Tangled In This Love
Another Strange Day
Sunshine's POV
Hell was set on destroying my life. Yes, someone, somewhere, was laughing at my misery. Not only did I cry myself to sleep, I also made the decision to forget him, but it was useless. I still felt his lips on mine. I could smell his lingering scent on the clothes that I wore last night. I didn't know what to do. This was the first time that my heart ached so much. I got up early in the morning and without saying goodbye to my grandparents got on the public bus and left to Forks. It was a nice sunny day and a change of scenery hopefully was going to do me some good… right? Wrong! It didn't do me any good.
The moment I stepped out into the bus stop, I fell on the sidewalk and scraped my hands and knees. The contents of my purse flew all around me, it was humiliating. I felt hot tears stream down my face, as I picked up my belongings and shoved them in my black purse and got up. I limped to the closest small diner and without looking around walked over to the back of the establishment and sat in a booth. I reached for my phone and dialed my sister's phone, but there was no answer. I groaned annoyed and slammed the phone on the table.
"Can I get you something?" A deep masculine voice said. I shook my head and hid my tears from him. "Hey, you have blood," he said, kneeling beside me and took my hand. "The palm of your hand is bleeding. What happened?" he asked worriedly, inspecting it.
"I'm fine," I said, as I tried to jerk my hand away from him. "It's nothing, just a scrape."
He huffed and inhaled deeply. "Come, let's get your wounds cleaned and taken care of." He said, as he pulled me off the seat and practically dragged me to the deli's kitchen.
"Wait," I sobbed. "Hold on. I fell and hurt my knees too. You are too tall and I can't keep up with your strides." I said, stopping in the middle of the room and sniveled. I looked up at the person that was helping me and he slowly let go of my hand. "Do I know you?" I asked curious, brushing the tears with my sleeve.
He was taller than me and almost as tall as my brother, Adam. He stared at me worriedly and studied my features. I could've sworn that he reminded me of Caleb… He was broad shoulder, with a strong jaw. His brown eyes were expressive and he just looked like my Caleb, only younger looking.
"No, I don't think so." he smiled, shaking his head. "I haven't seen you around here before." He said, eyeing me curiously. "We should get your scrapes cleaned. You don't want them infected, right?" he said and motioned me to follow him. "I'll go slowly. Do you need me to carry you?" he laughed.
"No, thanks," I said, glancing at him. His features were so similar to Caleb that for a second, I thought that I was staring at a younger version of him. My heart was pounding fast as I stared at him. "I can walk."
"OK, whatever you say." He said. We walked towards the narrow hall and stopped in a small office. "The emergency kit is somewhere around here." He laughed nervously. "My Dad tends to hide it from my Mom. He's not that good in the kitchen so he tends to get cut a lot. But he heals fast. Plus, Mom doesn't let him work here." He said mindlessly, as he rummaged through the drawers and nodded his head when he found a red plastic box. "Here it is," he said, turning to face me. "You should seat." He said, motioning at the foldable chair.
"Thanks," I said grateful. "I'm sorry to be taking up your time. I didn't plan on falling down and scraping my hands." I chuckled nervously. "Everything that's happening to me… is… ugh!" I said, staring down at my bloodstained hands.
He pulled out another chair and placed the emergency kit on it. "So, are you the new girl around here?" he asked, taking my purse and set it next to my foot and took my hand and placed it on his lap. I examine the room and felt comfortable enough to relax around him.
"No," I whispered and he lifted his head to face me. "I'm just visiting my grandparents in La Push."
"You are far from La Push," he said, grinning widely at me.
I continued staring at him. There was something memorable in his face, but I couldn't place his face in my memory data. I watched as he opened the emergency kit and pulled out alcohol swabs, gauze, band-aids and Neosporin ointment.
"This is going to sting a bit," he said, as he took my wrist in his and carefully opened the individual alcohol swabs. "I promise that I'll be quick, so you don't feel a lot of pain."
"I don't mind the pain," I muttered. "My hearts been ripped out of my chest."
"Why do you say that?" he asked, his eyes settled on what he was doing.
"Because it's the truth," I said depressed.
