How Not to Fall In Love

Chapter 38

The rest of the day was filled with dodging teachers in the hall and keeping my head down in my last two classes. Finally, when the day's final bell rang, I could breathe a little easier until I realized I still had to go to work. Austin walked me to my locker, refusing to leave my side even though I told him a million times that I was okay. Sophie and Cole even told him they would be with me, but he remained adamant about staying with me. Finally, I resorted to the fact that nothing would change his mind and stopped pressing the subject. I reminded him that he couldn't follow me to work. He tried saying he could, but I told him that wouldn't look good on my second day having my boyfriend hanging around my entire shift. He promised he wouldn't stay long and would meet me at my house in about forty minutes. He kissed me and disappeared around the corner. I finished grabbing the books I needed from my locker and headed to my car. I opened the front doors to the school and immediately spotted Jules leaning against my car, looking down at her phone in between watching people walk by her to their vehicles. I reached into my purse and grabbed my sunglasses. The sun wasn't shining that bright, but enough that I could get away with putting them on. 

"I thought you were getting a ride with Evie today?" I asked, walking up to the car. 

Jules looked up, lowering her phone. "She had to go with her mom to an appointment." She stood up, turned around, and opened the passenger door the second I unlocked the car. 

I opened the driver's side door, tossing my book bag onto the backseat. "Do you think you could help me with my eyeshadow?" I lowered the visor, looking at my eye. 

"Yes, I noticed it when you walked up, but I didn't want to say anything." She fastened her seatbelt. 

"Thanks." I started the car and pulled out of the parking spot. We hadn't even made it halfway down the road when Jules asked me if I could get her some coffee. I told her it had to be quick and no Coffee Oasis because I had to go to work soon. She settled for another local place with a drive-thru, so we didn't have to get out of the car. I debated on getting myself something, but I declined because I knew I'd make myself a drink once I got to work. Jules took a sip of her latte, then thanked me for stopping to get it for her.

                                                                                ****

Austin showed up forty-five minutes later as I walked out the door to head to work. He asked if he could take me to work and pick me up after work. He said we could pick something up to eat and take it back to my house for Jules and us. I stood there looking down at the keys in my hand, then over at my car. "Okay." I tossed my keys into my purse, hoping I was making the right decision. "We need to get going so I'm not late." I smiled, motioning my head toward his car.  

"I can get the food before I pick you up from work; that way, we can just head back here to your house. What would you like to eat?" Austin asked, unlocking the car. 

I opened the passenger door. "It doesn't matter. Cheeseburger and fries would be great." 

"Okay, I'll get cheeseburgers and fries."

Twenty minutes later, I walked through the door of Coffee Oasis, praying I wasn't late on my second day at my new job. Madison was behind the counter, making drinks. She said a quick hi while handing drinks off to the customers at the counter. I walked around the counter to the register and changed the screen to where I could clock in for work. Madison told me that Ashlynn would be in later to close, so it would just be the two of us for a few hours. Right as she finished the sentence, Taylor and her friends walked through the door. Taylor flipped her hair over her shoulder as she walked up to the counter, her friends following close behind her. 

"What happened to your face?" Taylor asked, scrunching her face at me. "You look like you walked into a door or something. Don't you know how to walk?" 

"Taylor, do you want to order something?" Madison stepped closer. "Ashlynn left me in charge, and I have no problem making you and your friends leave." She pressed her lips together. 

"Look at you, being all authoritative. Good for you." She mocked, 

"Taylor, you don't know when to stop, do you?" 

"Come to her rescue again, Austin?" She turned around. "What do you see in her, honestly?" She turned sideways, glaring over at me. 

"The question should be, what the hell did I see in you?" 

"Everyone knows you feel sorry for her." Taylor laughed. 

"That's enough, Taylor! I think it's time for you and your friends to leave." Madison demanded. 

"You can't make us leave!" Taylor's head turned around so fast I thought she was possessed.

"She can but won't have to because I heard everything," Ashlynn said. "I'll go one better. Your friends can stay while you leave. That is if they promise to leave Rylee alone." 

I looked over Taylor's shoulder at her friends, nodding their heads in agreement that they would leave me alone. I didn't know whether to believe them or not. 

Taylor turned back around to face me. "Fine. You best watch your back, Rylee. He won't always be around to protect you." She turned, pushed her friends aside, and walked out the door. She stopped in front of the window, held my gaze for a few seconds, then stormed off. 

"Are you okay, Rylee?" Ashlynn asked, walking around the corner of the counter. 

"Yeah..." My eyes wandered back to the big window to make sure Taylor wasn't still standing there, glaring in. 

"Rylee, can I talk to you in the back for a minute?" Ashlynn said, walking through the doorway. 

I turned to Madison, who was waiting on Taylor's friends. "I've got this." She smiled. 

"I'll hurry up." I walked through the doorway and headed back to Ashlynn's desk. I knocked on the doorframe instead of barging into her office. "Did you want to see me?" 

Ashlynn was sitting at her desk, looking in a mirror, and putting her hair in a bun. "Yeah, come on in, Rylee. I wanted to ask you something, but not around Taylor's friends." She took one last look in the mirror, picked it up, and put it in a drawer. "What happened to your lip? Don't tell me you walked into something." She got out of her chair and walked around the front of her desk. "Did Austin do this to you?" 

"No," I whispered. Her eyes narrowed like she was trying to decide whether I was telling her the truth or not. 

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Ashlynn stepped closer to me. "I know abuse when I see it. I'm a survivor myself. I'm here if you need someone to talk to. I can see you don't feel like talking right now, and that's fine. I just want you to know you're not alone." She stepped back, giving me space. "Madison could probably use some help out front." 

"Thanks." I turned and walked out of her office, shocked by what she had just told me. 

Author's Notes:

Rylee has a lot to figure out. 

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