Chapter 2
KIRA
“Breakfast is ready!” I poke my head into Gem’s room. She’s barely more than a lump under her heavy pink comforter. It’s unseasonably freezing in November. We’re two weeks away from Thanksgiving, and I have no idea how I’ll get any turkey this year. But one problem at a time.
“More sleep.” She groans and rolls over. “Please, ten more minutes.”
“Nope, Gemmy.” I flip her light on. “Yanking the blankets off next.”
She sighs and peers out at me. Then she sits up straight. “Holy shit. Kira, what happened?”
I touch my nose like it’s no big deal. “Just slipped on a wet floor at work. It’s really not a big deal.” She doesn’t need to hear about the assholes, the police, and definitely not Stellan. Whoever that beautiful weirdo was. “Come out and eat. You have to catch the train in a half hour.”
Gem’s a good kid. Maybe too good, if I’m honest with myself. When I was her age, I was out partying, drinking, screwing around, and getting in trouble. Which is probably why Gem goes to one of the best high schools in the entire country while I barely graduated with a C average.
Still, I worry about her. There’s a lot of pressure for her to succeed.
I try my best not to make it worse, but she knows what I do to keep us going.
Ever since Mom ran off three years ago, I’ve been in charge of all our finances.
Which isn’t easy for a girl with no college degree and no real skills to speak of.
Hence the freaking diner at night and the dog washer during the day.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Gem hovers around me as I shove store-brand frozen waffles at her. “I think your nose might be broken.”
“It’s really not, you’re so dramatic.” I steer her to the table. “Sit down and eat. Get any applications done last night?”
“Finished Princeton.” She slumps as she checks her phone and shoves food into her mouth. “Not sure why, though. I’m not going to get in.”
“You’re crazy. You’ll get in everywhere. Just keep applying.”
“Dunno. It’s expensive, right? I know how tight money’s been—”
“Money’s fine.” I don’t add that money’s the reason the heat isn’t on. My worry, not hers. “You focus on school.”
“You’re always saying that.” She wags her fork at me. “At least let me get a part-time job.”
“You have soccer, volleyball, chess club, newspaper, and debate. When do you have time to work?”
“You forgot about band.” She sighs, frowning at me. “But I’m a senior now. My applications won’t change if I drop some of that so I can help you.”
“No.” I sit across from her and sip some decaf coffee. When she’s gone, I’ll snatch two hours of sleep, slam cheap espresso, and head off to the grooming place until five. “This is your last year of high school. After that, you’re free from all this stuff.”
“Seriously, Kira—”
“You’ll have to work soon enough. Just let me handle it, okay?” I put on my bravest smile. My bravest Gemmy smile. The smile I reserve strictly for her because I can’t seem to drag it out anywhere else. “We got this, I promise.”
As always, she’s not convinced, but I think she knows I need her to keep going almost a little too badly. Otherwise, what was all this for?
“Love you!” She hugs me on the way out, backpack flung over her shoulder, another waffle between her teeth.
“Say hello to Vonnie for me, okay? And text when you get to campus!”
“Will do. Later!”
I watch her disappear down the hall. A few doors over, Mrs. Walker pokes her head out. “You’re being too loud,” the old woman says, scowling.
“Morning to you too, Mrs. Walker.” I show her my teeth and mutter, your cats are going to eat your corpse one day under my breath as I retreat back into the apartment.
Quiet hits me hard. I look at the clock and bury the urge to curl up in a ball.
Two-hour power nap and back at it.
I can do this. I can do this. I really, really can do this.
“Is that dog hair?” Pam’s nose wrinkles as she picks at my shirt.
“I know, I’m so sorry. I didn’t have time for laundry and had to come straight here from the groomer’s after checking on Gem and making dinner.” I toss my bag down on the bench and strap on my comfy work shoes. “How’s everyone holding up?”
“We’re all fine. It’s you I’m worried about. I really thought you’d take more time off after a few nights ago.”
“I need the shift.” I shrug, getting up and stretching. “Besides, my nose is all healed. I bounce back easily.”
Pam doesn’t look convinced, but at least she hands me a double-sized coffee, lots of cream, an obscene amount of sugar, just how I like it. “Rocket fuel. We got this.”
“We always do.” I chug half of it down and burn my tongue. “Let’s go get paid.”
But before I can march out there, Pam touches my arm. She hesitates, glancing toward the booth in the front of the house near the window. I follow her gaze and go very still.
He’s back.
Not the bald asshole or any of his friends.
But Stellan.
He’s leaning casually back against the booth, flicking at his phone.
He seems bored. An untouched plate of eggs and toast is pushed into the middle of the table.
Black coffee sits at his elbow. He’s in a pair of black slacks and a dark brown sweater.
It clings to his muscular chest and looks good with his sandy-colored hair.
His gold watch glitters in the fluorescent light.
I bet his shoes are worth more than what I’ll earn this shift.
He’s shockingly beautiful and all wrong for this dump.
“Did you talk to him?” I ask, slightly breathless.
Pam shakes her head. “Just the usual. Thanked him for what he did, and he barely even acknowledged it. Seemed uninterested in chatting.”
I swallow the urge to say, did he ask about me?
