Kristen and Sherry (Koshivuh and banshee69) picked through this with me. They are two absolutely amazing girls, and I am so blessed to be able to call them my red sharpies and voices of reason but, most of all, my friends. xx
-TLWLW-
-25-
That summer found Bella working non-stop. She worked six days a week, picking up shifts left behind by her co-workers as they went away on vacations or to family gatherings. Bella, of course, had nowhere to go, and the extra money couldn't hurt, right?
"Hey, Bells."
"Hey, Jake. Slow night?"
"Looking like it. You gonna grace us with that amazing voice of yours?"
"I just might. Can't have me falling asleep on the job, now can we?"
"Any reason you want to use works for me."
Bella smiled back as Jake beamed at her from behind the bar. His smile was so infectious. Only when she was around him was the rare times one would find her with a smile on her face and a laugh in her throat. It was nice; it was freeing; it felt so foreign and so fucking good, too.
Jake was the owner of R Bar, and an all-around really cool guy. It had taken her months of him badgering her, slowly picking away at her shell, for her to open up to him and just talk. She didn't talk about anything to do with her past, and he seemed to sense that particular topic was off bounds, and never asked. It was a comfortable friendship. It was something that scared the shit out of her.
"I'm gonna head up there now, if that's okay?"
He nudged his head in the direction of the stage and smiled, "Of course. Get on up there, girl."
xx