Chapter 5


Five weeks later, Jared was standing in the middle of his home. House he'd shared with Kim for the last three years. Kim had finally decided she wanted to move out. She would leave La Push altogether. And she had left, but not before making a mess of everything. She'd taken with her all that she'd considered was hers to have and destroyed everything else. Jared's old couch was ruined, its covers slit open, and the bookcase smashed into the floor. Kim had taken the TV and the coffee table.

The bitch!

Their bed was gone, which he was glad about; it didn't hold any memories he cared to dwell in, on the contrary. Kim had thrown all his remaining clothes on the floor and spread green paint over them, destroying the clothes and the carpet floor.

Jared couldn't believe how he hadn't known Kim better than this. How come he'd been so fooled by her? But then it seemed that she'd fooled everyone. His friends hadn't had any idea that she'd been sleeping around, which of course was a fucking relief. To think his friends had known and not told him... Well, that just wouldn't happen.

Some of Kim's friends that he'd seen around La Push had told him the same. Until Lauren Malory had told him what she and Kim had been up to. Apparently, Kim and Lauren had often ended up having orgies on their shopping trips to Port Angeles and Seattle.

Lauren had obviously thought that telling him about their doings would earn her a place in his bed, but Jared had refused her. Lauren had always tried to flirt with him, and many things made more sense now. Kim had actually implied a few times that Jared could fuck them both if he so wished. He'd been too naïve to really understand that she'd been serious. Well, he knew better now. A shudder of disgust went through him.

Jared walked around the house, taking in the damage, and instead of feeling angry or mad, he felt lighter and happier with every step he took. Soon, he started to laugh. He laughed so hard that tears began falling, and his stomach ached.

"I'm free!" he shouted. Fuck he was free. He would never want to see that bitch again. Never.

He took his phone, took photos around the house, and then sent them to his mother. As he'd expected, she had taken the news of their breakup badly. But after seeing these photos, she would understand what a psycho Kim was, and he was far better to be rid of her. It didn't mean his mother had to end her friendship with Michelle, Kim's mother, as long as she didn't expect him to have anything to do with that family.

He went to look at what Kim had done to the backyard and was surprised to see that she had left everything as it was. He needed to do a renovation, and considering he didn't want to have anything around him to remind him of Kim, it was an excellent place to start his new life.

The farce Kim had pulled him through in the last five weeks had exhausted him. And after the exhilarating feeling of being finally rid of her, the emptiness of losing Bella followed. Not that he ever had had her, but he could not escape the feeling she was meant for him. The night they'd shared had been fantastic and had left him wanting more, wanting forever with her. There had been a connection he could not explain but had felt. And he knew she had felt it, too. But why, then, had she left him without any way to contact her? He couldn't understand it.

Jared went to the kitchen and opened a beer bottle he'd brought. He sat down by the island on a chair Kim had left for some reason and took Bella's note from his wallet.

He reread the words and brushed his finger over the ink letters. Images of her filled his mind, and he closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't have any clues about where to look for her. The only thing he knew was she lived in Vancouver. And he would never find her from the city that big. Opening his eyes, he turned the well-worn note in his hands. He looked at the backside of the paper and saw some very faint letters. It was a receipt of some kind. The text was faded and illegible, but it was definitely a receipt. How the fuck he hadn't noticed that before.

Wondering if Kim had taken the iron with her, he went to look for it from the cupboard in the utility room. Surprisingly, the iron was still there. He plugged it and took a t-towel. He placed the receipt on the table and put the towel over it. When the iron was hot, he placed it on the towel and pressed it over the receipt. His heart thumped when he removed the towel, and yes, the text was now more visible.

Trees Organic Coffee. She'd bought two coffees, one mango cheesecake, and one blueberry cheesecake. Jared felt irrational jealousy for the person who'd been in the café with her. She'd been there on the 2nd of May this year. Was it her regular spot for coffee and some cakes? The receipt gave the address of the café: 450 Granville Street, Vancouver.