"Sorry to hear that," he whispered. "OK, here it goes." He said, concentrating on swiping the alcohol on the scrapes on my right hand. I watched him attentively, hissing when the pain of the sting from the alcohol was unbearable. "I'm sorry. It's not my intention to hurt you." He said apologetic.
"It's fine," I said, smiling behind the tears that were falling. Why couldn't I fall in love with someone that was close in age to me? I bet that if I had someone like the guy sitting in front of me, my life would've been less traumatic. "I appreciate what you are doing." I said, when he placed a bandage on the heel of my hand.
"We finished your left and right hand," He said, arching a perfect eyebrow. "Now we have to take care of your knees." He smiled. "OK, roll up the legs of your pants. Let's get you all better."
"Oh, ok," I said self-consciously.
I slowly rolled the legs of my pant up and felt my face flushing with embarrassment, when I saw my knees bleeding. Dad was going to be sad. He didn't like any of his children getting hurt.
"You took a pretty nasty fall," he said, shaking his head worriedly.
I don't know why, but I felt different around him. I didn't even know his name, but there was something familiar in him. I stared at his eyes, and found that they were almond shape, similar to Caleb. Damn, I was even comparing him to Caleb. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply and tried pushing the image of Caleb Call out of my mind.
"Ok," he said, bringing me back to reality. "We are done."
Why was I thinking of Caleb all this time? "Wow that was fast. I didn't even feel a thing." I said surprised. "Thanks," I said, lowering the legs of my pants. "How can I repay you?"
"For real? You are serious?" he said, frowning. "I did nothing that deserves payment." He said offended.
"I'm sorry," I said, standing up from the chair. "I just wanted to repay you for the favor that you did. I can't just leave and not do something to show you my gratitude." I said.
He laughed and shook his head. "Knowing that you are fine, is payment enough," He said and stood up from his chair and threw the wrappers in the trash can and placed the emergency kit back in the drawer. He stood up straight and I had to crane my neck just to look at him.
"Wow, you are tall," I said shyly, picking up my purse.
"I know," he said uncomfortable and ran his hand over his hair. "Let's get out of this room." He said, placing his hand on my elbow and steered me back to the dining area of the deli. "Be careful," he said, when I almost tripped against a mop and bucket. "You really are a bit of a klutz." He chuckled.
"Not always," I said nervously, when I passed by the kitchen and saw a surly looking woman glaring at me. "Um, I should leave."
"No, stays a bit longer," he said, looking inside the kitchen and waving at the woman. Her feature softened and she smiled back at him. "That's my mom." He said proudly.
"Nice," I muttered and continued walking back to the booth I'd been sitting earlier. "Thanks," I said, when he helped me seat.
"So, do you want something to drink or eat?" he asked, still holding my arm. "We have a good selection of Coke products."
"Um, water, please," I said, nodding.
"Are you sure? Like I said before, we have a variety of Coke products and natural juices," he added and smiled.
"No, water is fine," I said, looking away from him. "I only want water."
"OK, I'll be right back." He said and turned around, but halted and came back to where I sat. "Don't go anywhere, please." He said, pleading with his brown eyes. "Don't leave without saying goodbye,"
"I won't," I laughed and waited for him to bring my water. He came back holding a tall glass with ice cold water and smiled dreamingly at another waitress that was clearing a nearby table. He stumbled and poured the water on my lap. I jumped in my seat, startled and reached for the napkins.
"Sorry," the young waiter said and handed me the rag clothe that he held on his apron. "Here, take this to dab yourself."
"It's fine," I said, taking the towel. "It's just water. I'll dry up soon." I was irritated, how horrible could my day get? Apparently, worst with every second that passed by. "I can do it myself." I said, when he tried to help me.
"Sorry," he said apologetic and raked his fingers through his hair and then looked over to the waitress that observed everything that transpired. "She's going to think that I'm an idiot."
"You aren't an idiot," I said, dabbing my jeans with the piece of clothe he'd handed me. "You are just a klutz. Why don't you just ask her out?"
"Excuse me?" he asked confused. "What are you talking about? I don't like anyone… I don't want to ask her out."
"Yeah, sure," I said and stood up. "I should leave. I need to get home before something terrible happens to me." I took one step, but he stopped me. "Yes?"
