Inevitable (26 page)

I was making a
hazelnut espresso with extra foam all by myself (what a big girl I
was!) when Don’s jaw practically smacked into his feet.

“
Hold. The. Phone. Seriously hot guy at twelve o’clock.” I
daren’t look around for fear I’d screw up the first drink I’d been
trusted to make since my arrival. “Well good evening, sir. Welcome
to Brewed Awakenings, my name is Don. How can I be of…
service
to you this
evening?” From the tone in Don’s voice he might as well have just
said ‘hey cutie you mind bending over this bar and letting me fuck
your delicious brains out?’

“
Actually I’d like that barista with the sexy ass over there
to serve me.” I almost dropped the espresso I’d so meticulously
crafted as my heart leapt from my chest.

“
Oh, I, um-”

“
What are you doing here? I don’t finish for two more
hours,” I interrupted, when it became apparent Don didn’t quite
know what to say to the seeming stranger perving on the new girl.
Don’s
uneasy
expression smoothed immediately when he realised I knew the said
pervert. “Sorry, Don this is my boyfriend Blaine. Blaine…
Don.”

“
Nice to meet you,” Blaine said, offering his hand. I swear
I heard Don groan when he took it.

“
I’ll be out back if you need me, Mads,” Don said before
reluctantly peeling his eyes off my boyfriend. “Lucky bitch,” he
whispered in my ear as he passed. I giggled – I was indeed a lucky
bitch.

“
So?”

“
I stayed away as long as I could. I missed you,” Blaine said,
shrugging and pouting like a twelve-year-old girl. He was so
adorable at times.

“
Well, go sit over there in the corner. I don’t want your
gorgeous face distracting me while I’m trying to work,” I
teased.

“
You think I’m gorgeous?” he asked, feigning
surprise.

“
Blaine, you
know
you’re gorgeous. I’ve seen how many times a day you look in
the mirror. Now go. I’ll bring you something over when I’ve taken
this to table three,” I ordered, steadying the espresso in my hand.
I was very proud of it. I hoped it tasted as good as it
smelt.

“
Whatever you say, ma’am,” he teased, saluting me. “I’ll
take a-”

“
You’ll take whatev
er I can figure out how to make. Now go.” I shooed
Blaine away with my free hand and served the drink in my other hand
before it got cold.

After handing the hazelnut espresso to a middle-aged woman
with curly black hair and hearing her sigh like it was the taste
she’d been waiting for all day I figured I must have mastered that
particular drink. Therefore, that’s what I made for Blaine.
Despite knowing damn
well he can’t stand milk or cream in his coffee – oh
well.

I made a
conscious effort not to look in his direction for the rest of my
shift, knowing I held no hope of learning if my insides turned to
mush. Still, I could feel his bright blue eyes boring into my back
the whole time.

By the
end of my shift I’d mastered almost every flavour of espresso, the
French roast, new guinea and vanilla coffees and I’d made two apple
and blackberry smoothies. In between servings Don grilled me about
Blaine. How did you meet? Does he play football? Is he good in bed?
How soft is his tongue? How firm is his ass?

On the few occasions I did glance Blaine’s way I noticed
Don was interviewing
him
too. He would always report back to me with things like ‘do
you know his favourite movie is Total Recall?’ Or ‘did you know
he’s been to Barbados twice?’ By the end of the night I think Don
might have known Blaine better than I did.

By the end of my shift
I had never been so relieved to sit down. My
aching feet literally had an orgasm when I slipped my shoes off in
Blaine’s car. The house phone was ringing when we got home and with
it being ten o’clock at night I answered it in a fluster – worried
something had happened with my mum.

“
Hello?” The word rushed out so fast it was barely
decipherable.

“
Maddie, it’s Trudy. Is Blaine with you?”

Shit.

“
Um, no. I haven’t seen him.”
My voice cracked mid-sentence. I was a
terrible liar.

“
Will you put him on please?” Did I just imagine saying he
wasn’t here?

“
Trudy, I just told you he’s not-”

“
Maddie, please, just put Blaine on the phone.” This could go
on all night. She seemed so certain I was lying. How did she
know?

“
It’s okay, lish,” Blaine uttered, coming up behind me and
snaking an arm around my waist. Nervously, I passed him the phone.
“Trudy?
I
can’t… you know why… she’s fine… of course I am… you won’t? I
appreciate that… thank you, Trudy… sure… okay, bye.”

“
Blaine, your dad? I thought you didn’t want him to know where
you were?” I asked the second he hung up the phone, my voice
dripping with panic.

“
Trudy won’t tell him. I trust her.”

“
Since when?” I asked incredulously. “You don’t even like
Trudy.”

“
Things change,” he said nonchalantly and I figured that was
the last he was going to say on the subject. I let it go… for now.
But eventually I wanted to know exactly what had changed. Did she
know about the strikes? If she did I’d never forgive her.
Reluctantly I simply nodded and changed the subject.

“
Bed?” I said with a suggestive grin spreading across my
face.

“
Now you’re talkin’.
”

Blaine

It took my dad
two whole weeks of me staying away before I found him waiting for
me outside school – longer than I’d expected.

“
Dude, he looks pissed,” Jason said, clapping me on the
shoulder before I made my way over to him. I ignored him and strode
confidently towards my dad – even though I felt anything but. The
parking lot was swarming with students and teachers alike however –
he couldn’t hurt me here.

“
Dad,” I said firmly, nodding curtly.

“
Quit fucking with me, Blaine. I want your ass home tonight do
you hear me?”

“
No. I’m not coming home,” I said boldly, hoping he couldn’t
see how much of a struggle it was for me to keep myself
upright.

“
Oh you
will
come home, Blaine. I’ll make sure of it.”

