Chapter 23. Muddle of feelings.

The voices floated around the café as more people came in for lunch break. There seemed to be even more people than usual today. Lucas served twice as fast, Mrs. Briggs used more materiels at once and Adana and Diego tried to take as many orders in as possible.

Adana wiped her brow with her forearm and squared her shoulders just as another couple walked in. She made a beeline to the table. "Welcome to Big B's Café, what's your order."

"Adana?"

Her head which was concentrated on her poised pencil over her small notepad snapped to the wide eyes of the woman at the table and she choked on a gasp.

"You didn't tell me you worked here?" It came out as a shocked question to anyone listening but Adana could just here the implored question, 'I thought you've learnt your lesson?'

"Y-yes, I just got this job."

"Do you know this girl, Helen?" The deep authoritative voice made Helen's eyes divert from Adana's visibly shaken form to the man across her on the table.

"Of course I do." Her tight-lipped smile seemed disarming but Adana knew that smile way too much. "She's my neighbors daughter."

The man nodded and started giving his order which Adana tried to pen down as she kept catching the murderous glint in Helen's eyes.

"What was the hold up about?" Diego who had been come to the entrance of the kitchen window to recoup asked her while he accepted the heavily ladened tray from Lucas.

She couldn't tell them the truth. Her mind was still reeling from her secret being exposed in the worse way possible. Knowing Helen well enough,  she just knew Helen would try everything in her power to get her fired.

"Hey did you hear what I asked?"

She snapped back from her intent stare at Helen and her 'date'. "N-nothing."

He shrugged and adjusted the tray. "You seem nervous all of a sudden and you're sweating on your forehead."

She wiped her brow again. Helen now knew her workplace and this could only mean one thing. Her job was as good as dead. "It's nothing. The café just got busier and one never attended to much people in one hour."

"I hope that's all it is." He broke his fierce stare at her face to attend to the elderly woman had just walked in.

A listening ear would be nice but she had no one to share things this deep. Helen had deprived her of many things in a way of lack of real friends and a social life.

The steady stream of customers soon lessened to only one or two customers here and there by the time evening reared it's head and she clocked out.

Even with the mild sun and delightful breeze,  Adana's mind reeled with a thousand thoughts per minute. A loud horn jolted her out of her thoughts and she looked back to the pickup truck behind her.

It drove up to her stopping beside her and the drivers window rolled down to reveal a wide smile on a soft face. "What'd you think of my new ride uh?!"

She looked about as if looking for people who were watching before dashing her a smile. "Is it legal for you to be driving?"

"Oh please, I'll get my licence next year but nobody says I can't hone in on my sweet skills before then." She hit the horn again, pure euphoria on her face. "Come on, hop in and rate my moves."

"I don't know,  Lani." Her brows pulled together as she gave the truck a once over. It didn't look old but it wasn't new either,  judging from the scratches and dent on the bumper. "You think you can take two of us?"

"Look,  I've taken Ronnie to school in this and this will only be a short ride." Leilani blinked down at her. "You must be really tired. Won't it be nice to rest those feet and feel some crisp air on your face and—"

"Yeah,  okay whatever!" Adana threw her arms up. "I'll get in."

When Adana is settled and strapped in,  the truck starts moving at a steady pace, not fast or slow and she starts to relax. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem girl." Her friend waved it off. "I can pick you up anytime I'm free and all you have to do is call."

"Is this really all yours?"

"Yup!" Pride colored her voice. "Dad got a new SUV which he uses on his journey to the garage and handed me this bad boy to use at least into I have to leave for college."

Adana nodded and they lapsed into a light silence highlighted by the soft voices on the radio. They got to her destination and Adana got off the bus,  thanking Leilani again.

She searched for the keys and closed the door behind her,  resting on it with a sigh thankful Helen wasn't back yet. With dinner out of the way and a glass of milk and cookies in one hand, she whipped out her phone,  going through her texts.

A silly smile lit up her face when she opened the text from Storm;

Storm: Cant get that kiss outta my mind. Can you?

How are you? Please say you're fine. I miss you xoxo.

A boy hadn't told her he missed her before and she felt giddy as she typed a response. Seconds later she got another text.

Storm: Can I call you?

Her heart jumped at the question and she took deep breaths as she have him permission to call and waited. The wait wasn't long before her phone rang in her hand. In an unusual tizzy, she dropped her cookie and wiped her mouth before answering.

"Hello?" She held her breath after talking, not sure of what she sounded like.

"Beautiful." His rich baritone sounded relaxed and stroked her in ways she couldn't explain. "How are ya?"

"I'm good." She bit her lip at her lame reply. Why was she feeling so awkward to have this conversation with him?

Maybe the kiss had opened a new part of him to her and it felt like she was talking to a different person entirely. She clutched the phone to her ear, listening to him breathe.

"I know you're thinking about last night."

"No, I'm not." An obvious lie.

"You're lying and you know it," he chuckled. "Can't wait to see you tomorrow."

"Me too, bye." She cut the call before he could respond and ran to fall into her bed face first and buried in her pillow. She screamed because of the muddle of feelings coursing through her.

Sleep crept up on her and consumed her. That night she had nightmares. One bad scenario after another starring Helen. Adana tossed and turned,  messing up the sheets before snapping her eyes open to the sound of glass shattering and a shrill scream.

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