Page 9 of #Lovestrong

8

Declan

Driving to Grandma Mabel's, I can't keep the smile off my face. I couldn't sleep last night because I couldn't stop thinking about Lena. I’ve never felt so bad about a girl crying. I want to ask her what the hell happened last night, but with Mrs. Deb already warning me, I won't.

I mean, any girl crying makes me feel bad and like I need to help and fix whatever is wrong, but with Lena, it was like this overwhelming urge to right the entire world just so she'd smile. I've never experienced this. Like, literally, every girl in my high school has tried to get my attention, and while I've dated a few, I've never been drawn to someone like I'm drawn to this girl.

She's like a beautifully broken jigsaw puzzle— some of the pieces are torn in half, but I woke up this morning wanting to tape them all back together just to admire the picture they create.

What is this? It's so weird.

I pull into the parking space right by the front door of the shop and flip my visor down, taking a few deep breaths. I shouldn't be looking forward to seeing Lena again, but I am. A lot. As I get out of the car and lock it, Mr. Gary comes down the steps from their apartment.

"Declan, my boy. You're early." He claps me on the shoulder.

Mr. Gary is a super witty guy and never fails to make the rest of us laugh whenever we're hanging in the shop. He's a Vietnam vet, but he's never mentioned the war in detail. Every Veteran's Day, me and a few other guys from the football team find something to do to honor Mr. Gary. Last year, he was trying to rebuild the staircase that goes up to their apartment because the wood was rotting out. We woke up at seven in the morning and did it for him.

He was so grateful, he got a little teary-eyed. It was the best thing I've ever done for someone else.

"I was kind of hoping Mrs. Deb might be done making those pancakes of hers," I say with a smile.

He laughs heartily, and pulls open the shop door. As we walk in, my eyes fall on a girl sitting at the counter with her back to me. Brown hair falls down her back almost reaching her butt, and she's tapping her thumb on the counter while sipping coffee.

"So, you do drink coffee," I say as she sputters her sip back into the mug and whirls around to face me, her eyes wide with surprise. I fight to keep the grin off my face. "When I mentioned it last night, you didn’t say anything."

"Last night?" Mrs. Deb comes from the kitchen carrying a plate stacked with pancakes, a can of whipped cream tucked against her side.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lena looks like someone just told her she has to scrub a truck stop bathroom for fun.

I walk to the counter and sit on the stool next to her. She turns so she's facing me, and I can't keep the grin off my face. Damn, she's beautiful. Her makeup is light with an emerald eye shadow that makes the green of her eyes pop. Even with the cut on her lip, she's definitely the most enticing girl I've ever seen.

Mrs. Deb sits the pancakes in front of me and sprays whipped cream on top before setting a spout of pecan syrup next to my plate. "Lena, baby, this is Declan. He's going to take you shopping for your school stuff today while Grandpa and I deal with the holiday rush."

Lena rolls her eyes, and I watch her out of the corner of mine as I cut my pancakes. "You have got to be kidding me."

"We met last night, Mrs. Deb." I pop a forkful of food in my mouth and chew, all the while not being able to take my eyes off her face.

"Oh, that's wonderful," Mrs. Deb says enthusiastically. "You kids will get along great. Lena, Declan here is just a peach. Helps your ol' Grandpa and me out around here a lot." She reaches across the counter after setting down a glass of tea for me and pats the side of my cheek.

"This can't get any worse," Lena mumbles, and Mrs. Deb gives her a hard stare.

Mr. Gary comes up behind Lena, whispers something in her ear, and she sighs, nodding her head. "I'll try, Grandpa."

He side-hugs her and she leans into him, closing her eyes for a moment. She gets up and heads to the kitchen while I finish my breakfast. Mr. Gary sits in her spot and turns toward me.

"Declan, listen," he says in a whisper. "That girl has been through a hell you can't even imagine. We appreciate you helping us today, but please, don't push her too much, okay, son?"

I swallow my food and nod, taken aback by the sternness and pleading in his voice. "Yes, sir. I'd never do anything to upset her on purpose. I swear."

He pats my back and takes a deep breath. "I know you wouldn't, son. You're a great kid. You know me and Deb think of you like a grandson, but that's my babygirl."

I nod my head again as he stands and heads to the kitchen as well. What the hell happened to this girl that's got everyone on edge? It's like they’re afraid she's going to explode at the smallest amount of stress.

I won't disrespect them or upset her, but damn, I want to know her story so bad now.

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