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Chapter 48: That's What Friends Are For
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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***“I hate to damper the mood and sour the delicious lunch you’ve made for us, but I have to ask. What’s the update with the police?” Irina asks, taking another bite of her veal.I take a sip of my mimosa, “I wish I had an answer for you, but there is no update.”“Nothing?!” Áine gapes in shock.I shake my head. “I haven’t even had someone call for further questions. I don’t know if they’re just busy–”“There are a lot of crazies in LA,” Irina concedes.“Or maybe they don’t care because I’m an immigrant. Immigrants aren’t exactly popular these days.”“Well, they are. Just for all the wrong reasons,” corrects Irina, causing Áine to nod solemnly. “You should ask Amber to look into it since she’s acting as your lawyer.”“I probably should do that, but I haven’t wanted to bother her,” I admit.“But still, to hear nothing is crazy,” Áine frowns.“Do you know anything? I mean, has anything happened at the diner?” I inquire cautiously.“Well, I remember the police showing up and taking Dyla
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 50: Photographs
***I give Irina and Áine the biggest hugs I can as I reluctantly say goodbye to them. Having them here and spending the day with them has been like a booster shot to the arm. I wanted them to stay and never leave, but I know they have lives to get back to, and it’s not like I’ll never see them again. I guess I’m just feeling homesick for our regular get-togethers.“I want you guys to know you are welcome to stop by any time, day or not. I’ve missed hanging out with you guys,” I say sadly.“On the bright side, your bedroom here is bigger than your whole studio apartment,” Áine chuckles. “For a change, we all fit comfortably.”I smile half-heartedly. As nice as it is here, I miss having my own place. I miss the home I made for myself. That being said, I’m not ready to go back and even if I do, it will only be to pack up the rest of my things and move the hell out. You couldn’t even pay me to continue to live there now.Áine quickly kisses my cheek goodbye and gets in the cab waiting fo
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 51: Protect and Serve? Ha!
Sitting on the sofa I stare at my hands, determined to pick this frustrating piece of skin that has come up close to my cuticle. I just know it’s going to keep getting caught on things and will drive me insane. I never understand how they occur. You never really see it happen; you just suddenly one day feel a sting or feel something catch, then you look and there is another tiny piece of skin that’s come up from around your nails. It shouldn’t be so annoying, but it is.“Lani,” I hear a familiar voice call my name.I look up into concerned sapphire eyes. They used to smile more, but now they just seem to either look at me with guilt or concern.“Hmm?” I hum.“Here, I made you some hot chocolate,” Julian explains, sitting beside me and placing the mug in my hands. “Sugar is good for shock,” he assures me with a comforting smile.Shock? Is that what this is? Honestly, I’ve been through so many emotions lately that I can barely keep them straight. They’ve all started to bleed together an
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 52: Ring Ring
“Lani?” calls Julian’s voice gently followed by a light rap on the door.I sigh, pulling my legs against my chest, “What?”“Can I come in?” he tentatively asks.“It’s your house,” I remind him.He opens the door and lets himself in. I look over to see him watching me with a sheepish look on his face. He walks over and sits on the edge of the bed, probably deciding it’s better to keep a safe distance from me.“I’m sorry,” he says sincerely, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “You’re right, this isn’t happening to me, and I don’t have a right to get so worked up on your behalf and make this about me and how I’m feeling when you’re the one going through this. I shouldn’t have done that,” he admits.“I don’t blame you for getting upset, and I appreciate that you care, but I’m struggling enough to make sense of all this to myself, worrying about you freaking out on top of everything is just too much for me right now and I’m sorry if that’s selfish but I am seriously over
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 53: Can't Keep A Girl Down
Entering the apartment with my shopping bags I’m immediately greeted by Julian’s enraged voice emanating from somewhere upstairs and reverberating around the spacious penthouse. Concern fills me as I cautiously make my way upstairs, the sound of Julian’s pointed words increasing in volume with each step I take. I guess that’s another reason to have an apartment with more walls: they act as a sound barrier.“No, no, NO. You swore to me it was a sure thing, Gradin. You were the one who told me I was a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars, and now you’re trying to tell me I’m not even a fucking consideration?! I’m not involved in any fucking drama or bad press so either I’ve been blacklisted for some ungodly reason, OR YOU FUCKING LIED TO ME!” he fumes.Yikes…he didn’t even sound this angry when the police were over here. I learned the hard way that Julian doesn’t handle criticism or rejection well, so I don’t think I want to be in the line of fire when he’s upset like this.
