Page 15 of The Lost and the Found

I hadn’t been with anyone since him. I wasn’t even interested in being with anyone since him, which came as such a surprise that Logan affected me so badly.

I didn’t want to be affected by him.

I shook away the depressing thoughts and scrubbed harder at the ketchup stain on the old wooden table. Isabel was flirting with a group of men seated at her table. I didn’t know much about her, only that she’d been with her boyfriend for about three years now. And their relationship seemed unhealthy, even from an outsider’s point of view.

I knew she’d cheated on him with some of the patrons here, and more than once. I was willing to bet all the three thousand dollars I had in my savings account that he cheated on her as well. I didn’t understand it, and I usually tried to keep my nose out of other people’s business, but it was hard to ignore them when he came in here often enough—usually when he was a little drunk and probably bored.

I looked away from her to the three other servers. All female, all catty, and all Isabel’s friends. It almost made working here unbearable. Thankfully, I had Dave.

It was Dave who ran the bar. It was Dave who hired me, who took a chance because he could see the desperation in my eyes when I applied, or perhaps despite it.He was the closest thing I had to a friend, and I knew he had a small crush on me. One I hoped would go away.

When it was close to eleven, a bit of wind started to pick up. I could hear the whooshing sound outside and dreaded the walk home.

“I think we should close up early. It doesn’t look like there’ll be anyone else coming in. I heard we’re supposed to get some snow tonight,” Dave said absently.

Everyone smiled, excited to leave work early. Me, I was debating asking Dave if he would let me stay here for the night. I didn’t want to brave the wind. Especially when it was close to midnight and I was exhausted.So fucking exhausted that I didn’t think I could take another step, let alone walk the seven blocks it would take to get me home.

I did my closing duties quietly and watched as the servers finished with theirs first, walking out, car keys in hand.Isabel was the last to leave, and she looked back at Dave, a meaningful glance exchanged between them. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

When she was out the door, I turned to Dave. He could probably tell what I was thinking, because his cheeks turned red and he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“You and Isabel?”

“Don’t judge, Hayden. It’s not like you were going to give me the time of day.”

I patted his shoulder on my way out. “I’m not judging. I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. Drama follows that girl around everywhere.”

He shrugged. “We’re just having fun.”

“Well, goodnight.”

My hands stayed on the door handle when he called my name. I turned around. “You know I would end things with her in a heartbeat if you ask me to, right?”

I gave him a small smile. He knew I never would.

“It was worth a shot, right? When you don’t feel it, you don’t feel it. It’s not like I could make you fall in love with me.”

I moved back, a little surprised. “You don’t want me to fall in love with you. I’m too messed up in the head for that. Besides, you’re not in love with me.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I shook my head, stopping whatever words he was going to say. “I’m a novelty to you. That’s all. It’ll wear off soon.”

“It’s been two years, Hayden. How soon do you think that’ll be?”

I laughed and pushed the door. It wasn’t until the heavy wooden door closed behind me that I realized Dave wasn’t joking. I shouldn’t have laughed. It wasn’t funny, what he’d said, and now I felt cruel.

But that feeling didn’t last long. Not because I didn’t care, but because I had a more pressing problem at hand. The weather.

It wasn’t snowing yet, but I could feel it in the air. I could see the cloud of white smoke forming in front of my face with each breath I took. A quick glance above, and I knew all the stars were hidden from my view. I shivered, hitching my bag further up my shoulder.

But before I could take another step forward, a car’s headlights turned on, nearly blinding me. The car rolled forward and stopped with the passenger’s side in front of me. The window rolled down and man’s voice rang out in the empty parking lot.

“Get in.”

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