Always Yours

I was fizzing with anger.

How could I have been so stupid not to realise this was a set up?

“Sit”.

I grit my teeth, my hands balling into fists. He infuriated me. I thought we had come to an understanding. I thought he was going to leave me alone. Obviously, I was wrong.

“Specs”.

“Who do you think you are?”. I glared. “You can’t just summon me and expect me to come running”.

“I can”. He smirked. “And it worked”.

I wanted to scream. This was never going to end. And then the unthinkable happened. A tear slid down my cheek. I was crying in front of Franko.

Out of anger or frustration I wasn’t sure.

His eyes softened as he got to his feet.

“Aubrey I-…”.

“Can I go please?”. My voice barely a whisper my eyes never left his. I didn’t want to be here; I didn’t want to be around him when it was forced. His actions weren’t going to win me over.

Acting like a jackass was only going to make me hate him more.

But I didn’t hate him.

I was trying to hate him. Truth was the more I saw him the more I liked him. He had always teased me, but he was never nasty to me. I took a step back as he circled the desk.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me specs”.

I wasn’t afraid of him. I was afraid of what I might do if he got any closer. The butterflies in my stomach were making me feel sick.

“Can I please go?”. I didn’t want to keep Alice waiting any longer. It wasn’t fair on her having to watch Tommy with someone new.

“You want the job?”.

I furrowed my eyebrows. I wasn’t sure I wanted to work here anymore but I had to. I needed a car. Wait, how did he know about that?

“I-… Do you know the owner?”. I asked.

“Do you want the job or not Aubrey?”.

I chewed my bottom lip. I wasn’t sure if I was making a deal with the devil here or he was feeling bad because he made me cry. I was going to go with the first one. But I had to take it, I had to put on my big girl panties and take the damn job.

I nodded.

He smirked.

I had definitely just signed a deal with the devil.

“See you soon princess”.

I left the back area making my way back into the diner. Jen was stood behind the counter.

“You sold me out Jen”.

“That boy likes you honey, and he paid me a hundred bucks”. She shrugged.

Alice was outside waiting by her car. She didn’t look any better, in fact she looked like she had been crying again. I didn’t see Tommy when I left, I just hope he didn’t say anything to her.

“Hey”.

“Took you long enough. What did he want?”.

“Just Franko being Franko”. I got in the passenger side and put on my seatbelt. “Do you want to come back to mine?”. I didn’t want her to be on her own.

“But what did he say?”.

“He asked me if I wanted the job”.

“And?”.

Why was she so interested in Franko? Was he her next target?

I can’t believe I just thought that. I also didn’t like the jealousy I felt with the thought of them together.

“Aubrey?”.

“He didn’t say anything else”.

“Yeah right, I bet he did”.

I was a little taken aback by her tone of voice. It wasn’t my fault things didn’t work out between her and Tommy. I did warn her about him but of course it fell on deaf ears.

“He didn’t I would tell you”.

“I’m going straight home. Could you get a lift from someone else?”.

I felt the lump appear in my throat. Was she serious right now? She knew I had no other way of getting home. I chewed the inside of my cheek as I unclipped the seatbelt.

She was being a bitch.

“Sure”. I grabbed my bag and got out.

She took no time in speeding off down the street. I lived on the other side of town, and I had no way of getting home. I spent the last of my money in the diner.

She left me stranded.

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. I had no idea how I was going to get home. I couldn’t contact my parents because I was supposed to be in school. I was screwed.

Heading back into the diner I sat at the counter.

“You want some coffee sweetie?”. Jen asked.

“I don’t have any money”.

She winked as she poured me a cup. “Where’s your friend?”.

“She left me”. A laugh fell from my lips. “I have no way of getting home, I have no money. My best friend left me on the other side of town”. I took a sip of my coffee to mask the tears in my eyes.

I guess we were crying today.

“She left you?”.

“Long story”. I sighed.

“It’s none of my business sweetheart but that is not a friend”.

I shrugged. “Thanks for the coffee. I’m just going to sit over here”. I moved into a booth in the back. I had to figure out how I was going to get home. I could always walk but look what happened the last time I did that.

I was pissed at Alice. Her attitude and the way she spoke to me. We had been best friends for years and for her to just leave me here was a low blow.

She knew I had no other way of getting home. I sat for a few hours, Jen would refill my coffee and bring me the odd snack. I didn’t have a plan on how I was going to get home.

I did some revision and completed all my homework.

“Still here specs”.

For some reason I felt relief that he was still here. He could take me home. He would hold it over me but at this point I didn’t care.

“Can you take me home?”.

He smirked. “You wanna come home with me instead?”.

A sigh fell from my lips as I got to my feet. It was always a game for him, he was always trying to gain something. “It doesn’t matter, I’ll walk”.

“Like hell you will. I’ll meet you out front”.

I prayed he had his truck. I wasn’t getting on the back of his bike. Not for all the money in the world. My stomach dropped when I saw he was carrying a spare helmet.

“Told you I’d get you on the back of my bike”.

Screw it.

I had never felt anything like it.

The wind in my hair, the fresh air against my face. It was liberating, I felt free. I tightened my grip around his waist and lay my head against his back.

I felt safe and I didn’t mean on the bike. I felt safe around him. The butterflies erupted in my stomach as I took in the scenery around me. Who knew riding on the back of a motorcycle could feel this good.

I couldn’t hide my smile. Never in my life did I ever think I’d do anything like this. As he pulled up outside my house I waited until he turned the engine off before I got off.

He may be a lot of things, but he was nice to me. He always had been. I gave him back the helmet and stood awkwardly on the foot path. I wanted to invite him in but couldn’t form the words.

“Thank you”.

“Where did Alice go?”.

“What?”.

“You were at the diner with Alice. Where did she go?”. He followed me as I began to walk up the driveway.

“Tommy really hurt her”.

“That’s not what I asked Aubrey”.

“She left”.

“Left you by yourself?”.

I nodded.

“Let me get this straight. She left you at the diner with no way of getting home?”.

Again, I nodded.

“You need better friends darling cause that one ain’t nothing but a bitch”.

“Hey”. I frowned.

“Call it like a see it”. He shrugged.

“She isn’t she just had a bad day”.

“Whatever you say princess. I’ll see you soon”.

I didn’t want to be here on my own. I was still meant to be in school and if my parents came home and found me it wouldn’t end well. I watched his back as he walked away, my eyes moving down his body stopping on his ass.

I grinned.

I can’t believe I was checking him out.

“Franko”. I ran after him.

What was I doing?

I swallowed the lump in my throat, I couldn’t seem to look at him. I chewed my bottom lip as I stared at the ground.

“I’m a busy man specs”.

“Can I come with you?”.