Would he be crazy enough to go look for her? There was no fucking way he could be so lucky that he would actually find her. But could he not at least try? He'd been thinking about Bella constantly ever since their night together, even though Kim had dragged him through hell. Memories of Bella had kept him sane.

Going to Vancouver to this café would be a waste of time. But what was an alternative? Forget her? He wasn't sure he could ever forget her. Would he forgive himself if he didn't at least try to find her? He did have a clue, although a very small one at that. But she might live or work close by. It might be a cafe she visited regularly. If so, maybe the workers there were able to tell him that. He was able to describe her very clearly. Her face was something one couldn't easily forget. The more he thought about it, the clearer it became he had to try to find her. He needed to know why she had left like that. He wanted to ask her if she'd changed her mind if she would like to get to know him after all.


To say that Jared felt utterly stupid standing there in front of Trees Organic Coffee on 450 Granville Street in Vancouver was an understatement of a decade. His friends had had a field day after they'd heard about his plans. Well, all, except for Embry. He had offered to come with him, but Jared needed to face the humiliation alone.

He'd flown to Vancouver last night, and the cafe had been closed when he arrived. He'd been walking around the few blocks close to the cafe for half an hour now. He didn't know what he'd expected to happen, but he was sure what wouldn't happen: find Bella. But as things were, he just could not at least try. So, better get on with it.

He stepped into the café. There were a lot of customers, and music was playing in the background. He looked around and saw many women with long dark hair, but none of them was Bella. He laughed at himself. What a hopeless mess he was.

He went to stand in the line. There was a young man on the counter taking orders. Jared knew this wasn't a good time to ask questions about a possible customer since it was very busy. Maybe he should come back again when it wasn't so busy. But before he could turn away, it was his turn.

"What can I get for you?" the cashier asked him.

"I'll have one flat white and blueberry cheesecake." Jared was pretty sure that Bella had ordered that for herself, and he wanted to taste that.

"Sure, anything else?"

"Um... is anyone working here today familiar with the regular customers? You see, I'm looking for someone," Jared said, feeling the embarrassment heating his face.

The cashier watched him for a while, frowning.

"Who are you looking for?" he asked.

"A friend that I've met years ago but lost contact with," Jared stretched the truth a bit. It sounded less suspicious than telling the truth.

"I think Andy here knows almost everyone who comes here regularly."

The cashier nodded his head towards the barista, who looked at Jared after hearing his name mentioned.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I'm looking for someone and would like to ask if you might know her."

The barista finished the coffee he was making and gave it to the woman waiting for it. "I'll finish at five this evening. Come back by then. You can buy me dinner, and we can talk."

That was helpful. "Thanks, man," Jared said. "I'll be here."

Jared paid for his coffee and cake and went to wait for his order at the other side of the cashier counter. He was feeling hopeful. If Bella came here often, this Andy person would most likely know her. She was a beauty, and her face wasn't something one easily forgot, not a man who liked women at any rate.

Jared got his order and went to sit at the table that just got free. He took his laptop and decided to work for a while. He was a bit late with his newest article for the Seattle Stranger. And he had to have it done by the end of the day. And now that his quest to find Bella had nudged a bit forward, he noticed he could concentrate on writing. He wanted to write.

"Sir?"

"Hmm?" Jared's head snapped up from his laptop.

"How long are you planning to stay at this table?" the waiter asked.

Jared looked at the young girl, not quite comprehending what was happening.

"Sorry, what?"

"We have a policy not to let customers work here; it's not good for business that one customer occupies one table for a long time." Jared glanced at his phone and saw it was already 1 p.m. He'd been here for three hours without noticing the time. Well damn. He glanced at his laptop and saw he'd written five pages.

"What if I buy lunch?" he asked, giving the girl his winning smile.

"Um... sure. But after you've eaten, you should go."

"Amanda," someone called from behind the counter, "let the poor guy alone. He's okay to do his stuff there." It was Andy.

