Chapter Three

I lean on the side of my car and tilt my head back as I try to focus on steadying my breathing. The very concept of losing everything in a single day has me feeling like the world itself is spinning because of the horrific storm inside of my brain. I cannot seem to even focus on anything other than the question of what it is that I am going to do now.

"Alright," I jump as my eyes swiftly refocus onto the older woman that just walked back into my line of sight. "He should be here shortly, and then we can get your car looked at. Hopefully it will be a simple fix, but if anything, he can at least give you a tow to his shop. It's about another 30 minutes up ahead. I don't know where you were going, but thankfully you were close to a small town that is just up ahead."

As I continue to stare at her, it's difficult to process the information that she is telling me right now. Her eyebrows furrow together, and I can see her ask me something, but I can't seem to hear her. She reaches out and touches my shoulder, but it's like my brain and entire body have both just shut down completely and I no longer have any function of either. I turn my head away from her and just look down at the ground for a moment.

This is not the time to go into shock. Yes, I have lost everything, but that's more of a reason that I must do something about it. This whole situation is overwhelming, but there is no way that I can solve everything all at once. I need to focus on the task at hand. Waiting for this mechanic called Inuyasha to show up and fix my car. Get myself on the road to find a place to go to.

"I'm sorry, you said there is a town up ahead, correct? What did you say your name was again?"

She smiles sweetly at me, and I can see sympathy and concern in her eyes, "My name is Kaede and yes there is a town up ahead. It is a small and humble town, but I have a personal bias to love it dearly. I happen to live there as well. What is your name dear?"

"My name is Kagome. I do apologize if I am coming off as rude. Thank you for calling the mechanic, and even for just stopping to see if I needed help. I do appreciate your kindness."

She waves it off as if there was a bug that she was swatting away. "That's nonsense, helping others is what people should always do. Besides, it looks like you have already gone through enough as it is. Mind if I ask what could be troubling you child?"

A strange sense of calmness washes over me and I can feel my shoulders relax from the tension that I didn't even realize was there. "I just lost everything after finding out that my boyfriend cheated on me. I left my home and didn't have anywhere to turn to. Who I thought were my friends, sided with him without even really listening to what I had to say about it all. So, I left to try and start over. Some day this is turning out to be."

She nods her head as she looks me over before speaking, "Maybe you can turn this negative situation into a positive one by looking at it like it is a sign." I turn to look at her while I try to understand what a positive outlook of this whole situation could possibly be. "You stopped for gas here, which provided a safe place for your car to break down. In my opinion, that is much better than in the middle of the road some place. Then there is the fact that I happened to be here and am leading you into the direction of a town close by. If you do not have a destination in mind, why not stay there for a little while. You'll have to start somewhere regardless, right?"

I think about her idea of starting fresh in the town up ahead and it doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll have to pay for whatever repairs are needed and the towing of the car that way anyways. Might as well find a little job there and see where it takes me. "Do you happen to know of anyone that is hiring? I'm afraid, I don't have much experience. I haven't worked outside of high school."

Without even missing a beat, she responds back with a question, "What did you do with all of your time around that ex-boyfriend of yours?" I explained to her that I was the one who set up appointments and reservations for him and his colleagues, made sure to remember names and numbers for him. A big smile crosses her face, "I have the perfect idea, and just in time too! Inuyasha is pulling up now, there he is."

I turn to look and see where she is pointing. Inside a beat up looking red pickup truck, I see bright silver hair framing a man's tan face while wearing a scowl and dark sunglasses. He doesn't look friendly, and yet I am strangely not afraid of him.

He pulls over to us and rolls down his window, "Yo, Kaede, which car needs a lift?" Once he parks, he gets out of his truck, and I get a good look at the rest of him. I can't help but appreciate how ripped he is as I look him over. Baggy jeans rest low on his hips and his beat-up white sneakers shows me how hard he works on a regular basis. The black muscle shirt does not leave much to the imagination while it clings to each of his muscles.

I watch Kaede point to my car and my cheeks burn red once I realize that I am unabashedly checking this man out. Shaking my head, I walk over to him and explain, "It wouldn't turn back on after I finished filling it up with gas, but it was working fine before."

He raises an eyebrow and takes off the sunglasses to expose amber colored eyes. He looks me over, which fills me with a small sense of pride, but then he opens his mouth. "What did you do, fill it with diesel instead of gas?"

Admiration moment is over, I do not know what came over me to think this guy is attractive. "No, of course not. I put in regular gas, which is the same stuff I have used for years with this car."

While still maintaining a scowl on his face, he asks another question, "Well, are you sure that you cranked the key the whole way?"

Now it was my turn to scowl, so instead of responding, I walked over to my car to try and turn it on again. There was a part of me that worried that it would turn on and make me look like an idiot. Then, there is another part of me that wants it to turn on because then the problem would be solved. Sadly, it did not turn on, but continued to make the sound like it wanted to turn on but couldn't do so."

"Quit that, you're going to flood the engine." I feel my cheeks turning red, the nerve of this guy! Without another word, he gets back into his pickup truck to back up to mine and start hooking it up to tow it.