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 54: I Can Do This Blindfolded
Taking a deep breath I try to calm the worms crawling around in my stomach. I place my hand on the door, take in one more breath for good measure, and walk into the diner. I’m only two steps inside when someone scares the daylights out of me by screaming my name.“LANI!”I’m immediately wrapped in a bear hug by Bernadette, who I haven’t seen in ages. She squeezes me tight, rocking me back and forth as her thick wavey brown hair gets all up in my mouth.“I can’t believe you’re back. I was worried we’d never see you again,” she whines in her thick German accent.I smile, hugging her in return and giving her a tight squeeze. “You know me, I’m a workaholic, I was bound to come back eventually,” I say playfully.“Are you just visiting or are you back back?”“I’m back back, I just need to go talk to Gary.”“He’s in his office,” she informs me, beaming.“You’re the best,” I smile, giving her a kiss on the cheek and making my way to Gary’s office.As I’m about to knock on the door, I get an u
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 55: Done Pt 1
“And that girl was so mean. I can’t believe she smacked the fork out of his hand,” Áine remarks shaking her head, recalling our shift at the diner.“I don’t know the poor guy, but I hope he sees sense and dumps her. No one should be with someone that toxic,” I add as we step off the elevator and into the penthouse.“Even you know when to leave a toxic relationship. No offence,” she adds sheepishly.“No offence taken,” I assure her, making my way to the kitchen to grab some snacks and drinks from the refrigerator.“Are you sure Julian won’t mind me being here?” she nervously asks.“He’s not my warden, Áine. I can have friends over. I had asked Amber if she wanted to join, but she’s swamped at work.”“Maybe next time,” she chirps optimistically.That’s something I love about Áine…well, I honestly love just about everything about her. She is so bubbly and optimistic, just wanting to see others happy. There aren’t many people like her; I just wish she could direct some of that optimism to
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 56: Done Pt 2
The sound of glass shattering wakes me from my deep sleep with a jolt. I sit up in bed, my eyes alert and frantic as I look around the room. I reach across the bed, pulling my phone out from under my pillow and see that it’s two in the morning. I unlock my phone and type 911 into the keypad as I carefully get out of bed and make my way to the door.With my heart clogging my throat and cold dread rolling through me, I carefully open the door, make my way to the hallway railing and peer down to the floor below. I glance around and finally, my eyes fall on the source of the crashing. I let out a deep sigh of relief and slip my phone into my pocket as I make my way downstairs. With each step, my concern grows as I watch a dishevelled-looking Julian haphazardly pour himself a glass of vodka while shards of broken glass lay at his feet.His cheeks are rosy, his eyes are glassy – but not from crying – his jacket is nowhere to be seen, and his shirt is rolled up to the elbows with his bowtie
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Immediately I feel dread wash over me and those unpleasant gut bubbles rising in my stomach. The urge to check behind me starts to creep in and quickly my head begins to spin.“You couldn’t have phrased that another way?” Áine chastises Irina.“Nothing terrible has happened,” Irina quickly assures me, only easing my dread by a fraction.“Then why did you sound all foreboding like that?” I prod, breathing through my anxiety as Áine rubs soothing circles on my back.“Okay, so that’s on me. I was just going to say…Julian’s been calling me. He’s shown up to my place and left voicemails and text messages, all of him looking for you. I haven’t told him where you are because it’s none of his fucking business. I just thought you should know he’s clearly desperate to talk to you,” she informs me.Just hearing his name causes a pang in my chest. Since I left the penthouse I blocked and deleted his number. He came to the diner a couple times but each time someone covered for me and told him I wa
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 57: Empty Pt 1
“Nalani, are you sure about this?” Lamont gently asks, his eyes filled with sadness as he holds my letter of resignation in his hands.“I’m sorry, Monty. I’ve thought long and hard about this and as much as I liked working here and the people I’ve gotten to know, I just don’t think it’s in my best interest to stay. Recent events have caused me to have painful memories here and with what’s going on in my personal life, I think changing jobs would be good for my safety,” I delicately explain.Finding work isn’t easy in this economy but for my wellbeing, I need to put myself on lockdown. I’m looking for new work and I’ll be sure to let my employers know not to hand my information out to anyone who asks no matter what. I’m also looking for a new place to live so I can start fresh. Making sure this guy couldn’t call me is one thing, but he knows where I live and he knows where I work, so the next best thing I can do is change that. Is there a chance he is watching my every move and will st
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 56: Done Pt 2
The sound of glass shattering wakes me from my deep sleep with a jolt. I sit up in bed, my eyes alert and frantic as I look around the room. I reach across the bed, pulling my phone out from under my pillow and see that it’s two in the morning. I unlock my phone and type 911 into the keypad as I carefully get out of bed and make my way to the door.With my heart clogging my throat and cold dread rolling through me, I carefully open the door, make my way to the hallway railing and peer down to the floor below. I glance around and finally, my eyes fall on the source of the crashing. I let out a deep sigh of relief and slip my phone into my pocket as I make my way downstairs. With each step, my concern grows as I watch a dishevelled-looking Julian haphazardly pour himself a glass of vodka while shards of broken glass lay at his feet.His cheeks are rosy, his eyes are glassy – but not from crying – his jacket is nowhere to be seen, and his shirt is rolled up to the elbows with his bowtie