"Thanks, man," Jared waved his hand at him.

"I would like to order some lunch, please," he said to the waiter, who was staring at him. Jared was used to women staring at him and gave the girl another panty-dropping smile. "What do you have on the menu?"

The girl just showed the board on the wall where the daily menu was listed. Jared looked at the menu and read it through.

"I'll have ham and cheddar wrap with a green salad and some sparkling water, please."

The waiter kept staring at him.

Andy laughed and threw a sugar tube at the girl. It hit her right shoulder and snapped her out of her haze.

"Sorry," she said, blushing. "What did you want to eat?"

"Ham and cheese wrap with a green salad and sparkling water, thanks."

The waiter wrote it down and left.

Jared laughed, shaking his head, and continued his writing. The article was shaping up nicely. It was about the oldest living member of the Makah people. Jared's boss had heard about this person, who was alleged to be 120 years old. No one knew for sure, but interviewing all his relatives and village people had been an exciting project. It was also about the heritage of the tribe. Initially, Jared had asked someone else to write it, but his boss found it helpful for him to be part of the Native American heritage. And perhaps it was. At least he could reflect on his personal experiences with the ones he'd interviewed.

The next project would be completely different. He was going to interview an amateur diver named Jared Leisek, who had become some sort of sensation lately. His boss had found it funny he shared his first name with this internet sensation. He would travel to Jamaica to do the interview.

He got his lunch and decided he'd worked enough. He would read the article through this evening and send it forward afterward. He was content his boss would be satisfied with his writing.

He was just finishing his lunch when Andy sat in front of him.

"I got 15 minutes now. I got a message from my wife: I need to leave ASAP after my shift. So shoot. Who are you looking for."

Jared looked at Andy, who had an amused expression on his face. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"It's a young woman, very beautiful. I met her last month," Jared decided to drop the old friend facade. "She left me a note, which was written on a receipt from this cafe. I didn't have a chance to ask her full name or contact details, so I came here."

"She's quite something then," Andy laughed.

"Yeah, she is. Her name is Bella, and she has long reddish-brown hair. Her face is full of freckles, and her eyes are brown with a hint of green around the irises. Her smile brings out dimples on her cheeks. She has coordinates tattooed on her wrist. She's..." Jared realized that he was really overdoing it and shut his mouth.

Andy was looking at him with a grin. Jared was holding his breath.

"She really sounds like an amazing girl. Unfortunately, I don't recognize her."

Jared's heart sank. He knew it would be foolish to hope, but he had, nonetheless.

"Damn," he said. Fucking damn. Damn fucking shit.

"But I'll tell you what. If she ever comes here again, I'll ask her if she wants your contact details. You can write a note, and I'll put it in a safe place. If she shows up, I'll give it to her."

"Would you really do that?" Jared asked.

"Yep."

"Why?" Jared could not help asking. It was his nature to know things.

"Why not? It would be awesome if you found her. And there is no harm done since she, this Bella-girl, can decide what to do with the note I'll give her. But you must promise to let me know if you ever find her."

"It's a deal," Jared said.

"Write the note and bring it to me before you go. And good luck," Andy said and left.

Well, that was it then. There was nothing left to do but wait and hope for the best.

Jared's phone rang, it was his boss.

"Change of plans, Jared. I need you to go to France by the end of this month."

"What? For how long?" Jared asked. His boss was known for hasty decisions, and although Jared did feel that a change of scenery would be a good idea, going to Europe wasn't his first choice. Not when he'd hoped to have a reason to stay on the continent of North America.

"For three months, perhaps longer."

"What!? Three months? Why?"

"I'm setting office there as you know my plan to move to France. You are the only one who can speak and write fluent French, so I need you there."

Well damn. It sounded like there was nothing he could do but accept if he wanted to keep his job.

"Come tomorrow, and I'll tell you more. I'm sure you are happy to leave after you hear what I've planned."

Damn, damn, damn!