"I didn't get your name," he asked, looking down at me.
"Oh, sorry. My name is Sunshine." I extended my hand for him to shake. He grabbed it and shook it. "What's yours?"
"Sunshine?" he mumbled and chuckled. "Sunshine? For real?"
"Yes, is there a problem with my name?" I snapped, placing my hand on my hip.
"No, it's different." He said, letting go of my hand. "I've never heard that name before."
"What's yours?"
"Jordan,"
"Nice to meet you, Jordan." I said, bobbing my head. "And thank you for fixing me up. I have to buy myself more pants, since I ripped them on the knees and now people are going to think that I peed my pants." I said, looking down at my legs.
"You don't have to thank me. It's nothing." He said, sitting down on the booth. "Why don't you seat down. Tell me something about yourself."
I looked down at him and glared at him. "I have to go."
"No, don't go yet. Just sit down. Drink your water. I'll keep you company." He said, his eyes darting to the same waitress that had finished cleaning the nearby table and was ambling back towards the kitchen. She turned her head slightly and rolled her eyes. "She's jealous." He muttered satisfied.
"You want to use me to make your girlfriend jealous?" I said, flopping on the booth and took a sip of my water and relaxed against the back of the booth. "Well, if I'm going to stay. You better feed me." I said haughtily.
"OK," he nodded, his eyes fixed on the door that led to the kitchen. "Tell me about yourself." He said, his eyes falling on my face.
"What would you like to know?"
"How old are you?" he asked, leaning forward. "You seem like you would know about girls like Daisy."
"Fifteen," I said, shrugging. "And who is Daisy? And how old are you?"
"I'm thirteen years old," he said, blushing. "I sort of hit a growth spurt a few weeks ago and experienced some changes." He said, looking down at his hands. "And Daisy is that waitress that you saw me staring at. She's the girl- forget it." He paused and played with the napkin dispenser. "She doesn't pay attention to me, because I got real tall. She's older than me." He sighed irritated. "I wish I'd stayed shorter. I just grew out of the blue and my voice changed. I'm the tallest kid in my class."
"I've seen those types of changes." I said nonchalantly. "My brother grew tall and experienced many changes – similar to yours."
"I hate it, but," he paused and traced lines on the table with his index finger. "But, it's part of my heritage." He chuckled sadly. "It's part of who I am. You know?"
"I guess," I said, staring puzzled at him. Was he telling me that he'd phased? That was the only explanation to his sudden change and growth. I remembered Adam's experience. It'd been tough on him, but oh, well. I wasn't going to tell him that I might know what he was talking about.
"At least you grew tall and look older than kids your age," I said, pushing the water away from me. "You can intimate the kids at your school." I shrugged. "And even ask Daisy out."
"Right," he laughed, nodding. "She won't notice me."
An uncomfortable silence fell upon us and I shifted on my seat. I watched as Jordan stared around the room and arched his eyebrow. I knew that this guy reminded me so much of Caleb. They had to be related. It wasn't coincidence that every gesture he made reminded me of my Caleb.
"Do you have any brothers?" I asked intrigued.
"Why the sudden interest?" Jordan asked curious. "Have you met any of my brothers?" he asked, resting his elbows on the table and placed his head in his hands.
I shook my head and looked away. "No. I was just curious. You sort of remind me of someone. Forget I even asked you." I said, getting up from the booth. "I should get going. My grandparents must be worried about me."
"Where do they live?" he asked, standing up too. He towered over me and stared down at me with a frown on his forehead.
"They live in La Push," I said, looking out the door. "I sort of left their house without asking their permission." I said remorsefully. "I'm the worst granddaughter."
"If you wait a few minutes more," he paused and looked over the register. "Ugh! There's my old man glaring at us." He said embarrassed. "Dude, he's like constantly watching me. He's afraid that I'm going to flip and hur- and let's just say that he's annoying."
"He must love you," I said, turning to face his line of vision. "My Dad is the same way."
"He loves me too much," he said annoyed. "After my brothers- forget it. What I was saying before was… um, if you wait a bit longer. I can take the bus to La Push with you. It's sort of dangerous to travel alone." He said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "There are many strange people wandering around Forks and La Push."
