January

Nine

Sawyer

I walk into work with a pep in my step. Me and January have been spending a lot of time together outside of meeting at the bar. I usually stop by after work, or she comes to meet me at the bar. We usually just talk and actually get to know each other. We've kissed a few times but nothing has gone any further, and I don't mind. I like being with her. I like learning new times about her and hearing her ramble on about something she's passionate about. Like Bobs burgers, or that olives are good people just have bad taste. I guess I have really bad taste because olives are ducking disgusting. I like being around her, in fact I wish I was with her right now.

   "You look happy." Alice states as I walk through the kitchen. "I am happy." She smiles at me and I kick open the kitchen doors. My happiness is sort lived when I spot my brother and father eating with a bunch of other doctors. Well I'm assuming there doctors. They wouldn't associate themselves with anyone else. I'm shocked my dad married my mom if I'm being completely honest. She didn't go to school and she doesn't have a job. How does she meet any of his standards. She is gorgeous, but looks is the last thing I except my father to look at. I feel like he knows peoples net worth before he notices the colour of their hair. I go behind the bar hoping to avoid the area there in at all costs. It's pretty difficult considering it's not really busy right now, and they are one of the five tables in here.

I stock the bar and clean places that don't need to be clean to distract myself from the laughter coming from the direction of their table. But it doesn't help. I keep catching myself looking over at them. My heart aches a little. They're sitting in my bar. They're in my bar that I bought. The bar that I run by myself, I didn't need their help. I didn't need anything from them, all I needed was the support. All I needed was to hear my father tell me how proud of me he was for owning a successful business. I wanted to hear him brag about me to his co workers. I suck in a breath. I stare at my dad pull my brother into a side hug and then pain shoots up my hand. I look down to see that a glass has broken in my hands and blood pours from the cut.

The door opens and I hear a gasp before someone grabs my hand and places a cloth in it. I stare down at the top of Januarys head. A smile pulls at my lips. More laugher breaks out from my fathers table and I frown. She looks in there direction then back up at me. "Where's your office." I take her through the back. "What happened?" Alice's shock sounds from beside me but I keep on walking to my office with January in toe. She looks at January confused, but before she can say another word I ask her to watch the bar and I close the door behind us. "Do you have a first aid kit?" I nod my head towards the cabinet and she walks over to it while I take a seat. She pulls the small white box out and places it on my desk before kneeling down beside me.

"Are you okay?" She pulls the once white cloth from my hand and inspects the damage. She opens the box and pulls out the supplies she'll need and placed them out in front of her. "It only hurts a little." I wince when she starts to clean it and looks for pieces of glass that could've got imbedded in my hand. "That's not what I mean." I pinch my brows together. "I feel small and worthless when I'm around them." I admit. She stays quiet but I can't see the pain in her face. I continue, because it feels so easy to talk to her. "Sometimes I want to scream at them until I can't breathe, because maybe then I'll actually hear me." She finishes wrapping my hand and looks up at me. Sadness coating those beautiful blue eyes. I hold her cheek with the other hand. "Don't. Don't be sad for me." She shakes her head. "They don't deserve you." I smile at her.

I don't deserve you. I want to say. A knock at the door sounds and she stands. Taking a step away from me. Alice pokes her head in and eyes us before talking to me. "Your father left. He said you were covering the table? I just wanted to make sure?" I clench my jaw. I feel like I'm about to burst but I hold it together. "Yeah, I got it." Alice gives us one last look before closing the door. "I don't like them." January glares at the floor, her tiny fists clenched like she's ready for a fight. She looks angrier now then the first night we might. When that sleaze bag grabbed her ass. The memory only makes me angrier. "Join the club." She looks adorable when she angry. "Thank you for cleaning me up."

She walks over to clean the mess she made with the supplies. "It's fine, I'm good at it. I use to do it on dogs all they time. You are basically the same." Her scowl goes down with the joke she mad, and I relax a bit too. "Haha. Very funny." She tosses out the bloody rag and pulls open my office door. "Come on, you owe me a drink." She motions for me to follow and I do. "With extra cherries!"