’t make up for the fact she’d been absent from their lives. But she needed to start somewhere, right?
So, between playing with dolls and eating popcorn while watching movies about princesses falling in love with their princes, it was the least she could do. The girls also asked her to do their makeup since they’d heard from Marley she was a movie star. Naturally, it meant she was a makeup expert.
She was no expert, but she knew a thing or two. Unfortunately, she’d brought little more than her basics with her when she left LA. It was the perfect excuse she needed to go shopping or have Kim mail her things from her apartment.
Speaking of Kim, she needed to reach out at some point today to let her know she was planning on staying for at least the rest of the week.
There wasn’t anything pressing Kim couldn’t handle.
She had a photo shoot scheduled with a big magazine the following week.
The magazine was supposed to feature her on the cover, with an extensive article about her achievements, but they would probably cancel it because it was part of the promotion for her upcoming role. The same one she’d just lost.
The interview was due soon after the photo shoot.
All things she couldn’t worry about at the moment.
As Minh reached her side, she saw a tall, shirtless figure jogging by.
Her eyes must have been playing tricks on her.
He moved as if in slow motion. The wind blew softly through his hair as sweat dripped down his sculpted abs.
A sharp V cradled his waistline as it disappeared into the hem of his running shorts. He was every woman’s fantasy.
Unfortunately, she’d recognized his dark blond hair even at this distance. After the momentary shock—because how could anyone not stare?—irritation flared through her.
You have got to be kidding me.
She was exasperated at herself for finding him attractive.
As if sensing her venomous gaze, Jake’s eyes met hers across the parking lot.
“What’s going on?” Minh asked her before turning to see the source of her attention. “Oh, good morning, Jake! How many miles today?”
Gia’s mouth dropped open in shock.
Is this a routine thing for them?
“Only have time for five miles today.” Jake flashed a cocky smirk as he continued on his path. “Morning, Gia.”
Did he just wink at me?
“Have a great day, Jake!” Minh yelled at Jake’s retreating back, who offered a wave over his shoulder.
“What the hell was that?” Gia turned her baffled gaze toward Minh.
“What was what?” Minh asked and headed into the restaurant.
Gia followed behind like a lost puppy.
“That.” She gestured behind her, even though Minh couldn’t see her.
“Jake runs every morning. Why?” Minh shot Gia a curious glance over her shoulder.
Why am I so hot and bothered about a half-naked Jake running by the restaurant just as I got here?