"I don't know," I said, looking at his father. "Are you sure that's alright with your father. I don't want you getting in trouble. You are still a minor… no matter how tall and old you look." I smiled. "They are still your parents."
"Ha Ha Ha," he said, shaking his head. "I'll ask him. Just don't go."
"I won't,"
"Then sit down and wait for me, please," he said, spinning around and trudged over to his father. I sat down and watched as the two of them exchanged words. I noticed that his father was glaring at my direction. Jordan looked back to where I sat and I pretended to be looking somewhere else.
I veered my head to the opposite direction and saw Daisy staring daggers at me. I waved at her and I swear that I heard her say 'fuck off', but that could've been my imagination. OK, not really, but it's good to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"OK," Jordan said, when returned to the table. "It's been solved. I get out in twenty minutes. You should order something to eat in the meantime. You need food. You are way too skinny." He said, handing me a menu. "The pulled pork is great."
"I don't eat meat," I said, staring down at the menu.
"Yes, I should've known. Are your parents' hippy?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in a mocking fashion. I shook my head and snatched the menu out of his hand. "Your name suits you perfectly." He joked. "Sunshine the animal lover, I bet."
"Hey," I said irritated. "Why don't you mock that waitress' name… Daisy? Her name is as hippy as Sunshine." I said curtly.
"So," he ignored me and straightened his back. "What are you ordering? I'll make sure that your order gets made faster." He said, winking at me as he sat across from me. I shook my head and glanced at the menu. "I promise."
"I'll have a Black Bean soup," I said, handing him the menu.
"Good choice," he said teasingly. "I'll be back with your order."
Twenty minutes later, Jordan returned with my order. He told me to wait until it got colder, because he didn't want me to get burned. I nodded and glanced at the steam that came off the bowl.
"I will get out in like twenty minutes more, can you wait for me?" he asked, his forehead creasing, as he stared down at me. I jumped startled and nodded. "I'm sorry to startle you. I was just… just wait twenty more minutes and I promise that I'll be out soon."
"Well, before you leave… Why is your father glaring at me? He's been scowling since you left to get my food." I said, pointing at the tall figure that stood by the register, shaking his head in disappointment at Jordan. "He's been glaring at us for a while."
"That's my old man. Too overprotective of me," Jordan said, running his hand through his short hair. "Don't mind him. He's old and well, old people are strange."
"Oh, you won't get in trouble because of me?" I nodded, grabbing my spoon. "And that Daisy, she seems to be staring daggers at me. Are you two dating? Are you using me to make her jealous?" I asked puzzled.
"No, I'm not and I don't think that my Dad dislikes you. So, don't worry." He said, patting my shoulder. "Enjoy your meal, Sunshine,"
"Um, thanks."
"For real, your name is Sunshine?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, that's my name." I said, twirling the straw in the drink. "I don't know what possessed my mother to name that." I laughed airily. "But I like it. It's who I am." I said sadly, as I recalled Caleb whispering my name as we kissed.
"For real? Can that really be a name?" He asked, smiling brightly. "At least they didn't name you Rain or Meadow." He grinned. "That would really be a little too much. Do you have more siblings named Love, Happy or – um, Joy?" he teased, as he smiled contently.
"Or Daisy," I jested.
"Yeah," he paused to look at Daisy. "Or Daisy," he whispered dreamily.
His smile was so familiar to me. Caleb's smile filled my head and I felt my heart leap in my chest, when I thought of him. Being around Jordan brought many memories of the man that I was trying to forget. I clutched at the edge of the table and flinched, when the pain of my scraped hands registered in my head.
"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.
"Yes," I nodded, lowering my head. "I was just thinking of-" I said dejectedly.
"Jordan," Daisy interrupted. "Your Mom wants you to help out in the kitchen." She said, forcing a smile.
"It's my break, Daisy," he sighed, pretending to be irritated. "Can you tell her that I'm resting for a few minutes?"
"Nope," Daisy said, shaking her head. "Hi," she said, turning to me. "I'm Daisy. I'm this bozo's friend." She said sweetly. "Are you two dating?" she asked, faking politeness.
