Forever Yours

Chapter 2

Jason's favorite cake ^^

Chapter 2

The drive to Tony's is silent on both ends. There's too much on my mind to make small talk and Lucas refuses to talk to me. He's also trying to avoid eye contact with me as much as possible throughout the entire ride.

As soon as we arrive at the diner, I get out of the car without saying anything to Lucas. He apparently had the same plan since he immediately drives off as soon as I take a step away.

Glaring in his direction, I huff before stomping towards the diner. Tony looks up from wiping the tables and frowns as he sees me walk in. "Damn Braska, I know paying bills is challenging but I'm helping so you don't need to shower in the rain," he jokes, making me roll my eyes but it does get a small smile from me.

Tony is a middle-aged man who runs this diner. He's been the guardian technically for Jason and me since my mom's away but he lives in his own house. He just visits us every now and then and helps with the bills. I do feel slightly guilty since he has his own mentally-disabled brother to take care of besides Jason and me so I try to be as independent as possible.

"Sorry," I mumble, making my way to the bathroom. When I get inside, I take off my glasses and set them on the sink. I squeeze my hair at another sink before using the towels to wipe my face and glasses.

I tie my hair back into a bun and place my glasses back on. My eyes are puffy from crying and my face is slightly red from the cold but I don't look as bad as I thought I would. Eventually I can't stand to look at myself anymore so I make my way outside.

Tony leans against a nearby table while giving me a weird look. Why is he staring at me like that? I glare at him in return but it doesn't do anything. "I know I look bad but can you blame me? The rain-"

"Not that," he interrupts. "You look a little worse for wear, but that's not it. Something wrong?" He puts his rag down and stands in front of me with a concerned look while I stare awkwardly at the ground.

What is it with everyone suddenly thinking something's wrong with me? Have I been acting that differently? Maybe the crying and being more alert is a new thing, but can't that just be a normal change in every girl?

"I'm fine," I assure with a tight smile. I guess my frown looks more like a grimace since his frown deepens after my reply.

"I'm closing due to the heavy rain outside. Maybe you should go home and rest. You can even spend more time with your brother," he suggests, nodding at me. Well unfortunately my brother is in the hands of a stalker more dangerous than anyone in the news right now.

"My brother's...um..." I struggle with a good sentence to tell him. Now I could just tell him that my brother was kidnapped, give him the notes from the trash, and call the police to catch this sicko.

The downside is that once the criminal realizes I called the cops, he might do something to my brother. He's only eight, he's too young to go through whatever the criminal is doing to him.

God what is the creep doing to him?

I look at the time to see that I still have a bit before my shift usually ends before looking back at Tony, who's still waiting for my answer. "He's in a playdate with someone and I'm picking them up at five," I say, trying not to let my voice crack.

Surprisingly, my nonexistent lying skills came through and Tony believes my story. "Well you should still go home and take a nap until then. You really look like you need it," he says.

"But-"

"Oh yeah, you have to pick your brother up. I'm staying over at Joe's so you can take my car," he says, tossing me the keys. With my skills of balance and agility, the keys slip through my fingers and drop to the ground.