Angel (Book 4)

Chapter 1. Moving On

            "Hey, Mia," Zayden said. He smiled at me as he passed me. Zayden was tall with blond hair and blue eyes.

"Hi, Zayden," I replied.

"Girl, that guy is so sweet on you. It's disgusting," Cecilia said and smirked. Cecilia had dark brown hair and blue eyes. She was thin with a porcelain face.

I sighed. "I know," I muttered.

"Give him a chance," Cecilia said. "You could do worse."

"I'll pass," I said. I liked Cecilia and her friends. Zayden is one of her friends. Cecilia had quite a few friends that I made friends with. I had been in Isla Vista for several months, which wasn't far from Goleta.

I started law school and worked at a coffee shop just down the street from the college. My parents lived in Goleta, in a small two-bedroom house. It wasn't at all easy to start over, but we made it work. After school started, I moved to the dorms.

My dad said he had enough money saved, that he bought me a car. It was in better shape then my Mazda was, which I was forced to leave behind in Los Angeles. I went back to Los Angeles with my parents for a day to sell our cars about a month after moving here.

We had no problems with anyone trying to find us. Some part of me wished someone would find me; I felt so lost.

After handing a cup of coffee back to the customer, I walked to the back. My shift was almost over.

"What is the matter with you? You have known Zayden for almost a year. You must be interested in someone." Cecilia hounded me as I knew she would.

"I'm not," I snapped and turned to face her.

Cecilia looked taken aback by the venom in my voice.

Guilt washed over me. "Look, I'm sorry. Okay? I just don't want to date right now. It's been a hard year for me, and I don't want to complicate things."

"An ex?" Cecilia asked. "It's honestly the only thing I can think of."

I took a deep breath and felt another piece of me break. It wasn't the type of break you could see; it was inside. It was the kind that hurt most. I was broken. He broke me—the kind of break that doesn't heal.

"Yes," I answered. "I don't want to talk about it." I spun back around and headed for the time clock. I punched out and turned for the back door.

The back door suddenly opened, and I fell into a set of arms.

"Oof," I huffed.

Zayden's arms were around my waist. He looked down at me and chuckled. "Damn, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," I said softly. "Sorry, I'm just leaving." I pulled away from him.

"Um, there is a party this weekend at my place. If you're interested, feel free to come. Cecilia and the others will be there too."

"I'm not sure. I have some tests to study for," I said. I looked back, and Cecilia was giving me a questioning look. I hoped she wouldn't call me out on the lie. I found myself lying more often. I hated lying. So many people lied to me, why should I care?

Cecilia climbed into the car with me. She didn't have a license. She was too petrified to drive. Cecilia informed me that she was in a car accident that killed both of her parents, and she remembered it in detail.