Page 5 of Bad Kind of Love

I promised myself long ago I would never end up like my mom or dad. I’d work hard in school and save up money, so I could leave this town and all its memories in the past. As much as I loved my dad, I needed a fresh start somewhere else, with or without him.

“When’s school start? Soon, right?” He questions.

“Yeah, tomorrow actually.” I inform.

He pulls the phone away from his ear and starts to shake his head back and forth grinning ear to ear. “Senior year.” He says like he’s reminiscing on the days he was in school. “My girl’s last year of school.” He stares at me in wonderment. “Where has the time gone?”

Lifting the side of my mouth in a half smile, I start to fidget with the phone cord. “Don’t get all emotional on me now.” I tease.

“I’m trying.” He says truthfully. “You make your old man proud.”

Holding back the tears that wanted to fall, I avert my eyes from his stare. “Well, I hate to cut our time short, but I have work in ten minutes.”

“No, it’s okay. Get that money.” He jokes.

“Dad, stop.” I can’t help but let out a small giggle as I place my head in my palm.

“I’ll see you next month?”

“Of course.” I nod.

“Good.” He smiles. “Good luck on your first day of school.”

“Thanks. And you,” I point a black painted nail at him. “Stay out of trouble.”

“Yah, yah, yah. Love yah kid.” He places the phone back on the wall before I could respond.

“Love you too.” I whisper to myself. As he walks away, I push out of the plastic chair, and make my way to work.

Arriving two minutes before I had to clock in, I hurriedly pull my hair up in a messy bun, letting my curtain bangs fall and strap my ugly visor to the top of my head.

“The appropriate time to arrive to work is five minutes before you’re scheduled.” My manager’s nasally voice echoed through the empty shop as I quickly walked behind the register and clocked in.

“Sorry.” I mumble, hoping he doesn’t give me any more shit. My boss was a prick. He was a thirty-three-year-old man who worked at an ice cream shop. I mean come one dude. Don’t you have anything better to do than harass a teenage girl.

“Yah, well, sorry won’t cut it next time.” He quips. Turning around to face him, I silently pray that he leaves soon so I don’t have to deal with him any more than I have too already. He goes over a few things about what needs to be done on my shift, then suddenly his eyes drop down to my shoes.

“You can’t wear those shoes here.” He curls his lip like it sickens him to see that I’m wearing them.

“Why not?” I ask confused. Sure, they were a little worn out but they did their job.

“Look at them.” He points down. “I’d hardly call those shoes.”

“No one’s complained about them before.”

Lifting his heavily freckled nose, he crosses his arms across his chest. “Well, I am now. And if you want to keep your job here, I suggest you invest in a more suitable pair of shoes for work.” With that, he turns his heel and walks away.

Flipping him the bird, I’m relieved when he finally leaves me here by myself. Tonight was slower than usual, we normally had a rush of people come in around seven, mostly loud families that were indecisive and took forever to order. But tonight was different. Chipping away at the black paint on my nails, I stand by the register waiting for the clock to hit nine. Slow nights were the absolute worst. I’d take busy over slow in a heartbeat. Hearing the door swing open, I immediately lift my head but instantly regret it. My eyes lock onto his and I automatically feel my cheeks warm up.

Travis fucking Haynes, with some eye candy on his arm who looks a little too comfortable being there. Star quarterback. Notorious playboy. Everyone knew his motives with women, he was manwhore to say the least, a hit it and quit it type of guy who had no interest in being in a relationship. And trust me, I would know, but not for the reason you’d think. Last year, I stupidly forgot my jacket in Mr. Wilson’s English class, so I decided to go back and get it when the school was empty. Apparently, it wasn’t. Hearing groans coming from the classroom, I cautiously opened the door but was met by Travis pile driving Holly James against the teacher’s desk. With her head tossed back, she was oblivious to her onlooker but Travis immediately caught me. With a devious smirk on his face, he continued pounding into her, never wavering his eyes from mine. Disgusted, I speedily got out of there without grabbing my jacket and luckily the whole matter seemed to have been forgotten by the next day.

“O’Connor? Is that you?” He rose a dark brow, scanning me from top to bottom. As he got closer, I noticed the brunette next to him was assessing me as if I was some sort of competition.

Don’t worry. He’s all yours sweetie.

“Travis.” I nod, focusing on anything other than his emerald eyes. There was no denying he was good looking. Dark hair that messily fell over to one side of his head, tall and muscled physique, and a wicked smile that had girls falling at his feet.

“It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you.” He goes on to say with his arm still draped over the brunette’s shoulder, ignoring the obvious glare she was burning into the side of his head.

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