"Hi, Daisy," I said. I stared at Jordan and watched as he smiled longingly at her. "I'm Sunshine and I'm just visiting this part of town. I just met Jordan. He was nice enough to help me."
"Oh, for real?" Daisy said, and gestured Jordan to scoot over. "Where are you from?" she asked interested. "How did he help you?"
"I'm from La Push. I was born there, but a few years ago, we moved to Sequim. And he helped me bandage my scrapes and cuts." I said, lifting my hands so she could see my bandages.
"Ouch," Daisy grinned. "That must have hurt. So, Sequim? I have family there."
"Nice," I muttered and stared at Jordan. He was rolling his eyes at Daisy's words, as he muttered, 'she's jealous' and I couldn't help laugh. It reminded me of Caleigh, Byron Adam and I. We remained talking and having a fun time, but Daisy and Jordan had to return to their work, when Jordan's mom stepped out of the kitchen and reprimanded him with her eyes.
"I should get going," Jordan chuckled. "My mom is scary at times." He laughed.
"It's true," Daisy laughed as she stood up. "I'll see you around. We should definitely hang out later."
"Oh, alright," I said happily. "Before I leave, I'll give you my phone number." I said and waved at them as they walked away.
I looked at my bowl of soup and tried a spoonful, but it was still hot. I watched the other clients eating their food in comfortable silence and sighed, waiting for my food to cool down enough to eat.
"Caleb," I muttered, when my heart began to fill heavy and contrite.
I couldn't understand why I felt this way. I knew that I'd decided to forget Caleb, but it was hard. Everything around me reminded me of him. I stared at Jordan working, and he waved at me. His smile reminded me of a happy Caleb, except that he never had a happy life. I wanted so bad to be the source of his happiness, but that was never going to happen. I was deep in thought, that I didn't see the blond woman standing beside me.
"Honey," she said in a sweet voice. I looked up and held my breath. She was breathtaking, with deep blue eyes that reminded me of the ocean. Her summer dress fitted snuggly against her curvy body, making me feel so self-conscious.
"Yes?" I asked puzzled.
"Would it be too much trouble if I ask you to move to another booth or table?" she asked, pouting her red lips and adjusting the straps of her purse higher on her shoulder. "You see, my boyfriend doesn't like tables… only booths." She smiled widely. "We've been arguing all morning and I would like to please him as much as I can. I don't like it when we argue."
"Um, well, you see. My bowl of soup is hot and I was here first," I said, looking around the room. "Where is he, anyways?"
"Oh," the blond woman said, tossing her shiny blond hair over her shoulder and turning to face my line of direction. "He's parking our rental." She giggled. "We came here to visit some friends and I seriously hate this place, but he seems to like it. I have to be supportive, right? You won't know. You are just a baby." She said, smiling hypocrite at me. "So, are you going to move?"
"What? Why are you telling me this?" I said, casting my eyes downward to avoid eye contact. "It's none of my business if you two are arguing." I said irritated.
"I figured you wouldn't understand," she shrugged and flop in the seat across from me. "So, can you be a dear and move to another table? It would mean the world to me." she asked, blinking her heavily mascara eyelashes. "Please,"
"Um, sure, let me-" I said, gathering my purse and my bowl of soup. "Just give me a minute to move."
"Oh, you are a dear," she said and clapped contently. "Oh, there he is!" she said.
"Who?" I asked and looked around. I felt the strange pull from the other day. It was soft, churning of my stomach as if my body knew what was going to happen next.
"My boyfriend. Over there," she said, pointing towards the door. "Isn't he handsome?" she asked me, patting my arm. "He's so damn hot!" she muttered, a sensual smile on her lips.
I whipped my head and felt the air exit my lungs. The blood rushed to my face and my hands went numb, when I saw him. It was my Caleb Call. I looked back at the blond female and now I comprehended why I felt such an aberration towards her. She was the cause of my misfortune; because of her I didn't have my soul mate with me.
"He's your boyfriend?" I asked perplexed.
"Yes, sweetie," she said proudly. "You can tell me how handsome he is."
Caleb was ambling towards us. He stopped in the middle of the room and glanced from the blond female and then at me. I dropped the bowl of soup on the floor and yelled in agony. The hot liquid landed on my sandals and shards of the broken bowl did too.
