Picking Up The Pieces.

"Happy birthday, Isles." A low whisper dragged me out of sleep and I opened my heavy eyelids almost immediately. I was taken aback by the abrupt splash of sunlight filtering through the room and blinked several times to adapt to the sudden brightness. It was too bright for my liking. My eyes finally grew accustomed to the light and sought the source of the voice. A small smile formed on my lips when I saw Kayden peering down at me,his hands on either side of my body.

"What time is it?" I groaned as I slowly peeled the sheets from my numb body. I felt exhausted —not ready to meet the world.

"It's still early." He answered,his unyielding ebony eyes still on me. "We have an hour and a half before our shift starts. In the meantime, let's celebrate your birthday!" He squealed and I laughed at his ridiculous reaction.

"Oh,shut it. You know I hate birthdays." I pointed out with a groan. I looked up at his handsome face and he smiled faintly at me while pouting his plump lips. "This one is not an exception, Kay. I'm serious." I added quickly.

His eyes danced with a glint of mischief as his perfectly sculpted mouth tilted at the corners into a devilish grin."Come on. I think you're going to love this one, Isles. It'll be fine. I promise."

I eyed him suspiciously,not quite convinced of the sincerity behind his words. He knew I hated birthdays. Heck, he hated them too. For the last four years we had lived together, none of us threw a party or went out on our birthdays. We would normally stay indoors and order some pizza or watch a movie. No celebration at all. What was the point of celebration anyway?

"What makes you think that I'll love it?" I asked as I sputtered towards the paned windows to draw the blinds. The sunlight poured beautifully into the room and I span to find Kayden closely behind me, his gaze scanning me. He wore baggy shorts and a grey hoodie he had 'borrowed' from me. 

"What makes you think you'll not love it? What happened to being positive about everything?" A grin tugged at his mouth as he surveyed me amusingly before he walked out of my room.

I watched his retreating figure with a smile until he disappeared out of my room. If there was something I had come to learn about him, he never backed off from anything if he had made up his mind. Grabbing my toiletries in a rush, I walked to our shared bathroom and pulled the the curtain shut. The next minute was spent on contemplating whether I should take a cold shower as usual or a warm shower. I decided to go with the latter. Stripping off my clothes,I turned on to a hot temperature and let the steam fill the air before I stepped under the spray of water.

It felt good,the water beating down of my back made my tense muscles relax.

It was not until fifteen minutes later that I exited the bathroom with a small towel around me. I pulled on a white jeans and blue top that was a little too baggy for my slim figure and tied my hair into a ponytail. I didn't bother to cake my face with makeup or put on the massive loop earrings that Kayden had bought me for my birthday.

With one look at the mirror,I sighed in contentment. I looked plain, just the way I loved it.

***

"I'll have vanilla latte, please." A scrawny looking young man broke spoke and I lifted my face high enough to look at him. His face was furrowed into a frown and I wondered how long he had been been standing there unattended.

I slowly served him oblivious of his glare and went back to my position after he was gone. My eyes felt heavy and all I wanted was to go back to our apartment and sleep for years. But that would put me in the risk of losing my job and I didn't want that.The barista job didn't matter that much to me because the salary was peanuts but Kayden had found me the job and I was determined to keep it in every way possible. I would work my ass off and help him with the bills or buy him a nice gift like he usually did me. The cake he'd surprised me with in the morning before we left to work had brought tears to my eyes and the surprise he was planning for later was uncalled for, really.

Kayden had given me a second chance of making everything right and I was not going to screw it up. I was still trying to pick up the pieces of my shattered life and piece them back together, five years later.

I may have fallen to the ground but I trusted myself to get up too.

"... Isla?" An irritated voice snapped me from my reverie and I turned around to meet Maeve's signature frown. She raked her manicured fingers in her hair which was too blonde to be true and stepped closer, her expensive perfume suffocating me.

Oh, God. Not now.

I scratched my chin nervously and tilted my head to face her. "Yes, Maeve. Could you repeat what you just said?" My voice was strangely soft.

"Finally," she let i harshly while rolling her eyes, a habit."I've been trying to get your attention for the last ten minutes."

I bit my tongue not wanting to say something that would piss her off but my tongue was too quick to respond.

"I didn't know I was so special, Maeve." I began with a forced smile. "What would be so important to make Maeve Carter try to get my attention?"

"Knock it off, bitch." Her voice was stern and laced with contempt."And you better get to work before I report you to the boss for slacking off. That's what he gets for employing a loser like yourself. Why did he give you the job anyway? Did you give him head?"

"Maybe I did." I said with a nonchalant shrug.

She scoffed and stomped away in her six inch heels and I couldn't be more glad.

The day had barely started and I was already yearning for it to end. I really wanted to go back home and sleep the day away.

"Hey, beautiful." A deep voice spoke from behind and I smiled when I saw a familiar figure sliding into the seat next to me. "You look like you'd rather be anywhere else but here." He observed quietly.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked down at my nails which usually suffered from the wrath of my teeth. They were too short and extremely unattractive after being bitten countless times."Is it that obvious?" I asked while looking at his face.

"Yeah."Kayden sighed. "Is that bitch troubling you again?" He asked while pointing at Maeve's back with his mouth.

"No."I lied through my teeth.

"You're lying.." He frowned and I scoffed.

"And what what makes you think I'm lying?" I asked.Whirling my head around,I met his eyes which glinted with fury.

"Because I know you more than I know myself?" He prompted in a low tone as if someone would hear us. " I know when you're lying, Isla. Just give me a go ahead and I'll strangle that bitch for you."

"The hell you are. I'm quite capable of handling my issues." I said and he rolled his eyes.

We sat in comfortable silence as I watched Maeve scold a couple of employees who had obviously done something she didn't like and had to be at her receiving end. She looked like a viper ready to attack with her smoking red mouth pressed in a thin, thin line.

" I'm going to go." Kayden said after while as he ran his fingers in my ponytail.His eyes darted to Maeve and he frowned."If that piece of hollywood trash tries to pick on you again just call for me and I will-"

"Bye Kayden." I gently pushed him away.

He threw me a playful glare and started to walk away. "I love you." He mouthed over his shoulder and I smiled.

For a moment I watched his wrestler's shoulders flex in his grey t-shirt as he moved in a leopard- like grace movement. As if on cue that I was watching him,he turned and winked at me playfully, his eyes gleaming with delight.

His cosmic smile brightened when I waved slightly and he turned to walk out of the door.

For the four years that I had known him, Kayden never failed to make me smile with his witty jokes and corny pick up lines. Or his funny facial expressions. I never got enough of them, really.

For a guy who had just turned twenty-two, he had achieved more than I could imagine. I reckoned it was because he had been forced to grow up and take care himself from a very tender age while I was obviously still wetting my bed at that time.

I admired him. His strength, confidence and humor mesmerized me. He had really influenced and changed my life- and I knew I would forever be indebted to him.

I shut my eyes and internally thanked my lucky stars for crossing our paths.

Had he not found me on that bridge that day, I would have been long dead. My rotten body would probably be floating away to Alaska or God knows where.

"Hello, can I have an Expresso please?" Someone whisper-said.

I raised my eyes and met the eeriest blue eyes I've ever seen.