Chapter 6

My phone shrilled through the quiet of the small house, slicing through the fragile silence I’d been clinging to.

 

Unknown number.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Good morning. May I speak with Justice Graves, please?" A woman's soft voice floated through the line.

 

"This is her," I responded a little uneasily.

 

"Hello, my name is Macy Heart, and I'm with Peaceful Rest Funeral Home. I was calling to hopefully set up a meeting time to discuss the arrangements and services for your mother...Bailey Graves."

 

And just like that, my heart began to race as my anxiety kicked into high gear. I had refused to think about my mother's passing. I was doing everything I could to act like it didn't happen, with unrealistic hopes that she would walk through the door. Healthy? No, but I didn't know if I was strong enough to handle this.

 

My eyes stung with unshed tears. "Okay, um, I can come in anytime."

 

"Can you be here in an hour?" she questioned.

 

"Yes, that'd be fine," I told her.

 

"See you then."

 

As soon as the call ended, a tear slipped down my cheek as I took a deep breath. I had to pull it together; she didn't have anyone else who would handle this. Without saying a word, I turned and headed back to my bedroom. What do you even wear to something like this? All I really wanted to do was crawl back into bed and go back to sleep, but I couldn't.

 

I pulled a solid black t-shirt from the hanger before grabbing a pair of jeans. This will have to do. We didn't own any 'nice' clothes, so to speak. Jeans and T-shirts are what we wear—the occasional pair of biker shorts during the summer and late spring.

 

I looked in the mirror after pulling my hair into a high ponytail. I looked tired. With a huff, I turned and made my way back to the living room. I wasn't expecting to find Niko sitting back down in the old chair. I found my old ratty tennis shoes and slipped them on.

 

"Thanks for everything," I told him, clearing my throat. Now was not the time to get emotional, "But I have some things I have to take care of."

 

"I'll take you," he said as he stood up, stretching his arms above his head.

 

I stopped and watched him, "Thanks, but I can't ask you to do that. You've done enough already, and I'm sure you have your own stuff to handle."

 

He smirked before walking over to me and pulling me into a hug, "You didn't ask, I offered. And I haven't done anything particularly noteworthy. Everything is going to be okay."

 

The world seemed to dim around me as his warmth wrapped around me. I slowly relaxed, a few tears escaping as I allowed an almost stranger to comfort me.

 

"Thank you," I whispered as I slowly pulled away, "I need to be at Peaceful Rest Funeral Home in one hour."

 

Okay," he told me, slipping his hand into mine and leading me out the front door, "That gives us just enough time to grab some doughnuts for breakfast."

 

I stayed silent as he drove us across the tracks and into town. Lost in my own thoughts. It seemed like so much was happening at once. I still hadn't entirely accepted that my mother was gone and what all that would bring with it. Sure, I had thought about the fact that all responsibilities would fall solely on my shoulders. I had considered the fact that I would struggle to make ends meet, which is even more true now. But I don't think it had truly sunk in that she was gone forever. There was still so much I needed her for.

 

As if that wasn't enough to figure out, my brain kept slipping back to thoughts of Niko. The man sitting next to me. The stranger who has been there for me more in two days than anyone else ever has before. Not once has he judged me. Not even when he was at the little run-down shack I call home. Not when my clothes are old and worn. Not when I've cried. He's been kind and caring, even when I have questioned his reasoning for being nice to me in the first place.

 

I looked over at him. His eyes were trained on the road as he drove us down Main Street. He was handsome. Well, handsome would be an understatement. He was definitely too far out of my league. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to him on some level.

 

"You're staring," his deep voice filled the car. I could feel the blush heat my cheeks as I quickly looked away. That's embarrassing.

 

"I don't mind," he followed up with amusement tinting his voice, "I kind of like it."

 

I shook my head as a small smile managed to slip out.

 

"I don't know if we should eat here," I told him as I realized he was pulling into the diner I worked at.

 

"Why not? Do you not like the food here?" he questioned sincerely.

 

"No, it's not that," I said. "But don't you think it's weird? I'm off work because of my mother's death, but I'm able to come in and eat. I can already hear Trey: 'So you can come in to eat but can't work a shift?'"

 

"Don't worry about Trey," Niko told me, his voice hard, "I can promise he won't dare speak a word to you."

 

I raised my eyebrows at him, "You must not know Trey very well then, because Trey is an asshole to all of us female employees up here. He doesn't care."

 

I watched as Niko's jaw tensed, "Sounds like maybe this diner needs new management then."

 

"Do you own this diner? Is the business you mentioned?" I asked without thinking. It's really none of my business, but the way Niko talked made it seem like he owned it.

 

He smiled proudly, "Yeah, it's mine."

 

That explained a lot. I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing for me. For now, it was. But if Niko lost interest and left, Trey would be worse than ever.