"I'm sorry," I said, my eyes focused on Caleb and then at Jordan. "I'll pay for it." I sobbed, kneeling down to pick up the piece of broken glass. I held back my tears and reached over the table to grab some napkins. How miserable could I be? I tried wiping the soup off my pants and sandals, but it was useless. The tears began to fall and I felt so infinitesimal in front of Caleb. "I'm such a klutz." I smiled sadly. "I should leave!"
"Sunshine," Jordan and Caleb said at the same time, as they both ran to my aid.
Jordan was the first one to reach me. He grabbed his dish towel and began cleaning my pants and sandals. He helped me stand up and gently scooped me in his arms and rushed me to another chair.
"Are you alright?" he asked, inspecting my injuries.
I nodded, closing my eyes, trying to avoid staring at Caleb or his girlfriend. "Yes,"
"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. "Look at me, please," he said. "Are you alright?" I nodded and looked away from him.
"I was just startled. I'll pay for the dish." I said, brushing my tears with the sleeve of my shirt. "Ugh! I'm such-"
"Are you alright?" the blond lady asked worriedly. "Do you need us to take you to the hospital?" she asked and looked down at my pants and shook her head. "What happened to you? You look like you've been mugged. Caleb, dear, we should take her to the hospital, sweetie."
"Yes," Caleb said and pushed Jordan away from me. "I can take care of her. I'll drive her to the hospital."
"It's fine," Jordan gritted, pushing him back. "She's my friend and I can take care of her." He said, looking up at Caleb who was slightly taller than him. "We don't need you. We never did and I think that you should go back to hell, Caleb." Jordan seethed.
"I'm fine," I said, glancing over at Caleb. He stared at me with disbelief. "I should get going. My grandparents must be worried about me."
"No," Caleb said, moving passed them. "I'll drive you back to your house." He said protectively. "You aren't safe, if you aren't with me." He said seriously. "Move out of the way, idiot." Caleb threatened.
"What?" his girlfriend said, as she glared at me. "What the hell are you saying, Caleb?"
He ignored her and moved Jordan's arm away from me. "Move out of the way," he commanded. "I'll take her with me."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," I said and jerked away from him. "I can walk on my own two feet. I don't need you or anything from you. Pay attention to your girlfriend."
"Caleb," The blond girl said, touching Caleb's arm. "What the hell is going on? Why are you so protective of this girl? We just met her…"
"Marissa," Caleb said irritated. "Let me-"
Jordan got in between us and pulled me in his arms protectively. "Come on, Sunshine. I'll ask my father to take us to the hospital. I don't need this idiot to help us. He's a coward." Jordan spat.
"What the fuck do you think you are doing with my Sunshine?" Caleb hissed, pushing Jordan.
Jordan held me securely against him and growled. "She's not fucking yours. Why don't you attend your girlfriend?"
"Buddy, watch your tone with me!" Caleb barked, standing in front of me and pushed Jordan on the chest, causing me to jerk next to Jordan's chest. "You don't know who the fuck I am and what I can do to you."
"I speak the way that I fucking want!" Jordan shouted furiously, as he began to tremble. "Don't fucking make me… beat you up." He said through clenched teeth.
Caleb was also growling, his fists were clenched on his side. "Just try me, buddy." He said cynically. "Just try me,"
He moved forward, but stopped. "Enough!"
"Dad, I could've taken him," Jordan barked at his father. "This idiot here want-"
"Is your brother," Jordan's father said, as he looked from Jordan, Caleb, Marissa and then at me.
Great! This day couldn't get any more stranger and depressing!
AN: Confused? Well, recap here! Jordan is Caleb's younger brother. He was born after Caleb left La Push. He's thirteen years old, but he phased, due to a new clan of vampires that is in the vicinity. More on them later. And no, Jordan didn't imprint on Daisy. He likes her and is infatuated with her, but she isn't into him. Marissa is also in this chapter, she's not bad or good. She's your typical girl that dates a hottie and thinks that she owns the rarest gem in the world. There's going to be more on her breakup with Caleb later on. Jordan is just going to be a good friend for Sunshine. There's nothing romantic between them. Also, Marie Black is making a comeback, too.
