Daddy Issues (18+)

Chapter 4 • Awfully Slow

Work had been awfully slow and quiet today. Which I didn't mind, it was relaxing. The only thing I could hear was the sound of the rain pouring onto the streets and the windows, as I helped Charlotte restock some shelves. We didn't exchange a word after what happened earlier. It was uncomfortable and now thinking about it, the silence became unbearable. I wanted to speak up, to at least make some type of conversation. But I felt like I was walking on eggshells with her at the moment.

I didn't want to say anything to get her annoyed or offended. I wasn't sure if I should say something or not, so I didn't. I stayed quiet, keeping to myself, continuing to grab books out of boxes, individually rearranging each one. I deeply inhaled, my arms felt like jello. From having to lift them this high, for this long amount of time. I dropped my arms to my side, hoping to recharge them. As I only had a few more to stock on the higher shelves. Then I would have to move on to the lower shelves.

Which didn't have much to restock, mostly the top shelves were the ones with the huge gaps. According to the emptiness, they were the best sellers at the moment. I snapped my head at the sound of books colliding onto the floor, making me scurry to the other side of the bookshelves, where Charlotte was bent down, grabbing books that were scattered everywhere on the floor. "Are you okay?" I asked, bending down to help, beginning to grab a few books. I peered up through my eyelashes at her.

"I'm fine," she said with a scoff as she stood up, beginning to restock the books onto the shelves. I nodded, going back to picking up as many books I could, before I stood up, helping her restock them, she interrupted me. "You don't have to help, I got it, alright?" She said, grabbing the books out of my arms and turning herself towards the shelf. "Oh no, I want to," I said with a smile. "I don't want your help, okay Janie? I seriously just need you to go back to your side," she spat with widened eyes and a short, quick nod.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "are you . . upset at me?" I asked, gulping the lump in my throat, I didn't know I had. She turned over to face me, "Janie, I'm . . ," she cut herself off with a sigh, "I just want you to leave me alone right now, okay?" I nodded, practically whispering, "okay," I gave a closed lip smile and turned myself around. I walked over to my isle and tried to shrug off, what just happened, but I couldn't. Why'd she want me to leave her alone?

Was it something to do with her mom, that had stormed out of here a few minutes after I had gotten here with no explanation, which is mostly why it was silent. Because Liana was usually the talker, but not at all today. I stood there in my thoughts, feeling paralyzed in them. I couldn't deny I wanted to cry, I kept telling myself it wasn't her, I'm just super sensitive. But I was hurt over the yelling and harsh tone she used against me. I tried keeping myself busy with work, just like my mother. But I'll be honest. It didn't help one bit, I was still as consumed into my thoughts.

Few minutes passed, that felt like a eternity, I was interrupted with a sound from the shelves, "Janie Lou Who," I jumped and look around until I seen her. Sammy with her head buried in between the books on the shelves in front of me. Making me wonder about how I didn't hear the bell on the door and Charlotte who was on the other side with her. I widened my eyes and leaned into the shelves in a whisper, "what are you doing here?" with a smile, she left my sight from the bookcases, making me shove a few books out of the way, so i could see into the next isle more for Sammy.

Only or her to swing herself around the shelves, onto the isle I'm on. "Can't a friend come see a friend?" she asked, picking up one of the books out of the boxes I had laid out, that I still had to restock. "That seems like something, someone would say when they aren't coming just to see a friend," I responded, pursing my lips to the side, as I watched her open up a page of the book she grabbed, before she quickly shut it, putting it back into the box.