Page 99 of Friends That Heal Us
“Zayn. What is going on?”
I slam my eyes shut and sigh at the sound of my boss’s voice. “Fuck,” I whisper. I look over my shoulder. “She’s leaving.”
“She better be,” he says with a tight voice. “This needs to stop. She’s scaring my customers away.”
Her nostrils flare, and she steps closer—close enough that I can smell the alcohol on her breath. “You owe me, Zayn,” she hisses.
I plant a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from getting any closer to me. “I don’t owe you anything.”
“You used me,” she snaps, jabbing her finger into her own chest. “You made me believe we had something.”
“I never made you believe anything. You made up that fairytale in your head.”
That hits her like a slap in the face. Her lips press into a thin line, trembling. She looks away—blinking hard and jaw quivering. “You’re heartless,” she whispers.
I drag a hand down my face, feeling nothing but annoyance. “Tell me something I don’t already know.”
“Zayn.” I hear my name being yelled out by my boss again.
My stomach drops. I glance behind me, and the guys’ eyes shift towards us again, watching.
I step closer to Rya with my teeth grinding and my jaw aching. “Leave me the fuck alone,” I say in a low voice so no one hears me.
Her face cracks as she wipes her tears. “I just…I don’t have anyone else. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Get help. Get sober. Get a job. Fuck, there are a few ideas. Now stop making this my problem.”
“I gave everything up for you.”
“I never told you to.”
Her eyes harden again, like she’s choosing anger over hurt. “You’ll regret this,” she mutters.
“I already regret it.”
I walk back over to the bay, but before I can pick up my wrench, my boss says, “My office. Now!”
I nod and follow him to his office. As soon as we step in, he shuts the door behind us and drops heavily into his chair.
“You’re fired,” he says flatly, like it’s a casual thing to say.
“What!” I stand up straighter.
“What do you mean, what?” His brows lift. “How are you so surprised?”
“I’ve been here the longest. None of these guys can do what I do.”
“You got that right.” He laughs harshly.
My jaw tightens. “What do you mean by that?”
He leans forward, resting his arms on his desk. “First you started disappearing at random hours of the day, then that turned into you missing entire days of work. And now this bullshit keeps happening.”
I throw my hands up. “What bullshit?”
He jerks his chin toward the parking lot. “That bullshit that just happened right outside. She has come here far too many times, starting arguments with you and scaring off my customers. I warned you months ago that I was going to let you go if you kept missing work. And now, this random girl keeps showing up. Not only her but then your friend Ezra came and beat the shit out of you. I’ve given you far too many warnings. Plus, I thought you were married.” He stares at me hard.
“It’s not my fault she keeps showing up. And Ezra didn’t beat the shit out of me,” I say in frustration, my hands at my sides.
