The light shown in from the window making me groan and turn my body in the other direction. I cracked my eyes open and looked towards the clock that was carelessly thrown on the floor.

7:13 AM

I kept tossing and eventually looked up towards the wall. My shift started at 9:30 so I had plenty of time to kill. After another twenty minutes of unsuccessful slumber I yanked the blanket off myself and lifted myself from the mattress and made my way to the bathroom.

The pipes groaned as the water came shooting out of the shower causing me to cringe.

I would have to wait until my next paycheck to get that checked out. The hot water was scarce in this building so I slowly ducked under the freezing water. As my body adapted to the temperature change my mind drifted to yesterday. Those blue eyes had haunted my dreams all night.

I couldn't believe Emmett was here. In New York. I shouldn't be surprised. He always talked about the big apple, and how he was going to make it big here. But I guess I was in denial that he went through with those plans. I don't know if I can stay in this city knowing that I could run into him at any time. It was too much of risk to open myself up to him again. But then again, who says that he actually cares?

He could resent me for swooping in and revealing his dirty little secrets to his friends and fiancé.

I let out a shaky breath while pouring a glob of shampoo into my hands.

The thought of him with a girlfriend, let alone a fiancé had my head spinning. Maybe I was resentful that he left our family for a new one. Or maybe I was jealous that he found someone else to fill his time. Either way, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy at the announcement of their upcoming nuptials.

I decided to turn off the shower before I developed hypothermia and dug up my uniform from the bottom of my closet. By then my hair had started to air dry and I carelessly threw my hair into a loose braid and pulled strands out to frame my face and then slipped my flats on, draped my bag across my shoulder and hastily walked out the door. My shower had lasted longer than I anticipated so I was running late.

After jogging almost the entire way there, luck was on my side as I entered the diner with minutes to spare.

Sue glanced up from the table she was clearing off and gave a curt head nod in my direction as she continued working.

I slipped my bag under the counter and swiftly tied my apron around my waist and stuffed my pen and notepad into the aprons pocket.

Breakfast and lunch went by pretty fast and before I knew it the sun was starting to set.

I was clearing a table when the bell rang signaling that another person had walked in. Sue called over to them to sit wherever they wanted and she would be right with them. I didn't pay them much attention as I kept pilling the dirty dishes on top of one another.

From what I could hear from the movement behind me the group who had just entered settled into a table in the farthest corner from where I was. I could feel eyes boring into my back but I paid no attention.

I glanced at the clock as I skillfully handled the dishes. I was out of here in two hours. Sue only had about thirty five minutes to go. We took turns opening and closing, so she had opened this morning and now it was my turn.

I didn't hear the bell ring again so I busied myself in the back with cleaning dishes and filling the napkin holders. I took the broom that was leaning across the back wall and decided to sweep behind the bar area. I silently pushed my way through the doors separating the kitchen and the dining area and took my first look at Sue's customers.

Holy shit was the first thing to cross my mind.

As if they heard my thoughts all five of the people occupying the table looked up at me and I stared into a pair of deep blue eyes.

Emmett was staring at me intensely while his fiancé who sat to his left kept changing her sights from me to Emmett every few seconds. Almost as if she was watching a tennis match.

A man sat to Emmett's right, with hair like copper and I recalled him being at the coffee place during my temper tantrum.

The couple that sat across from them had turned themselves completely around in their chairs to star at me. The first was a petite girl with black hair who I recall being named Alice since I stole her coffee to pour on Emmett's head.

I mentally cringed and made a note that if I ever spoke to her I would apologize and pay her back as soon as possible. The man next to her made it less obvious that he was looking at me since only his head was turned in the direction of the girl next to him but he could see me out of his peripheral vision, the rest of his body since turned towards the table.

My trademark blush found its way to my cheeks and I quickly looked down and kept my mind to the task of sweeping.

Only a few minutes had spared and I had sweep the same area about 20 times.

"I think it's clean enough" Sue whispered and as passed me with her large tray of food. Sue amazed that she was able to operate the diner and cook everyone's meal at the same time. I asked her why she doesn't hire a cook and she has the same response every time.

Don't have the money.

I huffed and blew a piece of hair that had mangled its way out of my braid and into my eyes. I hate how everything has to revolve around money. It kills me how heartless men and women can have millions upon millions of dollars, but Sue, the hardest worker I have ever met struggles to afford to feed herself.

Sue deserves the world but yet here she is, owner of a rundown diner close to bankruptcy with no family or loved ones. I looked up and caught my reflection in the window.

Is that my future?

So… DON'T HATE ME. I have no excuse on why I haven't updated. At first my computer crashed so I had to get a new one and then I started school again and looking at colleges and everything has been so stressful and crazy. I should have another chapter up by sometime in February and then my schedule finally clears up in March since all my testing should be over (thank God!) But I'm going to try my best to have at least one chapter up per month and then hopefully get to the point where I can upload one every two weeks. Thanks to everyone who actually stuck with me through my incredibly long absence! It means the world. PLEASE REVIEW!