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“And that girl was so mean. I can’t believe she smacked the fork out of his hand,” Áine remarks shaking her head, recalling our shift at the diner.“I don’t know the poor guy, but I hope he sees sense and dumps her. No one should be with someone that toxic,” I add as we step off the elevator and into the penthouse.“Even you know when to leave a toxic relationship. No offence,” she adds sheepishly.“No offence taken,” I assure her, making my way to the kitchen to grab some snacks and drinks from the refrigerator.“Are you sure Julian won’t mind me being here?” she nervously asks.“He’s not my warden, Áine. I can have friends over. I had asked Amber if she wanted to join, but she’s swamped at work.”“Maybe next time,” she chirps optimistically.That’s something I love about Áine…well, I honestly love just about everything about her. She is so bubbly and optimistic, just wanting to see others happy. There aren’t many people like her; I just wish she could direct some of that optimism to
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 54: I Can Do This Blindfolded
Taking a deep breath I try to calm the worms crawling around in my stomach. I place my hand on the door, take in one more breath for good measure, and walk into the diner. I’m only two steps inside when someone scares the daylights out of me by screaming my name.“LANI!”I’m immediately wrapped in a bear hug by Bernadette, who I haven’t seen in ages. She squeezes me tight, rocking me back and forth as her thick wavey brown hair gets all up in my mouth.“I can’t believe you’re back. I was worried we’d never see you again,” she whines in her thick German accent.I smile, hugging her in return and giving her a tight squeeze. “You know me, I’m a workaholic, I was bound to come back eventually,” I say playfully.“Are you just visiting or are you back back?”“I’m back back, I just need to go talk to Gary.”“He’s in his office,” she informs me, beaming.“You’re the best,” I smile, giving her a kiss on the cheek and making my way to Gary’s office.As I’m about to knock on the door, I get an u
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 53: Can't Keep A Girl Down
Entering the apartment with my shopping bags I’m immediately greeted by Julian’s enraged voice emanating from somewhere upstairs and reverberating around the spacious penthouse. Concern fills me as I cautiously make my way upstairs, the sound of Julian’s pointed words increasing in volume with each step I take. I guess that’s another reason to have an apartment with more walls: they act as a sound barrier.“No, no, NO. You swore to me it was a sure thing, Gradin. You were the one who told me I was a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars, and now you’re trying to tell me I’m not even a fucking consideration?! I’m not involved in any fucking drama or bad press so either I’ve been blacklisted for some ungodly reason, OR YOU FUCKING LIED TO ME!” he fumes.Yikes…he didn’t even sound this angry when the police were over here. I learned the hard way that Julian doesn’t handle criticism or rejection well, so I don’t think I want to be in the line of fire when he’s upset like this.
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 52: Ring Ring
“Lani?” calls Julian’s voice gently followed by a light rap on the door.I sigh, pulling my legs against my chest, “What?”“Can I come in?” he tentatively asks.“It’s your house,” I remind him.He opens the door and lets himself in. I look over to see him watching me with a sheepish look on his face. He walks over and sits on the edge of the bed, probably deciding it’s better to keep a safe distance from me.“I’m sorry,” he says sincerely, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “You’re right, this isn’t happening to me, and I don’t have a right to get so worked up on your behalf and make this about me and how I’m feeling when you’re the one going through this. I shouldn’t have done that,” he admits.“I don’t blame you for getting upset, and I appreciate that you care, but I’m struggling enough to make sense of all this to myself, worrying about you freaking out on top of everything is just too much for me right now and I’m sorry if that’s selfish but I am seriously over
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 51: Protect and Serve? Ha!
Sitting on the sofa I stare at my hands, determined to pick this frustrating piece of skin that has come up close to my cuticle. I just know it’s going to keep getting caught on things and will drive me insane. I never understand how they occur. You never really see it happen; you just suddenly one day feel a sting or feel something catch, then you look and there is another tiny piece of skin that’s come up from around your nails. It shouldn’t be so annoying, but it is.“Lani,” I hear a familiar voice call my name.I look up into concerned sapphire eyes. They used to smile more, but now they just seem to either look at me with guilt or concern.“Hmm?” I hum.“Here, I made you some hot chocolate,” Julian explains, sitting beside me and placing the mug in my hands. “Sugar is good for shock,” he assures me with a comforting smile.Shock? Is that what this is? Honestly, I’ve been through so many emotions lately that I can barely keep them straight. They’ve all started to bleed together an
Treasured Yet Discarded Chapter 50: Photographs
***I give Irina and Áine the biggest hugs I can as I reluctantly say goodbye to them. Having them here and spending the day with them has been like a booster shot to the arm. I wanted them to stay and never leave, but I know they have lives to get back to, and it’s not like I’ll never see them again. I guess I’m just feeling homesick for our regular get-togethers.“I want you guys to know you are welcome to stop by any time, day or not. I’ve missed hanging out with you guys,” I say sadly.“On the bright side, your bedroom here is bigger than your whole studio apartment,” Áine chuckles. “For a change, we all fit comfortably.”I smile half-heartedly. As nice as it is here, I miss having my own place. I miss the home I made for myself. That being said, I’m not ready to go back and even if I do, it will only be to pack up the rest of my things and move the hell out. You couldn’t even pay me to continue to live there now.Áine quickly kisses my cheek goodbye and gets in the cab waiting fo
