Runaway

Chapter 13: Mia

The last 2 weeks have been hectic to say the least. I have been working nearly every day, sometimes doing double shifts and it is starting to catch up with me. Luckily I have the next 2 days off to relax and recover.

Ella has started college yesterday too and came home in a great mood. She so far loves her professors and has made a couple of friends in her classes. I'm so happy she getting to live out her childhood dream and I get to be her with her through it all.

During the little spare time that I have had, I have been hanging out with Jake. He is constantly sending me funny mems that keep me going through my work shifts when he's not there and we have even gone out for breakfast and lunch a couple of times. He is very easy to talk too and he hasn't pushed me about what happened that day.

He does ask me constantly if I'm ok and continues to reassume me that he will listen if I need to talk but never pushes. I'm just not ready to share my story with him and I'm not sure if I ever will be. We have talked about nearly everything else from my upbring in Cali and how I ended up in Boston, although I had to really abbreviate that story and make a few changes.

He's told me that he grew up in Philly and Northeastern was always his dream uni too just like Ella, but for completely different reasons, his being hockey. He's told me all about how he got into playing hockey and how he met Alex, Ethan, Sienna and Raya. They seem like a really tight group of friends.

I have another shift at work today, the lunch shift that I'm getting ready for. I throw my hair up into a ponytail just to get it out of my face. I had wearing my hair down especially at work, it can get really annoying. I put on my black jeans and a simple black t-shirt. I don't even both with make-up as its not really my thing and never has been. If I even go out I might put on some mascara and maybe a little eyeshadow but nothing else, especially at work.

I know that Ella won't be home for about another half hour as she has class, but I leave her a note saying that there is lunch in the fridge, it just needs heating up and that I will be home for dinner.

As I grab all my things and put them in my bag ready to head out the door, I receive a message

Jake: Guess what???? Your work husband will be in today, see you in an hour (goofy smily face)

I laugh as his message but decide to reply with a cheeky response.

Me: Great I love working with Mark. Are you coming for lunch, would you like me to reserve you a table when I get in?

I know that he will laugh at my joke just like a laughed at his. He won't be doing many shifts now because uni has started back up. I probably will actually miss seeing him around so much. I walk out of my apartment and towards work. About halfway there I feel my phone vibrate and I know who it will be.

Jake: Are you divorcing me already. I thought we had a great thing going on. My heart is breaking

I slip my phone back into my pocket as I continue to walk to work and laugh at his dramatics. I don't know what it is with Jake, we just clicked and get on really well. I've never had any guy friends before, well, I was never allowed to have any guy friends before. But with Jake I can just easily talk to him and he hasn't judged me and even questioned me directly about that day but he is always looking out for me and I think that is a great quality to have in a friend.

Even though I know he is a player, there is nothing but friendship between us and I know he feels the same. He gets me to be his wing woman when he's trying to pick up while working and I also help him out, not too successfully but I do try.

I make it to work with a couple of minutes to spare but it's already starting to pick up so I jump straight into it. I don't even realise the first hour has been and gone until I see Jake starting. He greets me with a hug and lift me off the ground. He always does that and he knows it annoys me. But our greeting is quick as the dinner rush is just getting going.

It's getting close to my finishing time and the bar has quietened down a bit after the lunch rush. Jake and I are outside cleaning up all the empty glasses and dinner plates. We chat about how his first couple of days have been at uni have been and how he got roped in to doing this extra shift today even though he should be in class now. He lets me know that the first week you don't really learn anything so he could skip plus he got to work with me so that was a bonus.

Back inside my manager comes up to me and asked if I can do a double since one of the night shifts has called in sick. I really don't want to, I need a break, I have been working so hard these last couple of weeks and I think that's why they ask me because I can't ever seem to say no.

"Sorry she has plans" I heard Jake say from behind me while put his arm around my shoulder. I look up at him with a confused look on my face and is just looking at the manager with a grin on his face but I'm thankful as the manger mumbles something and walks away without me having to answer.

"So what are my plans for tonight?" I ask him while folding me arms across my chest and raising my eyebrows

"Well I was actually going to see if you'd like to come over tonight to our apartment. Us and the girls are just having a chill night watching movies and eating pizza? Interested?" he says hopefully. I was planning on having a dinner with Ella and then an early night to bed but I have never really had friends before and they did all seem nice at the party the other week.

"Let me check with Ella, we were meant to be having dinner together" I state as I take my phone out of my pocket and send her a text. She replies almost immediately telling me to go and have fun with my friends. I'm not sure I would call all of them friends as I really don't know them that well, but I would definitely refer to Jake as a friend.

"Sure, what time should I come over?" I ask and he just wraps his arms around me in a hug, telling me that this is going to be so much fun.