Before I had chance to reply my dad climbed into his silver
Beamer and left. It took all my strength not to collapse. I felt
winded. And… confused. He seemed so sure I would go home – like he
had something planned.
A thousand scenarios began to turn over in my mind
but short of him kidnapping me in the street I couldn’t think of
anything that would make me go home to him.

I was pulled
from my musing by the vibration of a text message in my pocket. It
was from Jason.

Dora’s lookin
4 U

It took a
moment for me to realise I didn’t roll my eyes when he called her
‘Dora’. After all this time it seemed as natural as her actual
name. I often wondered if Jason even remembered she had another
name. I called her immediately. She answered on the second
ring.

“
My mum can come home tomorrow!” she beamed down the line
without even saying hello.

“
That’s great, lish. I thought they said three weeks?”
Selfishly I couldn’t help wonder what this meant for me staying
with her.

“
Well they said she’s had no more psycho-whatever episodes
and that she’s acting very positive and open to treatment and
outpatient visits. So unless she goes mental this afternoon,
they’re
happy
to let her go. Where are you?”

“
I’m in the lot. You?”

“
Looking at you.” I scanned the lot and then saw Maddie
leaning against a tree outside the science building, staring at me.
When her eyes caught mine she offered me a wave. I held my hand up
to her and then, seeming frustrated, she mumbled something to
Michelle and Lori before she walked away from them.

“
You look hot,” I groaned down the line as she sauntered
towards me in a new white sundress she’d bought with her first pay
check.

“
That’ll be ‘cause it’s eighty degrees out here.”

“
That’s not what I meant and you know it.” By now she was in
front of me and I leaned in to kiss her, cupping her baby-soft face
in my hands as I flicked my tongue against hers.

“
I’m so fucking hard right now,” I moaned in her ear.
“You’re a bad influence on me.” She giggled and swatted my
shoulder.
“You know I could have you for domestic violence,” I
teased. “Unless you make it up to me.” I grinned wickedly at
her.

“
Later,” she said, mock scolding me as she jabbed my chest with
her straightened finger.

“
Tease,” I taunted playfully. “So what gives with you and Lori?
You looked pretty annoyed with her and Michelle just
now?”

“
Ugh,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “They’re planning a
huge birthday bash for me. Lori’s idea of low-key is only
inviting
half
the school.” Maddie’s birthday was two weeks away. I
already had her present – a white gold eternity ring housing three
small diamonds and two amethysts. I chose the purple gems because
the colour reminded me of her backpack. That might not seem the
most romantic notion, but that backpack was just part of Maddie.
They went everywhere together. And I guess I found the whole Dora
piss-take kinda funny. I’d never tell her that of course – or Jason
for that matter.

I decided to
ignore Jason’s advice to get her a Rampant Rabbit. Hell, she
doesn’t need one – she’s got me!

“
Come on, lish, you only hit the big one-eight
once.”

“
You’re as bad as they are! Although, I am kind of looking
forward to you being my toy boy for two months.” My birthday was
nine weeks after Maddie’s.

“
I’ll be dating a cougar.
Fuck that’s hot.” She jokily punched my
arm.

“
You
’re incorrigible, Blaine Elwood.”

“
Is that a fancy word for sexy as fuck?”

“
Take me home,” she said, rolling her eyes at me. She was
trying to feign exasperation but her delicious smile betrayed
her.

“
Yes, ma’am.”

Blaine

M
addie had the night off work and we spent the evening
cuddled up on her couch talking, laughing and watching shit TV. At
one point she started to say something about Lori and Michelle but
then abruptly changed the subject like she’d remembered she wasn’t
supposed to say something. I’d known something was going on with
Lori since the day Jason found her crying in the halls. I’d also
gathered it had something to do with Sky but I never pushed her to
tell me. It wasn’t Maddie’s secret to tell after all and let’s face
it, I know what that feels like.

Michelle was still classed as the new chick in school and I
told Maddie that she was number one on Jason’s hit list. For some
reason she found that hysterical and told me to wish him luck with
that. Just as I was about to ask her
what she found so amusing my cell
rang.

“
Kara?”

“
You’ve got to come home. It’s dad. I’m scared,
Blaine!”

“
Woah, woah, woah, slow down. What’s happened,
Kara?”

“
He yelled at me. I mean
really
yelled. I swear I thought he was going to
hit me. And Mom’s got a bruise on her jaw. She said she tripped
but… he wouldn’t do that, would he? I’m just frightened, Blaine,
I’ve never seen him so angry.”

“
Shit,” I muttered under my breath. Maddie’s body stiffened
beside me and she clasped my knee. “It’s okay, Kara. I’m coming
right over.”

“
What’s wrong?” Maddie urged as I ended the call, her face a
deathly shade of grey.

“
I’ve been so fucking selfish!” I roared, slapping my forehead.
“I have to go.”

“
Why? Blaine what’s happened?”

“
Did I just think he’d let it go? That he wouldn’t need someone
else to take it out on? I’m such a fucking idiot!”

“
Blaine please you’re scaring me.” Maddie grabbed onto my
arm as I stood up. She was shaking.

“
I’m sorry, lish,” I said, cupping her face. “I didn’t mean to
scare you. It’s Kara. My dad-”

“
Jesus, is she okay?” she interrupted.

“
She’s fine… I think. He just shouted at her and she thinks
he’s hit Trudy. I’m sorry, lish, I have to go.”

“
Then I’m coming too.”

“
Like hell you are!” I blasted. Maddie shrank back a step
and guilt instantly washed over me. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want
you anywhere near him. It’ll be fine.
I’ll
be fine.”

“
Blaine, I-”

“
No, Maddie. This isn’t up for discussion. I’ll call you later,
I promise.”

“
Okay,” she said in defeat
, looking to the floor.