Page 9 of Accidental Proposal

“No, because I trust that you are doing this for an important reason.” I cringed inwardly at that. This was anything but important. “You just have to make sure to keep in touch with me and come see Sky every once in a while.” I grinned at the mention of her four-year-old daughter.

“I promise I will. Oh, I finally got a cell phone, so add your number,” I said, suddenly remembering I had it in my mini pocket. When I handed her my phone, she punched in her number before handing it back to me. I smiled sadly at her and pulled her into a hug.

“I’ll miss you,” I mumbled.

“Me too, Jenna. But we will stay in touch,” she said firmly, pulling away from me. My eyes pooled with tears, but I forced them back. I wasn’t going to cry. Unfortunately, our little moment got ruined as a guy came up to the bar wanting a drink. With a sigh from both of us, we got back to work.

When eleven hit, Candy said one last goodbye to me and made me promise to text her tomorrow before leaving. I looked after her, feeling sad, but at the same time happy. I was glad she wasn’t mad at me nor did she push me to tell her why I am leaving. The rest of the night passed by quickly after that. Soon, I was walking up the stairs to Teddy’s office to tell him I was leaving. With a deep breath, I knocked on the door and entered when he called for me to come in.

“Oh hello, Jenna. Is everything okay?” Teddy asked, gesturing for me to sit across from him.

“No, everything is okay,” I answered, taking a seat. “I just came up here to tell you tonight is my last night here.”

“Oh.”

“I know it’s sudden, and I am sorry for the inconvenience that it may cause, but I have some things I have to take care of for a while.”

“You’re not in trouble, are you? You can tell me.” I smiled at him but shook my head. Knowing all these people cared for me made me feel warm inside. “Well, if you ever need anything, you can come to me. We’ll miss you around here, but you gotta do what you gotta do.”

“Thank you for understanding, Teddy,” I said sincerely.

“It’s no problem, hon. You can come by for your check next week, or I can give it to Candy.”

“I’ll come by in a week. Thank you again,” I said, standing up.

“Just take care of yourself. You’re a great girl.” He pulled me in for a hug, giving me a tight squeeze before letting me go. With my final goodbye, I nodded at him before leaving his office and heading back downstairs.

I wasn’t all that close with any of the other workers, so I didn’t stay and say goodbye. I didn’t think I had another goodbye in me, to be honest. With a smile at the guard by the door, I nodded in thanks at him before stepping out into the cool night air. Before the door could shut, I took one last look at the club, saying a silent goodbye. When I turned around, I saw Garrett parked at the curb, where he said he would. Walking toward the car, I opened the passenger’s side and got in.

“Thanks for picking me up.”

“No problem. Home?” he asked. I could tell he was tired, so I nodded.

During the ride back, I leaned my head on the headrest, staring out the window as an Ed Sheeran song played softly in the background. As we passed cars and buildings, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made a mistake.

Chapter Five

The next morning, I woke up to the sun shining on my face. I rolled over, covering my face with my pillow. When I got home last night, I found the house empty, not really to my surprise. I’d changed and slid into my new bed, but as I lay there, I couldn’t fall asleep. I’d stared up at the ceiling, willing myself to sleep, but for some reason I couldn’t. All night, I tossed and turned. Sleep finally overcame me around five this morning. I peeked open one eye and saw it was only nine.I only got four hours of sleep!Groaning, I laid my head back on the pillow, not wanting to get up.

The idea of having to get out of my comfy bed to face reality was not what I wanted. I wished I could just sit in bed all day and not worry about anything. In fact, I wished I could stay here for this entire year, only to leave it when my deal with Liam was done. If only it were that simple. After five minutes of protest, I finally got up and headed to shower. I hated that I was one of those people where if I was up, I was up. No going back to sleep for me. I turned on the big shower, letting the water warm up before stripping out of my PJs. You would think since I got up early almost every day I would be used to it, but nope. Instead, it seemed to get harder every day.

Stepping under the warm water, I closed the glass door behind me. As I tilted my face up, I let the water run down me, feeling all of the tension seep out of my body. I continued on washing my hair and body before reluctantly getting out. My fingers were pruned as I wrapped a fluffy baby blue towel around me. It was the softest towel I’d ever felt! With my blonde hair hanging down in my face and shoulders, I walked to the mirror.

The girl staring back at me was the same girl I’d seen for the past three years. I hadn’t changed much since puberty hit or since I left high school. Only a few things were different: my blonde hair was longer, since I hadn’t cut it since I left the home; my green eyes were duller with huge bags under them; and I looked a tad bit skinnier because I sometimes didn’t get enough to eat. I guess I could be considered lucky I didn’t gain the freshman fifteen that most do after graduating. Staring back at me was the same girl who had worked countless useless jobs for nothing and who hadn’t had the easiest life. With a sigh at my reflection, I grabbed my brush and brushed my hair before leaving the bathroom to get dressed.

When I walked into my huge closet, I was struck again with how big and nice it was. As I got dressed, I wondered why people would need a closet so big. I slid on a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans, a cute maroon and grey quarter-sleeve shirt, and a pair of dark blue flats. I grabbed my cell phone and headed to get something to eat. I honestly didn’t know why I even bothered to get dressed when I wouldn’t be leaving the house, but whatever.I guess I better ask Liam what I’ll be doing, now that I don’t work.Walking into the kitchen, I froze mid-step as Liam sat at the bar drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper.What is he doing home? It’s almost ten in the morning.Not knowing if I should say good morning or not say anything at all, I walked toward the cabinet and grabbed a coffee mug, filling it up.

He was dressed in a black suit with a white button-up shirt and a dark blue tie. He must be getting ready to go to work, or he’d already been at work. I wasn’t sure which. Liam didn’t say anything as I moved around the kitchen, but I could feel his blue eyes following my every move. Gathering some courage, I turned and faced him, holding my cup against my chest, almost like a shield.

“So…” I started to say, “I quit my jobs.”

“Good,” Liam said in his smooth voice, no longer looking at me but down at the newspaper in front of him.

“Is there something you want me to do? Like clean the house or…” I trailed off, not knowing if he was even listening to me.

“No, I have a maid for that,” was all he said. I couldn’t help but glare at him. It was like talking to a wall, for crying out loud.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked, trying to keep my anger at bay.

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