“He’s harmless. I’m not worried about it.”
“Not sure he’s harmless, but he’s definitely something. You sure you don’t want to go out with him?”
“Positive. You know me.”
“Yeah, no time for a life. How’s Gemmy doing, anyway?”
“Applied to Princeton.”
“She got a shot?”
“Honestly, she’s got a shot anywhere she wants.” I drink more coffee and touch her hand. “I’ll be fine. That guy’s no big deal. I’ll turn him down, ignore him, and he’ll find some other toy to distract himself with. Don’t stress.”
“Yeah. Totally. No stress.” Pam gives me the fakest, most stressful smile I’ve ever seen in my life. I swear, her bleached blonde hair somehow turns whiter and the wrinkles around her eyes deepen a quarter inch.
Stellan stares at me as I head onto the floor. I meet his gaze for a beat, my heart stuttering in my chest and some animal part of my brain screaming at me to run and hide, and then I purposefully look away. I appreciate what he did, but I don’t want to lead him on.
Fortunately, it’s an average night shift at Amelio’s.
The place is slow from ten to two in the morning.
Stellan remains the whole time, reading on his phone, taking a few calls, occasionally ordering food he doesn’t touch.
He doesn’t bother me, and I stay away from him.
Pam is ceaselessly polite and runs cover for me.
Harry asks a few times if he should ask the guy to leave, but I tell him not to bother. He’s ordering food, so who cares?
But his attention is alarming. It’s intense and overwhelming. I struggle against the urge to look back at him as the hours slip past. Stellan’s attractive in a way that doesn’t belong in my life. I have enough space in my head to keep one foot in front of the other and not much else.
Stellan’s practically from another planet as far as I’m concerned.
The drunks start piling in when the bars close for the night.
The beer rush is a welcome distraction. We get a few groups of girls and guys, but nobody’s a problem, and a few even tip pretty well.
The beer rush ends, but it fades into the breakfast crowd, and I’m worn down to a nub and looking forward to grabbing a quick nap by the time six shows its face. Outside is cold and dim.
I do my last round for the morning. But as I get to my final table, the nice old man who’d been there before is gone.
Replaced by Stellan.
He looks at me casually. That confident smile again.
Like he knows he owns the world and there’s nothing I can do about it.
That bothers me for some reason. This guy probably has girls throwing themselves at his feet, begging him to take them out after getting a glimpse at his fancy clothes, his expensive watch, and his really good teeth.
He could strut through any club in town and leave with the hottest lady on his arm.
Instead, he’s here, in Amelio’s, all freaking night.
I don’t get it.
“You’re in the wrong seat,” I say flatly.
“How was your shift?”
“Fine. Over now. Hope you had a good night.” I turn to walk away.
“Wait.” I pause. He doesn’t touch me, which is maybe why I stick around. “I still want to get dinner with you.”
I turn to look at him. It makes no sense. Stellan’s drop-dead gorgeous in a clean and horrifying way. That menace still lurks under his confidence, and I can’t get a good read on the guy. Everything about him is wrong and perfect.
“Listen, I appreciate what you did the other night, and you hanging around here is flattering—And a little bit psychotic. “But the answer’s still no. I have zero interest in a relationship and even less time for a fling. It’s nothing personal. Just where my life’s at.”
He nods, totally unfazed. I just rejected him, and he’s not reacting to it at all. “We can eat here during your break. Or I’ll sit with you while you drink coffee.”
“Seriously, I have no interest, okay? I’m being as direct and honest as I can. It’s not going to happen.”
His head tilts to the side. I’m ready for him to explode in anger. I mean, he waited here all night! That means I owe him something, right?!
Except he doesn’t. Instead, he just nods. “I appreciate your honesty.” He slips from the booth. “Have a good day, Kira.”
I watch him walk off, slightly bewildered, but happy that confrontation didn’t go wrong. He took it like a man and didn’t whine. I can respect that about him.
I wait until he’s out of the diner before I clear the table. And stop with a coffee-stained saucer in one hand, my mouth hanging open.
A pile of twenties was left under the mug.
“Holy shit,” I say out loud and look around in a panic before grabbing the stack. I flip through quickly, breath catching in my throat. There’s got to be at least five hundred dollars here.
I have a moment. I’m not proud of it. In my defense, I’m very tired.
But I wonder if I shouldn’t just shove the money in my apron and walk away with a solid little windfall.
Five hundred bucks can change my life. That sounds crazy, but it’s true.
Five hundred means heat. It means electricity for a few months. It’s a bunch of frozen waffles for Gem.
“God, I hate myself,” I mutter as I hurry after Stellan, because nobody else in this place could afford to leave that much behind.
I burst out onto the sidewalk, shivering my butt off, searching wildly for a glimpse of his sandy hair.
And there, halfway down the block, I spot him climbing into a fancy black BMW.
“Wait!” I yell, running after him. The car rumbles to life and pulls out. “Hey, wait a second! The money! Please, just wait!”
He definitely notices. He doesn’t stop.
I watch him drive off, standing on the sidewalk like an idiot.
Five hundred dollars clutched in one hand like a gift from heaven.
Or more like a bribe from hell.