Loving Your Imperfections

Misjudged

Mia (days later)

I will not go into many details about what happened that night between Nate and me, but let me tell you, it was incredible. I don't think I have ever experienced anything this good, and I definitely will not be able to forget it. I can't stop thinking about him.

Nate was such a gentleman with me, so careful, and my god! He's so good in bed, and I mean so damn good. It's left me with an insatiable desire for him.

I have not gotten my hands off of Nate since that night. And yes, I'm still getting used to this new level in our relationship, but I think I just became addicted to him.

My parents just informed us that our house is finally done. Two days ago, we started moving into our home, and I finally had a room to myself. Of course, Nate was first in line when it came to helping us move our stuff back. He didn't hesitate to jump in and get busy. Before we knew it, Jordan, Nate, and a bunch of their football buddies had jumped in and helped us move into our house along with Nate's parents, my sister Audrey, and her husband, Steven.

While moving, Audrey and Steven made a barbeque in our backyard for everyone to eat. Nate's parents were the first to come by and gave us a welcome home-warming gift. Sophie brought a beautiful vase full of flowers, and Logan gave Dad a massage chair that looked like it cost a fortune. Dad was super emotional.

Also, my dad got a new job as a head mechanic and is getting paid pretty well. My stepmom went back to nursing; she got a part-time job in a senior home, taking care of the elderly, and let me tell you, she loves it. My parents have been in such a good mood that I feel it. Things are starting to change for the best, and I'm finally feeling like myself again.

What's even better, Andrea has been away all week for a cheer event, so that was a major plus. This means I have not had any trouble with her or her minions because they've all taken off with her and will not be back until the end of this week, in two more days, to be exact.

Things are finally starting to look up for Nate and me. And I can't express how happy I am with our relationship.

I was called to work earlier today, and since we had an early dismissal at school, I agreed to come to work. So, I took advantage and got to work as soon as I left school. There is nothing that could ruin my day. I have a fantastic boyfriend, I got my house back, I have a great job, and there is no Andrea anywhere in sight. What could go wrong, right?

"Here you are. Enjoy your dinner, and let me know if there's anything else I can do for you guys." I smiled at the elderly couple as I gave them their plates and sat their silverware down. They smiled, making me feel content with my work today.

"Thank you, sweetie." The lady says with a bright smile. I nod, smiling back at her. "This looks amazing. Good ol' Patterson still knows how to please a hungry guy." the old man says, making me smile as I look back and see his bright smile. Nate's grandpa, Mr. Patterson, has lived in this town his entire life, and from what I hear, he's always loved cooking for special events until he founded this restaurant in his wife's memory. That's why he named it after her, Hailey's dinner.

I went back to the kitchen and almost collided with someone, and my eyes widened in shock as I heard a thud, followed by plates crashing onto the floor. I gasp, opening the door, and see Jade covered in steak sauce, along with the remains of mashed potatoes and gravy.

"Oh my god, Jade... are you ok?" I asked, reaching out for her to grab her hand. She swatted my hand away, making me feel bad. I didn't mean to make her fall, I swear. "God, why? It had to be you, Miller. Toure so damn clumsy." Jade sneers, making my mouth widen in disbelief.

"What's going on here? Who is responsible for this mess?" the manager asks, making me close my eyes regretfully. "She did it. I was on my way out of the kitchen when she threw the door at my face, making me drop everything on the floor," Jade says, getting up and brushing off all the food spilled on her.

"What? No. That's not true, I swear, it was an accident, I didn't mean to. Besides, she was behind the wrong door." I said, trying to explain the situation. Our system uses a specific door to go in and a specific door to go out. And that system has worked, allowing us to avoid collisions with one another, just as right now.

But by the look in Jade's eyes, she couldn't care less about our system. I should have known she was here to cause me problems.

"No, I didn't. You did this purposely because you can't stand seeing me work here. Look, Mia, I get you don't like me because I was mean to you in school; I was mean and immature. I never should have stolen your boyfriend, but it just happened. You knew Kev and I loved each other before you dated him, after all, but we never meant to hurt you. I thought we were past this; I had already apologized to you, so why are you trying to sabotage my work?" She says, making me narrow my eyebrows in confusion.

"What? No. That's not true. I don't care who you're dating, Jade. I am not trying to sabotage anything. I swear, it was just an accident." I say, feeling my body begin to tremble.

Oh no. This isn't good... I hate confrontations for this exact reason. When my body begins to shake, and the adrenaline begins to rise, it is a sure sign I might get a panic attack. ... I need to cool down, or this will not end well. Why the hell is Jade doing this? Why can't she just leave me be?

"Bull shit. This was not an accident. You did this on purpose, Mia."

"Enough!" Our manager says, raising her voice and lifting her hands.

"Jade, go to the lockers and get cleaned up. Mia and Shawn, please help clean this up. We'll talk about this later. Ok? We have a busy night. We cannot afford any more mishaps. Can we all just try and work together, please?" She adds, making Jade throw daggers at me with her eyes. "But... why are you letting her get away with it? It's obvious this was not an accident. She saw me coming out with plates in hand."

"Not true, Jade. I was just returning from table five, and I needed to check the food for table seven. That's all, I didn't see you."

"I said enough. Now... Jade, do as I said unless you both want to go home early. Which I will not have mister Pascal pay you for a full day because THIS is unacceptable behavior." the manager adds, making me sigh, clenching my jaw in frustration. Jade looks at me with murderous eyes, making me feel like.... Maybe... I did screw up. Did I? Was I not being careful? I swear I... I went through the right door, didn't I?

Jade storms off, walks towards the lockers, and slams the door shut behind her, making the manager's eyes closed in frustration. "Boss, I swear, I didn't mean to."

"I know, Mia. I know Jade... She is just asking for trouble. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for me to hire this girl. God, what will I do with her?" she asks, looking away in frustration.

I felt terrible. I didn't know why Jade was here. I know for a fact she comes from a very wealthy family. Why was she working in this restaurant, and why did Kev get a job as a janitor in our school? It makes no sense... plus, that baby who was in the back of their car.

Did she have a baby?

I know for a fact her parents did not like him. What if she took off with him, against their will, and disowned her when they found she was pregnant? She is only two years older than me. She is so young. My sister Nikki is just a year older and has the time of her life in college. No wonder she said she had stopped seeing her on campus last year.

I know the incident wasn't my fault, but, why do I feel so terrible?